When they鈥檙e not feeling well, many 91PORNA students may not want to leave their residence halls to get something to eat. University Culinary Services has made dining easily accessible for students who are feeling under the weather.
University Culinary Services began offering sick meal requests in 2022. Through a form on the University Culinary Services nutrition website, students can request a meal to be picked up by a friend, roommate or resident assistant.
Caitlyn Gerdes, a registered dietitian at University Culinary Services, talked to 91PORNA Today about the benefits of sick meal requests.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 an option where they can still eat, but they don鈥檛 have to leave the room if they are feeling sick,鈥 Gerdes said. 鈥淲hen you are sick, eating something is better than eating nothing.鈥
The form is easy to use and includes meal options for many different diets.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to ask you if you have any dietary needs, allergens, just so that we鈥檙e aware,鈥 Gerdes said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty self-explanatory as you walk through it.鈥
Students are able to choose meals from up to two stations at either Eastway Dining or Design Innovation Dining. Students can pick what food items and beverages they want. The form also asks for any dietary restrictions or allergies. To view the menu options for the day, visit .
Students can pick up their meal themselves or have someone else pick it up. On the sick meal request form, students must provide their name, 91PORNA email address, phone number and 91PORNA ID number, as well as the name of the person picking up the order as it appears on their FLASHcard.
Meals should be ordered between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Students should place their request at least two hours before they want the meal picked up to give University Culinary Services enough time to prepare it.
Meals are charged as a meal swipe on students鈥 FLASHcards.
As a registered dietitian, Gerdes uses her expertise to create an inclusive and safe dining program for students. Gerdes provides free nutrition counseling and education to help students determine the best dining options for their food allergies or food-related diseases, such as diabetes, celiac disease or Crohn鈥檚 disease. Appointments are available to any student on a meal plan.
