Food restrictions, whether by intolerance or preference, remove many options from most menus. Although we can control our groceries and restaurant choices, college campuses are infamous for their limited food choices. Even on a campus where we’re lucky enough to have a plethora of dining halls and marketplaces, venturing every day to find a balanced meal can be exhausting. With most unique and/or freshly-made options scattered among different dining halls across the week, it’s not always worth it to walk across campus. There are also many reliable options downtown that cater to diets, such as: Blaze Pizza, Gansett Wraps, Kathmandu Kitchen, Fresh Fork, and Mooyah. However, students closer to central campus on financial restrictions and/or meal plans often find themselves struggling to find nutritious options daily.
I asked some students what they consumed this semester- their answers were an influx of:
“Grilled chicken, white rice, grilled cheese, and pizza”
Various students on restrictive diets, UConn ’25
These options, especially with a side salad, have enabled students to source filling meals most days. But at what cost? With the lack of diet-conscious sauces, cheeses, pastas, and pizzas, a lot of students have found themselves repeating the same two items all semester, respective to their personal diets. So, I’ve compiled a list of diet-friendly options that can help diversify their food intake going forward.
overall
- Just outside central campus is Putnam dining hall. While Putnam offers limited diet-conscious daily menu items, it’s grain and juice bars make it a strong contender for eating on any diet.
- If you find yourself by the Wilbur Cross building, visiting Crossroads Café inside may pay off. Crossroads Café is centered around elimination of meat and common allergens to sustain a variety of diets.
- As for a dining hall with consistent diet-friendly menu item presence, South dining hall is the best option for finding something freshly prepared and unique.
vegetarian/vegan diet
- Whitney dining hall, located in the eastern part of campus, focuses on sustainable ingredients. With their farm-to-table initiative, Whitney cuts out many processed items, like most meats, to provide meals based primarily on what’s found in Spring Valley Student Farm. They carry a small selection so it’s best to check the menu first, but you can count on Whitney to have plant-based options.
- Value meals are another great option, for which you can use any flex passes you receive with your current meal plan. One flex pass can be used for one sandwich or salad alongside chips and a drink at any of the cafes on campus. Although overshadowed, value meals provide numerous sandwich options for vegetarian diets. Flex passes can purchase: egg and cheese, peanut/almond butter and jelly, ALT, and bruschetta panini sandwiches at the Union Marketplace, Bookworms Café in Babbidge Library, or Up & Atom Café by the Benton Museum. Additionally, a plant-based meatball sub is offered at Crossroads Café.
- However, the vegan diet is where Crossroads Café inside Wilbur Cross really shines. From a completely vegan egg & cheese sandwich to a sausage pepper onion grinder to a falafel wrap, Crossroads Café offers unique and overall satisfying vegan value meals.
Gluten free diet
- Located in the heart of campus, the Student Union carries all kinds of gluten free options. From the tostada grill, to bowls without borders, to the good earth, to the Pompeii oven and noodle bars, every station in the Union Market food court carries GF options. Additionally, restaurants inside the Student Union carry GF options. Earth, Wok, and Fire offers vegetable and meat based bowls while One Plate, Two Plate offers sliders, flatbread pizza, grill items, and wraps.
- If you’re looking for an easy flex pass grab near central campus, you can find GF ham and cheese or egg and cheese sandwiches at the Union Marketplace, Bookworms Café in Babbidge Library, or Up & Atom Café by the Benton Museum. If you find yourself near the Wilbur Cross building, you can treat yourself there to an apple spinach cheese wrap or kale salad with quinoa butternut grains.
Limitations on food can deprive students of the nutrients needed to sustain certain lifestyles- like that of a UConn student who burns energy walking such a large campus daily. While there are options within reach of most parts of campus, these options are rationed and sometimes require a longer commute and/or more money than going to the nearest dining hall. While UConn has many options compared to other colleges, there is a long way to go, as students shouldn’t have to spend extra time/energy/money to feel nourished.