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Food Allergy and Celiac College Student Survey submitted September 2022
Describe your food restrictions by checking all relevant boxes
Celiac Disease
Grade your college on feeding students with your food restrictions
A-
Explain your rationale for that grade
Out of dining hall places such as food in downtown, food on our main street or restaurants like chipotle, Moe’s etc. are here. However, dining halls are very good. Every dining hall on campus has at least 2 gluten-free options . Always a type of meat / protein. Can also personally text dining hall chefs to prepare gluten-free pizza , sandwiches or anything you’d like. Also never got sick at a dining hall and always liked going.
What stage are you in college?
Sophomore
How many years ago were you diagnosed with food allergies or celiac disease?
5+
Please use this space to provide details that would help us better understand your food restrictions. Include your reaction if exposed to the foods you are avoiding. Please mention if you carry an epi-pen.
If I eat it I have bad stomach pains
If you indicated that you have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant, how sensitive are you to gluten?
Moderate: React sometimes
Does your college handle food restrictions as you expected they would when you selected your school?
Totally yes, was what I expected
Check all boxes that apply to your college experience
My school has many dining halls, Ability to feed me is fairly consistent across dining halls, I feel safe eating at any dining hall on campus, I have sufficient options at all of the dining halls, Ability to eat well was a critical part of my college selection process
Have you had a reaction from eating in your dining hall?
NO
Please describe your meal plan for each year there so far. Include if your school required any of these decisions. If you are eating in a greek house or other club type arrangement include that as well.
Freshman year was all access to dining halls, I ate here 3 meals every single day out of the week, have pictures of chicken parm, tacos, pizza , sandwiches . Now that I live off-campus in an apartment I cook more but still eat at dining halls and other places on campus every day or so. I eat at fraternity house when the food is safe .
Did you register your food restrictions with your students disabilities office for accommodations? If yes, describe.
Yes, when we came on tour the whole dining hall service personally gave me their phone numbers (before I decided on a college) and walked me through the dining hall, gave me food to try, and sat with me allowing me to ask any questions. I also registered for SDS, I now have a card that allows me to call the campus bus when needed, extra time on school work, etc.
Are there resources (nutritionists, chefs, peer support groups) to help ensure you are receiving safe nutritious food? If yes, describe.
There are, my celiac isn’t as severe so I haven’t joined any .
If you were in charge of your school's dining, what changes would you implement to better feed students with your food restrictions? Would your school be open to these suggestions?
Maybe just more diverse options but it is a dining hall so you get what you get. They would be open to it, they always send out surveys asking what to do better
Describe your biggest challenge with managing your food restrictions at college and how you deal with it
If you don’t like what’s given you gotta either eat the food available, walk far to get more food, or don’t eat. I just learned to not be so picky and try new things .
Did your food restrictions impact your housing decision? How? Is there a certain dorm you recommend for those with food restrictions? Why?
No, carrick was closest to the new dining hall but the old one was my favorite so dorms don’t really matter
What's your advice for managing the dining halls with your food restrictions? Favorite dining hall(s)? Any dining halls to avoid?
Best is stokely, then west
What's your advice for eating in the dorm with your food restrictions? Favorite snacks? Places that deliver?
I usually had junk food in the dorm/ chips
What do you recommend new students with food restrictions do before school starts? Or when they first arrive?
Get a feel for all restaurants within walking distance on Main Street, not a far walk so if u don’t want dining hall food then you go out
What's your advice on managing the party scene with your food restrictions?
Eat before
Grade your college town area for feeding people with your food restrictions
B
Explain your grade. What are your favorite places to eat in town or foodshop?
Not too many post-party/bar places for celiac disease. For regular lunch/dinner it’s great but not a lot of fast food which is usually the case everywhere
Anything else you would like to add?
Email me if you have any questions, SDS does more than I described, Knoxville’s a great city , go vols
Food Allergy and Celiac College Student Survey submitted August 2022
Describe your food restrictions by checking all relevant boxes
Gluten Intolerance, Shellfish Allergy, Other (describe below)
Grade your college on feeding students with your food restrictions
B-
Explain your rationale for that grade
If I were JUST gluten free it would be easier- FABULOUS meals! However, I have a long list including gluten, some dairy, raw vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, beans, legumes, beef, pork, and highs fat foods, it’s a bit harder for me to find food. They have SO much variety and *usually* I can find something. I had an initial meeting with the dietitian on campus who made me feel so comfortable, especially because there’s a menu online, so if I can’t find foods I can use my dining dollars at a campus restaurant, or find food right off campus. But most of the time the food on the menu is not served so I’m stuck eating lettuce because I used my meal swipe. I was also told I could just ask for a plain chicken breast, rice, or vegetables at any time- I have found this to not be true, and it’s absolutely embarrassing too when servers make you feel stupid for suggesting such a thing. Overall, when there’s food, it’s SO GOOD. But there’s equal times where I have to go without food. Because the website is false.
