Good College News

[Kylie]

So JMU now has a new program at their school to help students with Celiac. Once a month, all the students with food allergies come to a meeting with the dining hall staff to put together an order list of special food for the month and plan special meals (like fried chicken, homemade mac and cheese, cherry cobbler, and french toast to name a few). Everyday there are gluten free options for all meals and if you don't like the selection, the chef will personally make something for you (I have had a vegetarian rice wrap and a pizza). I found all of this out when I went for orientation and for just a preview session before ever being admitted into the school. The food was so good and it was so nice to have options and to know that I was safe. I know the food is no reason to pick a college, but if you are looking there, you may as well look a little harder because the food options are amazing!! Just thought i would share it with some other people who would apprectiate!

[modiddly16]

JMU is a great school with a great atmosphere...this just helps their cause!!

[confusedks]

That's really cool! I hope more schools will follow suit and do things like this. I am so nervous about going to college food-wise!

Kassandra

[blueeyedmanda]

It is good to see colleges trying to help people with food allergies. Food Allergies have become very common these days.

[charolastra00]

That's a great idea. I'm meeting with my school nutritionist straight off because I have gluten sensitivity (haven't been Dxed celiac, but I have DH so it will happen soon), allergic to dairy, and am also following South Beach Diet because those issues have made me blow up in terms of weight and I need to lose at least 70 pounds. Yeesh. My school is very good about some dietary needs- specifically vegetarian, vegan, Kosher, and Halal needs, but is still struggling with other areas- especially since many of the cafeteria workers are not too aware of dietary issues.

[MJS]

does anyone know of any other colleges with gluten-free dining options?

i know it shouldn't matter, and my mom says that the place i choose should be based on other stuff, but it would be nice to have gluten-free food already cooked for me every day.

[mommyagain]

does anyone know of any other colleges with gluten-free dining options?

i know it shouldn't matter, and my mom says that the place i choose should be based on other stuff, but it would be nice to have gluten-free food already cooked for me every day.

Actually, it SHOULD matter! Sure, don't choose a Liberal Arts school if you want to be an Engineer just because you like the dining options. But, finding a school that will meet your needs academically AND nutritionally is important. You won't be able to take advantage of the academics if you're always sick because there is nothing for you to eat. Also, a LOT of schools have very restrictive policies on what they allow Freshmen to do as far as living arrangements and meal plans.

So, you could show up at your top-ranked (academically) school and find they have ignored your request for a single room (because Freshmen don't get single rooms, they are reserved for upper-classmen) and that you are not allowed to have any appliance with a heating element in your room (i.e. no toasters, hot-plates, etc). So, you HAVE to eat in the dining hall (which may or may not be willing to make special food for you), you live with a roommate who lives on crackers and gets crumbs all over everything, and you spend the first semester of school essentially unable to attend class because you are always sick.

I would think that it would be far better to find a school that meets your needs academically AND has a detailed plan for dealing with food allergies. This selection process may land you at a school that isn't necessarily the "best of the best", but you will stay healthy enough to actually attend classes. Just my $0.02

[Guest thatchickali]

Lucky, Texas Tech is pretty much anti-celiac-friendly.

[kbtoyssni]

If I had to choose a college right now, my celiac would certainly be a huge consideration when making a decision. There's no way you can spend 4+ years in a place that can't accommodate your dietary needs. People choose a school based on many things other than the academic program they want - location, size, proximity to city/nature, etc. Everything adds up to a school just "feeling" right, and health/dietary concerns absolutely should be a part of that decision.

My brother goes to the University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse. They have several celiac students there and are very accomodating. There's a fridge in back stocked with gluten-free food and a microwave to use. They're very good about getting me a clean pan and real eggs (not the egg-mix) for scrambled eggs when I visit.

I went to UW-Madison before I was diagnosed, so I can't say how they are with dietary restrictions, but their meal plan might be better for a celiac. You put any amount of money on your card and pay for each item individually instead of having a set number of meals you have to get. This is a much cheaper option if you don't eat a lot or want to, say, buy your own cereal and just buy milk for it in the cafeteria. It's also nice because you can buy as much food as you want and take it out of cafeteria to eat later. Fridges are provided in each dorm room, too.