For students with a food allergy or a special dietary restriction that makes eating on-campus difficult, Vanderbilt offers a resource that makes life easier: Students can arrange for one-on-one meetings with Dianne Davis, a registered dietitian and consultant to Vanderbilt Dining to arrange for meals that meet special dietary needs.

But many students are unaware this service exists.

“I feel like Vanderbilt should do a better job of advertising these options, and then more people would take advantage of it,” said junior Ted Gargano.

Students must initiate the process in order to receive specially prepared food.

“If a student requests one-on-one guidance, then I’ll get involved,” Davis said.

However, Davis said that she receives few requests from students for dietary assistance.
“I don’t think most students know the resource is there,” she said.

Typically, the process starts at the beginning of the year, but students can request a consultation at any time. Davis meets with students and discusses their allergy as well as what foods they like and dislike.

The student is also introduced to the dining staff, who explain how the student’s meals will be handled. Students eat from items on the menu, just only what is safe for them, Davis said.

Once this process is complete, students can call the dining hall in advance and request something from the daily menu to be made in accordance to their dietary restriction. Vanderbilt Dining prepares the student’s food separately to avoid cross-contamination, and they can pick it up at an arranged time.

Sophomore Michelle Olin said she had never heard of the option but that she has a friend who is a vegan who often has trouble finding on-campus food options.

“She says that she goes to Nectar a lot,” Olin said, “but you get sick of it.”

Junior Shira Paul follows a kosher diet and says she finds the same problem.

“It’s not feasible to eat every single meal at Grins,” she said.

Paul said someone who keeps kosher more strictly than her may have a difficult time finding suitable foods at Vanderbilt.

“Someone that kept kosher more strictly than I do would not eat ‘hot dairy’ out, because the stoves, cookware, etc. would have touched non-kosher food,” she said.

Paul said since she is not very strict in keeping kosher she does not have to give a lot of thought to where she eats on campus or consult a Vanderbilt dietitian, because most places have one or two vegetarian or fish options. “I’m not malnourished,” Paul said.

And there are students who actively take advantage of dining’s special food options.
“I have a friend who is allergic to gluten, and she gets meals prepared by Chef James. She e-mails earlier in the day or sometime in advance,” said junior Oliver Kuntz.

A letter of medical necessity from a doctor is required in order for students to access this service, but Davis is also willing to work with students who are vegetarian or have a religious restriction, such as eating kosher or halal.

Overall, Vanderbilt Dining has been trying to make on-campus eating more diner-friendly. Non-peanut products and labels denoting whether a product is vegan, vegetarian and locally grown can be found in the eateries.

If you have a food allergy and would like to take advantage of this resource, contact Vanderbilt Dining Communications Manager Julie Cryder.

Joslin Woods contributed reporting to this story.