Written by: Anaya Parker
Living gluten-free is not most individuals’ preferred diet, and it certainly wasn’t mine. Most people would not enjoy eating bread that tastes like chalk or gooey lumps of overcooked gluten-free pasta (the gluten-freeians know what I am talking about).
I entered this world a few years ago, going gluten-free for health reasons related to my chronic illness. When I became a student at Southern Adventist University, I realized what few choices I had for meals. Though I am fortunate that my intolerance is not severe, it was still challenging to find food on campus. While my friends could go anywhere to get food, I had to look up all of the menus, and I often ate the same thing throughout most of the week.
However, I am not the only Southern student who faces these problems.
“I honestly do not feel there are sufficient gluten-free options on campus,” said Ana Korac, a junior nursing major attending Southern, who is also gluten-free. “I can say that the variety in foods available has improved since my freshman year, especially with the opening of The Garden.”
Like me, Korac struggled to find sufficient choices for food.
“There were times I’d have to eat the same meal I had the day before because of a lack of other options,” she said.
Those with celiac disease have an even greater challenge, since there are no certified gluten-free facilities on campus. Food Services Director Laurie Worth is especially aware of this, because her daughter has celiac disease.
“For me, it is very personal, so when I first came in as director, that was one of the first things [I wanted to address]. We need to have gluten-free,” Worth said.
While the gluten-free section inside the cafeteria is an important addition, Worth recognizes the ongoing challenge of eating on campus for those with celiac disease.
“As far as celiac, it is very difficult for them to eat pretty much anything from our hot deck,” Worth said.
Worth mentioned several reasons for this, mainly the possibility of cross-contamination, and pointed out that the price of gluten-free food is another obstacle to face.
“It kind of boils down to the cost of it, and not just the cost of the food itself, but there is no way of knowing how much we need,” Worth said.
The options are few for quality gluten-free substitutes, but Worth is hopeful the situation will improve.
“I think as more and more people in the mainstream become gluten-free, there will be more and more options that we can incorporate here,” Worth said.
The Garden is one alternative for those looking for more gluten-free and vegan options. I emailed an employee of The Garden, who answered my questions but requested the anonymous identifier “The Garden team.”
The Garden team wrote, “80% of our daily meal-of-the-day options are in fact gluten-free.”
The Garden team spoke of several different ways the employees work to exclude gluten from their food, including using gluten-free meat substitutes, not frying or purchasing pre-battered food items containing gluten and using only gluten-free Tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
However, not all of their meals are gluten-free. The Garden team detailed various reasons for this, restating the issue of cost and uncertainty of the number of students interested in gluten-free meals.
“When possible, we do provide GF options and are willing to take the extra step to fill a student’s need. Sometimes this may require a student to wait a few extra minutes, but we are willing to provide what we can,” wrote the Garden team.
The issue of gluten-free options is complex and involves multiple factors. The most important thing students can do is to get involved. When more students request gluten-free choices, Southern will be more likely to invest in funding for them. Since students residing in the dorms are required to buy a meal plan, Southern should offer alternatives for those with allergies and intolerances.
If you are interested in suggesting more gluten-free alternatives and food options, Laurie Worth would love to speak with you. You can email her at lworth@southern.edu. Gluten-free shouldn’t mean any less delicious!
