Celiacs In College

[nutbutters]

Hi all,

I've heard complaints of gluten-free college dining in the past. I'm curious about other's experiences at their respective colleges. My school is very good and cooks special meals for me whenever I need them, the benefit of a small school with several dining halls. I made the transition while in college (during the summer, which made it easier), but I'm curious about how other people deal. People at school have been pretty nice, but sympathetic since everyone knows wheat was my main food group.

Your experiences??

[IChaseFrisbees]

My problem with the dining hall at my school is that I just wasn't proactive, prepared and knowledgeable enough. I went in there and talked to them, and ended up leaving feeling great about the whole thing when they had just convinced me I could eat a lot of things they had. Well, it turned out their ingredient labeling wasn't very comprehensive or reliable, and there were a lot fewer options than I expected.

So finally I just read up a little bit, prepared what I wanted to say (a list of demands that I was going to try to present as requests) and went in there and stuck to my guns about what I needed for my health. I was assured the changes would be in place for this coming quarter because I talked to the manager in the last week of school, so I guess I'll find out come january and update this then.

[efriedm2]

Yeah, I've had a pretty lousy time of it. My small school's dining service is very progressive and independent of any of my requests were already trying to do the gluten-free thing, but not really succeeding. They had consulted a nutritionist, and were labeling things gluten-free, but I got sick repeatedly. Talking to the cooks, we figured out that they didn't really understand cross-contamination, like they fried tofu in the general fryer and didn't think twice about it. I tried to work with them for a while, but got really uh, sick, of getting sick, so I've been cooking my own food at friends' off-campus apartments. It just seems too hard to get such a big operation to understand the nuances...

[efriedm2]

p.s. Frisbees - What did you say to them? I know that's a pretty broad question, but maybe we can all help each other get the message across to our respective schools.

[IChaseFrisbees]

Hey man, I'm sorry to hear about that, it's really frustrating when people keep screwing you and don't understand.

To be honest with you I may have gotten lucky, because the manager's wife happens to be off of gluten, but I told him that I've still been having problems even with the things that are supposedly gluten free, and that I needed him to extend the grilled chicken option to be all day. I also explained my need for a full meal, including rice/potatoes and cooked veggies and he was very helpful.

However, we'll see if they fully understand the whole separate cooking cross contamination issue when I get back to school. I think what I'm going to do one day is hang out in the kitchen and see how they handle the whole operation and then report to the manager about my findings haha, it seems like the only way.

[taylor-]

hey! I haven't been on here in a couple months, but I thought I'd put my two cents in..

I go to Florida State, and when I first went to move up here the school gave me two options..

1. they would work with me in the dining halls to cook my food and try and give me options, but if I wanted anything "special" I would need to meet with someone once a week and let them know what I wanted to eat on what days of the week and in what dining hall.

2. I could put in a special request to get put in one of the apartment style dorms that are usually reserved for upperclassmen.

I didn't want to have to plan my meals out so far in advance or live with juniors and seniors as a freshman, so I ended up just getting an apartment off campus. I should probably mention that I've had Celiac for 18 years now..so I know how to shop/cook/deal with it, its always been life.. So..I guess my way of dealing with the dining halls is just to avoid them all together.

On another note...I have friends at UF who called me all excited last week saying that they had gluten free bread in one of the dining halls? I guess that's a good sign for the future....although they said it was one of the worst things they had ever tasted in their entire life, haha.

Happy eating!

[Confused in Iowa]

Nice reading your stories of survival in college life. My son is only 14 but i'm already scared to death when he decides to go to college.....(Go ISU cyclones!) It will be extremely hard to let go of him as he is also diabetic.

I do have a concern for this summer - he will be playing highschool football and they are required to go to some football camps. One camp is at a college for a week. How should I handle this - would I just need to meet with the school in advance and advise them of my son's condition? He's really nervous about it already - which just breaks my heart - he eats drinks and sleeps football and right now wrestling.

[MySuicidalTurtle]

I graduated in July but never had to deal with food at college since we didn't have to have a meal plan. I did have to have one during my Summer Study Abroad. The Administration said they would try to see that I had food but the real help was the staff at the colegio. They were the ones who ensured the food was there and all. I think when it comes down to it, the people actually getting the food are the ones to make friends with. When you're nice, others will be, too. I am just glad I didn't have to worry during my time in the states. However, it would have been nice to have gluten-free options available while on campus for days I forgot to take a lunch/snack.

[Rachel468]

I don't really have much experience being a celiac, as I was diagnosied literally yesterday, I do have experience as a camp consular. The one thing that I have told many parents when they have concerns about their childs individual situations is make sure to talk to the consular. If the consulars at this football camp have any experience then they have probably had at least delt with some type of food allergy. Especially something like a peanut allergy which is really common and very deadly. So they should understand how to deal with your sons needs. As I said before make sure to talk to your sons consular! If they don't know that there is a problem they cannot deal with it. This is more than just putting it down on the registration form this is actaully talking with the people that will be with your son and eating with your son. This could mean actually calling the camp and asking to speak to a director who can then relate the information to your sons consular.