What stage are you in college?
Freshman
How many years ago were you diagnosed with food allergies or celiac disease?
5+
Please use this space to provide details that would help us better understand your food restrictions. Include your reaction if exposed to the foods you are avoiding. Please mention if you carry an epi-pen.
Gluten, most milk products, eggs (not cooked into anything), raw veggies, cruciferous veggies, beef, pork, lamb, shellfish, apples, highly processed foods, high fatty foods, and most or some of the time: vegetable skins, beans, legumes, tomato sauce, high soy products, corn syrup, and blue dye. These are all intolerances except shellfish, which is a mild allergy, due to unexplainable symptoms that could only be diagnosed as IBS, most likely caused by connective tissue malfunction in my intestines, caused by my Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Symptoms include pain, cramping, extreme bloating to the point I am unable to breathe, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, and brain fog, depending on which and how much of the trigger foods I eat. Shellfish allergy causes a slightly itchy throat and diarrhea. I do not carry an epi pen.
If you indicated that you have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant, how sensitive are you to gluten?
Very: React to small amounts
Does your college handle food restrictions as you expected they would when you selected your school?
Mostly what I expected
Check all boxes that apply to your college experience
My school has only a few dining halls, Ability to feed me varies significantly across dining halls, I have at least one safe dining hall, but avoid some dining halls, I have sufficient options at some of the dining halls, I do not have sufficient options at any dining halls, Ability to eat well was a small part of my college selection process
Have you had a reaction from eating in your dining hall?
YES
Describe each incident. How did your school respond?
It was partly my fault, they were serving both Turkey sausage and pork sausage. I accidentally went to the wrong station and ate pork sausage.
Please describe your meal plan for each year there so far. Include if your school required any of these decisions. If you are eating in a greek house or other club type arrangement include that as well.
Freshman are required to select an unlimited 7 day meal plan with 300 dining dollars, or 5 day unlimited (no weekends) with 400 dining dollars.
Did you register your food restrictions with your students disabilities office for accommodations? If yes, describe.
It is processed separately through the school dietitian. We met and discussed my options.
Are there resources (nutritionists, chefs, peer support groups) to help ensure you are receiving safe nutritious food? If yes, describe.
Yes. I can talk to the dietitian and chefs on campus about options, but the chefs are impossible to find.
If you were in charge of your school's dining, what changes would you implement to better feed students with your food restrictions? Would your school be open to these suggestions?
Include the contained allergens on the food labels that already exist at each station.
Describe your biggest challenge with managing your food restrictions at college and how you deal with it
Having some food groups, or food all together unavailable to me. I keep food from the grocery store stocked. I also cannot eat any of the breakfast served, other than fruit, so I eat breakfast on my own.
Did your food restrictions impact your housing decision? How? Is there a certain dorm you recommend for those with food restrictions? Why?
I asked for a private or shared bathroom, but was given a room with a community bathroom.
What's your advice for managing the dining halls with your food restrictions? Favorite dining hall(s)? Any dining halls to avoid?
Always ask about allergens if you are’t sure! If food looks good and you want to eat it, ask so you aren’t missing out! My favorite dining hall is Stokely! The dining halls are fine, but the Panda Express and Canes have nothing for people avoiding gluten… just go to Chick-fil-A or somewhere off campus if you’re tired of the dining halls!
What's your advice for eating in the dorm with your food restrictions? Favorite snacks? Places that deliver?
Ask for an additional fridge if your roommate plans on keeping food and you have issues with CC! I always keep yogurt, protein bars, protein powder, frozen fruit, frozen grilled chicken, and rice on hand! I always keep sauces I love and salsa in my fridge as well so I can dress up boring grilled chicken if I need to! I use a rice maker for easy meals because other than a microwave, it’s the only cooking device allowed in dorms. My favorite snacks are popcorn, rice cakes with peanut butter, oranges, cinnamon chex, and tortilla Chips! I’m not totally sure about delivery, but there are amazing places that are walking distance from campus downtown!
What do you recommend new students with food restrictions do before school starts? Or when they first arrive?
Look at your school’s online menu every few weeks, see what restaurants are in and around campus, chat with student disability services and the school dietitian, and make a list and easy meals you can make in a dorm, as well as snacks and things you’d want to keep in your room.
What's your advice on managing the party scene with your food restrictions?
DON’T ACCEPT DRINKS IF YOU DONT KNOW WHERE THEY CAME FROM! Even if you know WHO they came from!
Grade your college town area for feeding people with your food restrictions
A
Explain your grade. What are your favorite places to eat in town or foodshop?
LOVE my town! Good golly tamale is dedicated GF and has the BEST ginger snap banana pudding! There’s some terrific Asian places with incredible options. We have a Trader Joe’s close by. We even have a GF donut shop!!!
Anything else you would like to add?
Nope! (: