The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Spoon University.
Living the gluten and dairy free life is not easy, especially when you’re on a college campus surrounded by all kinds of easily accessible foods. Eating can feel overwhelming when first starting this lifestyle. You might not know where to go or which foods are actually safe. Thankfully, GCU has plenty of options so that the gluten and dairy free people won’t starve.
Breakfast
Breakfast can be one of the hardest meals to eat completely gluten and dairy free without cooking on your own. While pancakes and bagels sound heavenly, your stomach may not appreciate you later.
For a lighter and fruity breakfast, Jamba Juice and Nekter serve smoothies and smoothie bowls that are gluten free and customizable to become dairy free. The PB Banana Protein smoothie from Jamba Juice and the Protein Power bowl from Nekter are some of my favorites. I swap out the whole milk for almond milk and the whey protein for soy or pea protein to make it dairy free. Plus, the extra protein helps keep me full a longer!
For a more savory breakfast, Pita Jungle and Qdoba serve hearty breakfast bowls. Both bowls are pretty similar, consisting of items like eggs, guacamole, bell peppers, onion, chorizo, and pico de gallo. Ask for the cheese and crema to be taken off to make it dairy free! Another savory breakfast option is Lopes Training Table. They provide sausage, bacon, and a variety of fruits for breakfast. Double check their times before you go since they change their hours frequently.
Lunch and Dinner
There is a much wider expanse of options for gluten and dairy free lunches and dinners. Lopes Training Table has plate options that rotate daily. You can choose a bowl with one grain, one veggie, and one protein or the plate with a salad, fruit, soup, and as many of the grain, veggie, and protein options as you’d like. For that much food plus a drink, you only pay about $13! Pita Jungle, Purple greens, and Qdoba all serve hearty and yummy customizable bowls. At Jimmy John’s, even gluten-eaters get the unwich, a lettuce wrapped sandwich, because it’s just that good.
On movie nights, I love to get The Habit, Taco Bell, or Chick-fil-A. The Habit has a lettuce wrapped pineapple burger and a BBQ chicken salad that are delish. Taco Bell serves any of their tacos on corn tortillas, but make sure to ask for no cheese. Finally, the staple of GCU Dining, Chick-fil-A. Chick-fil-A’s grilled nuggets with Polynesian sauce and some fries is one of my favorite meals to get on campus.
Keep in mind that many of these restaurants cannot ensure the prevention of cross-contamination due to lack of space and resources. For example, fries might be dipped in the same oil that breaded nuggets are dipped in. Remain safe and healthy by simply asking the cashier if you’re unsure whether an item is safe to eat.
Let us know if you try any of these meals and what you think! Now that you have base meals to choose from, keep your eyes pealed for other gluten and dairy free options around campus. There’s often more than we first think.