Gluten-Free University

August has arrived, and with it have come back-to-school thoughts for college-age students across the country. Now, a lot of us have been to college, and that same “lot” know it can entail more than just class. However, maintaining a good GPA and good health, especially for gluten-free students, is very realistic!

Despite that possibility, one of the bigger complaints we hear from gluten-free college students is that their university’s dining hall is not gluten friendly. I feel their pain – the closest thing I had to a dedicated, gluten-free snack in all my school years was paste, and that was a) in first grade, and b) 

I’m not certain that paste is even gluten free!

All joking aside, research shows that after an initial period of adjustment, students find that many schools do offer good gluten-free options such as dedicated menu items, toasters, refrigerators and the like – it’s just all about getting to know your surroundings. So, does that mean it’s easy to survive as a g-free student? By and large, yes, it seems that way. But, what about thriving? Here are some inside baseball tips that might make the difference between a so-so, and a super gluten-free college experience:

• Bring your own microwave and mini-fridge – and let no one touch it but you
• Keep your gluten-free utensils close to the vest – see above!
•  Keep your room or apartment stocked with your go-to gluten-free snacks to fill in the gaps

These ideas are just scratching the surface of being successful in a gluten-free college environment. Here and here are a couple blogs that can expound upon what I’ve just shared. In addition, here is a blog that houses some very valuable tips about the gluten-free college experience, written by g-free college kids, themselves. And hey, a top-10 list of the most gluten-free friendly universities could come in handy, right? Here it is!  

May your (or your scholar’s) secondary education experience be gluten-free and devoid of cross contamination (as well as paste!).