Notre Dame Food Services Ranked in 14 Colleges That Cater to Gluten-Free Students
Recently Best Colleges Online released their list of Top 14 Colleges that Cater to Gluten-Free Students. Notre Dame Food Services ranked number 11. In order to make eating in the dining halls less complicated for students who need to stick to a gluten-free diet, Notre Dame has listed all the menu items they serve on campus that are free of gluten. Students can search by dining hall for entrées, sides, and snacks that are gluten-free. For students who want something different, the dining hall will prepare special meals on request to meet any dietary needs, including gluten-free.
The top three schools noted included Baylor University, University of Tennessee, and Georgetown University.
Over the past five years, Notre Dame Food Services has focused on ensuring service to this group of students, faculty, staff, and guests. Rates of celiac disease have grown dramatically in recent years with estimates nearing one of every 100 people having a degree of intolerance. Notre Dame Food Services’ Nutritionist, Jocie Antonelli, RD, has noted that providing this service has been an influencing factor in potential students selecting the University and becoming one of the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame Food Services caters to this group in many ways. Our restaurants and dining halls offer gluten free options marked with a GF icon. Our table service dining locations will prepare many menu items without gluten. The Huddle Mart, our campus convenience store, offers many packaged items that meet this requirement.
As a student, you can expect an opportunity to meet with our Registered Dietitian to learn about items that are safe. Custom meals are prepared for severe cases. Through the direction of focus groups of students with celiac disease, we have developed a room in the North Dining Hall devoted to being void of gluten. A student can confidently utilize this space to ensure that they have a meal without gluten. We work with upperclassmen and introduce them to incoming students to develop a relationship where they can learn from one another.
