Curiosities for the Campus Cafe

Welcome to the world of microwaves and ignorance

The hardest thing about moving away from home is a toss-up between doing your own laundry and not eating home-cooked food anymore. For some, one is harder than the other. Personally, I have been doing my own laundry since I was 14, but the inability to cook my own food is the problem. I am severely allergic to gluten.

Gluten allergies can range from being a simple sensitivity to full-on *celiac. Most colleges are slowly making their way to gluten-free menu possibilities. However, smaller schools and buffet styles are slower to adapt. I happen to go to a REALLY small school that is buffet style. They simply do not have the available resources or a large enough population to accommodate. I was smart enough to get my stuff together before I went to school, which included plenty of microwavable food and precooked meals were packed and ready to be eaten. After a very extensive meeting with the school cafeteria chef and manager, I knew what I could eat from a list that I was given.

This is a list of major ingredients that the cafeteria staff must be aware of:
Whey, Modified Corn Starch (celiac only), Barley, Wheat, Soy Lechitin (celiac only)

Access this site to see a more extensive list that celiacs must avoid. Even if you do not have celiac, however, you should be aware of these:

http://www.celiac.com/articles/182/1/Unsafe-Gluten-Free-Food-List-Unsafe-Ingredients/Page1.html

These are the major foods to look out for:
Sauces, marinades, fries, burgers, pizza, pancakes, cheeses, baked goods, dressings, ice cream and anything else you would usually check for the no-no ingredients.

And in addition, these are just a few questions to ask and things to tell:
May I see an available menu?
May I read the ingredients in my favorite options?
Do you have an available gluten-free website to order from? (ask for bread and hamburger buns)
I do have to get nutrition, and microwavable food tends to not be as healthy as has severely limited choices (especially on a budget).
What kind of oil do you cook with?
Do you put pancake mix in your eggs?

Being allergic to gluten is very complicated. It is an extremely difficult allergy to have, and there are not many food options available. Doing things like eating a salad or asking them to change their gloves before handling a bun-less burger is something you get used to. My college's cafeteria staff is beginning to learn who I am and what to do whenever I come in. They are adjusting to what to make and how to make it. The chef even gave me his office extension so I can call him and ask him to make something un-marinaded if I wanted.

So the questions is: How likely is your cafeteria to not only understand but to accommodate??

*Celiac- A genetic problem that occurs in the lining of the intestines. The basic breakdown of wheat is done by a protein enzyme in that lining. Celiacs have a protein enzyme insufficiency in that area.