I hope that helps. I hate the idea of a parent or a kid or both being afraid to go to camp because of a dietary need. I hope that your son has a great time at the football camp.

[MySuicidalTurtle]

I was looking at my boyfriends meal plan options (they begin Fall 2009 at the university I graduated from) and in the FAQ it says that people with allergies will be given a waiver. I love that they will be doing that! No use in spending money to eat nothing.

[kgies]

I got diagnosed 2 weeks before I left for my freshman year of college at a small university. We had talked to them and because of scholarship requirements, I have to live on-campus for 4 years unless i get married. So I gave the dining hall a shot, but it was awful. The director and the head chef were very good about it, and they knew what they were doing, and they were willing to help me, but what screwed it up for me was the employees who prepared my meals and didn't know what they were doing. They weren't trained in how to prevent cross contamination and keep my food clean, and in small town North Dakota, most of them didn't know what Celiac Disease or gluten was. So halfway through the semester I talked to my advisor(whose dad, i discovered, has Celiac) and she completely understood and set me up with an on-campus apartment. So this semester will be much, much better. The only challenge will be getting back in the middle of a blizzard.

The other problem i had with the dining hall was that they wanted me to sit down with them every week to plan meals and to be there at a certain time every day so that they could have my food hot and ready to eat. I am not a planner. An organizer, but not a planner. So that didn't really work with me because I never knew if I wanted to eat in the hall or @ my room till I was hungry.

That's about it. ha.

[IChaseFrisbees]

Hey everybody, I just got back from winter break this week and like my second day the assistant manager who helps me out with the gluten thing came up to me and said he was ordering gluten free bagels, and that they added a ticket system to the pizza station so that I could have pizza made on rice bread or rice cakes.

I feel really bad, because I'm not eating dairy or any carb-type foods like rice at the moment, but I didn't tell him that because I appreciate it so much!

Things here at UCSC are improving daily, just thought I'd let everybody know that establishing a first name basis relationship with the staff can be very helpful.

[spanish-road]

Yeah Im in the same boat up here in Fairbanks at the U I cannot find anyone who is in the same boat to hangout with. I found that they have to meet your needs but that means they can charge max for just rice and chicken, What i suggest is to find a group of people that have celiac rent a place thus making life better.

[num1habsfan]

being in my fourth year of university I decided not to trust anything at the school. There are microwaves all around (I don't dare go to any of the little cafeterias, except for Tim Horton's), but I don't trust the microwaves either. I live a mile from the university, and this semester I took things a step further for myself: Planned out my schedule so that I had large time spaces in between. Monday/Wednesday/Friday I have 5 hours between my morning/afternoon class, Tuesday I have 4 hours between morning/afternoon class, and Thursday I have just the morning class. This gives me enough time to come back to my apartment and even cook a meal. It is probably for the best, anyways. I don't know anyone else with Celiac going to the same university, and the maturity levels are too different with the majority of the other students so it is very doubtful they would try to understand (most just finished highschool, I graduated in 2002...and I meant this of no offense to any of you!!).

Because of issues I had in the 3rd year of university, the disability office is also very strict about instructors not following the rules, or not trying to understand. Maybe it is different in the U.S., but I am registered with the disability office (and with proof from my family doctor about having Celiac). So this way, if I get glutened in any way and have to miss school they can't argue that something should have been handed in anyways, that I should have been there, etc.

I hope this helped somehow!!

[candrews]

I go to University of Notre Dame and they are very accommodating--but you have to know what you want, then ask for that specifically. We have 2 options at ND--we can either have a rotation of meals prepared for us every day at a certain time, or there is a gluten-free room that is stocked with gluten free products upon request and has a gluten-free toaster and george foreman grill that we can use (uncontaminated). These accommodations are relatively new and were driven by the gluten free students' requests and recommendations. I suggest going in with specific ideas and asking for either special meals or special products that can help make your meals better and make sure they are safe. It took me a while to realize that the peanut butter that everyone else uses is NOT safe because of contamination, so there's a lot to think about in a dining hall (careful with salad dressings too!)

[num1habsfan]

I go to University of Notre Dame and they are very accommodating--but you have to know what you want, then ask for that specifically. We have 2 options at ND--we can either have a rotation of meals prepared for us every day at a certain time, or there is a gluten-free room that is stocked with gluten free products upon request and has a gluten-free toaster and george foreman grill that we can use (uncontaminated). These accommodations are relatively new and were driven by the gluten free students' requests and recommendations. I suggest going in with specific ideas and asking for either special meals or special products that can help make your meals better and make sure they are safe. It took me a while to realize that the peanut butter that everyone else uses is NOT safe because of contamination, so there's a lot to think about in a dining hall (careful with salad dressings too!)

