Gluten Free at Wheaton

In the time I've been at Wheaton, I've been navigating the ups and downs of having Celiac disease and trying to safely eat at Chase. Three years ago, Chase had a small "gluten solutions" table with a microwave, a loaf of gluten free bread, and sometimes some muffins. Not a bad set-up, if you want toast. But since that's obviously not a meal on its own, I would read the signs above the hot meals, and take a chance on the things whose descriptions didn't mention any ingredients that would have gluten. This was a little risky, but it worked, at least most of the time. It turns out that old signs are sometimes re-used for similar but different meals.

A few bad experiences and I felt tired of what felt like complaining to a brick wall. Honestly, by sophomore year I stopped complaining when I got sick. But, as it turns out, something has been done. The tiny table has been upgraded to a whole fridge free of gluten, dairy, and peanuts. What's more, there's not just a microwave but a toaster and a waffle iron with gluten free batter in the fridge.

From the top down: soy and almond milk, gluten free muffins and tortillas, gluten free breads and cookies, sunbutter, Smart Balance, gluten free waffle batter, and cream cheese

The best of all, though, is the officially  allergen free hot meal. Now, it's not exactly award-winning food, but its flaws are no worse than Chase's standard fare, in my opinion. The fact that it's sometimes nonexistent on weekends is a little sad (a friend jokes that allergies must take the weekend off) but I can't help but feel grateful for the changes that have been made. I can only assume that with enough students' complaining, the message was eventually received. Hopefully this is an indication that someone in Dining Services is genuinely listening to our complaints. So, next time your chicken is undercooked- say something! Someone might listen.