Allergy-Friendly College Dining: A Challenge for Students with Allergies

There’s been a lot of college talk in my house lately. My cousin is a freshman at Villanova, which was just recognized by Spokin for their allergy friendly dining. My other cousin is a senior, so we are all waiting to see which college he will choose. My brother is a junior looking at schools, and I’m a sophomore with big college dreams of my own.

On a recent college visit with my family, the workers at Duke University went out of their way to make sure I felt safe eating. A worker even brought me a package of wraps from the back, so I could read the label and make sure it was safe to eat. Their willingness to make me feel safe meant a lot to me and left me feeling motivated to keep working hard so that I could go to a school committed to providing kids with a safe dining experience. On the other hand, at a couple schools we visited, I wandered around the cafeteria’s thinking, “How would I ever eat if I came here?”

The differences between the college dining experiences made me wonder how kids with allergies handle eating while away at school. What happens when a kid with severe allergies no longer has a safe, nut free kitchen at home? How do they manage to eat meals while they’re away? Finding schools with allergy friendly college dining options is important for those of us with severe nut or peanut allergies. So I researched the topic of ‘going away to college with severe food allergies’. I discovered that websites like FARE and Spokin have great information and list schools that accommodate allergies.

It's not that those of us with allergies want any special treatment, we really don’t. I just want to know I will be able to safely eat a good meal while I’m away at college. When you have an anaphylactic food allergy, eating out is a terrifying experience. Eating and the fear of dying are intertwined. Therefore, my kitchen at home is my safe place. It’s the one spot where I can relax while I eat and enjoy a meal. When kids like me go to college, eating out always comes with a great deal of anxiety. Fortunately, some schools recognize this and have responded. Some schools are concerned about meal safety and offer safe meals for college students. The dining hall food set up may not matter to most kids, but to me finding a school with allergy friendly meal choices will be a priority.