That's amazing about giving you meal options and the gluten-free room!! That must be a nice feeling .

The one time I asked them to help find me something to eat I ended up glutened. It was for the first orientation, and I asked the main food person of the university what options I have. She had phoned the kitchen to send over a salad with strict instructions of what could or couldn't be in there... itself it shows up, late, and has ham in it! Since then I refuse to eat anything in that place, no matter where it comes from.

[efriedm2]

Whoa, Notre Dame sounds like a sweet set-up.

Have you guys discovered the magical wonder that is a rice cooker in your dorm room? I recently got one, and it's incredible. I think you can get a hold of one for less than $100, and it's definitely worth it. Obviously, it cooks massive amounts of rice at one time (to which I usually add some kind of beans and maybe a little gluten-free tamari), but I've also steamed vegetables in it. There was recently an article in the NYTimes about cooking entire meals in a rice cooker; all the recipes required some prepping and I don't really have the space in my room, but if you do it might be worth a try.

[spanish-road]

rice cooker is a nice idea, I live in a dry cabin and that would make cooking easier then making a huge mess and all. I always wanted to meet up with others and see what they are doing with it, one can get very inventive on a college budget.

[efriedm2]

yeah, and very innovative on a gluten-free diet. necessity is definitely the mother of all invention. something else i do a lot in the dining hall is bring my own sweet potatoes, poke them with a fork and microwave for about 8ish minutes. it is a long time to hang out by the microwave, but a good do-it-yourself thing.

and spanish-road, what's a dry cabin?

[GFqueen17]

I'm going to be going to college in the fall and I'm wondering what is good to eat for breakfast. I ususally eat eggs and toast or french toast but I don't think that will be possible next year. What does everyone that is in college now eat for breakfast? (I can't have dairy either)

[efriedm2]

I'm going to be going to college in the fall and I'm wondering what is good to eat for breakfast. I ususally eat eggs and toast or french toast but I don't think that will be possible next year. What does everyone that is in college now eat for breakfast? (I can't have dairy either)

I have Rice Chex with Silk soy milk, and Silk soy yogurt. fruit's probably a good option in the dining hall, too.

[nutbutters]

I'm going to be going to college in the fall and I'm wondering what is good to eat for breakfast. I ususally eat eggs and toast or french toast but I don't think that will be possible next year. What does everyone that is in college now eat for breakfast? (I can't have dairy either)

I eat Rice Chex or Gorilla Munch with Soy Milk. I prefer almond milk actually, but the school doesn't have any. They have Rice Dream, but as far as I know that contains a small amount of barley, and I think it tastes really bad, anyway. I also can have gluten-free pancakes; the dining hall will make those for me sometimes. They have the Trader Joe's mix, which I like very much! Other times, I have an omelette or gluten-free bagels, or a gluten-free waffle. Other times, I have a hard boiled egg or eggs sunny-side up. I feel like I have more options here than I do at home sometimes!

[GFqueen17]

I eat Rice Chex or Gorilla Munch with Soy Milk. I prefer almond milk actually, but the school doesn't have any. They have Rice Dream, but as far as I know that contains a small amount of barley, and I think it tastes really bad, anyway. I also can have gluten-free pancakes; the dining hall will make those for me sometimes. They have the Trader Joe's mix, which I like very much! Other times, I have an omelette or gluten-free bagels, or a gluten-free waffle. Other times, I have a hard boiled egg or eggs sunny-side up. I feel like I have more options here than I do at home sometimes!

Do you have your own kitchen or something?? In my room I wont have anything besides a refridgerator. Every floor has a little kitchen area with a stove and microwave but I dont want to have to travel there, clean the dishes out there, and just hog the area every morning ya know?

[nutbutters]

Do you have your own kitchen or something?? In my room I wont have anything besides a refridgerator. Every floor has a little kitchen area with a stove and microwave but I dont want to have to travel there, clean the dishes out there, and just hog the area every morning ya know?

No, I live in a dorm. I do nothing of the sort. Dining Hall staff washes my dishes. I don't take up anything... space-wise. Sometimes, I do feel like I am taking up the staff's time, but then I remember I'm not the only one. The dining hall prepares ALL of my meals. They are required to since I am paying for room and board and people with food allergies and intolerances are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act. . They have stuff in the freezer for gluten-free students like myself. I do have a mini-fridge/freezer, but I would have it whether or not I was gluten-free. In fact, I don't keep any gluten-free stuff, other than cereals in my room. The rest, the school keeps in their freezers/storage room.

[spanish-road]

are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act. .

Wooh so we are special, so does that mean we get benefits i.e. scholarships for being celiac?