Dietary restrictions aren’t fun for anyone involved.

I know this because I’ve had celiac disease for almost five years and have had to deal with it on campus throughout my four years at Queen’s.

I think this sort of dietary restriction is fairly easy to manage when you’re at home. But things get complicated when you try to eat out at restaurants or navigate your diet on a university campus.

Here are the tips, tricks and recommendations I’ve picked up for gluten-free eating at Queen’s.

CoGro

CoGro specializes in cake and bagels, so it’s a hard sell for someone who can’t eat gluten. But the convenience of its location on campus for a quick bite to eat or a coffee date made me desperately grasp at the idea of being able to eat something from the menu.

That’s when I discovered the taco salad. This delicious option has romaine, corn chips, corn, tomatoes, onions, cheddar and a chipotle dressing. As my favourite thing to eat on campus, this meal is an amazing way to stay gluten-free at one of Queen’s staple hangouts.

Queen’s Pub

QP is famed for their sangria and wonderful incorporation of themed drink menu items. That being said, sometimes all you want is a warm meal to go along with your shared snakebite, and the “pub fare” isn’t very inclusive to gluten-free diets.

Nonetheless, I’ve mastered the menu and found a way to go gluten-free ordering the classic healthy platter menu item. Before you point out the mountain of bread that comes with this order, let me explain myself. You can easily make the healthy platter fully gluten-free by asking them to replace the bread with corn or potato chips, giving you a nice meal of carrots, celery, cucumber, three dips and chips while letting you take part in the welcoming QP atmosphere.

Lazy Scholar

The Lazy Scholar is actually the place to be when it comes to eating gluten-free. They have gluten-free options for almost everything they serve there, my personal favorite being the BLT with gluten-free bread. Lazy also has gluten-free pasta at the pasta bar and the best white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies I’ve ever tasted available at the snack section. If you’re an upper year, it’s a bit out of the way, but is honestly still worth the trip for its abundance of gluten-free options. 

The Brew

The Brew is known for their soups, most of which are gluten-free. It’s usually marked, but if not, just ask the staff about which one you want to try since they have one gluten-free option at all times. Also, they occasionally have gluten-free muffins available if you’re looking for a snack on the go.

CGC

Without a doubt, CGC serves the best burgers on campus and they have gluten-free buns for their burgers. Additionally, both their sweet potato and regular fries are gluten-free. CGC is great for gluten intolerance too because they offer salads and breakfasts which, if you top them off with eggs, sausage or bacon, are fully gluten-free.

Whether you recently decided to eat gluten-free or are a gluten-free veteran, there are actually several safe options for you to explore on Queen’s campus.