how to manage IBS diet on a college meal plan
#95660 - 08/04/04 05:33 PM
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mul132
Reged: 08/04/04
Posts: 218
Loc: Pennsylvania
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I'm going into my second year of college and will be living in the dorms with no access to a kitchen so I am stuck at the mercy of the dining halls. I spent so much of last year in misery because I didn't know what I should be eating. Does anyone have any suggestions for surviving college dining halls?
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I only ate in the dining hall freshman year, and I wasn't on this diet yet, but looking back I did sorta eat some like this diet.
Does yours have bagels/breads? Those are good, or some cereals, for some soluble fiber. Also I know mine would sometimes have plain pasta (with butter on it, but you could try to scrape it off some), and plain rice over with the Asian food. I don't know about meat selections, since I'm a vegetarian, but why don't you try talking to the dinig hall people at your college? Explain you have a chronic digestive disorder and you need some special meals. That may help as well. Good luck! Where do you go to school? What are you studying?
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Melissa
Friendship is thicker than blood. ~Rent
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Meg, welcome!! My freshman year I think I survived on potatoes and bread! Not a very well balanced diet, huh?
Melissa gave you some good suggestions. I would add plain bagels that you can take back to your room, a jar of peanut butter for your room and a little tea kettle to make lots of cups of peppermint tea in your room (as long as you don't have GERD like me).
Stay away from salads. Eat soups and cooked vegetables instead. Stay away from beef and pork dishes, opt for chicken or fish. Eat small portions, like maybe half of what they serve. If they have lowfat choices, obviously go for those. If they have soy milk or tofu dishes go for those (as long as you can tolerate soy).
I'm sure other people will have lots of suggestions. Oooh, read the sticky post at the top of the list about snacks you can keep in your room.
I assume you're already taking a soluble fiber supplement? If not, START NOW but VERY slowly. What about meds? Have you been prescribed any antispasmodic? Have you tried Imodium for those iffy days?
Glad you found us, sweetie. Good luck and keep coming back here, okay?? Let us know how you're doing.
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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It's tricky... and I know it sucks--especially when you eat with your friends-- they eat everything, and you always have to explain why you can't eat certain things-- oh, the fun!
Anyways, during the time I was in the dining halls (I'm a junior, and I was there my freshmen yr) I did not know I had IBS! I am IBS-C, I am not sure if you are C or D... but for me, I ate soup, baked potatoes, rice (which sometimes doesn't agree w/ me for some reason), rarely chicken, english muffins (MY FAV), unlike other individuals--I ate tons of salads (they agree with me), cheerios... I won't name the other things I ate (well, a few-- fat free frozen yogurt, and milk with my cereal-- DON'T DO THIS!!!).
The crazy thing about having IBS in college is staying SANE! It's different going to parties and not drinking with everyone-- and having everyone and 'their brother' ask you if you want something to drink... what ever you do, just remember that you're a lot safer if you just go and have fun without the drink. It takes me about a week to recover from a night of fun... so if you do decide to drink-- make sure it's worth it and you have an INCREDIBLE time, because chances are, you'll be asking yourself why when you are in pain!
If you have any other questions or how to deal in college-- or want to ask questions or ANYTHING! I am in college dealing with this too-- and found out the "IBS" news Nov. of 2003... it takes time and patience...
This year I get to explore another dimension of IBS and college-- living in my sorority house! AHHHH... I'm already scared... I think I'll just not eat-- hey, what a great way to lose weight...j/k!
Good luck!! Hope to hear from you in the future!
~Sarah
ps-- My cousin just graduated from the University of Pennsylvania... is that where you go?
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"If the sun isn't shining on your path... maybe you're not on the right one" --Me 
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For the record I alternate between C and D with no real pattern. I attend Penn State University and am majoring in Animal Sciences (I hope to attend vet school after graduation). The pressure from my friends sometimes gets to me. Most days I just want to be normal! Thanks for the advice.
Meg
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If you can, try to go to the store and buy some food of your own. I don't know if you have a refrigerator there but if so, I would get a lot of soy products, instant chicken noodle soup (this might be better, because you can just add hot water to it, that is what I do, or you can microwave it) You can also get other foods that you know you can tolerate. If you don't have a refrigerator, if you are able to eat pizza, I would eat pizza in the dinning hall every now and then. I find that I am able to eat Wendy's grilled chicken and a baked potatoes, so maybe if the they have grilled chicken I would try that, even if it is from a fast food vendor in the dining hall. Also see if they have potatoes, or rice. I hope this helps.
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Ibs-d and fructose sensitive.
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OMG, University eating was hard for me too. *shudder* I am IBS-D and so I hoarded bread in the dorms (only not Wonder, as it has milk) to keep me full. I also had a stash of saltines, water, a glucose drink, potato flakes, and thin beef bullion. I never ate with friends. But I'd have a sprite with no ice with them at the cafeteria. It was only after college that I realized that chinese food sat best with me (if I'd known that, I would have gone out more with friends!).
