Eating in the dining halls at college is an event that most people take for granted as a simple daily act. However, for students with food allergies or other dietary restrictions, eating in dining halls can be incredibly stressful or even dangerous. That’s why understanding the dining options at the Claremont Colleges is so important, and that’s what I’d love to tell you a bit more about!
As part of the Claremont Colleges consortium, students at Scripps can enjoy meals from all of the 7 different dining halls across the 5 campuses. Scripps has a great allergen station called Oasis, which is free of the top 8 allergens and has a list of ingredients of the different foods. One great facet of this system is that the station is always staffed, meaning no cross-contamination through students self-serving occurs. The Oasis meals are also great because they have all of the important nutrients in simple dishes, including grain, vegetables, protein (including vegetarian options), and other important servings.
Harvey Mudd also has a similar system to Scripps through their Simple Servings menu, which is a favorite of many Claremont College students with allergies. These meals are also simple and have the important nutrients to make sure that there is enough sustenance for students with allergies. This station is also staffed to avoid cross-contact, which can help to alleviate some of the stress of possible cross-contamination.
Pitzer and Claremont McKenna operate in a similar way to Scripps with their allergen-free stations, although their stations are not always staffed. Although the stations are cooked with ingredients that are free of the top 8 allergens, if students are feeling concerned about possible cross-contamination, there are signs indicating that students can speak with dining hall staff to have separate food prepared in an allergen-safe manner.
Pomona has two dining halls, Frary and Frank. Frary does not have an allergen-free section, although many of their meals are allergen-free. Students with allergies often work with the dining hall staff to receive safe meals prepared directly and quickly for them. Frank has an allergen-free station that extends across an entire section of the dining hall, which many students with allergies enjoy. One of these stations is self-serve, while another is staffed, so students may want to seek out dining hall staff for help if they are feeling uncomfortable.
Regardless of whichever dining hall students decide to go to, each college has a nutritionist on staff that works with students to make sure that they are being provided for. Students with allergies often get to know the dining hall staff, who are then able to provide safe meals for students. Contact information for these nutritionists is available online, and even without contacting the nutritionist, students can always speak to the dining hall staff if they need something prepared separately. It is important that students feel safe in their dining halls and receive the nutrition they need, so the multitude of options is absolutely necessary!