According to the Food Allergy Research & Education organization (FARE), “32 million Americans have food allergies, including 5.6 million children under age 18.” This number has been on the rise. As stated by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “food allergy in children increased by 50 percent between 1997 and 2011.” Food allergies and dietary restrictions can come in many forms, ranging from not eating meat to more severe food allergies. Some common food allergies in the U.S. include milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish and crustacean shellfish. These allergies can be very serious and sometimes life-threatening. “Each year in the U.S., 200,000 people require emergency medical care for allergic reactions to food,” as stated by FARE.
The people living with these dietary restrictions also face challenges on a daily basis, such as finding meals to eat. Junior Andrea Guscott knows this feeling very well. She was born with a stage five peanut and tree nut allergy. She also writes about her experiences in her blog called Super Peanut Girl.
“I always must be watching what I eat, by checking the ingredients in foods,” Guscott said. It’s not just food she has to watch out for though.
“It is also things like lotions, shampoo and even makeup. This is because some companies put ingredients such as almond oil or other nut oils into their products,” Guscott said. Along with watching what she eats, she must be mindful of her surroundings as well.
“I have to make sure I won’t come into contact with the allergen. For example, in classes if someone is eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I have to kindly ask them to put it away or eat it at another time. Which I always feel bad about, but I know I have to take care of myself,” Guscott said.
As a college student Guscott, faces another set of challenges. Some of these challenges include finding a roommate, avoiding going out to certain places with friends and finding the right type of meal plan to choose. “I get a meal plan with more Jay bucks than meal swipes because the Jay bucks I can use to purchase ingredients and then make them in my dorm. I do this when the marketplace is serving a meal that I know my allergen is in, such as the sweet potato stew,” Guscott said.
The dining hall is another area of concern. At Elizabethtown College, the dining staff will work with you to accommodate your dietary needs. As an incoming student, you can register your dietary needs with Health Services and set up a meeting to talk with Dining Services. Then they will work with you to personalize a diet or menu for you. More information about this can be found on the school’s website. “I would highly encourage other students who have a dietary restriction to talk to Lynne Davies about how to manage that dietary restriction on our campus,” Guscott said.
It still may be a challenge for students with specific allergies, however. “I find myself eating a lot of the greasier food, such as pizza or a sandwich. However, some days I just avoid the marketplace all together because I know that on that particular day, they have the PB&J bar at the Hearth or the main meal contains peanuts, such as the sweet potato stew. And deserts are always off limits for me,” Guscott said. However, Guscott appreciates that Etown puts out little signs with the ingredients on them, so she knows what is in each dish.
Food allergies and restrictions can be a pain, but they shouldn’t control your life.
“People should be comfortable talking to others about it and be willing to stand up for themselves if the campus is not accommodating their dietary restriction,” Guscott said.
