Tips and Tricks for Navigating Your College Campus with Food Allergies

Fall 2022

Living with food allergies on a college campus is not something that is discussed often. However, it is a lot more common than you would think. An estimated thirty-two million Americans have food allergies. Out of the 3 million college freshmen expected to start school in the fall of 2017, an estimated 100,000 have food allergies. If you have allergies such as gluten, dairy, nuts, shellfish, etc., you know finding safe food is often difficult. However, more schools are looking into ways to meet student needs.

Where to start?

The search for a college that can accommodate your dietary needs can be strenuous. Some colleges have better allergy accommodations than others. The nice thing is there is now a list of the best colleges for students with allergies. All colleges are different, meaning, some might force you to have a meal plan while living on campus, some might even put you in a dorm with a kitchen to accommodate for not having allergen-free dining areas, and rarely some colleges will even let you opt out of the meal plan.  

The best place to look to start your search for dining information and accommodations is campus dining services or your college's disability office. The nice thing is most colleges work with students individually to create a customized meal plan if needed. When comparing a few colleges dining services, there were some differences found. Some had a long extensive plan for allergies whereas others offered as little as a paragraph of information. In this case, you must also search for the small paragraph to find the information on allergies. Working with your college to obtain a meal plan that meets your needs may be complicated and frustrating. You need to jump through many hoops just to get the help you need. For example, some colleges require you to turn in tons of documentation showing that the food allergy is real. Food allergies are now classified as a disability, which is because allergies impact one’s quality of life. So, colleges are now asking for disability documentation as well. According to Food Allergy Research and Education, documentation such as “past severe reactions to a particular food(s), records of allergy testing, and/or specific recommendations for appropriate accommodations through housing services, dining services or other departments. This might include options for a single room accommodation, access to a kitchen with separate storage of food items and cooking equipment, avoiding food allergens in science labs, etc.” When working with campus dining or disability services, here are some questions you might consider asking:

  • What kind of documents are needed to receive accommodations for food allergies?

  • Can the school provide the accommodations that you need?

  • Does the said university have someone other than dining, and disability services that are specialized in allergies? (ex. The schools on the best schools for allergies list all have someone who specializes in allergies underneath each school)

  • If the college cannot promise non-contaminated food, will the college provide the student with an alternative? (Exemption from the meal plan and access to a kitchen)

Once you find a college(s) that interest you, you should begin working to see if the college is willing to help you receive the accommodations you need. You should make sure to cover all your bases. Meaning, you should be asking questions and assessing the colleges based on your needs. Questions such as:

  • Are ingredients in the foods listed in the dining halls or online somewhere?

  • Is there an allergy-free dining hall or allergy-free zone on campus?

  • Are there allergy protocols in place at the said college? (ex. Requesting glove changes, cleaning the station when notified of allergies, how cross contamination is managed, etc.)

  • Are there any areas to stay away from on campus due to possible cross-contamination?

  • Are there accommodations that the dining halls have for students with food allergies? (ex. Meals prepared beforehand that are to-go style)

  • Is staff trained in allergy-related emergencies and/or safe cooking for students with allergies?

This process is extremely tedious and should not be so complex. Colleges need to make this easier. Why is it so simple to ask for accommodations at restaurants but so difficult at your college that you pay tens of thousands of dollars to attend? This guide is meant to make your process easier and less stressful.

The best place to look to start your search for dining information and accommodations is campus dining services or your college's disability office. The nice thing is most colleges work with students individually to create a customized meal plan if needed.

Navigating Campus

Moving away from home and having more independence can be tough. Managing your allergies on your own can be extremely hard as well. There are a lot of things you’ll need to have and know that you did not have to consider when living at home. Depending on your living situation (whether you have access to a kitchen or not) avoiding areas you could encounter allergens may be easier for some than others. It is extremely important to be responsible when leaving home and pay close attention to what you are consuming. You can do so by paying close attention to the ingredients in the foods you are eating even if it is a pre-packaged item. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Another study of adolescents and young adults with FA revealed that 42% had consumed foods containing the allergen, despite the presence of a precautionary warning on food labels. Notably, the same study indicated that individuals who displayed high-risk behavior with respect to FA were more likely to have experienced a recent allergic reaction.”

All schools should have (but might not) menus with allergen symbols so you know whether something you cannot eat is in the food. It is extremely important to find out how your school labels its menu. Even though, as previously mentioned, some individuals do not pay attention to this. However, even if you do pay attention to the labels, it is important that you bring your EpiPen everywhere you go. Accidents do happen, you can never be too safe. It would also be helpful to know how to use the EpiPen.

Another tip for students is if you are unsure of the ingredients in a food, do not be afraid to ask someone. You can also ask employees in the dining hall to change their gloves and clean their stations if you are afraid of cross-contamination as well. Another way to feel safe while eating on campus is to stay away from buffet-style food. The stations where the food is served to you are more likely to be allergy-free than a buffet would. Most of the time the chefs can tell you whether the food is safe for you to eat whereas they cannot do that for the buffets. Another way to avoid cross-contamination is to stay away from deep-fried foods. Anyone with a food allergy should steer clear of deep-fried foods. This is because the oil does not get changed between each one that is deep fried. It is also important if you have roommates or suitemates to let them know of your allergies so they can be cautious.

Having help navigating college campuses can take away a lot of unneeded stress. Starting college is stressful enough. Having to learn how to eat safely ad find accommodations just makes things harder. However, there are easier ways to do so. Some schools have apps and/or guides on what and where you can eat. One that was found to be useful just about allergies, in general, was Spokin. Spokin is an app that has everything you need to know about allergies ranging from allergy-friendly schools to restaurants that are safe to eat at when you have food allergies.  You can use this app from anywhere rather than just on college campuses. People with food allergies tend to avoid eating out but now there is a way for them to know if the food is safe for them to eat. Some schools are beginning to implement allergy-free dining areas.Allergy-free dining areas are dining halls that are completely free of the ingredients that are most common for causing allergic reactions. The most common food allergies are tree nuts, fish, shellfish, peanuts, wheat, soy, gluten, and milk. This is a great idea that all college campuses should have. Especially since campus food is typically buffet style, so it is hard to know whether the food has been contaminated with potential allergens or not. Allergy-free zones are ideal on college campuses and have the potential to make more students want to attend the universities that have them. They also have the potential to increase student satisfaction. Allergy-free spaces also just make students with food allergies feel a lot safer when eating on campus.

Many campuses are working to adjust to help students feel comfortable and safe when eating on campus. Some colleges make it seem like it is a hassle to accommodate students. However, for the student it is reality, and it should not be viewed as such a difficult task for universities. They should be able to help students out when needed.  However, if that help is unavailable at that college, you should consider looking elsewhere. At the end of the day, the university could help if it wanted to.