Wellness
BC Dining is committed to ensuring access to balanced, nutritious, and delicious meals. Whether you are an omnivore or are vegan/vegetarian, we have a variety of food options in our campus eateries that include local, sustainable foods. We also provide services to help you meet your nutritional needs, like nutritional counseling and meal accommodations for students with food allergies, celiac disease, or other medical nutritional needs.
Schedule a meeting with our Administrative Dietitian
Dining with Food Allergies
- If you have a food allergy and haven't met with our nutritionist Kate Sweeney, do so as soon as possible to learn about safely dining on campus with a food allergy.
- Sign up for the allergy listserv to stay up to date about what is being served on campus.
- Unsure of which items contain what? Ask a manager at any of our dining locations.
- Be cautious of cross-contamination and ask a manager if you're concerned that something may be contaminated.
- Prescreen your menu choices for specific allergens (eggs, fish, shellfish, milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, and/or wheat) and get complete ingredient information by setting an allergen filter on our online menu.
- If you've been perscribed an EpiPen for the treatement of an allergic reaction, you should always have it with you. BC Dining staff can't administer the EpiPen, but a friend, family member, or emergency personnel can.
- In the case of an allergic reation, call BC Police at 2-4444 or 911 from a landline.
- Our Plain and Simple dinner station, open every evening at Corcoran, Stuart, and McElroy, serves meals free of the top eight allergens (milk, soy, eggs, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts), gluten, and sesame.
Liability and Disclaimer Notice
Boston College Dining Services uses soy, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, dairy, shellfish, wheat, sesame, gluten-containing foods, and other potential allergens in meal preparation. BC Dining staff are trained on and aware of the severity of food allergies and celiac disease, and allergens are identified to the best of our ability. However, manufacturers change product formulation without notifying BC Dining and cross-contact is possible. Students need to be aware of risks and take responsibility for asking the manager on duty for assistance. BC Dining strongly encourages students with food allergies or celiac disease to follow the Policy for Meal Accommodations, and meet with our nutritionist.
Manufacturers are allowed to substitute ingredients without notifying the consumer or changing the label under an FDA COVID-19 ruling as of May 2020.
Peanut and Tree Nut Allergies
- Our pesto sauce is nut free.
- Our granola is nut free; it's made in a bakery that processes peanuts, tree nuts, and soy.
- Salad bars, grain bars, and yogurt bars are nut-free to reduce the possibility of cross-contact.
- Menu items containing nuts are identified with signage in the dining halls in red font and on the online menu.
- Bakery items should be avoided since they are produced in our BC Bakery that also uses nuts.
Milk Allergies and Intolerances
- Soy milk is available in dispensers at Carney’s, Lower Live, and Stuart.
- Unsweetened and vanilla almond milk is available in dispensers every day at McElroy, Stuart, Corcoran, Lyons, and Walsh.
- Soy milk, Lactaid milk, and almond milk are available in the grab n' go cases at McElroy, Stuart, Hillside, and Corcoran.
- Soy lattes are available at the Chocolate Bar and Hillside.
- Many soups on the rotating menu don't contain dairy.
- Oatmeal is made with water in all dining locations.
- Acai bowls in McElory can be made with nondairy milk; acai bowls in Addie's use almond milk.
Gluten-Free Dining
- If you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, schedule a nutritionist appointment to learn about dining safely on campus.
- Sign up for the gluten friendly listserv..
- Follow BC's Meal Accommodation Policy and register with the Disabilities Services Office.
- If you aren't sure what an item contains or have other questions, ask a manager.
- Be cautious of cross-contact. Ask a manager if you have questions.
- Avoid hidden sources of gluten like sauces and fried foods, grains like couscous and bulgar, and processed meats.
- All granola offered on campus is gluten friendly.
- BC uses gluten friendly soy sauce.
- Check online menus for gluten friendly offerings at Corcoran, McElroy, Hillside, Stuart, and Lyons.
