College Food

[CBM]

My daughter is beginning her college search and we have already run into a problem with one school telling us that they may not be able to accomodate her dietary/cooking needs. Does anyone have any ideas on how to handle this or work around it? Any suggestions on small east coast schools that may be suitable?

[Aerin328]

Most colleges have various meal plans. There is probably one available where she will have only very limited access to the college cafeteria but she will save $ ; the extra $ can then be used to buy food to cook at home in a controlled environment where it is easier to abstain from evil gluten.

[lorka150]

i would recommend getting her an on or off campus apartment with her own kitchen. i never, ever could have had the meal plan.

[Clark Bent as Stupor-Man]

most colleges generally require all freshmen to have a meal plan, but you should be able to pretty easily get an exception to this for medical reasons... my sister had some exceptions made for her as a freshmen since she kept kosher...

[kbtoyssni]

My brother goes to the University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse and they have gluten free food for their students. I think there are five celiacs out of the 5000 or so students. There's a fridge in the back stocked with gluten-free food and they can use the microwave to cook it up. Everytime I've visited they've been very accomodating. I wanted scrambled eggs for breakfast and they weren't sure what was in the mix so they gave me my own eggs.

[ravenwoodglass]

My daughter is beginning her college search and we have already run into a problem with one school telling us that they may not be able to accomodate her dietary/cooking needs. Does anyone have any ideas on how to handle this or work around it? Any suggestions on small east coast schools that may be suitable?

My DD goes to NorthEastern in Mass. They put her in senior housing her first year so that she would have her own kitchen and did not charge us for the meal plan. Most colleges will do their best to accomodate if you make your needs clear. Her second year she just moved off campus.

[queenofhearts]

Ever since I was diagnosed I've been urging my son to get tested, since he's had some symptoms over the years that make me a bit suspicious. He says "What's the point since I'd never be able to eat gluten-free at school anyway?" He's a rising sophomore at UNC. He's not required to have a meal plan this year & I feel sure we could work something out... but he just doesn't want to hear about it.

Neither does my sister, who I would BET is celiac, & it's really weird because she has had a series of food "issues" for years, but that's for another thread...

Leah