Gluten-free diets have seemingly become a fad in the past few years across the nation. This is a problem for those with real and very serious gluten-free allergies, the most dangerous being Celiac Disease (CD) and still serious but not as life threatening, non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). Celiac Disease affects a little less than 1% of the American population.
As college students transition from home life to campus life there are dozens of situations that they must adjust to and for those with CD or NCGS the transition can be even more difficult. Meals are prepared for them out of sight and they must put their trust in labels that assure them the food they are about to consume is free of any gluten products.
Maddie Capron, a freshman majoring in Journalism at Ohio University, has been experiencing the difficulties of dealing with a gluten allergy for the past year. Since becoming a college student she has experienced several difficulties in dealing with her gluten allergy, some that would not cross many people’s minds.
“Events that say ‘Free Pizza’ no longer appeal to me,” said Capron
Capron points out something that many friends and family of people with CD or NCGS often experience. For someone with a gluten-allergy, events about or surrounding food are always a concern because they have to make sure wherever they are going will serve food that they are able to eat.
However, for the friends, coworkers, teammates, or even family members of the affected person this may be the last thing on their minds when going out to a restaurant or hosting a party. This is what Capron is pointing out when she says that one of the difficulties in dealing with the allergy at college is “being around people and being social about it.”
It can be frustrating and even embarrassing to point out constantly to one’s friends that you can’t order anything from that pizza place or you can’t go to that specific restaurant because they don’t have much, if any, gluten free options.
When asked if there were any foods people would be surprised contained gluten Capron quickly rattled off a few.
“Anything can have gluten in it, you just have to check,” Capron said. “Cheeses, lunch meats, sauces...salad dressings, anything.”
With gluten appearing in what seems like any and all foods, an important question arrises. What is gluten?
According to the website Gluten-Free Survival Guide, “gluten is a protein. It is mostly found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye, however it can also be found in certain hybrids of these grains.”
The site also defines what it means to be gluten-free, “The Food and Drug Administration defines gluten-free as any food that contains gluten in no more than 20 parts per million.This is the lowest amount of gluten in foods that can be found using valid scientific methods, and the majority of people with celiac disease can handle foods with under 20 parts per million.”
When transitioning to dining hall prepared meals it can be nerve-wracking for students with gluten allergies to understand what they can and cannot eat. Thankfully, at Ohio University Culinary Services they have come up with labels for their dishes that notify those with gluten allergies what foods to eat and what foods to avoid.
The symbol on the right labeled gluten indicates that a food item or dish in an OU dining hall does not contain gluten. Similarly a picture of wheat without the line through it would indicate that the food item or dish does contain gluten.
Capron finds these labels very helpful and when asked said that she does have a favorite dining hall on campus.
“Nelson,” Capron said. “All of their foods are really clearly marked with the symbols and its much easier for me to go there than some of the other dining halls, but they’re all pretty good about [gluten-free options].”
In addition to clearly labeling their foods, Culinary Services recently unveiled ‘Margaret’s Kitchen’ in the newly renovated Boyd Dining Hall. Margaret’s Kitchen is able to prepare food for those students with gluten allergies as well as students that may have a peanut or dairy allergy.
When asked if she thought there was a stigma surrounding people that have to eat gluten-free and those who choose to eat gluten-free because of the supposed ‘health benefits,’ Capron believes that there is one, but that it is slowly starting to fade.
“There can be a stigma attached to it,” Capron said. “I think that’s really changing now though because more and more people are being diagnosed with gluten allergies and Celiac Disease.”
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