- Treats and baked goods are sourced from dedicated gluten-free facilities. Find them in the gluten-free freezers.
- The yogurt bar, not including the toppings section, is entirely gluten friendly.
Liability and Disclaimer Notice
Boston College Dining Services uses soy, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, dairy, shellfish, wheat, sesame, gluten-containing foods, and other potential allergens in meal preparation. BC Dining staff are trained on and aware of the severity of food allergies and celiac disease, and allergens are identified to the best of our ability. However, manufacturers change product formulation without notifying BC Dining and cross-contact is possible. Students need to be aware of risks and take responsibility for asking the manager on duty for assistance. BC Dining strongly encourages students with food allergies or celiac disease to follow the Policy for Meal Accommodations, and meet with our nutritionist.
Plant-Forward Dining
- BC Dining offers vegetarian and vegan options at each location for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- BC Dining is continuing to add new vegetarian and vegan options. Recently, Lower will be offering a vegan burger upon request for lunch, and McElroy will be offering the same upon request for lunch and dinner.
- We label vegetarian meals with VG and vegan meals with VN on the BC Dining website.
- Sign up for our vegetarian and vegan listserv to stay up to date on new menu options and special meals.
- If you have questions about menu items, feel free to ask a manager at your dining location or reach out to our Administrative Dietitian at sweenekz@bc.edu.
Policy for Meal Accommodations
BC Dining is committed to helping Boston college students with their medical nutritional needs when dining on campus. The management and culinary staff of BC Dining strive to accomodate the needs of students who had food allergies, celiac disease, or any other medical condition that requires a modified diet. Read our policy to learn more.
Please be Aware: Boston College is Not an Allergen-Free Campus
Although Boston College does its best to provide for the needs of students with food allergies or gluten-restricted diets, the University is not an allergen-free or gluten-free environment. Our staff have been trained in the handling and preparation of food in accordance with safe food practices to reduce the risk of cross-contact. Every attempt is made to provide accurate ingredient information to our customers through our online nutritional analysis software so that allergen-containing ingredients can be identified by the customer. However, there is always the risk of cross-contact, especially if a customer does not self-identify their food allergy at the point-of-service and as a result the menu items consumed were not prepared separately from the general menu offerings. Additionally, there is always the possibility of manufacturer or vendor substitutions in ingredients or change in specifications of a formulation. The terms ‘made without gluten’ and ‘gluten-friendly’ are used in place of ‘gluten-free’ for these reasons.
Residential Campus
Students with medically restricted diets who may need accommodations involving on-campus housing should contact the Disability Services Office who will assist the student in contacting the appropriate administrators in Residential Life. Students should communicate any concerns about the Mandatory Meal Plan with the Administrative Dietitian prior to entering into a residency agreement. The Mandatory Meal Plan will not be waived by Dining Services in full or in part for reasons of financial hardship (instead please discuss financial hardship with the Office of Student Services); class, sport, travel, employment, or volunteer schedule; personal diet preferences; use of commercial nutrition products, such as packaged food sold by commercial weight loss programs; religious reasons; vegetarian/vegan or organic diet. Students are encouraged to communicate with the Administrative Dietitian to learn what available options exist regarding their dietary needs under these aforementioned circumstances. Students who wish not to participate in the Mandatory Meal Plan will need to explore the possibility of housing options on campus that do not require the Mandatory Meal Plan in the Conditions of Residency. A housing arrangement with a full kitchen cannot be guaranteed unless it is medically substantiated and approved by Residential Life in accordance with the established appeal process.
Grievances
Students with medically restricted diets who have actively engaged in the collaborative process outlined in this protocol and yet feel, despite the good faith efforts of Dining Services, that reasonable accommodations were not achieved are encouraged to work directly with the Administrative Dietitian to facilitate a solution. Students who wish to initiate a complaint about the University’s response to a request for reasonable dining accommodations may do so under the Grievance Policy for Students with Disabilities.
