Having a serious food allergy makes the act of eating onerous and unenjoyable — and having to navigate college with it is immensely difficult. For those who have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, grabbing a bite with friends is especially frustrating. Celiac disease is a genetic, autoimmune condition that causes the stomach to become damaged and inflamed upon the consumption of gluten, for which there is no cure. Although it sounds trivial, the consequences of cross-contamination when cooking are dire, which makes eating out a complete mindfield. While Northeastern and its surrounding businesses can have limited options, there are some locations that offer safe meals for us gluten-free (GF) folks!
Dining Halls
Northeastern’s dining halls offer some, but extremely limited, options for students with Celiac or gluten intolerances. Each of the three dining halls has a designated toaster for gluten-free products to avoid cross-contamination, along with an array of gluten-free bread, bagels, and sometimes English muffins. There are also prepackaged gluten-free cookies and brownies available, either next to the toaster in Stetson West or upon request at the dessert kiosk in Stetson East and International Village. However, the brownies are pretty dismal and the cookies are only slightly better. The soft serve ice cream machines in each dining hall are safe, though.
Stetson West doesn’t have many devoted celiac-friendly or even regular gluten-free options beyond the toaster selection; the stir-fry station can be subject to cross-contamination. Stetson East is a little better; they have an “avoiding gluten” kiosk by the salad bar. International Village is probably your best bet, as they have a designated kitchen and kiosk, Zone 7, for students who suffer from common allergies including gluten. Both Zone 7 and the Stetson East “avoiding gluten” station offer a meal option that includes some kind of meat (usually chicken), vegetables, and either rice or occasionally potatoes. There isn’t much variety; seeing some more alternatives like gluten-free pasta would be nice.
Avoid the trattoria stations. Usually, there are gluten-free foods that are cross-contaminated. However, a hidden safe bet is the Charbroil stations at International Village and Stetson east. You can get grilled chicken, a burger patty, or a hot dog, which are the only things cooked on the grill for the most part and are kept separate from the buns. Despite the small selection, Northeastern’s website offers the dining hall menus. It is convenient to look at the menus ahead of time to save time and meal swipes.
Supermarkets
There are a few supermarkets on and around campus where you can purchase gluten-free food and snacks using dining dollars. There are plenty of options at generic supermarkets for people with gluten allergies. Star Market has two locations that accept dining dollars, and they have an array of gluten-free options. Both Wollaston’s on campus also have options if you are craving a late-night snack.
The two supermarkets around campus that best cater to the GF/celiac diet are Whole Foods (15 Westland Ave.) and Trader Joe’s (899 Boylston St.). The nearest TJ’s is about a 15-minute walk from campus and accessible easily by the T or by bus. While they do not accept dining dollars, they offer plenty of things to eat that are suitable for dorm life, ranging from quick snacks to microwavable meals. I really like their microwavable GF mac and cheese and their mini beef tacos, which are safe to eat. Whole Foods is significantly closer to campus and accepts dining dollars, selling a plethora of health-conscious goodies like donut holes or Tate’s cookies.
B.Good
B.Good, stationed inside the Marino Center, focuses on farm-to-table food and provides a wide range of options for those with issues with gluten. They have a wide range of salads, but the best part is that they offer gluten-free burger buns. Their fries are also free of cross-contamination because they are baked. Like most places, they have some wheat ingredients, but it is a mindful chain for people with allergies.
Tatte
The newly opened Tatte Bakery, also located within Marino, has a long gluten-free menu with some decent options. Most sandwiches on their menu can be substituted with gluten-free bread, and they have a lot of gluten-friendly dessert options as well. You can find an excellent gluten-free brownie here if the ones from the dining halls leave you disappointed. Since it is a bakery that uses regular flour, be aware of the possibility of cross-contamination.
Chipotle
Although it’s quite a walk away from campus and does not accept dining dollars, Chipotle (the nearest at 533 Boylston St. in the Fenway area) is one of the best fast food options for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerances. The only thing that contains gluten on their menu is the burrito, so there are plenty of options, from bowls to tacos. In addition, the ordering process is quick, easy, and practically painless. The employees are very good with allergies and will happily change their gloves for you upon request to avoid cross-contamination. The quality of food and allergy awareness are considerably better than the very similar Qdoba on campus, so the walk is definitely worth it.
It is definitely difficult to adhere to a strict diet in a college setting, but with these options on and around campus, life does get a little bit easier!