8 Tips for Going to College Gluten Free
June 17, 2012 by Nancy
Filed under Articles, Gluten Free Tips
Before you send your gluten free student off to college, here are some suggestions to make going to college gluten free slightly easier:
- Meet with the food services director and ask what accommodations are available to gluten free students and ask how many others are on the same diet
- Tour the cafeteria when it is in use and speak to the cooks about food preparation techniques and ask about their knowledge of cross-contamination
- If your college requires that you purchase a meal plan, but you realize early on that there is not much suitable for you to eat, ask if they will adapt the requirement for you.
- Invest in a good microwave and refrigerator for the dorm room. Just about all colleges allow these within their wattage guidelines.
- Check restaurants in the area online to find out all you can about gluten free options, then visit some of the most likely options and gather a collection of gluten free menus or options that your student can order. I just found a gluten free café that even delivers in my son’s college town!
- Visit the grocery stores nearby the school to scope out gluten free options. If your student has a couple of favorite GF items that you can get at home, but you don’t see in the store near the school, ask the manager if they will order a couple of things to begin carrying for you. They are often happy to do it!
- Mail lots of packages of gluten free goodies from home – especially around finals time!
- Move out of the dorm as soon as possible and get a place with a kitchen and a few simple GF recipes!
I am in my senior year (gf) and in an apartment on campus with a kitchen. But I have found there are several things to ask your food service provider to get a better deal. One of which is if you can shop for products you can eat that they cannot provide and get the recipes reimbursed. This worked the best for me until I became allergic to too many things and got a doctors note to get off of the meal plan entirely.
need tips for packing lunches for grade school and jr high as i have 2 grandchildren with celiac
The summer before my sophomore year I was diagnosed. I got a refrigerator that also had a freezer (emerson). It is really helpful to store your gf breads. I also pre-made meals and froze them. This is helpful if you have access to a kitchen!
Agree completely with #8, i commuted to school but if i forgot food i didnt eat, they rarely had fruit at my school and ALL the salads had crutons. I had to stash a lot of Lara bars or gf cereal bars in my bag or car.
Great advice! Further, if the school requires that you purchase the meal plan, and their cafeteria can’t accommodate your special needs, consider gluten-free meal plan programs, and see if the school will reimburse for that. Meal plans make shopping stress-free, cooking the meal is stress-free, and the $5-10 more than pays for itself. Google “gluten-free meal plans” and you’ll find a lot of options.