Fluffy frosting atop bakery-fresh vanilla and chocolate cupcakes served up a sweet welcome to Grace Amy when she arrived at the University of North Texas. The treats, free of the top 9 allergens and gluten, dispelled Grace’s jitters about how she would navigate her allergies to dairy, wheat and other cereal grains.
During freshman orientation, the incoming student asked Chef Matthew Ward about her dining options. When he told her about Kitchen West, the dining hall that is dedicated top 9 allergen-free with its own bakery, she wasn’t sure what to expect.
The next day, Chef Ward showed up with that package of cupcakes, just for her. “It was incredible! As somebody with allergies, we never get to have that kind of stuff,” Grace tells Allergic Living.
The cupcakes gave her a taste of the dedication to creating made from scratch, safe food she would rely on from the dining staff at the UNT campus in Denton, Texas.
“Kitchen West is a place that I feel safe to go and eat,” says Grace, a senior majoring in event design. “For once, I don’t have to worry about what ingredients are in the food that I’m eating, and it tastes good.”
UNT dining services works to accommodate any dietary need while making sure “the dining experience is first class,” says Ward, UNT’s executive chef of residential dining. “I tell my team to cook from the heart,” he tells Allergic Living.
Four Colleges Nourish Allergy Cooking
The UNT chefs are not just opening boxes and throwing food in a fryer. They’re working with fresh ingredients, building flavors and creating meals, Ward explains. He notes that cooking from scratch means you know your ingredients, down to the spices, which makes it easier to ensure the food is allergy-friendly.
In this article, we introduce four colleges employing the “from scratch” approach. A compassion for students’ well-being and a love of cooking drive the chefs and dietitians at these institutions. They work to ensure the meals are allergen-free, but also fresh, flavorful and easy to customize.
The colleges Allergic Living features include:
- Sacramento State (or officially California State University), in Sacramento, California. The True Balance station is free of the top 9 allergens. Located at The Servery dining hall. Allergy-friendly products available at the Courtyard Market. Dining information.
- University of Missouri (Mizzou) in Columbia, Missouri. The Savor Kitchen dining hall is free of the top 9 allergens. There’s a cooler for grab-and-go options. Allergy-friendly meals available at late-night dining location with dedicated oven for gluten-free pizza and allergy-friendly fryer. Dining information.
- University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton, Texas. The Kitchen West dining hall is free of the top 9 allergens. Dedicated bakery free of the top 9 allergens. Also, Mean Greens Café, vegan dining hall. Allergy-friendly items available at campus convenience markets. Dining information.
- Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. All9Free station at Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center is free of the top 9 allergens. Fresh at the Carmichael dining hall is free of gluten, peanuts and tree nuts. Grab-and-go items available. Gluten-free pantry at Fresh. Allergy-friendly items available at campus convenience markets. Dining information.
Allergy-Friendly Food: Faves and Raves
Students often turn to favorite comfort foods like chicken fingers, pizza, wings and mac and cheese, made allergy-friendly. But dining staffs at these four colleges find that favorites go beyond the classics. Following is a sampling of some of the offerings earning top student reviews.
Food Favorites: Mizzou
Breakfast is Lilli Caldwell’s favorite meal at the Mizzou’s Savor dining hall, which only serves food free of the top 9 allergens. “They have pancakes which are super delicious. That’s a treat for me, since I normally can’t find gluten-free pancakes out anywhere,” says Caldwell, of Springfield, Missouri.
The student, who has celiac disease, also likes the build-your-own bowl options served at Savor. Kristen Hasan, the registered dietitian for Mizzou’s Campus Dining Services, calls the bowls “insanely popular.” She notes that the buildable concept allows for countless combinations, with Southwest chicken being the top choice.
Students build their bowls from an alternating selection of six different bases (such as rice, potatoes, chips and lettuce), and seven protein choices. Added next are various hot and cold toppings.
Hasan credits the demand for the customizable option for the increase in sales since Savor opened in the Fall of 2024. Compared to the dining hall previously at this spot, the quantity of sales increased by 83 percent. Revenue, meantime, spiked 58 percent for the academic year.
