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Students adapt to lack of options for dietary needs

September 2, 2015
<p>MSU alumna Samantha Van Atta prepares tabouli on Sept. 2, 2015, at the Veg Out station inside Brody Cafe. Atta sympathizes with the students who live on campus and have restricted diets. "I think it's nice that we have a vegetarian option," Atta said.</p>

MSU alumna Samantha Van Atta prepares tabouli on Sept. 2, 2015, at the Veg Out station inside Brody Cafe. Atta sympathizes with the students who live on campus and have restricted diets. "I think it's nice that we have a vegetarian option," Atta said.

Photo by Joshua Abraham | The State News

Out of ten dining halls on campus across all five neighborhoods, countless meals are served daily. But for some students, dietary restrictions based on personal preference or religion can make finding a meal difficult.

Biological science junior Ian Zaback has been kosher since seventh grade. He said while he is grateful for MSU’s accommodations for his diet, he thinks there is more to be done.

“I definitely appreciate what’s been done so far," he said. "I lived in Brody neighborhood last year and I was able to take advantage of the kosher menu. I also benefited from vegetarian options. I was able to stay healthy while eating foods that I really enjoyed. However, I also feel like kosher stations on campus (there) aren’t enough of them, and they’re not spread out enough.”

MSU offers two dining halls with kosher cuisine: Brody Square and Wilson Dining Hall, outsourced from Woody’s Oasis in East Lansing. Kosher options are available Sunday through Thursday during the dinner meal period.

Zaback said he lived in East Neighborhood as a freshman and struggled to find healthy meals that fit his diet and were close to his dorm.

“It took so long to get (to Brody) so I gained a lot of weight from eating so many carbs,” he said.

Zaback said he thinks the best way to fix the problem is to add kosher dining options in every neighborhood, or at least spread out the areas onto both sides of campus.

Gina Keilen, a registered dietitian for Culinary Services, said the dining halls attempt to accommodate all diets, for health or religious reasons.

“Because of the demand, all of the halls pretty much have food for everyone,” Keilen said. “A lot of our halls are build-your-own that way they don’t need to pick say, a pork-based product.”

Keilen said students can go to the Eat at State website to see the ingredients in most of the meals, and common allergens and restrictions, such as gluten or alcohol, are marked on signs above the food.

“We try to disclose as much as of that information as possible,” she said. “Our job is to provide that information for them.”

She said she tracks alcohol, beef, pork and other foods that can’t be eaten for religious reasons, and works with religious groups in East Lansing to clarify what is acceptable. Additionally, Sparty’s has a variety of food that is Halal.

Graduate student Pranav Gondhalekar is a vegetarian. He said he enjoys the vegetarian options the dining halls have to offer.

“Most of the things contain meat,” Gondhalekar said. “Some of my friends are strict vegetarians and don’t eat eggs, and a lot of the food contain eggs so it’s harder for them. There could be more veggie options, but most of the food is really good.”

Zaback agreed. He said he is a “de facto vegetarian” on the weekends when the kosher menu is not available and enjoys the variety.

One of the commonly known vegetarian stations is Veg Out in Brody Square and Case Hall. In addition to those, Keilen said all of the halls have hot vegetarian options.

She said the dining halls try to feed everyone healthy meals to fit their diets.

“(We’re) making sure there’s balance and variety that way no matter your restriction, whether dietary or religious, you can go anywhere,” Keilen said.

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