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. 

Dining with Food Allergies

  • If you have a food allergy and haven't met with our nutritionist, please contact bcdining@bc.edu 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 prescribed an EpiPen for the treatment 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 reaction, 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 nine allergens (milk, soy, eggs, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame), and gluten.
  • Bakery items may contain peanuts and treenuts and are produced in our BC Bakery that also uses nuts. While not all products will contain nuts, you will find them in some of our baked goods and bakery cases. Those with allergies should always be cautious and speak with a manager if you have any questions.
  • Nut-free, pre-packaged baked goods, such as nut-free David’s Chocolate Chip Brownies, can be found in our gluten-free fridges and freezers at Lower, McElroy, Stuart and Lyons.
  • If you have any suggestions for products, please share them with us!

Liability and Disclaimer Notice 

Boston College Dining Services uses soy, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, milk, fish, 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.

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.

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. 
  • Pescetarianism is an eating pattern that consists of a vegetarian diet but allows for fish and seafood consumption. This diet offers more flexibility in comparison to a full vegetarian diet.
  • If you have questions about menu items, feel free to ask a manager at your dining location or email us at bcdining@bc.edu

 

Plant-Forward Dining Resources


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 accommodate 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.

Halal Dining

  • Halal chicken is offered at least once daily on campus. We are working on acquiring Halal beef and lamb this year. 
  • The three main dining locations (Lower, Stuart, McElroy) have at least one hot vegetarian entree at each meal, with many menu items across campus are customizable. 
  • Multiple locations across campus have vegetarian options. Sample menu includes:
    • Eagle’s Nest: bowls, vegetarian sandwiches McElroy: Green-It station (edamame, quinoa, seeds, tofu, etc.)
    • Hillside: vegetarian paninis Addie: customizable burrito bowls
    • Tully: featuring our kelp meatballs! 
  • All three main dining locations and Lyons feature at least one vegetarian soup. 
  • Our delis at McElroy, Lower and Stuart all offer hummus and falafel to increase vegetarian options at those stations. 
  • Our Grab & Go across several locations have multiple vegetarian options (i.e. Vegan Nuggets, 6 Layer Greek Dip, Edamame Cups, Tomato Mozzarella Sandwich, Vegan Falafel Sandwich, Vegetable Dumplings, Summer Spring Rolls, & more).
  • Using the online menu, you can also filter out or filter for Pork containing products and alcohol containing product.
  • The online menu also highlights Vegan, Vegetarian, Pork Containing foods, and Halal chicken featuring this legend. We also indicate fried ingredients, if you prefer to avoid items made in a shared fryer.
  • If you would like your meal prepared on a separate flat top/grill from meat, you can make your request when ordering your meal. We will prepare your meal on a clean skillet on top of the heat source.
  • This year, we will be using physical dividers on our self-serve salad bars and on some our our lines to separate vegetarian offerings from animal based offerings. 
  • The burrito bowls at Addie’s this year will feature vegetarian options in addition to Halal chicken. 
  • Ramadan: We offer specialized Ramadan meals during Suhoor. Students interested in participating should reach out to the Muslim Student Association.

Kosher Dining

At BC Dining, we do not have a certified Kosher kitchen. We do have several ways students can dine on campus, Kosher Style.

  • Use our online menu to search for vegan & vegetarian options. 
  • The online menu also highlights Vegan, Vegetarian, & Pork Containing foods. We also indicate fried ingredients, if you prefer to avoid items made in a shared fryer.
  • Take advantage of customizable meals, where you can opt for or against meat and dairy additions.
  • BC Hillel celebrates Shabbat each Friday night. Please connect with Boston College Hillel (bc_hillel@bc.edu) for more information.
  • BC Dining senior leadership works with Hillel to honor high holidays within dining services.
  • During Passover 2023, we created seder-style meals for the first two nights of Passover. These meals were made available during the dinner meal in the main three dining halls. In addition, we also provided Haroset as a grab & go option.

 

To learn more about dining Halal or Kosher on campus and meeting your nutritional needs, you can schedule an appointment or Administrative Dietitian, Christina Karalolos, MS, RD, LDN

Schedule an appointment

Balanced Eating

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.

 

Balanced Eating Resources


Nutrition Navigators

BC Dining’s Nutrition Navigators mentorship program connects First Year and/or transfer students with food allergies, celiac disease, and other medical nutrition needs with upperclassmen who have navigated BC Dining with similar nutritional needs. Email us at bcdining@bc.edu for more information.

Nutrition Counseling

Dining Services offers consultation with BC Dining's nutritionist on a limited basis for students who are on a meal plan and have concerns around healthful eating and wellness. Please note that referrals to on- and off-campus providers may be given, as significant and long-term nutrition counseling is not a provided service. 

Christina Karalolos portrait

Christina Karalolos, MS, RD, LDN
Administrative Dietitian

phone: 617-552-4810
email:  christina.karalolos@bc.edu