Dorm Life With Food Allergies
Living in dorms is completely different from living at home! Much of a college student’s life consists of hanging out in either their own or their friends’ dorm rooms. Another regular occurrence in the daily experience of college students is snacking. When hanging out in friends’ rooms, food is not necessarily the focus of the get-together. If people do want to snack, though, you may have to speak up about what you are comfortable with your friends eating around you. My friends tend to ask me before they eat foods around me, but sometimes I have to remind them not to eat peanut butter crackers or pretzels when we are together. It is imperative that you feel comfortable telling new people if they are eating foods that pose a threat to you when you are hanging out with them. Pretty much everyone I know would not mind one bit substituting a different kind of snack when I am around.
Sometimes my friends do eat certain things that I cannot have even when we are hanging out. They only do this if I tell them it is safe for me to be around such food items. I will ask them to wash their hands when they are done, if I think it is important for them to do so. I think being comfortable enough to ask people to accommodate one’s allergy is the best skill to help a student with food allergies adapt to dorm life. College living grants new opportunities and some really fun times. Those with food allergies can definitely enjoy it to the fullest, as long as such students take precautions and talk to their friends about eating around them.Have you ever been picked on because of your food allergy?
Email us to let us know how you handled it, and what advice you have for other teens.
