Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: TessLouise and Chemegurrl....

Congratulations! Where will you be going to school? My sister will be a sophomore at Pratt Institute of Art in NYC, and my twin cousins will be sophomores at Wesleyan University in CT and the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. I graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.

Okay, I'm going to work from my college's typical dinner plan and hope that you can do better than I did (our college's food was horrific, I mean, the year before my freshman year the dining hall FAILED THE HEALTH INSPECTION, I kid you not!). Every night the dining hall offered two or three entrees plus sides, as well as grilled chicken, a salad bar, and either tacos or pasta. The entrees that changed nightly were announced in advance--every on-campus student got a newsletter every Sunday with a print-out of the meal plan for the week. So I could have sat down with that paper and spotted safe(r) foods in advance. Obviously, any entree made of beef, pork, or dairy products, or deep-fried, is out, as well as any side dish seasoned with red meat or a great deal of fat (remember that I went to school here in the south--every green bean I've seen in four years has included bacon!

). So--no potential meals among the entrees? Let's move on to the other choices...skip the salad bar...skip the taco bar...ah, pasta. What did I eat endless amounts of freshman year (the only year we were required to buy the dinner plan)? Spaghetti with marinara sauce, with a side of grilled chicken. Your school might offer better choices than mine did--I've heard of places with soup and sandwich bars, or terrific vegan options.

As for breakfast and lunch, well, seek out alternatives to cafeteria-style food--does your college have a cafe where you could get a turkey sandwich for lunch? Can you keep safe cold cereal and soy milk in your dorm room for breakfast, or safe instant oatmeal packets and an electric teakettle or a microwave for heating the water?

Quite frankly, the smartest thing I ever did for my IBS in my four years as a student was to move into a dorm for sophomore year on where I had access to a kitchen and could cook safe dinners. Sure, I ate out waaay more than I should've (still do, it's a habit I have GOT to break), but what I ate was still far superior to dining-hall food.

Best of luck, and if you have any specific questions let me know! Also, you could try contacting your college's dietitian--set up a personal meeting, and arrive armed with a copy of Heather's book....

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