“It’s not only food-allergic people that eat there,” Hasan tells Allergic Living. “One of our really big perspectives was to make sure it’s excellent food, that happens to be allergen-free.”
Game-Changing Allergy Station: Tufts
At Tufts University, senior Catherine Walker’s favorite meal is the Mexican rice bowl at the All9Free station at Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center.
Walker may be allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts, but she’s also a foodie well-versed in spotting quality allergy-friendly food. Walker, who’s from Cleveland, even authored her own allergy-friendly cookbook, and often shares her allergy-friendly recipes on social media.
On campus, having a dedicated station free of the top 9 allergens, “is a game changer, truly,” says the major in human factors engineering. “I never imagined being able to have a normal dining experience in college, but All9Free has allowed for that.”
Another hugely popular dish at All9Free is chicken carnitas burrito bowls with corn tortillas and chia seed pudding, says registered dietitian Kelly Shaw, MS. She’s Tufts’ manager of nutrition and sustainability.
Thoughtfully Crafted: Sacramento State
Students dining at Sacramento State’s True Balance station are treated to a variety of thoughtfully crafted meals, says registered dietitian Qiong Chen, PhD.
The student free-from favorites even sound delicious, like chipotle pork with pineapple salsa, baked sweet potato and calabacitas (the Mexican-style squash dish). Chen, the college’s marketing and nutrition manager, says another hit is rotisserie-baked chicken with sautéed kale, Brussels sprouts and rice. Corned beef with cabbage and potatoes is also a menu mover.
Sacramento State wins praise from students for supporting eco-friendly dining with a variety of vegan, vegetarian, plant-forward, and Coolfood Meal options. The Coolfood Meals, deemed climate-friendly, are an initiative that food-service provider Aramark promotes. Some of the meals are available at True Balance, such as the chickpea scramble and bacon taco.
Mind-Blowing Selection: UNT
Fried chicken and ribs are always a hit at Kitchen West. A popular feature is breakfast for lunch or dinner, featuring biscuits with allergy-friendly gravy and waffles, Ward says. Grace, who commutes to campus from her family’s home, says the waffles are so good she would drive to campus just for waffle day.
The student also enjoys pizza, enchiladas and Kitchen West’s full salad bar stocked from the on-campus garden. “It blew my mind when I saw what was available.”
Students have a hard time choosing a favorite from the dedicated bakery at Kitchen West. Highlights include double chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies, Mexican chocolate cupcakes, plus corn bread, and focaccia rolls.
“We want the students to eat here, enjoy it and rave about it,” Ward says.
UNT is also famous for its Mean Greens Café, the first fully vegan campus dining hall in the United States. While a great resource for those with dairy and egg allergies, students with other top allergies can request a custom meal from the café. (Do check ahead with the chef regarding specific allergies and cross-contact precautions.)
The top meal at Mean Greens is tomato mushroom curry, which even nabbed a gold award for Best Vegan Recipe in the 2020 NACUFS Nutrition Awards.
As well at UNT, Mean Green Acres is a huge hydroponic garden built inside a freight trailer behind the dining hall. Along with focusing on from scratch cooking with whole foods, the college is significantly reducing the dining halls’ environmental footprint by growing their own.
The hydroponic garden produces up to 750 heads of lettuce and herbs a week for use at the café and the other campus dining halls. It’s small wonder Grace describes the salad bar options as mind-blowing.
Colleges and Scratch Cooking
Since scratch cooking with whole ingredients eliminates the allergens common to processed foods, it is a natural solution for allergy-friendly meals.
Dietitian Shaw says the decision to make Tufts’ Fresh dining hall entirely gluten-, peanut- and nut-free has benefited students in general. “It created an inclusive environment that meets the needs of all students.”
“By focusing on foods and cuisines that were naturally free of these ingredients, we were able to help all students see a wide variety of flavorful options available,” she says.
A lot of research goes into recipe development for meals that are scratch made and free of top allergens. Mizzou’s Hasan explains the careful vetting and “focusing on whole foods that maintain flavor while eliminating allergens.”
