On a Tuesday
afternoon, just in time for lunch, hundreds of ravenous students begin packing
in the chairs and booths of one of Pitt’s two dining halls, the Eatery at
Towers. Like its name suggests, the large cafeteria resides in the basement of
Litchfield Towers, the school’s infamous triplet set of cylindrical dorm
buildings.
Nala Gallaher, a freshman majoring in communications, often
has trouble finding a viable food option fit for her dietary needs. Today,
though, luckily, she stumbles upon a favorable station serving chicken gumbo
with okra and sausage.
The dish looks promising, but the plaque above the platter
shows no specifications regarding what even makes up the sausage part of the
meal. So Gallaher gets eye-level with the food, takes a good look at the
sausage’s complexion, and concludes that it likely contains chicken meat.
Since beef and pork have never been included in Gallaher’s
diet before, she must take extra care in assuring that certain foods, such as
sausage, only contain chicken or turkey-based meat.
“I get sick if any beef or pork comes in contact with my
stomach,” Gallaher says. “I can’t have chicken or turkey if it’s been cooked on
the same grill or pan as the meat that I don’t eat.”
Usually, Gallaher reads the daily menu from an app on her
phone with easily accessible nutrition information for any students who might
need it. But today, the app remains stuck on the loading screen for what feels
like hours.
Still feeling like she made the correct observations,
Gallaher grabs a plate anyway and distracts herself from not truly knowing what
the sausage contains. She finds a comfortable table and sits down, ready for
what looks and sounds like an enjoyable, safe meal.
Her phone finishes loading before she takes her first bite,
and she finds out the sausage contains andouille meat instead of chicken. She
cannot eat the dish after all, and must go somewhere else for lunch.
Almost 30,000
undergraduate students call Pitt their home. Each of these students comes from
a different background with their own individual food restrictions.
Some students may have involuntary allergies or
intolerances, such as celiac disease, or voluntary restrictions, such as
vegetarianism. Others may have restraints for personal, religious, or
miscellaneous reasons.
According to a 2014 Food Engineering article written by
Jeremy Gerrard, approximately 60 percent of Americans say that they monitor or
restrict the consumption of at least one nutritional component in their diet.
Putting this into perspective, a 2022 Deals on Health article posted by Darko
Jacimovic states that the sales of meat alternative dishes in American
restaurants just recently jumped by 268 percent.
Public universities, let alone larger ones like Pitt, not
only require full awareness of these different dietary restrictions, but
additional accommodations in their dining halls that fulfill the unique demands
of each and every student. How do Pitt’s dining halls accommodate dietary
restrictions, and do they ensure proper quality control (avoid cross-contamination)
of various ingredients?
Popular off-campus restaurants near Pitt also need special
dietary arrangements so all of their guests stay comfortable and business
continues booming. What do off-campus dining facilities offer for people with
dietary restrictions, if anything?
A 2019 study from Toast concluded that 31 percent of
restaurants update their menu on a monthly basis. The same study also showed
that 24 percent of restaurants update their menu seasonally.
Yet another study done in 2014 by SpenDifference revealed
that 76 percent of respondents didn’t plan on having any type of organic food
served in their restaurants.
Students with dietary restrictions inevitably struggle with
the college lifestyle, and despite any attempts that Pitt makes at suiting their
needs, they may still feel as though they have little to no options around
campus. What options do they have, what choices do they make, and do these
choices meet their needs? How do these restrictions affect their everyday
lives?
The International Food Information Council Foundation showed
in 2018 that within a year, people with different specific diets increased from
about 14 percent to 36 percent (nearly a 22 percent increase). In 2019,
Technomic College and the University Consumer Trend Report found that about 11
percent of college students have some sort of food allergy or restraint.
“I do find that I have to choose wisely on where I want to
eat,” Gallaher says. “I’m forced to avoid certain restaurants on campus, and
only gravitate toward some that I know can accommodate me.”
According to statistics posted by Deals on Health, about 18
million people in the United States are gluten-sensitive, but only 26 percent
of American restaurants offer gluten-free dishes on their menus.
Tanya Babbar,
a sophomore English writing major at Pitt, says that having celiac disease
requires much more consideration before deciding on a meal. She found out she
had the disease just last year from a sickness, and now gets sick if she
ingests gluten at all.
“Sometimes, I go to Chipotle, and
Panera has some gluten-free options, but as much as I love their soup, it can
get pricey,” Babbar says. “Same thing with Noodles & Company: it’s great
that they have gluten-free options, but it’s often not worth dropping 10 bucks
for.”
