So you are trying to navigate being a college student AND being gluten-free?! I get it. I started the gluten-free life 2 months before I left for college so I was BRAND NEW to the gluten-free scene and the college scene. It can be very frustrating to have a restrictive diet in college that you have to explain every time you meet a new person (aka every day). Here are a few tips to help you navigate college life while maintaining the diet that you need for your well-being.
First, I want to clear one thing up. I do not have Celiac Disease. I cannot by any means digest gluten. However, since I do not have Celiac Disease there are some places and things I can eat where someone with Celiac Disease might not be able to due to cross-contamination. I will try to make a note of these things, but please keep this in mind if you have recently been diagnosed with Celiac Disease.
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Learn how to explain your allergy in under 1 minute
In college, you are meeting people constantly. New classes, new organizations, new friends. While these things make college a BLAST, it can be hard and monotonous to constantly explain why you can’t eat that free piece of pizza from SGA. Think through the reasons that you are gluten-free and what happens to you if you ingest gluten. Then think of the “overview version” of this and keep that in the back of your mind.
Say I am offered pizza and if someone asks me why I turned it down, I would say:
“I can’t eat pizza because I am allergic to gluten which means I can’t eat common bread, pasta, and pizza crust. I am so thankful for the offer but unfortunately, I would be stuck in my bed for the rest of the day if I ate that.”
This is usually enough to satisfy whatever immediate questions someone has and allows us to go back to what we were doing or talking about before.
Always keep meal bars and snacks on hand
Always keeping your favorite snacks on hand, lets you be super flexible when it comes to spur of the moment decisions that seem to always happen in college. Say you are at a coffee shop studying with some new people from your class. It’s been a couple of hours and people are starting to get hungry. They pick a pizza place that has no gluten-free crust options. While your close friends would most likely accommodate the fact that you can’t eat there, you might not want to be the sole reason these people you just met can’t eat at the most popular pizza place in town. Having your favorite bars and snacks on hand allows you to not miss out on an opportunity to potentially make new memories and friends. Personally, I love having either a Luna Blueberry bar or an RX bar in my purse at all times.
Don’t feel like you have to explain your dietary needs every time you eat
Sometimes the easiest thing to say is “no thank you” and move on. Do not feel like you have to explain yourself every single time you turn something down, especially if no one questions you.
Adjusting to mandatory dining plans
If your gluten intolerance or celiac disease has been diagnosed by a physician, then it is usually fairly simple to get out of any mandatory dining plans through the Americans with Disabilities Act. Every school is usually a little different, but in most cases, you have to provide a letter from your doctor stating that you can not eat gluten. This allows you to be able to either reduce or eliminate any on-campus meal plans with limited gluten-free options.
Talk to the food services director
Talking to the food services director at your university can really help you get an excellent understanding of what your specific university has to offer when it comes to accommodating special diets. You can usually reach out to your food services director by sending an email to campus dining explaining your situation.
Put in the effort your first year to find places you can eat
Life would just be too easy if there was one grocery store that had all of your favorite gluten-free items. Take some time at the beginning of your college experience to go to every local grocery store and figure out what gluten-free options they provide. You can also use the store locator feature on many company websites, such as Udi’s, to find those food options at specific stores from your couch.
This also includes restaurants. Take some time to find the restaurants that have the best gluten-free items such as pizza crust and pasta. This way when your friends are trying to decide on a place for dinner you are able to make suggestions that you KNOW are safe for you!
Know that dorm life can be an adjustment but is manageable
Following a gluten-free diet can be a big enough challenge, but following a gluten-free diet without a kitchen can be an even bigger challenge. When I lived in a dorm, there were a couple of gluten-free items that I always kept on hand that were quick and easy whenever I needed a meal or snack.
- My favorite gluten-free bread
- Meat and cheese for sandwiches
- My favorite snack bars
- Fresh veggies and fruit
- Chips
- Instant mac and cheese cups
- Cereal – I prefer Chex or Cheerios
- Potatoes – instant potatoes or potatoes that come pre-wrapped for microwaves
- Frozen meals – perfect for a quick “I need to eat and only have 5 minutes” that seems to happen all too often in college
- Oatmeal – a super easy hot breakfast that can be eaten on the go, just make sure your oats are gluten-free
- Greek Yogurt – a perfect study break snack that is full of protein
- Popcorn – the ultimate 2 AM study snack
After talking with your food services director, you most likely will be able to apply for the best housing available to accommodate your dietary needs. At some universities, this means dorms that have full kitchens, while other schools do not have a single option for a full kitchen on campus.
Living with someone that doesn’t understand your diet is all about communication
Take time to educate your new roommate about what all your diet entails. If you are celiac, or very sensitive to cross-contamination, make sure you explain WHY it is so important for your roommate to not use your items including silverware and plates, if that affects you. Clear communication is key in this environment whether you are best friends with your roommate or do not know their names. If you continue to have issues with your roommate not being understanding of your dietary needs, and it is putting you at risk, do not be afraid to contact your RA and see what your options are.
Being gluten-free in college can be quite a challenge, but don’t let it scare you! Once you get the hang of the local restaurants, grocery stores, and campus life it will become second nature, and many people will even forget you have a different diet from them.
Have you been gluten-free in college? Leave a comment below with any tips you learned from your college experience!
