College-how To Survive

[angel-jd1]

I have been doing a little research into University and College Dining programs. I emailed one of the largest companies that provide food services for colleges. I thought I would share the response that I got back from them. I also have a ton of info posted on my site if any of you are interested let me know. It's free I hope this helps some of you who are either in college or who are thinking of going in the near future.

-Jessica

Subject :  RE: Dietary Question

 

Jessica,

Our mission at Sodexho is

[Wish]

Jessica,

Thanks so much for posting this! I go to the University of Pittsburgh, which uses Sudexho, and my personal experience has been that they follow through with what they said in your letter--they are very willing to try to accomodate the dietary needs of Celiacs.

[angel-jd1]

I'm very glad to hear that they are following through

-Jessica

[celiac3270]

I have another five years before I have to deal with this, but I'd be interested to read about it.....and learn how others deal with college long before I have to......I didn't see this info. when I last checked your site, but is there a specific location on the site where you posted it (files, message board)?

In addition, I'd love to hear how people deal with celiac disease in situatations such as boarding school and college.....as I said, I don't NEED to know, but I'm interested to hear what people (especially those who dislike cooking do).

-celiac3270

[flagbabyds]

I know this isn't very incoraging but when my sister went on the diet in the middle of the year they said that almost everything in the dining halls have HVP which is horrible for celaics so she basically stopped eating in the dorms and cooked for herself

[byuiemily]

The college that I'm attending has cooking dorms and then non cooking dorms, which was lucky for me. My freshman year I opted to stay in the cooking dorms which is basically regular apartments (kitchens, own bathroom, 2 bedrooms) in a dorm setting, so I was able to cook my own food and not worry about going on campus to the cafeteria. This year I decided to move off campus and once again am cooking all my own food. Obviously this type of set-up isn't available to everyone, but from my own stand point, I find that if it's possible to be in an environment where I am the one cooking my food and not counting on someone else to make my food gluten-free, then it's a lot simplier. Just my opinion

[angel-jd1]

celiac3270-

Some info in the links and some in the files.

-Jessica

[tarnalberry]

I wasn't gluten-free in college (and don't think I had "activated my genes" yet), but did a fair amount of my own cooking. While my dorm had a small kitchen, sometimes that wasn't very convenient, so I saved up my money and bought a FarberWare electric skillet, and cooked on a coffee table outside. (It's got a stand and all that, so it's safe to cook on a wood coffee table.) You can make a lot of things with an electric skillet and a rice cooker. ;-) They are a bit pricey, but my mother-in-law has had hers for... at least 10 years (and I think that might have gone on to my brother-in-law for further use). (The adapter, that provides power to the skillet may fail sooner, but FarberWare has oodles of them and will send you a new one.)

[celiac3270]

Okay, I'll check both sections, thank you....

[byuiemily]

I too use an electric skillet (Rivel electric skillet) to cook most of my things, especially since I've designated it as something I only use, in order to eliminate potential cross contamination. I got mine for about 17 or 20 dollars, which really isn't that bad at all. So yeah, I definitely suggest an electric skillet to anyone who decides to do their own cooking in college. I even managed to cook rice in the skillet, after cooking chicken, so that I could have chicken and rice. And since almost all skillets are non stick now adays, that makes clean up so much easier.