Although dishes can change accordingly for people with
gluten sensitivities, the price usually goes up since the dish requires
alterations. Therefore, a dish already free from gluten without any further
alterations will likely cost less.
“It’s not worth it, essentially,”
Babbar says. “Sometimes, I splurge on gluten-free Oreos, but for the most part,
I try to stick to foods that are already gluten-free to save money.”
Babbar says that after having a meal
plan last year, as all freshmen must, she chose against one this year. She says
she feels as though she has no control over her food options when dining with a
meal plan.
She says she is of Desi descent, and
since most Desi recipes are already rice-based, she makes few accommodations
when cooking for herself.
“The Eatery and the Perch do a lot
of great things for allergens, but I would personally rather be in control of
cooking,” Babbar says. “I just keep gluten-free snacks at home, like yogurt and
popcorn, and for meals, I share an instant pot with my roommates and can make a
lot of rice-based foods.”
Meg M.
Mayer-Costa, a registered dietician working in the Department of Sports
Medicine and Nutrition at Pitt, agrees that the costs of certain foods made
special for people with dietary restrictions, specifically gluten
sensitivities, cost more than naturally restriction-safe foods.
“Some starches that are made to be gluten-free (breads,
pretzels, etc.) may be more costly, but there are many other starches
(potatoes, legumes, etc.) that are naturally gluten-free and easily found, plus
cost appropriate,” Mayer-Costa says. “I too will help that student be aware of
a whole host of other food groups that are gluten-free to balance their diet
and support their needs.”
Since one of Mayer-Costa’s top priorities within her job
includes making sure students have the correct resources for successful and
healthy living, she says educating students of their options plays a big role
in her advising.
“All of my student assessments include a thorough
examination of the individual’s food environment and food security,”
Mayer-Costa says. “If any issue impairs their ability to locate foods, myself
or colleagues will work to educate the student of the opportunities that they
may have not known about before.”
Mayer-Costa says that sometimes, students have multiple
dietary restrictions at once and, especially with a meal plan, figuring out
solutions for their needs can quickly become tricky. Mayer-Costa says this is
why working with Registered Dietician Lindsay Wilson is of profound importance.
“She is most connected to the inner workings of all of the
University dining halls, and has firsthand knowledge of ingredients and
preparation methods to assist students in making choices,” Mayer-Costa says.
Lindsay
Wilson, Pitt’s registered campus dietician, also affiliated with Compass Group
and Chartwells Higher Education, says Pitt tries its hardest and safest when
accommodating the needs of students with dietary restrictions. The Eatery,
along with Pitt’s second dining hall, the Perch, both contain different options
for students from all sorts of varying dietary backgrounds.
Compass Group, Pitt’s dining contractor, is a British
multinational contract food service company. Chartwells Higher Education
specializes in the on-campus dining experiences of college students around
America and partners with Compass Group at Pitt campuses.
Wilson says that all of the beef
served in the two dining halls source from Jubilee Hilltop Ranch, a local farm
that offers certified Halal beef. Students can also find this beef at PA Taco
Co. and True Burger, both located at the Schenley Cafe (the cafeteria under the
William Pitt Union). This does not mean every location on Pitt’s campus serves
certified Halal beef.
The Kosher Plate, a food station
located in Litchfield Towers, offers friendly food options with a rotating
menu. Wilson says that all items served at this location must first be approved
by a mashgiach. A mashgiach is a person who oversees food production in
ensuring that everything produced primarily for the Jewish religion meets the
standards of a general Kosher diet.
All Pitt staff who handle food must
have a current and updated ServSafe Food Handlers certification. The ServSafe
Food Handlers certification is a set of training and assessments administered
by the National Restaurant Association.
Wilson also says that all staff members annually complete
two training sessions that involve properly handling foods for students with
food allergies and other restrictions.
Chartwells specifically made the
sessions, but they are FARECheck certified training programs. FARECheck was
developed by Food Allergy Research and Education, and helps schools across
America provide safe food options for all of their students.
Pitt’s dining halls provide a
variety of vegetarian and vegan meals daily, Wilson says, alongside Flourish,
an allergen-friendly dining concept at the Eatery.
Wilson says that Flourish features dishes containing minimal
ingredients simply seasoned and prepared from scratch by trained culinary
professionals. She says the meals at this station avoid gluten along with the
top nine food allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy,
dairy, eggs, and sesame.
