Students on campus searching for foods that comply with their dietary restrictions, may have more options than they are aware of. Central Washington University offers more resources available to students through dining services that attempt to provide necessary requirements for those with dietary restrictions.
For many freshman, dining options are limited to what is provided by the Dining Services on campus. At Central Washington University, freshman elementary education major Saadya Ahmed finds that hers are even more limited. As a pescatarian (vegetarian that eats fish, read more here: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/g/Pescatarian.htm), Ahmed says that she is limited to the salad bar and pasta options. Although vegetarian options are available, she says that since they are prepared on the same grill as non-vegetarian options, she can’t often even partake in those options.
However, registered dietitian Natalie Harris says that students can request for veggie-burgers to be microwaved instead of grilled to prevent this contamination.
The problem is, most students do not know how to advocate for their food, or where to go to find out more about healthy eating on campus. Freshman who chose to take the class on nutrition during Freshman Orientation Week may hear it, but many students are unaware that a registered dietitian is available to students on the meal plan, free of charge.
“[Central should] recognize there may be a minority of people who need vegetarian options. They should invest the time and money. Even for people who aren’t vegetarian but want to eat healthier. They wouldn’t lose anything, they’d gain in helping students’ diets,” Ahmed said.
To know that Central does provide more options than known by many would benefit students searching for hard to finds dietary options. Junior student Amy VanderHouwen also struggles to find food she can eat; she is whey and gluten-intolerant.
“Basically, I wouldn’t eat at high peak hours because I have to ask them a [ton of] questions and they don’t answer them if they are busy,” VanderHouwen said of staff in the dining services.
While the information is not easily available, Harris does say that the information is there. The pizza services offer vegetarian options daily, and can prepare a vegan pizza if one is ordered ahead of time. The salad bar has oil based dressings available; vegetarian options are available at the pasta bar. Central’s grill offers fries cooked without whey product, and can microwave veggie-burgers to avoid cross-contamination; they also have gluten-free buns available upon request. Vegetarian options are available at the Mexican bar and gluten-free breads and vegetarian options are available at the sandwich and wrap bar.
However, these choices are not well-displayed Harris believes and leaves students confused where to go. Dining services (http://www.cwu.edu/surc/dining-services) are located in Student Union and Recreation Center on the second level behind the theater. To get there, one must have knowledge the offices are there, and many students do not.
Harris believes that if students know they can request to meet with those in charge of ordering food, they would find life at Central more successful. Special fridges can be designated to students’ special food items, and certain foods possibly made available upon request.
Amy VanderHouwen is a junior at Central Washington University. VanderHouwen ended up in Ellensburg, WA after moving from Anchorage, AK to start a new life for herself. After moving many times in her childhood, VanderHouwen found her home in Anchorage with her parents in high school. She once attended a Catholic school, but after high school sought a new life she could control, which is why she ended up applying to college in Washington state.
When she moved to Ellensburg, she knew she would have the challenge of creating a life for herself. Moving into the dorms on campus was a big step for the self-proclaimed “daddy’s girl.” However, her biggest challenge came when she realized she would rely upon the school to for her dietary needs.
VanderHouwen is whey (http://www.precisionnutrition.com/whey-protein-allergies-intolerances-bloating) and gluten-intolerant (http://www.precisionnutrition.com/whey-protein-allergies-intolerances-bloating). Whey is a protein in dairy products, and gluten is found in most carb items.
“[The school does] have vegetarian options, but they don’t have vegan options,” VanderHouwen said. “I can eat vegan food, but I can’t always eat vegetarian food.”
As a freshman, VanderHouwen relied solely on dining services to provide food for her. She said in order to find food she could eat, and be sure it was prepared separately, she had to go on off-hours to ask questions.
“Basically, I wouldn’t eat at high peak hours because I have to ask them a [ton of] questions and they don’t answer them if they are busy,” VanderHouwen said of staff in the dining services.
For her, french fries and salad without dressing were her only safe foods that she could eat comfortably for a long time.
One way VanderHouwen says would make life easier for those with food allergies would be to have more nutritional information on display in the areas of food preparation.
“Offering nutritional facts about all the ingredients used [would help], like in the grill section, include what kind of oil they are using. Have it on the glass, or something, readily available,” VanderHouwen said. “They know what’s in it, they have all the information. But right now the way to get it is to ask a student employee, and they have to go ask someone.”
Subhead: Vegetarians on campus run into obstacles in finding food to eat from Dining Services
Subhead: Dining Services’ vegetarian-friendly options may not be enough
For many freshman, dining options are limited to what is provided by the Dining Services on campus. At Central Washington University, freshman elementary education major Saadya Ahmed finds that hers are even more limited. As a pescatarian (vegetarian that eats fish, read more here: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/g/Pescatarian.htm), Ahmed says that she is limited to the salad bar and pasta options. Although vegetarian options are available, she says that since they are prepared on the same grill as non-vegetarian options, she can’t often even partake in those options.
Ahmed grew up in Seattle with her mother, father and four siblings. Her family only eats food that conforms to “halal” requirements, (read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halal) which can be compared to the Jewish kosher tradition. While they ate meat that was halal, it took one trip to Ethiopia for Ahmed to swear off of meat.
In eighth grade, Ahmed and her family took a trip to Ethiopia. Her parents discouraged her from looking into how meat is prepared, but Ahmed was curious. When she saw the process, it was the last straw. She has not eaten red meat in five years. By the time she arrived at Central, she was used to finding other options for food.
“If my mom makes food with meat in it, I have to make my own,” Ahmed said.
However, being a freshman that relies on her food program to eat, Ahmed has run into an obstacle in her options for food on campus. For Ahmed, any food prepared on a grill that is shared with meat becomes inedible. Therefore, her options are limited to the salad and pasta bar for fresh food.
Although her dietary restrictions do limit her, she stays strong in her convictions to her lifestyle. At friends house, she does attempt to adapt. Since coming to Central, she has actually made friends who are more understanding than her friends at home had been. Here, her friends will attempt to ensure her food is prepared separately so as to respect her choice.
“It was really hard back in Seattle. My friends back in Seattle used to tease me that I couldn’t have [meat]. But now we’re in college and people don’t really care,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed believes that Central should invest in improving the preparation of vegetarian options. From offering options prepared on meat-free grills to ensuring that tofu is available at all of the food stations (pizza, pasta, Mexican and sandwich stations), she believes changes could be made.
“[Central should] recognize there may be a minority of people who need vegetarian options. They should invest the time and money. Even for people who aren’t vegetarian but want to eat healthier. They wouldn’t lose anything, they’d gain in helping students’ diets,” Ahmed said.
Sarah Ruiz, aspiring journalist 
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