October 11, 2025 by

Having a food allergy, intolerance, or other kind of restriction is difficult in any new location. College can pose a significant challenge for young students who are new to preparing their own meals.

As someone with multiple food intolerances, I’m always on guard when eating at a new place. Coming to Cedarville University, I wished someone was there to guide me through the options that were available to me. Now that I’ve been at Cedarville for a couple of years, I am familiar with the different places to eat on campus and the allergens located at each one.  

While I may not have caught every dish that contains a top allergen, I hope that this guide will be helpful for new students and visitors to our campus alike! 

While food in several of the dining options is clearly labeled if it contains any of the top eight allergens, it’s good to know what to expect campuswide. Hopefully, I can put your mind at ease as I walk you through how to navigate Cedarville’s dining options with the top eight allergens: 

  • Crustacean shellfish 
  • Fish 
  • Peanuts 
  • Tree nuts
  • Soy 
  • Milk
  • Wheat 
  • Eggs 

(Disclaimer: This article is intended to help those with a food restriction, intolerance, or minor allergy. If cross-contamination is a serious issue for you, please jump to the end of the article.) 

Where to Find (or Avoid) Shellfish on Campus

Now, some of these allergens are a little easier to spot than others. Crustacean shellfish, for instance, is unavailable at Chick-fil-A, Tossed, The Café, and our Grab n’ Go locations. It is very rarely served in the dining hall (also known as The Commons) and is only in one dish at Panda Express.  

How to Spot (or Avoid) Fish in Cedarville’s Dining Options 

The same can be said for fish, as fish is a rare commodity on a Midwestern college campus. The only location where fish might be found is the dining hall, but even that is a “once in a blue moon” occasion and will be easy to spot. 

How to Navigate Nut Allergies on Campus 

As for peanuts and tree nuts, Cedarville generally does not serve many dishes with nuts on campus. The occasional dessert in the dining hall will have peanuts or tree nuts, but anything with these allergens has proper labeling.  

Almond milk is also available in a special allergen-aware fridge at the breakfast station for those with dairy intolerances.  

Panda Express has a couple of dishes, Kung Pao Chicken and Honey Walnut Shrimp, that have peanuts and tree nuts. Other than those, campus is easy to navigate for those with nut allergies.  

Avoiding Soy at Cedarville: What to Know 

Soy is where things start to get tricky. Grab n’ Go, The Café, and the dining hall mark each item with its contained allergens, including soy.  

Tossed does not label each item with what allergens it includes, but since customers build their own salads and wraps, they can avoid anything they know has soy in it.  

Chick-fil-A grilled chicken marinade includes soy, so avoid their grilled options and many of their sauces. I would not recommend those with soy allergies or intolerances eat at Panda Express since it uses soy sauce in abundance. 

Milk Allergies? Here’s What to Watch For 

Milk is similarly scattered throughout campus. Outside of the obvious cheese and ice cream products, you can find milk in more surprising places.  

Things to watch out for are the orange chicken, Beijing beef, and shrimp at Panda Express, Chick-fil-A’s buns (brushed with butter), and some of the soups at Tossed.  

The Café and Grab n’ Go include many dairy products, but they are always clearly labeled. If you’re looking for a meal on the go, the Grab n’ Go chicken salad sandwiches are often dairy-free and are labeled if not.  

The dining hall also labels all dairy products and offers a lot more options. They have a dairy-free soft-serve machine available to all and provide milk alternatives in the allergen-aware section with almond, soy, and oat milk in their breakfast station.  

Navigating Gluten and Wheat Allergies at Cedarville 

The new dining hall renovation in 2025 opened up new opportunities for those with a gluten intolerance.  

For those who are gluten-free or simply have a wheat intolerance, places like Tossed and The Café offer gluten-free alternatives upon request. Tossed has gluten-free build-your-own pizzas, and The Café has two different gluten-free options behind the counter.  

Chick-fil-A offers grilled nuggets or a grilled chicken sandwich for $2 extra of flex dollars. Gluten free buns are also available at Chick-fil-A and Grab n’ Go.  

The dining hall has a dedicated allergen-aware station available, and the Habanero station is also a good, filling option for those with a gluten intolerance.  

Unfortunately, Panda Express is the one location on campus where no gluten-free food can be found, as soy sauce typically contains wheat. 

 

Egg-Free Dining Options Across Campus 

An egg allergy is perhaps the most difficult allergy to have on Cedarville’s campus.  

Nearly every item on Panda Express’s menu has egg ingredients. Chick-fil-A is similar, though their fries and grilled nuggets are safe. Grab n’ Go, the Dining Hall, and the Café include a lot of options with eggs too, though those are clearly labeled and easier to work around.  

Tossed is probably the best option for you if you’ve got an egg allergy, as you can customize your own salad. However, they do have hard-boiled eggs on the salad line, so you do run the risk of cross-contamination.  

For Those with Severe Food Allergies 

If you have a severe allergy and cannot risk cross-contamination, Cedarville offers restricted diet meal plans free from any cross-contamination.  

The dining hall chefs are trained in preventing cross-contamination and will personally prepare you a meal free from your allergens for every meal. You’ll just have to remember dining hall hours so you can pick up your meals at the right time! 

Ultimately, while Cedarville provides options for those with all food allergies and intolerances, it’s also important to have a keen eye and be willing to advocate for yourself. And it never hurts to have a stash of food back in your dorm room! 

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