Wildcat dining: Are dietary restrictions manageable on campus?
TUCSON, Ariz. — University of Arizona students with dietary restrictions often have difficulty finding viable food options on campus. Three undergraduate students have taken matters onto their own plates.
As a vegetarian who doesn’t consume dairy, and has many allergies, it is often difficult to meet my dietary requirements at public locations — particularly at a public college campus.
Unfortunately, at the U of A, students with all kinds of restrictions find it difficult to eat on campus.
Seasoned pescatarian and U of A senior Phoebe Carlson has had her fair share of exploring campus dining opportunities.
“I only ate at maybe four places on campus [my freshman year],” she said. “And then I was really sick of it so fast.”
Although the U of A offers a few distinct options for on-campus eateries, the lack of variety becomes monotonous quickly. Carlson said “it has been hard” to find viable food options on campus that she doesn’t get sick of and that one of the main on-campus options is expensive. Radicchio, the vegetarian and vegan buffet in the Student Union, is the primary option for students with dietary restrictions. However, Carlson said “it’s not open during the summer” and although it’s good “it’s so expensive.”
Incoming vegan freshman Elsie Murrugarra appreciates the presence of the Veggie Cats Club.
“It helps me because I know there are other people who are plant-based here who are willing to help me find good food around and how to maintain a community and healthy diet on campus,” she said.
An underrated aspect of dietary restrictions is the social barriers they can create when hanging out with others. Murrugarra hopes that social gatherings can implement more plant-based options.
“Whenever there are social events like Su Casa … they always have pizza or foods with animal products,” she said, “ [I wish] they had little snacks on the side [that I could eat].”
Similarly, incoming Muslim freshman Farah Alghaithi struggles with finding halal food. Even though she has “been meal prepping since senior year in high school,” she does anticipate some struggles in balancing her new college life in the fall.
Although the U of A has many available dining options, students with dietary restrictions continue to look elsewhere for options that suit their dietary needs.
