By Courtney Swanson
For some Covenant students, severe food allergies make the simple process of daily eating a hurdle.
In the last two years, at least 60 Covenant students reported having severe food allergies, about 14 percent of the overall student population as of 2021.1 Despite the substantial number of students with allergy concerns, many students remain unsure of how to accommodate the food allergies of their peers.
According to the AAFA, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, about 26 million U.S. adults have food allergies.2 Thanks to the large amounts of processed foods in the States, this number has steadily increased over the years.
There is a difference between food allergies and food intolerances. Lactose intolerance and celiac disease are classified as intolerances, caused when the body struggles to digest a food, and they can result in mild to severe illness. Food allergies, alternatively, as defined by the AAFA, are “when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance, called an allergen. It could be something you eat, inhale into your lungs, inject into your body, or touch.”3 Food allergies result in much more severe reactions, anything from hives to vomiting to breathing trouble to anaphylactic shock, which can result in death if not treated immediately.
Making food for friends or hallmates is more difficult. Mery Zaniel, a freshman from Iraqi Kurdistan, reflected on this difficulty: “I want to make my favorite dishes from home to share with my hallmates and friends, but they include all the things they can’t eat. It seems really hard and really sad.”
Aware of these hurdles, the staff of Covenant Dining take extra steps to cater to the allergy population. Any food that is not prepackaged is labeled to show what allergens it contains. Morgan Seweryn, Covenant Dining’s front of house, catering and service manager, makes a point to sit down with every student or resident with dietary concerns on a meal plan to discuss their options.
“I encourage students that while the Zone is a safe place for them, they don’t have to rely on it … I help them learn how to pick and choose options from the main line and beyond the Zone if possible so they can get as much out of the dining experience as they can.”
In addition, Covenant Dining holds a food service committee regularly where they interview ten students to ask their opinions on dining policies, how they can change, and if they know of anyone with dietary restrictions.
“Covenant Dining is not required to do any of this, but we make it a huge part of our policy. That’s what makes us a cut above,” Seweryn said.
Seweryn also makes a point to follow up with residents with allergies every few weeks to ensure their dining experience is the best it can be and look for any changes that need to be made.
Despite this, some residents still struggle to find enough food that fits their dietary needs. Madeleine DeMotte, a sophomore who grew up with severe gluten and dairy allergies, had a really hard time eating in the Great Hall her freshman year.
“I would only eat from The Zone or from the salad bar, and yet every day I felt bloated and had stomach aches,” she said. “Midway through last year I moved from Carter to Mac so I could have access to a kitchen to make my own food. Once I had access to a kitchen, I stopped eating from the Great Hall entirely, and my stomach issues stopped immediately.” While her health improved, DeMotte still felt loss. “Not being able to eat in the Great Hall is disappointing due [to] the community framework of Covenant.”
Emily Whiteman, Maclellan Hall’s RD, also expressed problems with eating at Covenant.
“I have wheat and dairy allergies, and I also have to cut out nitrates and nitrites,” Whiteman said. “Sometimes it will hit weeks where I can’t eat the regular line, I can’t eat the allergy line, and I can’t have Interaction. Because I have so many restrictions, there are times where I get a little stuck.”
However, she noted that if she is struggling to find food, “they work with you, I feel like they are really receptive. By and large, I can eat in the Great Hall.”