Food accessibility is about more than reducing costs - it’s also about the food itself. Students like me who have dietary restrictions and food allergies need healthy, well-balanced meals that take accessible ingredients and preparation into consideration.

As a freshman with Celiac’s disease at UC Santa Barbara, I relied on the university’s dining commons for my daily meals. On my first day, I was given the code for the Gluten Free Pantry and used the app NetNutrition to quickly determine which meals were gluten free.  

While on its surface UCSB seemed to accommodate the needs of Celiac students, the reality was very disappointing. Upon opening the Gluten Free Pantry, I found old bags of soggy bagels, a few packages of flaxseed muffins, and sugary cookies which ran out during the week. 

When I logged onto NetNutrition and filtered meals to see which ones were gluten free, I was left with a handful of pitiful options. My lunches and dinners cycled between pickled radish sushi, salad (with sparse toppings and limited dressing options), rice and chicken (if they happened to prepare it gluten-free). Breakfasts were even more sparse, where I relied on instant scrambled eggs and sausage on the days that they were made. 

What’s more, UCSB “cannot guarantee menu offerings are without gluten,” according to the campus dining page. Students with Celiac disease must avoid even trace amounts of gluten. This requires preparation separate from items containing the allergen. 

As someone who struggled with food accessibility during my freshman year at UCSB, I experienced firsthand the need for a dedicated gluten free dining hall. It is for this reason that I am calling on UCSB Dining to create such a facility. 

A poorly-stocked pantry is simply not enough. Well-balanced meals incorporate varied combinations of vegetables, fruits, carbs and proteins - and this was difficult to attain as a gluten free diner. 

Universities have a vested interest in preserving the physical and mental health of their students. Creating a dedicated gluten free dining hall is a crucial step towards securing food accessibility at UCSB.