Celiac Disease in College - Celiac Culture

Attending college can be a challenge. Juggling classes, homework, and work all while trying to maintain a social life is yet again — challenging. Throw in celiac disease on top of that and you are faced with difficult, long days that demand attention.

I was diagnosed with celiac disease right before my sophomore year of college. I lived on campus my sophomore year and commuted my remaining years of college.

This was by far the busiest time of my life so far. My drive to and from school was anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours (California traffic) and my days started at 5 am. I didn’t get home until 7-8 pm.

I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this. I couldn’t pull over at the nearest food court or grab lunch at a food place on campus.

Living on campus definitely made things easier for me. Fortunately, I had a kitchen in my dorm room while living on campus. I did need to share the kitchen with 3 other girls. (I will touch on this later in this article.) Within the time that I was commuting, I managed to get in as many meals as possible. I often found myself hungry on days that were loaded with classes, but prepped myself as much as I could for the long days.

Here is how I managed to get through college as a celiac disease patient while living on and off a college campus that did not offer gluten free options for celiac disease individuals.

Celiac Disease Patients Living On Campus (with a kitchen)

While living on campus with celiac disease, the safest thing to do is cook your own meals. Even if there is a restaurant that offers gluten free options, I’m sure you do not want to eat there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. The odds of a college campus having a handful of gluten free options are slim. So, it may be easier and safer to cook your own meals.

There are plenty of quick, healthy gluten free meals you can prepare while living on a college campus. I would try to consider protein, carbs, veggies, and fruits and prepare my meals based on this pattern. Cut up fruit and prepare a protein shake for a quick snack and freeze meats and veggies until you are ready to cook them. Cook rice, pasta, beans, etc in large portions so they are ready to go throughout the week. Here are examples of meal ideas for college students with celiac disease that are living on campus and have access to a kitchen. Choose one option from each category to complete a meal.

Carbs

White or brown rice
Protein gluten free pasta
Gluten free oats
Quinoa
Beans
Gluten free bread
Corn tortillas

Protein

Ground turkey
Ground beef
Salmon
Shrimp
Chicken
Eggs

Veggies

Frozen California blend vegetables
Frozen stir fry mix vegetables
Spinach
Green salad mix

Fruit

Pineapples
Apples
Strawberries
Bananas
Oranges
Berries (Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
Frozen fruit mix

Gluten free Seasonings/Dressings

Gluten free teriyaki sauce
Gluten free soy sauce
Gluten free taco seasoning
Gluten free Riega seasoning
Garlic salt
Salt
Pepper

Desserts

Here are meal examples that use the above-mentioned lists.

Breakfast

Egg sandwich with gluten free bread and berries.

Lunch

White rice with ground turkey seasoned with gluten free taco seasoning, California blend vegetables, and corn tortillas.

Dinner

Quinoa salad bowl with salmon, soy sauce, stir fry vegetables, and spinach mix.

Snacks

Greek yogurt with apples and honey

Protein shake with bananas

Dessert

Gluten free Katz Lemon Poppy Loaf

Sharing a Kitchen in College with Celiac Disease

While living on campus in college, I always had at least 3 roommates. Fortunately, my roommates were very understanding and I never had any issues. However, I can see how it can become tricky and become an issue. Here is what I did as a celiac disease patient while dorming with 3 other college students:

Explain your diagnosis

Explain what celiac disease is and what it means. I told my roommates I have celiac disease which means I need to follow a strict gluten free diet or I will experience extreme symptoms. I explained cross-contact and how it will affect me and my body.

Set rules

Setting rules upon meeting your new roommates may seem a bit demanding, however, it is important to set rules as soon as possible so your roommates are aware of your needs, how important your needs are, and of course — so you do not ingest gluten and get sick. I wouldn’t call them “rules,” but rather considerations.

Here are rules (or considerations) that I set that are easy to follow and really don’t require much. Here are the rules I set that I asked my college roommates to be courteous of because I have celiac disease:

Do not share sponges – I bought a pink sponge to tell my dish sponge apart from my roommates. I told them I was going to use a pink one and asked that they not use it to avoid cross-contact.
Do not share utensils, plates, pots, or pans – I had a handful of plates, bowls, etc, and asked if I could have my own space for my eating utensils. I asked if they could avoid using my eating utensils.
Do not share food – I asked that they keep out of my food to avoid cross-contact and mixing gluten-filled food with my gluten free food.
Have a designated area for food in the fridge and pantry – Ask if you could have a small space for your gluten free food in the pantry and refrigerator.

These are simple rules that your roommates should follow. If you find they are disrespecting your rules, take it to housing services to discuss your needs and concerns. Furthermore, here are a few suggestions:

Do not eat offered food – A lot of people think they are aware of what gluten is, however, it is likely they do not know where gluten hides. For example, Worcester sauce, soy sauce, and certain seasonings.
Wash your dishes and put them away immediately – Washing your dishes and putting them away as soon as possible avoids the possibility of cross-contact within a gluten-filled kitchen.
Always have tummy-soothing resources – Make sure you always have medicine, tea, or kombucha on hand just in case of emergencies.
Familiarize yourself with the college campus health center – Get familiar with where the college health center is. It is likely they provide free services to their students and offer medicine to help their students when in need.

If you do not have kitchen access,

I suggest meeting with your college housing representative to discuss your needs and concerns. Because celiac disease is a medical diagnosis, they should be willing to work with you. They may place you in a dorm with a kitchen, or provide you with food services that offer safe, gluten free options, such as a meal delivery plan, instead of a meal card. Your college should make accommodations for your celiac disease needs.

Celiac Disease Patients Living Off Campus (Commuting)

Living off campus and commuting to college with celiac disease is tough. However, I made it through just fine and made sure I brought plenty of snacks with me each day I commuted to campus.

The college I attended was 30 miles away, but would quickly turn into an hour’s drive, making my days much longer than they should be. Fortunately, many people are able to quickly drive to and from campus making it much easier to get their meals in. Some students cram a day’s worth of classes into a few days of the week to avoid a treacherous drive. These few days out of the week can become dreadful if there are not any safe gluten free options nearby. Here are tips for celiac disease college students that commute to a campus that does not have gluten free options.

Plan out classes according to meal times

Planning out your class schedule according to the times you expect to eat may sound extra, but it works and you will not regret it when you are hungry, and rushing to each class on a college campus that does not have gluten free food options on campus or nearby. While choosing classes, consider how and when you can have a snack or run to the food court to use a microwave to heat up your food.

Dedicate time to meal prepping

“I don’t have time to meal prep.” I get it. I’ve been there. A full-time student / working student doesn’t have enough time in one day to do it all. However, you must prioritize what is important to you. Cook clean, easy, and quick meals like the ones mentioned above. Pack snacks that are easy to carry and eat on the go. For example, the best way to do it is — cook meals and prepare snacks at the beginning of the week for the days that you will be on campus. That way you can grab the meals as you walk out the door and you are not left feeling starving.

Purchase a lunch pail

Purchasing a lunchpail for the days you are commuting to college can be very helpful. Avoid spills in your backpack and leave room for your laptop, books, and school work. Conveniently carry around a lunch pail, pack your meals and snacks, and eat when you are hungry. Here are lunch pails that are convenient for college students.

Make celiac disease a breeze while in college by prioritizing yourself, planning ahead, becoming time efficient, and reaching out to your school when necessary. Ensure you are enjoying your college experience, and do not let celiac disease get in the way of your fu, academics, and success.