For many first-year students, leaving home and moving into residence is a rite of passage. Eating in the dining hall is a core part of the residence experience, giving students opportunities to try new foods, find community and make memories with their friends.
To provide a healthy and inclusive dining experience, UBC Food Services at the Vancouver campus offers services and resources designed to accommodate dietary needs, allergies and cultural food preference while maintaining food safety and nutrition.
The support begins before students arrive on campus. When first-year students accept their housing offer, they are asked about dietary needs and concerns.
"I connect directly with students with specific dietary concerns to understand their specific needs," said Gloria Sun, manager of nutrition and wellbeing, UBC Food Services. "I then provide strategies for students to navigate the dining hall confidently and safely while remaining on the meal plan."
She also works closely with UBC Student Housing and Community Services and the culinary team to review menus for allergens and dietary needs, and provides nutrition and wellbeing programming throughout the academic year. Students can find additional tips and resources on the UBC Foodie blog and Nutrition Hub , which are regularly updated with articles on nutrition, cooking, budgeting and more.
The team is used to supporting hundreds of students with allergies, intolerances and dietary restrictions each year. All residence dining staff complete allergy-awareness training annually, while senior staff wearing purple "Allergy Aware" buttons receive advanced training through AllerTrain.
"I encourage students to let the staff know about any allergy, intolerance or dietary restriction so they can identify dishes that may be a concern," said Sun.
The team also organizes tours of the dining halls at the start of the school year to help students navigate the dining halls. This year, the Dining Room Hacks Tours will be from Sept. 8 to 10.
Students can also use Nutrislice , an online platform that lists ingredients for dishes offered in the dining halls and additional retail units. The platform allows users to filter menu items by dietary restrictions and priority allergens, as well as identify options that are vegan, vegetarian, made without gluten, made with Halal protein, Ocean Wise or climate-friendly .
"Certain dishes listed on Nutrislice can be tailored to students' preferences or needs," said Sun. "For example, if you're vegan or vegetarian, you can take a salad and omit the chicken topping, add in some chickpeas from the side bar and a side of rice from a different station."
For first-year students with severe dietary restrictions that cannot be safely accommodated in dining halls, UBC Student Housing and Community Services (SHCS) will assign students to units with full kitchens so they can prepare their own meals more safely.
Residence Life staff can also help facilitate conversations with roommates if students with allergies and dietary restrictions are living in shared accommodation with kitchens. They may discuss setting aside designated shelves, keeping separate cooking equipment and thoroughly cleaning spaces before use.
As most dining options are dine-in with some take-out options, UBC Food Services has begun working with student groups and SHCS to support students observing religious seasons, such as Ramadan.
"We most recently worked with the Muslim Students' Association to provide bagged breakfasts and take-out dinners, so students observing Ramadan have something to eat after sunset or before sunrise when the dining halls may be closed," said Sun.
Since the launch of the All-Access Dining plan for first-year residence students in 2022, Sun has received positive feedback.
"Students like the variety and ability to eat as much or as little as they want without worrying about running out of money on the meal plan," said Sun. "We believe the best thing for first-year students is to eat together where they can connect, support each other and develop new friendships. The menus allow students to explore a diverse selection of healthy, globally inspired foods."