Variety, moderation, and adequacy are all necessary for balanced eating.
Enjoyment and satisfaction during eating are important.
A balanced eating pattern contains foods from all food groups, with no emphasis placed on one food group over others. The benefits of a balanced eating pattern include ensuring adequate energy and nutrients for daily needs while fostering longterm health and disease prevention.
Balanced eating is achievable at any weight. Being in a larger body does not mean someone is unhealthy or overeats. In fact, nearly half of people who are in the “overweight” category of the Body Mass Index (BMI) are metabolically healthy, and about 30 percent of “normal” weight individuals are not. The belief that BMI is a proxy for health contributes to weight stigma.
Eating the same meal every day can get old. Our taste buds are smart, and they get fatigued with the same tastes. We can crave certain foods if we have no variety, leading us to sometimes overeat and feel guilty as a result. Variety is key to prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies. For instance, if we don’t eat a variety of foods—like firm tofu, cheese, yogurt, milk, or milk substitutes—getting enough calcium can be challenging.
Have colorful foods on your plate. The more color, the more diversity of nutrients are on the plate. Phytonutrients, like flavonoids that contribute to the blue in blueberries, possess anti-inflammatory properties.
Tips
- Avoid using food rules (e.g., "If I have bread at lunch, I can’t eat bread at dinner.").
- Give yourself full permission to eat all foods. This includes "fun" foods.
- Be mindful of how satisfying foods are. When you’re mindful about sensory pleasure from food, you feel satisfied with a moderate portion.
- Make it a point to enjoy your eating experience. Set aside time to eat and be with people you enjoy eating with. Mindful eating can help improve your satisfaction and moderate portions.
Adequacy generally means eating three meals and two to three snacks per day, including dessert for college students, and incorporating carbohydrates, protein, and dietary fat into each meal and snack. Adequacy doesn't mean using food choices or amounts of food consumed to manipulate your weight or compensate for exercise or drinking behaviors.
If someone is not eating adequately or has an erratic eating pattern, it can be difficult to rely on hunger because our bodies will not get hungry if they aren’t used to eating.
Access nutritional analysis information and ingredients listings through the online menus for each dining hall.
Dining Services offers consultations with BC Dining's nutritionist on a variety of topics—including healthy eating, vegan/vegetarian eating, food allergies, and health concerns like gastrointestinal issues, diabetes, disordered eating, and more.
What are eating disorders and disordered eating?
Eating disorders are a way to self-medicate. They're not a choice. Usually, there is a trigger—e.g., trauma, going on a diet, or a history of neglect—that initiates the onset of an eating disorder. In addition to triggering events, genetic factors like perfectionism and environmental factors contribute to eating disorder development. Disordered eating includes some components of eating disorders, but without meeting diagnostic criteria. Someone with disordered eating may be restricting their food intake but not have a distorted body image.
What causes them?
Dieting is one trigger that can lead to disordered eating and eating disorders. In fact, the National Eating Disorders Association reports that 35 percent of “normal dieters” progress into disordered eating and as many as 25 percent advance to full-blown eating disorders.
College students are at high risk for disordered eating or eating disorders—especially if dieting. According to the National Institute for Mental Health, the average age of onset is 19 years old for anorexia nervosa, 20 years old for bulimia nervosa, and 25 years old for binge eating disorder. Research shows that 4.4 percent to 5.9 percent of teens entering college have a preexisting, untreated eating disorder.
Eating disorders don't discriminate. They occur among every ethnicity, socioeconomic class, gender, and sexuality. Social media impacts eating behaviors, and may be triggering for someone with EDs or DE. Research shows that use of Instagram, for instance, is linked to increased disordered eating symptoms.
What should I do if I or someone I know is struggling with them?
People struggling with eating disorders or disordered eating need to be referred to appropriate medical professionals. Getting help soon after onset is associated with higher recovery rates.