Savor Kitchen at Mizzou even has sous chef Clint Eastin, whose specialty is barbecue and smoked meats. Students know the meat is being smoked on campus every day, such as smoked turkey used for the customizable bowls.
Lilli, a masters student studying to be a dietitian, appreciates the efforts to ensure Mizzou students with special diet needs have healthy, tasty meal choices. “Having safe food and a variety in your diet is important for your well-being and college experience,” she says.
Safety Measures: Sac State, Tufts
Staff members must follow strict protocols to maintain accuracy in the menu information they are displaying and to prevent cross-contact. After all, students rely on allergen information on online menus, along with posted signs and labels.
At Sacramento State’s True Balance station, there is dedicated kitchen space, equipment, and utensils that are used exclusively for allergen-friendly meals. Only approved ingredients are used, and recipes are followed precisely without substitutions, Chen says.
In addition, True Balance, which is free of the top 9 allergens, is a fully staffed station. Only trained associates prepare and serve meals using clean plates provided from behind the counter, she says.
The True Balance station is AllerCheck approved through MenuTrinfo, a leading company in allergy training and certification. MenuTrinfo grants the AllerCheck seal and certificate only after a thorough assessment. The company’s team members examine the dining facilities, the allergy protocols, ingredient reviews, training, storage, and preparation.
The AllerCheck designation is also in place at Tufts’ Fresh at the Carmichael hall for being free of peanut, tree nut and gluten. Shaw says those allergens are not permitted in the space at all.
At Tufts’ All9Free station, separate equipment is used for all of the food prepared, and students are served by a station attendant to ensure a clean plate is used.
Safety Measures: Mizzou, UNT
MenuTrinfo also worked with Hasan and her staff at Mizzou to designate Savor as Certified Free From. For this high-level certification, MenuTrinfo performs a rigorous hands-on audit to ensure there are protocols to prevent cross-contact.
The evaluation includes ingredient sourcing, food surfaces testing, operations, food storage, and communication with diners. The certification process includes monthly testing and quarterly reports to verify compliance.
When Savor opened in 2024, Hasan said it was important to certify Savor as free from the top 9 allergens. (‘Certified Free From’ is accredited by the American National Standards Institute and the National Accreditation Board.)
“I said, ‘if we’re going to do it, we should go all in,’” she says. Having a menu philosophy driven by from scratch cooking also makes vetting all of the ingredients much easier. For instance, when an ingredient is simple lettuce or broccoli, as opposed to processed foods.
UNT’s Kitchen West also is Certified Free From by MenuTrinfo for the top 9 allergens and gluten. When the hall opened in 2019, it was the first certified allergen-free collegiate dining facility in Texas. MenuTrinfo has also reviewed the college’s Mean Greens Cafe, designating it as Vegan Verified.
As an extra precaution, UNT dining does not allow student workers to answer any questions about allergens or ingredients in the recipes. Menu inquiries must be answered by a supervisor or chef because many of the student employees are not involved with food production.
Ward gets that a wrong answer could lead to a serious allergic reaction. “We want to make sure they’re not giving out incorrect information.”
College Allergy Safety: Training
Training is the foundation for success in providing safe, allergy-friendly options at Sacramento State, Chen says.
“The most important takeaway for our staff is understanding that they play a direct role in someone’s health and safety,” she says. “It’s not just about following a checklist, it’s about vigilance, empathy, and accountability.”
Dining services employees at all four of the colleges also must complete training to successfully implement allergy protocols. Staff members gain an understanding of food allergies, celiac disease and other dietary restrictions, along with how best to safely follow allergy procedures.
UNT customizes its in-house allergy training modules to be specific to the college’s dining services. Mizzou, Tufts and Sacramento State all use MenuTrinfo’s AllerTrain program.
Hasan stresses the importance of allergy training for all dining staff members, not just those who work at allergy-friendly stations. “It helps to have everyone use the same terminology and level of awareness.”
