Imagine sitting down on campus only to realize that there is nothing you can safely eat. For students with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, this isn’t an occasional inconvenience but an everyday reality.
Most students can grab a slice of pizza or a plate of pasta without a second thought, but gluten-free ‘Canes often find themselves piecing together meals from side dishes, salads or packaged snacks.
This lack of variety makes eating feel repetitive and lonely. Food is a central part of campus life, whether it is late night dining with friends, grabbing a quick bite between classes or exploring new places together. When gluten-free options are limited or unsafe, it often means being left out of those moments. Instead of feeling included, I find myself sitting with the same small plate while my friends enjoy full meals without hesitation.
For people with celiac disease, even small traces of gluten can damage the small intestine and cause lasting health effects, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation. Yet instead of consistent accommodations, students are left second-guessing every order.
UM needs to be doing more to support students with celiac disease by providing safe and reliable gluten-free options where many upperclassmen eat: the campus restaurants.
UM offers more than a dozen cuisine options across campus, but for someone with celiac disease like me, only two of those are safe: Halal Shack and Pollo Tropical. Every meal becomes a calculation, and I am left rotating between the same two spots in the food court. What should be a simple choice of grabbing food between classes feels repetitive and frustrating, especially as a senior without a meal plan.
Tossed used to be one of the few places where I felt comfortable eating, since I could build my own bowl and have options. Its removal from the food court has only added to the challenge. It was replaced by Cucina Fresca, an Italian restaurant where the only safe choice is a Caesar salad without croutons, a sharp step back from the variety Tossed once provided.
The irony is that the dining halls, where most freshmen eat, do have gluten-free stations and generally do a good job of preventing cross-contamination. But once students move off campus, which most do after their first or second year, they no longer have meal plans and rarely use the dining halls. Instead, they rely on campus restaurants — and that’s where things fall apart.
When my friends suggest eating on campus, I go into panic mode. Most of the time, I can’t eat where they want to go, and it leaves me feeling excluded. Food is supposed to bring people together, but it often makes me feel like an outsider in my own college experience.
Senior Leah Bahamonde with a severe gluten intolerance said that finding safe meals outside the dining hall is frustrating.
“It’s really hit or miss,” she said. “Some spots will have gluten-free options, but not many whatsoever. A lot of times I end up sticking to the same few things I know are safe, which gets repetitive.”
For students with a gluten allergy, even simple decisions like where to eat can require extra planning. The lack of reliable options forces them to think ahead, whether that means researching menus in advance or carrying snacks in their bags to avoid going hungry.
Senior Juliana Warnock, who has celiac disease, said that when she lived in the dorms, she often resorted to salads or rice-based meals. Now living off campus with her own kitchen, she can cook for herself but on busy days, but she still finds campus restaurants inaccessible.
Warnock said she has seen some improvement in her time at UM with the opening of Pura Vida. “The only place I can consistently count on to provide gluten-free options is Pura Vida,” she said. “But unfortunately they weren’t even on campus until recently.”
“I have definitely seen a positive change in UM’s dining hall accommodating gluten-free students,” she said. “I think there’s room for growth, but I am pleasantly surprised that menu items are being changed, added or modified for students with gluten allergies.”
Smoothie shops and snack aisles are not enough. Other universities, like Cornell and UTampa have introduced gluten-free menus in restaurants or added dedicated stations across campus, proving it can be done without major cost increases.
“At UM Dining, we take a holistic approach to guiding students with their specific dietary needs. Our managers, chefs, and registered dietitian are always available to meet with students throughout the semester to address their concerns and preferences,” said Ana Alvarez, assistant vice president of auxiliary services.
Dining is more than a convenience — it’s part of belonging. Sharing meals is how students connect, whether it is sitting in the dining hall after class, grabbing lunch between lectures or celebrating after a big game. For students with celiac disease, those simple moments are often complicated by limited options and constant worry about safety. Instead of joining in without hesitation, we are left scanning menus, asking extra questions and settling for whatever feels least risky.
Every student pays to eat on campus. Every student deserves access to safe, balanced meals. Until UM extends gluten-free accessibility beyond the dining halls, students with celiac will keep paying the same price for half the experience.
