Bowling Green State University (BGSU) has dining staff on hand who work to accommodate the needs of students with allergies, but some students have differing opinions on the dining options on campus.
Some students find the dining options to be too limited or inconsistent, while others decided to go to BGSU just for the allergen-friendly dining options. University staff emphasize that support systems and allergen-safe programs are in place to keep students healthy and safe.
According to BGSU Campus Dietitian Rechelle Bischoff, the university works hard to accommodate students with allergies through multiple resources.
“We have ingredient experts in every dining facility who can answer questions about ingredients and grab food labels,” Bischoff said.
Bischoff also explained that BGSU Dining and Accessibility Services collaborate to create personalized dining plans involving the student, head chef and general manager.
The university’s allergen-friendly dining station, Thrive, remains one of the safest options and BGSU continues to add packaged allergen-free items to its markets.
Elaina Wintringham, who has a severe nut allergy, said she has to be extra careful every time she eats on campus.
“I make sure to read all the ingredients or ask what’s inside if someone made it,” Wintringham said. “Last year, I asked a lady if a free sample had nuts and she said no, but it ended up having cashews.”
At the smoothie station, she even makes sure to mention her mango allergy so staff can use containers that won’t be cross-contaminated.
Other students have found the allergen-friendly areas on campus helpful. Emmy Northup, who eats gluten-free, said one of the main reasons she chose BGSU was the university’s attention to allergy safety.
“I mainly eat at the Oaks at the allergen area or at True Burger, where I can get a burger on a gluten-free bun,” Northup said. “BG is actually quite good with dealing with allergies. Some other colleges I visited didn’t even have anything safe for people touring, so BG was a nice change of pace.”
However, others feel the options are still too limited. Madeline Waddell, who has a gluten allergy, said her meals often lack variety.
“When I go to the Oaks, it’s almost always chicken in the gluten-free section,” Waddell said. “My plate ends up being some meat, rice and maybe yogurt. The markets disappoint me even more — none of the frozen meals are gluten-free and the only gluten-free frozen option is mozzarella sticks, which isn’t even a real meal.”
Waddell said she often relies on food from home or off-campus restaurants to have enough safe meals each week.
For Elle Hammerhofer, consistency is the biggest challenge.
“I mainly eat at the Sundial because I found safe foods there,” Hammerhofer said. “I love the concept of the Oaks, but I rarely go there because of the constantly rotating menu. The app with the menu is almost never accurate and between cross-contamination risks and all the checking I have to do, it’s not worth it.”
Bischoff emphasizes that they “look to students for feedback” and are working on expanding the foods they offer so all students can find a meal at BGSU.
“Our allergen program is ever-evolving,” Bischoff said. “We look to students for feedback and are always trying to expand our offerings.”
