Allergy-Friendly Campus Guide: Syracuse University
I’m a rising junior at Syracuse and I have had nothing but great experiences with Syracuse dining. Their menu is all listed online and if you click on the item, it shows you the nutritional information and the allergens. If for some reason there is a food that’s out at the dining hall that isn’t on the online menu, there is usually a QR code on it that will take you to the nutritional info and allergen info. Definitely make friends with the dining hall managers—they are willing and able to help! There is also an on-campus nutritionist that handles allergies and she is a great resource for helping to navigate your allergies. Also, when you fill out your housing form if you choose to have a random roommate, if you say that you have allergies on the form about special accommodations, they can try to pair you with a roommate who also has allergies! I was unaware of that my freshman year but I wish I had been because it would’ve taken away a lot of stress! Overall, I love Syracuse and am so happy that the food situation hasn’t held me back from enjoying everything that the campus has to offer! Location: Syracuse, New York
Allergy-Friendly Thomas Jefferson University Campus Guide
I am a sophomore in the PA program at Thomas Jefferson University and had to be on the 19 meal a week dining plan for my entire first year. My family and I met the dining staff, including the manager and chefs of all the dining halls, in the beginning of the year. I was able to eat on campus on move in day and was so excited to have the independence and freedom eating away from home. My process would be to email or text the chef three times a day with whatever I wanted for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This was tedious, challenging, and took a lot of time-management/trial and error, but it was the easiest way for the chefs to hand make my food. However, I did have two anaphylactic reactions in my fall semester because of mistakes in the dining hall, but they quickly changed the process with which they made my food. For example, the dining manager and head chef met with me and created a paper specific to my needs where the chef making my food had to sign off on the ingredients they used in my meal. Christopher Grant, the head chef, is amazing and I have never had any issues eating his or his Sous Chef, Steve’s, food. They’ve made me meals from salmon bowls, to ramen, to Philly Cheesesteaks, to shrimp scampi, and everything tastes so good. With that being said, I would recommend to someone with more severe allergies to commute or request a kitchen, because there will be human error in a college dining hall and it is difficult to prevent when there are many students. However, Jefferson has treated me well and I am well-acquainted with all of the kitchen staff. You must take the steps to meet with the chefs and speak up when you see something or have questions, which is all part of advocating for yourself. I also fought to get a single apartment for my second year so that I would not have any issues with cross contact in the kitchen with roommates and with the help of Student Accessibility Services, it all worked out and I have had a wonderful experience (and no hospital visits!) this year.Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Campus Guide: Tufts University
See Justin's top allergy-friendly picks around the Tufts University campus!
Allergy-Friendly Tulane University Campus Guide
I met with a dietitian to go over everything I need to know about how to handle my severe peanut and tree nut allergies in college (I’m attending Tulane University in the fall) and not only are the cafeterias peanut and tree nut-free, they also have a section and a room (being built for fall 2019) where it’s completely nut-free and gluten-free. The school is Allertrained, which means a lot, and are very careful with cross contamination. Wow. Feel so safe going here.Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Allergy-Friendly Campus Guide: Tulane University
I had an amazing experience at Tulane! I ate so many times at the Hillel which had some of my allergens and they were always so careful and considerate. The dining hall has a specific area without major allergens that are always safe. I loved my time at Tulane and highly recommend! Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Allergy-Friendly Campus Guide: University of Arizona
The dining hall is not set up in typical buffet or line style dining. There are separate establishments that rent out the areas within our dining area (Chick-Fil-A, Papa Johns, Steak + Shake, Panda Express, Einstein Bagels, etc). This makes it a bit easier to navigate with food allergies since menu items don’t typically change. There are a few non-chain restaurants in the dining centers, but the workers are all knowledgeable and willing to help (usually, they will get a manager for you to speak with). There is one all-you-can-eat restaurant, Pangea, that is self-serve. Each dish has a name card with the ingredients that are in the dish! Amazing! Location: Tuscon, Arizona
Allergy-Friendly University of California: Berkeley Campus Guide
Overall I would say my allergies at the UC Berkeley dining halls were pretty manageable. As they say on the website, the Big-8 allergens are listed on the menu signage in units and the online menu. If you have severe allergies, I would always ask, just to be safe. In terms of restaurants in the area, I would check those specific reviews on Spokin! For the most part, I have had a pretty safe experience, but if there’s a dish that I am suspicious might have something I am allergic to, I will double check on that dish specifically.Location: Berkeley, California
Campus Guide: University of Central Arkansas
See Emily's top allergy-friendly picks around the University of Arkansas campus! Location: Conway, Arkansas
Campus Guide: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
See Ethan's top allergy-friendly picks around the University of Illinois campus!
Campus Guide: University of Maryland
The University of Maryland's staff is amazing when it comes to food allergies. As a big university, their exposure to-food allergic kids has only increased their awareness of the issue and their ability to accommodate it. They cater so well to my allergies and have a program in which I can talk directly to chefs so they can know what I am allowed to have. At the beginning of every week, I email all of the top chefs on campus saying what meals I want, at which dining hall I want the meals, and at what time I want the meals. The chefs all have a list of my food allergies, and they have been great at accommodating me!
Allergy-Friendly University of Miami Campus Guide
I just committed to the University of Miami and could not be more excited! I am just starting the process of dorms and food. I was super nervous about being able to eat at college with egg and nut allergies. Therefore, I reached out to the dining service to see if we could discuss my allergies. We have already planned to meet the first day of school and they made me feel so safe on the phone saying she will point everything out to me every day of what I can eat and what I can’t. There are even vegan and gluten-free options for people who want a healthier diet!Location: Coral Gables, Florida
