Marist Sophomore, Lindsey Michalwicz, started her sophomore year with a new house, new classes, and suddenly a new diet. Due to her condition of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lindsey struggled with severe headaches. But after doing some of her own research, she came to the conclusion that omitting gluten from her diet could be worth a shot.
Photo by Molly Gamache
While many see gluten-free lifestyles as “just a fad”, this diet has helped thousands of people with Celiac disease, immune disorders, and general poor eating habits who are looking for healthier alternatives.
This trend isn’t all about posting your latest quinoa dish to Instagram and feeling somehow connected to Miley Cyrus because you are both gluten-free. In reality it comes with a lot of commitment, responsibility, and self-control, especially when thrown upon a stressed college student, such as Lindsey.
Photo by Molly Gamache
Every college student can relate to grocery shopping on a budget, however gluten-free foods can be a bit pricey. Lindsey gave me the inside scoop to some of her favorite quick meals that can be found at any chain grocery store. She recommended Annie’s white cheddar mac and cheese or Amy’s rice crust frozen pizza.
Photo by Molly Gamache
Quick and easy meals seem to be the keywords in many Marist kitchens and probably on other campuses as well. For Lindsey, that is one of her hardest tasks. I sat down with her and this is what she had to say about it.
Molly: “Is it hard cooking for yourself at college?”
Lindsey: “Yea, it really is because you have to cut out all carbs, so if you are in a rush you can’t just quickly grab what you would normally have.”
Molly: “How about the dining hall? What have you found to be your go-to meal?”
Lindsey: “The dining hall is not my favorite option anymore, but I usually go for a salad with balsamic vinaigrette. That is also what I get when going out to eat, a salad with some kind of vinaigrette.”
After taking a journey to the dining hall myself, I did discover gluten-free options; however none seemed as appetizing as the unlimited fries and pizza. I made it my mission to eat an entire gluten-free meal and to my surprise I ended up with a salad topped with, you guessed it, balsamic vinaigrette, Lindsey’s top pick.
Photo by Molly Gamache
Overall, I praise Lindsey for going gluten-free because even one meal left me defeated. Gluten-free is a challenge; however throwing “college student” in the mix of it just makes it a thousand times harder.
After an analysis of Marist Dining, they definitely take an initiative to respond to their gluten-free students, making more and more options available. For any gluten-free kids on Marist campus, be creative in the dining hall and maybe get your friends to go out the new gluten-free restaurant Soul Dog instead of Lola’s.