Attending college on a Gluten Free Diet

Pasting an email in its entirety from Living Without:

January 7, 2014

Attending College on a Special Diet

It can be a challenge to adjust to the college environment. It’s usually the first time students are away from home and responsible for their own food choices. “When you add a food allergy or sensitivity, it makes it even more challenging—but it doesn’t make it impossible,” says Lisa Kimmel, MS, RD, a sports nutritionist at Yale University.

Navigating a special diet on a college campus requires a closer eye. But Kimmel says reaching out to available resources makes it easier. Before arriving on campus, students should talk to dining services to inform them of special dietary needs and to devise a plan for safe food choices. “I would encourage a college student to develop a working relationship with dining services,” Kimmel says. Dining service managers can directly address questions about cross contamination and food preparation.

Kimmel says dining services want to encourage a safe environment and will work with students to accommodate their needs. Many will post food ingredients in their dining halls and list them on a website. For example, the Yale University dining services website provides a list of foods, identifying which contain common allergens. The list gives the ingredients in each food item, as well as nutritional facts, such as the amount of calories, protein, carbohydrates and vitamins.

For students who must adjust to a new diet while at college, a nutritionist on campus can help them become educated about their special diet and provide resources to assist them in making wise food choices. For example, Kimmel helped Yale student Maximillian Goer, who has celiac disease. Because Kimmel has a working relationship with Yale’s dining services, she knows about food ingredients, has looked at food preparation and can direct Goer to proper food choices.

“As an athlete, he deals with an even more challenging scenario,” Kimmel says of the crew team member. “The gluten-free diet eliminates many readily available sources of carbohydrates, the primary fuel for working muscles.” Kimmel worked with Goer to find gluten-free sources of carbohydrates and tailored a well-balanced diet specifically for him. She also suggested safe snacks for him to bring when the team travels and advised him on the questions he should ask when eating at a restaurant.

Students who live off campus must take the time to read food labels when grocery shopping, Kimmel says. But the bottom line is that students, whether living on or off campus, should become their own experts. That means understanding their condition and knowing which products normally contain their allergen and which food choices are safe. “This kind of education is for a lifetime,” Kimmel says.

For quick and easy recipes, whether for college students hoping to have safe food in their dorm room, a mom packing a child's lunch every day, or simply a person hungry for dessert, purchase Gluten Free in 5 Minutes.