Intro Podcast + Kristen Interview

This podcast episode of Stop and Snack focuses on the importance of nutrition for college students. The hosts, Grace and Kristen, are nursing students from Villanova University. They discuss eating on a college campus, available resources, and accommodations for students with gluten intolerance. They interview Jessica Pellicciata, a registered dietician, who offers advice on where to get help for students struggling to eat on campus. Kristen, who is gluten intolerant, shares her experiences and thoughts on following a gluten-free diet at Villanova. She discusses the foods to avoid and the gluten-free options available on campus, such as fresh fruit, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, oatmeal, gluten-free bagels, and cereals. She also mentions the omelet station, grab-and-go sandwiches, and custom sandwiches with gluten-free alternatives. In the Conley Center, there are well-balanced options for dinner. Kristen emphasizes the importance of understanding resources for students who are gluten-free Welcome to episode 3 of Stop and Snack, a podcast by nursing students for college students about the importance of nutrition. I'm Grace Pappas and I'm Kristen Mara and we are senior nursing students from the class of 2023 at the M. Louis Fitzpatrick College of Nursing at Villanova University. On today's episode, we will be focusing on eating on a college campus, resources that are available, and accommodations for students with gluten intolerance. So grab a snack and come learn with us. Does walking into the dining hall ever overwhelm you? Are you used to eating home-cooked meals? Or are you struggling to find food options that align with your dietary restrictions? Well, we are here today with Jessica Pellicciata, a registered dietician and nutritionist in the Office of Health Promotion. She is here to give some advice so that students struggling to eat on campus know where to get help. We have a really interesting perspective here with us today. One of our hosts is gluten intolerant and she is going to share some of her thoughts and experiences as being a student who follows a gluten-free diet on Villanova's campus. So Kristen, can you start by telling us a little bit about your dietary restriction? What is a gluten-free diet and who should follow it? That's a great question. A gluten-free diet excludes any food that contains gluten, which is a protein found in wheat. People who need to follow a gluten-free diet are those with celiac disease, those who are gluten intolerant, and those like me who have an allergy to wheat. What kind of foods do you have to avoid? So basically, I have to avoid any foods that are wheat-based. So for example, this would be stuff like breads, pizza, pasta, and cereal. I'd also need to avoid certain baked goods that include flour and also certain sauces which you wouldn't expect, such as soy sauce. Can you tell us what kind of gluten-free foods you can find on campus? Of course. I'll start with breakfast. So normally, I'll grab something in Driscoll Cafe and they do have a lot of options like fresh fruit and hard-boiled eggs and yogurt and oatmeal. Those are like the fresher options and then they also have some processed options that are gluten-free alternative bagels and some cereals like Cheerios. But when I used to eat in the dining hall freshman year, I really liked the omelet station where I was able to make my own omelets with vegetables and include cheese and any kind of gluten-free alternative bread or breakfast potatoes on the side. For lunch, I find a lot of options also in Driscoll Cafe because they have good grab-and-go options, such as grab-and-go sandwiches with gluten-free rolls and also gluten-free granola bars. But I have to make sure that I read the label because not all granola bar brands are gluten-free. And I really like eating in Bartley Exchange because I'm able to make gluten-free sandwiches or wraps and these are custom sandwiches, so I get to order with my friends and just ask for a gluten-free alternative bread or wraps. And they even have a certain like area where they prepare the food to avoid cross-contamination. Then for dinner, I find a lot of options in the Conley Center. They have like well-balanced options in their hot food area. So they serve like grilled chicken as a protein, for example, and then they come with a side of carbohydrates like vegetables, rice, or even potatoes. Thank you for sharing your personal experience as a student at Villanova who has learned to succeed at college with a gluten-free diet. Thanks for letting me share my experiences. I'm glad you're bringing awareness to students because understanding resources helps students who are gluten-free to live well.