With more than a dozen options for food on campus, it can be hard to imagine someone not having enough options for their daily meals, but it does happen.
Sometimes, a student may not want any of the food available on campus because they have exhausted the variety of what they eat.
In other cases, a student may run out of options because they have a restricted diet due to health concerns. Jonathan Reeves, a high school senior home-schooled through the First Baptist Opelika Christian School, will attend Auburn in the fall of 2010. Reeves is forced to eat a gluten-free diet because of his body's reaction to wheat products.
"It's an auto-immune thing that's in my family's genes," Reeves said. "It's much more common for people to have a reaction to wheat than you'd think. People are realizing it more and more."
Reeves said he is dissatisfied with the selection of food on-campus available to people who eat gluten-free food.
"Well I definitely wish there were more places," Reeves said. "A salad at Chikfil-A is the only place I know of where I can get something, so that's pretty limited." Gina Groome, the head of the
Auburn University Good Eats program, said Reeves is not the first student to seek help with oncampus dining. "We have a few other students who want a specialized menu," Groome said. "We put them in touch with our executive chef Emil Topeel. He can work with them to get them what they want." Groome said in addition to getting a salad at Chik-fil-A, students who eat a gluten-free diet can eat at Southern Grille, Chef 's Table or Salsaritas.
"We've seen a little demand, but not enough demand for a full vegan restaurant," Groome said "Our home-style restaurants always have options."
Reeves said he does not have to purchase an on-campus meal plan, but he does have to present a statement from his doctor in regards to his gluten allergy.
Reeves said he thought the doctor's excuse was a fair treatment of his condition, but he did wish he did not have to go through the process of obtaining the note.
"I guess I don't expect the University to have to deal with all of this, but the less restrictions or mandatory things you have to deal with is always better," Reeves said. "The more freedom you have, the better it is." Groome said main focus of on-campus dining is freedom. "Our main goal is to satisfy the students, so of course it's important to us," Groome said.
Groome said she receives feedback about on-campus dining on a day-to-day basis and the University will assist Reeves to create a suitable on-campus menu.
As for Reeves, he said is prepared to cook for himself and eat on campus when he can.
The one suggestion Reeves did offer for on campus dining is to clearly identify what products are gluten-free.
"Right there, that's something that would be really helpful," Reeves said. "If any of the restaurants on campus do it, it's something that will help any students who have to eat gluten free like I do."
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