It's so hard not being able to regulate your own diet. The worst is after an attack and my stomach was empty and I was so huuungry I felt like wolfing down a ton of everything (which the school meal plan was good for, btw!)
My rule is that if it has more than 5 ingredients, then something in it will make me sick. My best advice is if you can eat it, keep eating it.
Good luck to you!
~nel~
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(as an aside)
About college, isn't is funny, looking back? All those questions from friends, all the missed social eating opportunities? IBS can be such a prison. The only things it's done for me is hone my hypervigilance and alienate me from friends.
I'm glad I'm at a point that I don't have to hide in my room any more, waiting for an attack. It really only gets better when you get an eating plan in your head and stick to it. I'm 33 and know the next 5 years are going to be better than any before them. But I do look back at dorm life sometimes and cringe!
~nel~
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Quote:
My rule is that if it has more than 5 ingredients, then something in it will make me sick.
Love it! I'm going to adopt that rule for myself!!
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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LOL! That always gets weird looks from my friends when I say it. It's SO NICE to have someone 'get it.' Thanks!
~nel~
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Oh you poor thing. I got IBS after my two degrees, so the dining hall wasn't a problem. Here's a few ideas:
Keep in your room at all times:
french bread
instant soup (chicken noodle)
peppermint tea bags and a mug
saltines
any type of safe cracker or baked lays to snack on
bananas
applesauce cups
To buy in the dining hall:
applesauce cups
bananas and any other fruit you can tolerate (be careful!)
steamed/cooked veggies (avoid roasted or fried)
baked potatoes
small lettuce salads if you can tolerate them after a safe meal with french, or italian dressing.
grilled/baked chicken
grilled chicken burgers
seafood dishes (not creamy!)
vegetarian dishes (as long as they don't include dairy!)
lots of french bread, plain white bagels, white english muffins, steamed rice, oatmeal packages.
Sandwiches can be a safe option because the cold meat is usually low in fat. If you can get your low fat mayo on the side, and no cheese in the sandwich, you could probably tolerate it turkey/chicken sandwiches.
We used to have a made to order sandwich bar in university and it was awesome. Custom made from the bread up. If you can, very sweetly ask the caf. ladies for help. They might even make you something if you're nice enough. Explain that you have dietary restrictions for medical reasons. You never know!
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Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.
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I second those who have mentioned talking to the staff.. if you get to know one or more of them well (and you will) they will willingly help you out... soemtimes its simple things- setting aside pasta without the oil/butter right before they mix the rest in, othertimes you can often ask for leftovers to be saved from one day to the next because you won't have a choice in the menu options the next day.. or leaving cheese off something that is normally made with it.. Just be friendly and opena nd you'll be amazed.. especially if they cook to order, they will be able to make whatever you need..
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Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
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Hey,
This isn't so much of a reply to how to manage on a college meal plan as I'm just going into my first year of University and will also be figuring that out but I have a suggestion for those future University/college students. If your University or college has apartment or suite style residence (meaning you have a kitchen and only share a bathroom with either 1,2 or 3 people) send a medical note and personal letter in with your acceptance explaining about your condition. I did that when I accepted in the Spring and now I am in a suite style apartment with a kitchen, will be sharing 1 bathroom with my friend who i requested to be in the same suite with, we each have our own bedroom and the only reason I got this was because of my medical note. The residence is still on campus so I'm still going to get the whole residence experience but without the fear of sharing a bathroom with a whole floor of girls and totally relying on the meal plan. I did get a reduced version of the meal plan but I'm planning on buying and cooking most of my own food. I really reccommend doing this, even though I haven't even moved in yet i'm definitely a lot more relaxed about going to university now. Good luck to all University/College students this year and figuring out how to manage our wonderful IBS symptoms and diet! And thanks to everyone out there for all your support and help, you guys are the reason we keep moving forward!
Julie
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I completely understand wanting to be normal. I think we all feel that. It's worse in a college type setting where you're eating with other people (with whom you don't really want to discuss your digestive system). I would definitely set up an appointment with the food services people and explain your dietary restrictions to them. And, like everybody else said, I would make sure to have lots of safe food in your dorm room. If you can't get a microwave, I used to make soup out of veggie stock and mini jars of mixed vegetables in one of those plug in kettle things.
Just make sure you take care of yourself. When I was in college and in the dorms, I got so frustrated with the food situation I stopped eating all together, and that's a mistake.
And yay for being a vet! There are a lot of animal lovers around here, so plenty of support for your chosen career. I myself have probably sent our dog's allergist to Tahiti this year, but it's worth it. 
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one other solution to the no microwave thing- they make these neat heater coils- they have a handle, and you place it in a mug and it heats the liquid- works great for teas and instant soups.. I used to use it in the dorms, but also had a few jobs where hot water as opposed to coffee wasn't readily available and the microwaves were in another building- I used it then too...
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Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
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