Dining Accommodations

Our department dietitians are available for one-on-one consultations to discuss your food allergies or other dietary needs. To request a consultation, submit a request form or send an email to HDHdietitian@ucsd.edu.

If you have food allergies or specific dietary restrictions that require dining accommodations, you can register with the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) at osd.ucsd.edu.

Food Allergies

All of our dining locations are peanut-free. Peanuts are only sold pre-packaged in the markets. Although we do not use peanuts in our kitchens, there is no guarantee that cross-contact has not occurred in processing facilities outside of our kitchens.

Reduced Allergen Dining (RAD) Program

All students registered with the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) with medical documentation and approved dining accommodations are eligible to order meals from the RAD Menu, which is free from FDA’s Top 9 Allergens (wheat, soy, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and sesame), plus gluten. Students with certain other nutrition-related conditions such as celiac disease, diabetes, IBS, EOE, and others are also granted access to the RAD Menu, and any other accommodations they need through the dietitians.

As most people with a tree nut allergy do not react to coconut due to a different protein makeup, the RAD Menu does contain coconut, by the UCSD Dining Department decision.

This menu is prepared in an allergen-safe zone in four campus dining locations at 64 Degrees, Pines, Ventanas, and Canyon Vista. The meals are prepared with approved ingredients using designated cookware and utensils to prevent cross-contact and cross-contamination. For more information about this program, please reach out to the department dietitians at HDHdietitian@ucsd.edu.

For our menu offered to all students, visit our Online Dining app to review the full ingredients list and nutritional/allergen icons.

Nutrition & Allergen Icons

Religious and Lifestyle Accommodations

All students have the right to request assistance with religious and lifestyle meal accommodations directly from HDH staff, including chefs, managers, staff, and dietitians. In addition to our Glatt Kosher-certified platform, Spice, our Halal-certified dining location, Canyon Vista, and our fully vegan restaurant, Roots, we have worked with and successfully accommodated students who require specific religious eating patterns.

For more information about specific non-medical religious or lifestyle meal accommodations, please reach out to the department dietitians at HDHdietitian@ucsd.edu.

Student Responsibilities

• Ask a staff member if you need clarification on a food item containing an allergen.
• Be proactive in self-managing a food allergy or special dietary conditions on campus:
  • Consult with an HDH dietitian on how to safely navigate on-campus dining
  • Make appropriate people aware of your food allergies, including roommates, friends, or Resident Assistants, so they know what to do in case of an emergency
  • Review allergy information and ingredients for menus on the Online Dining app
  • If you experience a serious allergic reaction, call 911 immediately or alert someone nearby for assistance
  • Wear a medical alert ID
  • Carry allergy medication, including antihistamine pills or emergency epinephrine auto-injectors, at all times