Some meals served here include vegan and gluten-free lentil
potato curry, roasted cauliflower, and various salads.
“By focusing on single-ingredient foods and more scratch
cooking, we can better control the avoidance of allergens,” Wilson says.
“Preparation areas look different across campus depending on the dining outlet,
but we have pretty standardized food service grade kitchens.”
Additionally, Wilson says workers at the Flourish station
complete extra annual required training specifically for that station. The
training reinforces the standards for proper food handling, and she conducts
random auditing of the station using allergen protein testing kits in case any
potential presence of allergens exists in the food.
But Gallaher
says the Eatery can still use some more inclusivity when accommodating students
with dietary restrictions. She says she usually ends up eating the same food
items on campus repetitively, such as pizza or cookies.
“I try to plan a little ahead with
eating at the Eatery as the menu is subject to change, and I get caught off
guard with the foods that they have,” Gallaher says. “The Eatery sometimes
doesn’t have the menu item that they listed on their website earlier in the
day, so I’m forced with the same meals I already ate during the week.”
Gallaher also says she thinks the
Eatery could improve if it expanded the ways it serves its ingredients. She
says that the types of dishes she eats at the Eatery feel limited with their
preparations.
“There’s only so much you can do
with chicken and turkey,” Gallaher says. “I usually just end up having chicken
tenders, or sometimes marinated chicken if it’s an option.”
Wilson says
that nutrition information, although normally kept as current as possible, can
still change suddenly.
“Products may change without our knowledge, and the menu
items are prepared in close proximity to other ingredients that may result in
cross-contact ingredients not listed on our website, including allergens,”
Wilson says. “It is recommended that all students with food restrictions reach
out to me, as self-management of their diet may be possible through utilization
of existing dining options and resources.”
Overall, though, Wilson says that
Pitt takes food safety procedures very seriously. She says that a full-time
quality assurance supervisor even oversees the food safety program.
The supervisor conducts food safety
training with all new hires. He also ensures that all staff currently have
their proper certifications.
Wilson says staff receive a monthly newsletter written by
the supervisor, containing ingredient changes, menu updates, and announcements.
They also attend monthly meetings and training sessions with representatives
from each dining unit across campus, all organized by the supervisor himself.
Finally, Wilson says, the supervisor walks through each unit
during health department inspections and takes any needed corrective actions
following the audit. He additionally conducts his own audits of Pitt’s dining
locations for more reinforcement.
Tracy Youkers
works for the Eat’n Park Hospitality Group and manages the Porch at Schenley,
one of Pitt’s more popular off-campus restaurants for students. The Porch
serves a wide variety of foods, such as sandwiches, salads, pizza, wings, and
fish. With a wide menu such as this comes even more responsibilities for staff members,
including monitoring certain dishes and procedures for the safety of customers
with different dietary needs.
“Our staff is very attentive to
customers and their restrictions,” Youkers says. “Gloves are always worn and
changed, and we make sure that no cross-contamination ever happens for the
safety of our guests.”
On top of offering a standard
assortment of food items, the Porch takes extra pride in selling several
substitutes for those who need them, including gluten-free buns and veggie
burgers based from sweet potatoes.
“When the guest alerts us of any food allergies or
restrictions, we discuss them with our chefs,” Youkers says. “We get
complimented a good bit from those with special restrictions because we really
try everything we can to make the food as they request it.”
Restriction-friendly meals that the Porch offers include
vegan and gluten-free soups, quiche, and shishito pepper tacos.
Bailey Hall,
a junior architecture major at Pitt, says that being a vegetarian makes her
take extra precautions in what food she eats around campus. Without a meal
plan, she dines exclusively off-campus.
She grew up vegetarian under her parents’ beliefs, and she
still carries the lifestyle with her today.
“I have to be absolutely sure that the food I eat doesn’t
have any traces of meat in it,” Hall says. “It makes a lot of things
inaccessible for me.”
Yet still, even the most popular restaurants around Pitt’s
campus often struggle with providing safe and reliable options for students
with dietary restrictions such as vegetarianism, despite how large the
university is in itself.
“I like Panera, although some of their soups seem vegetarian
but contain chicken stock,” Hall says. “I usually eat little Starbucks wraps
and paninis, and there are a lot of local bagel places around here as well that
are good.”
But regardless of vegetarian hardships, Hall says that she
thinks she generally has a good variety of choices at Pitt when deciding where
and what she’ll eat.
“There are actually a lot of options around campus,” Hall
says. “I think overall, the world is moving towards having more options for
vegetarians!”
