Gluten Free Students at UNC Chapel Hill-part 2

From my previous post, some will recall that I will be sending my GF daughter off to college this year at UNC Chapel Hill. We have learned a few more tips for navigating a gluten free college experience this summer that may be helpful to others attending UNC or just visiting Chapel Hill. Although the dining hall staff was helpful in my email and phone communications it was evident during our CTOPS (freshman orientation) experience that a meal plan was not going to be a viable option, unless she wanted to live on the salad bar, and hope for no cross contamination issues. We were happy to see a gluten free/vegan peanut butter pudding dessert being offered one night on the dinner menu during CTOPS. I received some helpful comments from current gluten free UNC students who mentioned that if one chooses to join a sorority that the chefs cooking for smaller numbers are often very accommodating. One student also shared her favorite gluten free restaurants on Franklin Street including: McCalister's Deli and Chipotle Mexican.

So my daughter and I hit Franklin Street today and visited several restaurants, picking up menus and asking questions. The following is a brief review of some of the information we gathered:
Qdoba Mexican Grill: Order a naked burrito (note the corn strips, corn taco shells and chips may contain gluten due to them being fried in the same oil as flour containing products)
Jimmy John's: Order an unwhich (see my previous post about ingredient warning)
Panera Bread: some salads and some soups
Lime and Basil : Is a Vietnamese Restaurant, although we did not get to eat here today, this would be worth checking out, as Vietnamese cooking is often gluten free.
R & R grill: extensive menu with salads, burgers, steak, salmon options
Ye Old Waffle Shop: eggs
Biski's Tortilla Wrap Grill: Although their tortilla's are wheat, we were told if you brought your own GF wrap into the restaurant they would be happy to use it and you also could order the fillings without a wrap.
Artichoke and Basil: Chicken, burgers, salads
Pita Pit: no allergy information listed on their website or print media, but you can order their fillings "fork style" as a salad.
Sugarland: awesome gluten free gelato!
Locopops: several gluten free frozen treats

Options on campus at Lenior Main Street include:
Jamba Juice: all smoothies are listed as gluten free except for the Jamba Power Boost and the Cold Buster
Sushinara: all sushi listed as gluten free
Chic-fil-A: char-grilled chicken salad, waffles fries (if using designated frier as used in other Chic-fil-A locations), char-grilled chicken

I am sure we will learn of more options as time goes by, if you have a helpful tip please let me know. Also check out Lauren's updates over at Gluten Free Chapel Hill for other options in the Chapel Hill area.

Scientific American features article on Celiac Disease

Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine is featured in the August 2009 issue of Scientific American. The article entitled "Surprises from Celiac Disease" contains some very good graphics. It also explains the history of the disease, the genetic links and discusses the leaky gut involvement in autoimmune disorders. Possible future treatment options are also highlighted. This is a good reference article with current information. I picked up my copy of Scientific American at Barnes and Noble at the Streets of South Point.

Go Picnic Ready to Eat Gluten Free Meals

This is an interesting new product that I was introduced to during gluten free week at Camp Kanata. We were happy to receive donations for all our campers to be able to take a "Go Picnic" meal home with them. This company offers a line of ready-to-eat meals. There are over 25 meals to choose from including meals that meet vegetarian, gluten-free, kosher and halal requirements. I count 6 different GF meals that are available on their website. Note some contents may come from facilities that also manufacture gluten ingredients in the same facility and this is noted on the website and the packaging. You can gather more information by checking out their website here . I also recently saw them in a Costco Ad! Perhaps a handy product for traveling or packing a quick school lunch.

Food Allergy/Gluten Free Talk at UNC Wellness Center, July 14

Just thought I would share with the gluten free North Carolina blog community that I will be speaking at the UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont July 14, 2009 6:30-8:00.
The lecture is entitled: Food Allergies: Celiac Disease, Gluten Sensitivity, Wheat Allergies. Providing practical advise for optimizing one's health while following a gluten free diet. These lectures are provided for the members at the UNC Wellness Center and also opened to the community. The event is free but preregistration is required, click here for more information