Attending college can be daunting for some students, along with the classes and other groups they participate in, but one of the things they don’t usually need to worry about as much is where they can get food. Unfortunately, some options may not be enjoyable when you face dietary restrictions, highlighting the need for better food for these students.
The food options at Augustana vary day-by-day, and the menu constantly changes. While this may be great for many students, some have a hard time finding anything to eat due to allergies or being vegan or vegetarian.
During the school week, all options at the dining hall are available for students to enjoy in between classes as well as when the day is done. However, on Friday nights and the weekends, the most popular options are closed; leaving American Grill, the Carvery and the salad bar as students’ only options, with the exception of the Brew, which has limited hours on weekends and minimal food options.
Food can be made specifically for students with dietary restrictions when other options are closed, but it is still a very limited selection. While the open sections of the dining hall can have good food, if a student is limited on what they can eat they may go hungry or look for food elsewhere.
For instance, I am limited on what I can eat from the dining hall because I am lactose intolerant. This is frustrating because a majority of the food is slathered in dairy products at some of the only locations open during the weekend. Some of the options I have seen can be very limiting to those with food restrictions. Yes, some may say that another option is to go to the C-Store in Westerlin, but sometimes students are still limited on their choices there, as sandwiches are covered in cheese and sandwiches have meat.
Providing a form for students with dietary restrictions to fill out with foods they enjoy would help give students a choice in what they are served and a sense of what they will experience when eating in the dining hall.
Making sure students with these restrictions have an adequate number of choices and food they enjoy is critical, especially if they have to pay for a meal plan. During the times a student is a First-Year and a
sophomore, students are often required to have a meal plan. So, even if students wanted to make their own food because of limited food options, they still have to pay for a meal plan.
Fortunately, Augustana does provide options for students with allergies. They can contact Julie Ortscheid-Stone, manager of dining and board operations and work with her to develop food they can eat.
“I work with [Julie] for dietary restrictions, and we’ve made an entire list of foods that need to be avoided
and they work with me to ensure that I’m able to eat in the Gerber Center and not have to worry about having an allergic reaction,” First-Year Keela Sawyer said.
When asked about the experience of having food that is specially prepared, Sawyer said that eating at the dining hall has been good and without issues.
“Overall, it’s been a pretty good experience because I know that I’ll be able to eat the food that they give me. I’m very thankful that the dining hall is able to work with me,” Sawyer said.
However, for students who are vegan or vegetarian, another option that the dining hall can implement is creating a form to be filled out where students can list some of the foods that they enjoy that the dining hall staff can make.
Adding a form gives students a sense of choice on what could possibly be served at the dining hall while providing better options for students with dietary restrictions.
