After reading an article in the local newspaper about Oregon State Universities push to get healthier and  more gluten free options in their dining halls, I immediately wanted to know more. So, last week I decided to brave Oregon State’s campus to find out just how safe their “gluten free” dining options were. Being the pessimist I am I came prepared with my pretty pink gluten free lunch box, (thinking there was no way I would find food to eat) and I went on a hunt to find out what gluten free goodies might be hiding on campus.

Walking into my first dining hall, still feeling wary, I was met by the Universities Registered Dietitian Tara Sanders. After explaining why I was snapping pictures of her beautiful eating area, she welcomed me with excitement and enthusiasm. Explaining that she knew the importance of gluten free options, she was excited to share all that was available on campus. Although we were unable to spend much time together she did point me in the direction to my first stop: Tomassito’s Italian Café.

Pizza!
Finding safe gluten free pizza can be an uphill battle for gluten free diners – Many pizzerias are now claiming to have “gluten free” pizza but not taking into consideration all of the cross contamination risks.

So at first glance this sign did not mean much to me:

However, after talking to the staff and management at Tomassito’s Italian Café it was clear to me that this café took its gluten free pizza seriously. They informed me that every time they made a gluten free pizza they cleaned their hands, the counters, and any area that they would use to prepare the food. They also assured me that there was no airborne gluten, they used clean utensils, and that all of the pizza toppings were safe from cross contamination. Furthermore the cook explained to me that all gluten free pizzas were wrapped in clean tinfoil and placed into a safe cooking area.

Above is a picture of their gluten free crust – If I hadn’t already brought my lunch I might have tried a pizza. Hopefully our office will be back soon to test the pizza for gluten and taste!

Sandwiches!
It is not a common occurrence to find gluten free sandwiches at delis. However, here at OSU I was excited to find several different café’s and delis throughout campus that offer gluten free sandwiches.

To my surprise almost all of the delis on campus offered gluten free snacks and carried Blue Monkey bread for sandwiches. Blue Monkey is a local dedicated gluten free bakery here in Corvallis,Oregon. For more information on their bakery please see our blog: http://glutenfreern.com/blue-monkey-bakery. I visited almost all of the delis on campus and they were all very accommodating.  They assured me that they would clean all surfaces, use safe utensils and do the best that they could to make a 100% gluten free sandwich. However, one concern that did present itself was the safeness of their vegetables, meat, and cheese. It was unclear if these items could be free from all gluten exposure, and cross contamination seemed to be a definite concern.  When ordering a sandwich my advice would by to ask for new products for your sandwich and make sure to explain how important it is that no gluten is exposed to your food.

Hamburgers!
I found gluten free burgers at a Calabaloo’s Gourmet Burgers. Calabaloo’s has two locations on campus (Market Place West and McNary Central Dining Center) and both locations offer gluten free hamburgers, cheeseburgers, turkey burgers, and grilled chicken sandwiches on gluten free hamburger buns. The gluten free buns are also from Blue Monkey Bakery and are of course delicious! To prepare the burgers Calabaloo’s has a grill that is dedicated strictly for the patties. However it is important to make sure that the staff washes their hands before preparing your burger and that all the condiments and fixings are free from gluten before they go onto your bun. Unfortunately, Calabaloo’s only offers gluten free burgers. Be aware that they DO NOT have a clean dedicated place to make gluten free French fries.

Grocery Shopping!

OSU just added a new beautiful building to campus on Western and 17^th. This building is now the International Living Learning Center that holds 312 residents, a study area, and Cascadia Market.

I was beyond excited to venture into this new edition of OSU and see Cascadia Market. This new marketplace was filled with all kinds of various gluten free treats. This small grocery store not only had great snacks, they had an excellent selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, gluten free cake mixes, and even some frozen dinner options.

*Please visit us on Facebook for more pictures of Cascadia Market*

Snacks!

Around campus there are several places to find gluten free snacks. From fresh fruit and vegetables to chips and Larabars there are great options available for snacks and treats. Some of the locations I found gluten free items include; Cascadia Market, Arnold Bistro, Bing’s Café, The Garden Deli, Boardwalk Café, Dixon Cafe and Clubhouse Deli.

Some gluten free snacks that I found around campus included; LaraBars, Food Should Taste Good Chips, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, Kind Bars, Blue Monkey Bakery Cookies, NuGo Bars, Kettle Chips, and other various items.

*For more pictures of my visit to OSU please visit our Facebook page*

Overall I believe the OSU has made an excellent attempt to accommodate gluten free consumers.  I only highlighted some of options that OSU offers – Here is a link to all of the dining halls that have gluten free food available: http://oregonstate.edu/uhds/dining/menus/gluten_free.php Although Oregon State has done an excellent job of putting together gluten free options, I do believe that their biggest battle will be educating staff.  With high turn over and few resources it will be difficult to assure that every staff member understands the importance of cross contamination, and what it truly means to serve gluten free food. However, I do believe that Oregon State has made huge strides in their dining services and that they are doing a fantastic job of accommodating allergies and intolerances. To make the dining out process on campus a little smoother here are a few quick tips – Happy Eating!

 Quick Tips:

• Talk with Tara Sanders, OSU’s Registered Dietitian. She is extremely knowledgeable and can help point you in the right direction.

• Remember that different staff could affect how your food is prepared and handled. Cross contamination is always a risk when dining out – If the wait staff seems confused or unsure about anything ask for management.

• When in doubt, go without. This is one of my favorite sayings, if you are not sure if it is safe then it is always best to go with a different option. I always pack extra bars in my purse just in case.

• We did not test the gluten free options here on campus, these are only recommendations and unfortunately we cannot guarantee any of these options.

• Good luck! Please let us know if you dine out on campus and how your experience was!

We are extremely lucky here in Corvallis, Oregon to have several different companies that use 100% dedicated facilities to make various gluten free products. One of those amazing companies is Living Earth Bakery (also known as Oregon Cracker Company and Oregon Cookie Company) - This fabulous bakery is based in Corvallis and uses a dedicated gluten free facility to make delicious crackers, granola bars, and cookies!  Recently Living Earth Bakery added online ordering to their website and now your friends, and family in far away places can order products online!

Go to the website to see what’s available and where you can get it locally or forward the link to a friend or family member who lives in a non-Living Earth Bakery part of the world. From now until the end of October if you use the coupon code “GFRN” you will receive 10% off your online order!