Students practice a wide variety of diets due to religious, cultural, medical and environmental reasons. Oftentimes, certain dietary restrictions mean difficulty in finding food options that work for students, whether that be at restaurants, school or social gatherings.
For example, veganism is a diet that restricts all animal products, including meat, dairy and eggs. Because such ingredients are common, it can be a challenge for vegans to find suitable options at every restaurant.
“I’ll go to a restaurant and there’s not much on the menu that they can make for me,” said senior Emma Samayoa. “One example is In-n-Out. Sometimes we’ll go there for school trips, and all they can do is give you bread, lettuce and tomato, which is okay, but it would be nice [to] have something else too.”
A little less restrictive, vegetarianism is the practice of not consuming any meat. While finding vegetarian options in dining settings can still be challenging, menus are significantly more accommodating.
“Nowadays, there are a lot more options for vegetarians,” said sophomore Anjali Datt. “Restaurants have tons of variety. When I go out with my friends, it’s pretty easy for me to find places to eat at.”
Fortunately, for vegetarians, there are certain cuisines that provide ample options.
“Chinese food has a lot of vegetarian options, especially with tofu,’’ Datt said. “Mexican food has been really easy … If I’m ordering a burrito, I can say, ‘no meat. Whenever I order something I specify no meat at all, so whoever’s cooking it knows not to put meat on it.”
Furthermore, vegetarianism is very common within certain cultures, making their cuisines more accessible.
“There’s a lot of options for vegetarian food in … South Asian countries’ cuisines because a lot of the population in those countries is vegetarian,” said junior Janak Bhuta. “I’m Indian, so I kind of grew up on that.”
Beyond vegans and vegetarians, students with varying food allergies also struggle to find adequate dining options. Ensuring safe options are available can be particularly stressful for these students, as consuming an allergen can lead to dangerous allergic reactions.
“I’m allergic to wheat, … eggs and nuts, and my egg and nut allergies are much more severe,” said sophomore Gemma Albertson. “I’ll go into anaphylactic shock if I eat those, which means that my throat will close up. Sometimes I’ll avoid certain restaurants when I’m eating out because I know there won’t be anything on the menu for me to eat, and I know that there’s a risk of cross-contamination within the foods that I can eat there.”
For students with any dietary restriction, particularly allergies, it can be necessary to take extra precautions to ensure they have something to eat.
“I’m allergic to peanuts, tree nuts and fish,” said senior Arden Salotti. “In the case where something isn’t available to me, I usually just hold out until the next meal … It’s also important to bring something that I know for sure I can have, something simple like a packet of chips or Goldfish.”
Sometimes people with allergies can struggle with a sense of guilt for having their friends and families make accommodations for them.
“Having allergies, there’s this guilt that comes with it,” Salotti said. “It’s sometimes hard to speak out and say, ‘Hey, can we change the restaurant?’ when all of your friends want to go to a [certain] place. And in that situation, even though I am working on it, I tend to just not eat anything, because that’s sometimes the safest option.”
Although it can sometimes be difficult to find suitable dining options, the growing inclusivity of restaurants makes it easier.
“I feel like restaurants have become much more progressive when it comes to serving food,” Albertson said. “There’s a big rise in vegetarian places and vegan places, and also a rise in gluten-free options. Also, restaurants have become more conscious about cross-contamination with their foods, so I feel a lot safer.”
Similarly, the school lunch has options available to everyone.
“There are some options, which is good,” Samayoa said. “[The cafeteria] has a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That’s usually a pretty safe option. They also have fruit cups [and] boxes with snacks and fruit in them.”
Overall, while navigating dining with dietary restrictions can be challenging, inclusivity and accommodations can make the process less stressful. With restaurants growing more and more inclusive every day, students with allergies and food restrictions have safer, more enjoyable experiences with food.
