The College Roundup: Gluten Free Campus News
The good and the bad! Here is the gluten free college roundup for 2023.
(Good) Campus News:
University of Nebraska at Lincoln: their food service team believes no student should be forced to hike across campus for a good meal, be limited to restrictive meal plans, or have to scour websites to find options that work for their diets.
“Personally, I've always felt that if a student has to leave campus to get something they want, we're probably not doing our job as well as we should,” says Director of Dining Dave Annis.
More here: https://www.foodservicedirector.com/foodservice-operation-month/meeting-students-where-they-are-foods-they-want
Villanova University (Villanova, PA): The Villanova Gluten Free Clubis an organization on campus for students with any type of gluten intolerance, offering a safe space for them to connect with one another. Their mission: empower students to be their own advocates and provide them with the courage needed to raise their voices and demand meals that are safe and healthy for them.
“There are changes that need to be made,” club President Belle Wronko said. “Before we started, [we would] all try to make our own personal advocacy. As a group, we could have a stronger voice together.”
George Mason University (Fairfax, VA) made history by opening the first certified allergen friendly bakery on a college campus with the opening of The Difference Baker. "It is truly a dream come true. We are so excited to spread our love through allergen-friendly and safe food for those who can’t live without it!” ~ Alyssa Sobeck, owner of The Difference Baker.
Everything they sell is CERTIFIED, free from gluten, tree nuts, soy, and sesame (with dairy-free options too). Not only do they sell sweet items, but savory ones too, like pizza and sandwiches!
Iowa State (Ames, IA): students offer insight into the dining program. At Season’s Marketplace, student Claire Carpenter can eat gluten-free pizza, gluten-free pasta, and salad, but she said it is about how many times she wants to eat that during the week. “I can go to any dining hall on campus,” Carpenter said. “They all have some kind of accommodation.”
Lafayette College (Easton, PA): In a CYA (cover your 🍑) move, Lafayette College changed signage at the gluten free station to read “gluten friendly.” Thanks to the advocacy work of a current gluten free student, the school is changing the signage again to read “Gluten Free Favorites.”
(Bad) Campus News:
University of Massachusetts (Lowell, MA): students share the downsides of dining at the school, including, even with allergen-free stations, like few options, strange/unappealing offerings, salad bar labeled as "striving to be gluten free" but serving pasta, lack of labeling/ingredients and more.
University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AK); students weigh in: “More than just one entree would really help because it gives variety. Right now, I’m just stuck with whatever they give me because I really can't get any of the other stations in the dining hall.” More here: https://www.uatrav.com/news/article_2807effa-61fd-11ee-b32e-57e5a295f817.html
Brandeis University (Waltham, MA): hear from a current student about the state of dining there. Spoiler alert: It’s so disappointing when a school goes from decent food options to poor: http://tinyurl.com/2p9kum27.
Williams College (Williamstown, MA): this student articulates so well the frustrations of many gluten free students, from the limitations of allergen stations to non-supportive administration.
"The problem is that the College does not consider students with dietary restrictions enough of a concern to allocate more resources toward addressing equity and quality issues in dining. We are not being divas or asking for too much when we ask for food that is safe, properly cooked, appropriate to our health needs, and at least somewhat appetizing.
There is a psychological cost to all of this that cannot be understated. Not knowing whether your next meal will be edible, repeatedly going up against the administration, asking for help, and being met with months of delay and silence — it’s too much for any college student to deal with on top of their studies, work, and extracurriculars."
Appalachian State University (Boone, NC): students share their struggles to eat on campus.
👉 Do you have your own GF college experience, good or bad, that you’d like to share? Comment below.