Training at these colleges starts with identifying the top 9 allergens and hidden sources. Then it covers methods to prevent cross-contact. As well, it includes how to recognize and respond to symptoms of an allergic reaction.
4 Colleges Foster Allergy Inclusion
Ensuring students with food allergies and celiac disease have a variety of meals that taste good and are free from cross-contact nourishes mental health as well. “Our goal is to ensure that every student feels safe, supported, and confident when they dine with us,” Chen says.
Students often feel anxious when wondering how to safely navigate eating on campus with food allergies, especially when it is their first time living away from home, she notes. So it is gratifying for the dining staff to hear in campus surveys that their efforts are a success.
Tufts students with allergies are relieved to have safe options in both dining hall locations. This allows them the flexibility to meet with friends without having to worry about what they can eat. For Catherine, knowing that the All9Free station is free from cross-contact with top allergens makes all the difference for her confidence in eating safely.
Shaw says: “I am so happy that Tufts can take some of the worry out of the whole college process.”
At UNT, Ward wants to make sure that he helps students with food allergies and other dietary restrictions navigate safety through the dining areas on campus. “I want to be a resource and I want to be an advocate for those students who are coming here,” Ward says.
Safety Beyond the Dining Hall
Whether students are filling takeout containers, grabbing food from the gluten-free pantry, or picking up grab-and-go items, there are plenty of allergy-friendly options on these campuses. Pulled-pork sandwiches, overnight oats, gluten-free frozen meals, allergy-friendly snacks, cereals and desserts are among the offerings.
Shaw notes that the ability to fill reusable takeout containers with meals from the dining center adds valuable flexibility for students. This is especially useful to student athletes traveling off campus.
Grab-and-go options on campus also make it easy to find allergy-safe food in between classes, say Catherine at Tufts and Grace at UNT.
Allergy-friendly meals and treats are even integrated into special events. For example, Chen and her team at Sacramento State work with event planners to design menus based on attendees’ dietary restrictions. Their efforts make carnivals and the annual Hornet Nest Fest inclusive.
At UNT, where allergy-friendly products are on the catering menu, Grace was thrilled to find Kitchen West’s allergy-friendly cupcakes at the UNT Ring Ceremony. “It made me feel a little bit loved. I am a senior and I want to celebrate, too.”
Advice for Students with Allergies
The dining staffs at these colleges are going above and beyond in their efforts to ensure students with food allergies enjoy meals that are safe and delicious.
But students need to do their part, finding out which resources best serve their needs, and seeking out staff who can help them navigate eating safely.
Sacramento State’s Chen offers the following advice to students:
- Be proactive. Contact dining staff before move-in to discuss allergies and dietary needs.
- Set up a meeting. Collaborate to create a dining plan that works for you.
- Use the college’s tools. Learn how to filter online menus, read labels, and use nutrition resources.
- Connect with Disability Services or Student Health for accommodations.
- Know your emergency plan. Always carry emergency medications (epinephrine), and know the symptoms of a reaction.
- Advocate confidently. Speak up if something doesn’t feel right.
Catherine recommends that Tufts students reach out to Shaw or other senior dining staff to find out about food options. Shaw says, “Students who are organized, honest and open about their needs and preferences are able to find success earlier with a smoother process.”
Listening and Learning to Speak Up
For Grace, trusting UNT’s dining staff to ensure she has tasty, safe food “is really important as a busy student.” She has been able to focus on her schoolwork, and feel included in campus life, instead of constantly worrying about whether a meal would set off an allergic reaction. She has found that the dining staff takes student suggestions to heart.
Ward understands. “The secret sauce of what we do is we make sure that we’re actively listening to our students.” he says.
Grace is so glad her dad encouraged her to speak up during freshman orientation at UNT four years ago. “Don’t be afraid to speak up,” she advises other students with food allergies.
“I know I was. But I’m glad I decided to talk about it – because I got to live out my four years at UNT with waffle day and brownies.”
Related Reading:
For more Allergic Living College Reviews, see College Corner
College Roommates: How to Have the Food Allergy Talk
Meet 4 Colleges Taking ‘Allergy-Friendly’ Food to the Next Level
