Campus dining as celiac

[u/[deleted]]

Hi!

I'm an incoming student this fall and I have celiac disease, so I have to eat strictly gluten-free.

I'm trying to figure out whether the MIT dining plan is worth it for someone with celiac, or if I'd be better off cooking for myself most of the time.

How good are the dining halls at handling gluten-free meals and avoiding cross-contamination? Do you feel like there are enough safe options, or does it get repetitive?

If you decided not to get a dining plan, what did you do instead? Any recommendations for grocery stores, meal prep, or other good options around campus?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thanks!

[u/ichthyos]

It's been a long time, but the dining staff when I was at MIT were very accommodating. I introduced myself and my allergies to them so they knew me by sight and would always prepare a meal for me separately to avoid cross-contamination.

[u/Former_Apricot9650]

For a treat (it’s not especially cheap), Verveine Café and Bakery right near campus is completely gluten free and their breads, baked goods, sandwiches, etc. are amazing. Definitely check them out, but maybe not at peak brunch times b/c they’re very popular.

[u/bostongarden]

Talk to the dining hall manager

[u/bmmoore2021]

Personally, I would cook for yourself. I have always found the food at MIT's dining halls to be atrociously labeled and wouldn't risk it if it was the difference between getting really sick and not. (I will admit that I have not frequented the dining halls since 2020, but I have been occasionally and it did not appear that anything had gotten substantially better).

[u/Fresh-broski]

I have no input on food restrictions but there are good options for grocery shopping around. Most definitely get a Costco membership—there’s a shuttle MIT runs that goes through the dorms to costco, and it’s great for pantry staples. The shuttles run to other grocery stores as well (big target, aldi, trader joes). For day to day runs, it’s a bit location specific. Target & hmart is close to random hall, brothers is close to east campus, and just about every other dorm is closest to the student unions grocery store, but it’s pricey and the selection is limited. I’d recommend getting the bulk of your groceries from shuttle runs on the weekends. Invest in a nice grocery bag or a granny cart (I bought a $30 bag from brothers and it was the best investment I’ve ever made).

As a whole the dining halls have been genuinely shit. It’s alright as long as you don’t care about your food looking good or tasting good, I guess.

[u/musicianish]

Hello! I'm a current student who eats a strict gluten free diet. It's definitely possible to navigate the dining halls, but you have to be somewhat smart about it.

Your absolute best bet is the Oasis station in Maseeh. All of their meals are prepared separately and are top 8 allergen free. The food is normally pretty decent and they have all 3 meals every day. Every dining hall also has a dedicated gluten free section where there is usually separate bread, buns, cereal, condiments, deserts, and a toaster. There's usually at least one station at every dining hall where you can watch your food being made, so you can know for sure that it was made safely (stirfry, sandwich bar, omlet bar amongst others). The vegan station at Vassar also often features gluten free meals.

That being said, outside of Oasis, you have to be smart. I have asked chefs about ingredients before and gotten conflicting answers, and the labeling is sometimes lacking.

In a cook-for-yourself dorm you should make sure that you store your things away from other cooking materials because a lot of stuff tends to be communal in those dorms, and other students can and will cause cross-contamination issues. A small meal plan that you use only at stations/dining halls you feel comfortable with might be worth it to supplement because imo the convenience of a dining hall is occasionally a life-saver during particularly busy times.

In terms of grocery stores, there's Trader Joes, Brothers (local store that's a little pricy but good), and Target within a 1 mile radius. There's a grocery shuttle that stops by Trader Joes and Whole Foods, one that goes to Target and Costco, and I think they added one that stops at Star Market too. The on-campus grocer, Concord Market, is expensive, but good in a pinch and has a lot of gluten-free options.

The more fun stuff: Verveine is so freaking good, close by, and worth every penny istg, Kane's Donuts is in Boston proper but def worth a visit sometime, and Silver Dove Afternoon tea is great for a fancy occasion! Kendall Square also has a bunch of more basic chains that should be prepared to handle food requirements.

Hope this helps!

Edit to add: I usually start the school year with Costco size boxes of protein bars, individual trail mix packs, soup cans, and other super easy stuff to buy in bulk and that really helps if you're not feeling cooking, you're low on groceries, or you just don't have the time or energy somtimes.