John Strahan Feature

Photo from housing.colostate.edu

A photo of Acedemic Village which

Plays home to Ram’s Horn dining hall,

One of many on the CSU campus.

Wheat-Free Eating a Challenge at College

By John Strahan

“May I have a cheeseburger, without the bun, and some fries?” My question gets a confused look from the server behind the counter in the Ram’s Horn dining hall.

“Just no bun? Like this?” they ask as they place to hamburger patties on to the tray before me. I nod and take the tray feeling almost embarrassed about asking for them to hold the bun. But there is a reason the omission.

I, like 2 million other people in the United States, have an intolerance to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley, and it is found in many pieces of food in college dining halls. Even in dining halls right here on our own Colorado State University campus. This can make eating for students with gluten intolerance extremely difficult.

For many people with gluten intolerance, eating at a new place is a difficult experience because they don’t know whether or not they will get sick from foods they can normally eat due to different ways a piece of food is prepared. For example some places will deep fry batter covered chicken in the same place they deep fry French fries. For people with severe gluten intolerance, this can cause them to become ill.

After two years of eating dining hall food though, I have found out which foods are safe and some good meal ideas for people with gluten intolerance.

The easiest meal to begin with is a simple cheeseburger without the bun. Depending on how severe the gluten intolerance is fries might also be ok. But a smarter and for sure gluten-free option is a salad.

Another good option at the Ram’s Horn dining hall is tacos. The crunchy taco shells there are gluten-free as is the beef, chicken and beans. Be sure to avoid the tortillas and the taco bowls as they are not gluten-free.

Several dining halls also have certified gluten-free products upon request. For example at Ram’s Horn Express it is possible to order a gluten-free muffin or bagel if someone requests one. Also upstairs at Ram’s Horn, if asked for, customers can receive gluten-free pastas.

Corbett hosts a large number of gluten-free options. In addition to food like tacos and burgers, they also host the cookery for gluten, nut and shellfish-free foods. This makes it an excellent place to go if you are living a gluten-free lifestyle.

The other dining halls; Durell, Parmelee and Braiden also have options like tacos, burgers, soups and salads for gluten-free students.

If you’re looking for a change of pace though, another great option is the restaurant Spoons located at the Lory Student Center. Spoons hosts a good variety of gluten-free soups and salads. Just be sure to stay away from the breads.

CSU has extensive websites for students who would like to know more about living gluten-free and what you can do outside of the dining halls to maintain a healthy and gluten-free diet.