The dining halls at Ohio University are often packed with students as they study, enjoy a conversation with others or drop in for a bite to eat. Many students have dietary restrictions and require accommodations or special meal plans.
Receiving proper nutrients is essential for college students, as food is fuel for the brain and body.
Over 20 million Americans have a food allergy, and it’s common to develop an allergy in one’s adult life, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Students can visit the OU culinary services website for full menus of campus dining halls, food trucks and cafés. Each menu provides additional information on nutrition facts and labels, including which foods are safe for those with the top-nine allergens and options for those who are vegan or vegetarian.
Camy Klein, a freshman studying media arts production, is OU’s student ambassador of dietary accommodations, a position made for her by dietitian Kari Saunders. Klein started the position in October and uses it to help students advocate for meal accommodations.
Klein has celiac disease and was diagnosed at 6 years old. She said living with this throughout her life taught her how to speak up for herself, and she wanted to help other students who require accommodations or special meal plans.
When the first semester began, Klein said Saunders reached out to her to offer the role of student ambassador of dietary accommodations, which she accepted to support Bobcats. Saunders said she is currently transitioning out of her role as OU’s culinary dietitian, meaning Klein is leaving her role too, but she hopes to see the future dietitian continue.
“The role has taken shape rather organically, and Camy lends a lot of talent and insight,” Saunders said in an email.
Klein said she often helped Saunders with a variety of tasks and thinks she brought a different perspective to the table.
“One of my assignments that I did was looking at Jeff Market, and we took intel on all of the foods and snacks and all the groceries there and looked at what type of foods, allergy-wise, were lacking,” Klein said. “After we took inventory, I searched our food provider, and tried to find groceries that fit for … people with allergies, whether that be dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free.”
Students with allergies or special accommodations can also request a separate portion of food, or ask dining hall employees to change their gloves, clean their tools and clean the area they are making food on, according to the OU food allergens and dietary accommodations guide.
The guide also highlights the risk of eating fried foods or regular bakery items for those with allergies, as the fryer comes in contact with the top-nine allergens, and all bakery items are produced in a facility with tree nuts, peanuts and other allergens.
“For anyone who has an allergy, they meet with our dietitian to talk about a game plan of where to eat, what to eat,” Klein said. “There's the OHIO Eats app that is something that everyone can use. But if you have an allergy, there are ways for you to order food at the dining halls. So that's something I frequently do.”
Margaret’s Made For You is a micro-restaurant at The District on West Green, free from all top-nine allergens and available to students with dietary restrictions. Surrounding Margret’s is the gluten-free area to avoid cross-contamination and exposure to gluten-free students and those with celiac disease.
Klein said it is common for students to feel shy about advocating for themselves, and they can be afraid to ask questions, but it is important for them to reach out to the school dietitian to form a plan best suited for them.
Ellie Johnson, a freshman studying forensic chemistry, is a vegetarian and said she would like to see tofu and vegetarian meats on the menu more often, as she comes to the dining halls and sometimes cannot find anything she can eat.
Johnson said OU has about 20 different options for meat, but when she cannot find tofu or any vegetarian protein, it cuts down on options for her. She finds it especially hard to find breakfast for herself.
“Sometimes they don't have anything,” Johnson said. “I don't want eggs sometimes. They just have sausages and sausage patties, bacon stuff for the burritos. Every time they make those, there's always meat in them. So I can't have anything.”
Johnson said she’s never been to Margaret’s because she is “scared” to utilize the station, although she looked at the menu previously and said they only had a couple of options. When she cannot find anything to eat, she resorts to mac and cheese and “unhealthy garbage.”
Addison Mondoux, a sophomore studying nursing, is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts and sesame. Mondoux said she mostly watches what she eats and frequents The District on West Green because it is completely nut-free.
“I think (OU does) enough,” Moundoux said. “Having one nut-free dining hall is enough for me; I just don’t get the ice cream at Nelson because they use the same scoop. My allergy isn’t as severe, though, as some other people’s.”
Naomi Klaserner, a sophomore studying civil engineering, said she needs to eat more protein, but she feels like the dining halls mostly offer chicken. She said she would like to see more beef on the menu, especially in the sauces for pasta.
“The food options here are kind of the same all the time,” Klaserner said. “You go to the dining hall that fits what you're feeling. But mostly every day, it's about the same thing.”
For those who have questions about dietary restrictions or meal accommodations, email culinarydietitian@ohio.edu.
