For Iowa State students with special dietary needs, finding a satisfying and safe meal at residence hall dining services can be a challenge.

Department of Residence officials said the dining service staff is working to meet those students’ needs.

Stewart Burger, director of dining services, said while there is no specific formula in dealing with students who have special needs, he and his employees are definitely willing to figure out a solution.

Students with allergies are the biggest concern to dining hall managers.

“When dealing with students with allergies, we try to start by getting a diet prescribed by their doctor so that we can best meet their medical needs,” he said.

Students are then asked to meet with residence hall dietitians, who will sit down and figure out special preparations and purchases that need to be made.

Right now, Burger said he and his staff are catering to 12 different diets, mostly allergy-related.

“Our computer system tracks ingredients in every recipe we make so that we can provide that to the dietitian while they work with the student,” he said.

Burger said the tracking system is important to both students and dining service employees because some allergies are life-threatening.

The menus identifying what students can and cannot eat prints out in eight-week cycles.

“Students with food allergies greatly appreciate this service since, for most, it’s the first time they’ve been away from home,” he said. “Their allergy is one more thing to make their life more complicated, so anything we can do to help is appreciated.”

The other common special need is the request for vegetarian meals.

Pamela Voelker, manager of Oak-Elm Dining Hall, said there are a variety of vegetarians who eat in the residence hall dining services.

“Some vegetarians eat no animal products at all, but most tend to just be non-meat eaters, which is what we cater to,” she said.

Food service provides a vegetarian choice at every meal.

Voelker said these items may not be what non-vegetarians would consider an entree but “may carry out as an entree for a vegetarian.”

Voelker also relies heavily on dining services’ computerized menu system.

“We print out a vegetarian menu for every day and include on it creative options for students who are vegetarians or are dabbling in it so they can create a tasty meal,” she said.