Opinion | Eating on campus is difficult for students with dietary restrictions

Throughout my life, I have struggled with eating and food in general. Unfortunately, this is not a rare occurrence in my generation — a sad reality I have come to realize. Eating is something that many individuals struggle with, and it can cause many difficulties including body dysmorphia, disordered eating and poor nutrition. Coupled with being a college student that has a multitude of responsibilities, anxieties and time consuming activities, eating properly, or at all, is not always our main focus. 

Sometimes, in the midst of a busy week, it’s difficult to remember to eat, especially if you’re an off-campus student and have to budget in cooking time. As an urban campus, we do have the convenience of having many food locations on Forbes and Fifth, as well as on-campus dining locations. However, eating at on-campus dining locations and on Forbes and Fifth is not always accessible, especially for students with dietary restrictions. 

Dietary restrictions are limitations on what an individual can eat and are typically necessary for individuals to follow due to allergies, food restrictions, lifestyles, social choices or religious reasons. Some restrictions help to prevent life-threatening events while others speak to one’s personal and moral beliefs and can include veganism, kosher, keto and diabetes.

Ensuring there are substantial food options on campus for students should be one of the University’s top priorities. For various reasons, students may not be considered a “normal eater” and may have specific needs that the University should concern themselves with. Students having proper and adequate food availability is important for their personal health and success. 

Oakland is a food desert — particularly for off-campus students — as there are a limited number of grocery stores, and most places on Forbes and Fifth are fast food options that are not all-inclusive. Now, I know off-campus students can cook at their off-campus apartment, but sometimes, it’s necessary to get food on campus, whether due to a lack of time to cook or get groceries. 

To many students, Oakland restaurants are a part of campus because of their proximity, but also due to them taking dining dollars, Panther Funds, etc. — aspects that are included in some meal plans. Even certain off-campus students purchase some type of meal plan to have the ease and accessibility of not having to prepare their own meals. 

The Eatery and the Perch do not provide a holistic set of food options for students to choose from, and the other alternatives on campus also do not have options for certain students, including those who are vegetarian, pescatarian or have religious food observances. Just asking around, you will hear countless stories of the lack of food possibilities for all students on campus. It is difficult for students with various allergies, religious dietary restrictions or personal preferences to find healthy and affordable options. 

The Eatery is known for having unsuitable options for all students, not just those with dietary restrictions. The food is usually sitting out for hours at a time, so many students succumb to eating pizza and pasta, some of the only options that seem to consistently change.

I’ve also noticed that food at the Eatery is not always prepared properly, cooked thoroughly or flavored fully. I remember having to substitute in dessert just to get enough subsistence in me for a meal — the dessert area is arguably one of the only good options to choose from. 

Speaking from experiences I know of, many students have had to shift their dietary needs — if they were physically able to — in order to eat on campus. A lot of students who came into Pitt as vegetarians for personal or ethical reasons have had to give up their diet as a consequence of the lack of dining options provided by Pitt’s campus dining halls and restaurants. 

The University is doing these students an injustice by not ensuring the availability of food options for every student on campus. Even with the renovations occurring in the Eatery, to many students it does not appear any changes are being made. Students should have the option to stick with their dietary restrictions for whatever the reason may be — religious, personal, allergies and so on. 

Eating is a struggle for various people, regardless of any dietary restrictions they may have. Speaking from personal experience, sometimes I do not always have the time to go back and forth from campus to my apartment to make food, so I’ll usually get food somewhere on campus. 

However, struggling with eating and various disordered eating habits makes it difficult to feel good about eating on campus. A lot of food places are fast food options or fall into that category in some form. 

The lack of affordable, healthy and inclusive options can make eating feel mundane and easily forgettable — something it should not be. Even for individuals without dietary restrictions, having the same food options day in and day out makes the eating experience on and around campus unfulfilling and repetitive. The unvaried options available to all students makes eating more of a hassle than necessary. 

Eating on campus has become a difficulty for all students and a major complaint from the student body. Accessibility of food options should not be a concern for students or up for debate — no one should have to worry about being able to find food on campus. 

Emily O’Neil writes primarily about societal issues, politics and campus life. Write to her at ero26@pitt.edu.