Students with dietary needs or preferences can receive guidance and nutrition options from Dining Services.

Richard Curtis, general manager of Sodexo, said that students have to ask about their options in order to be served.

“People have to come to us,” Curtis said. “If they ask, we will be more than happy to help them.”

He explained that the number of options depend upon the number of students that request a particular diet.

“I probably counsel 15 to 20 people every fall because I am a certified dietary manager,” Curtis said. “I have all the information to do nutritional assessments.”

 “We will walk through the dining hall and explain what they can have and what they cannot have,” Curtis said. “If I’m not sure, we will look at ingredients.”

He said that the signs next to the food being served will normally have the allergens listed below. Curtis said that the nutritional information can also be found at www.nichollsdining.com.

“We also always have a couple of vegan options in addition to the traditional menu,” Curtis said. “In the fall, we also plan to add a grilled vegetable sandwich to the deli.”

Students can also bring vegetables from the salad bar to themed cuisine area for a stir-fried meal.

“I’m looking hard,” Curtis said. “I have already been contacted by a few parents for the fall semester for more vegan and vegetarian options.”

Sarah Pressley, freshman from Baton Rouge, is allergic to gluten, dairy, almonds and eggs. She said that she talked to Curtis and he told her about her options.

“He was so nice about the whole situation, but I still hardly ever eat in there because in order to get a meal, I would have to go before the major crowd of people and let the chefs know what exactly I can have,” Pressley said. “The issue is my schedule, and I don’t have time to do that.”

Pressley said that despite her time constraints, the staff in Dining Services have been “nothing but helpful.”

Brenda Haskins, executive director of auxiliary services, said that students are given a dining guide brochure as part of a packet when they move into the residence halls.

“When we receive a request from a student with dietary concerns we try to help as much as we can within the meal plan, but sometimes we get students who have very severe allergies, and I take the case to a committee,” Haskins said.

The committee then decides how to proceed. In special circumstances, on-campus residents may not be required to have a meal plan, but Haskins said those instances are rare.

For more information contact Dining Services at (985) 449-7019.