When it comes down to it, there really isn’t very much food available on SFU’s Burnaby campus. If you’re someone who eats on the mountain every day, it can be very difficult to find something interesting. This becomes even more complicated if you have dietary restrictions – by choice or by allergy alike.
As someone who is allergic to just about everything on the planet, I’ve learned a few tricks. Here they are!
1. Starbucks— Yes, we all know that Starbucks has carried soy milk for ages. But, they use a really odd brand of soy milk, one that often tends to cause as much stomach pain as normal dairy would. Luckily, Starbucks (even SFU Starbucks) now carry coconut and almond milk as well! They cost the same as soy milk, but at half the discomfort. Plus, coconut milk is AMAZING in cold drinks. Starbucks is also gluten free, obviously.
2. Guadalupe— Out of the two tex-mex places on campus, Guadalupe is the far better one. Swap your burrito out for a burrito bowl (gluten free). If you have an issue with beans, ask for more rice or corn instead. If you are vegetarian or vegan, ask for a vegetarian burrito– it comes with veggies instead, and you get free guacamole! Win-win.
3. Triple O’s— Triple O’s now carries vegetarian options, as well as a gluten-wise bun. You can ask for any burger to be vegetarian-ized, as well as made gluten free. If you ask for no sauce, there’s no dairy as well! Everyone knows the best part of a burger is a ketchup, anyway, so you really won’t be missing out on much.
4. The Ladle— Allergy friendly soups for days! More importantly, though, The Ladle offers gluten-free and sometimes vegan baked goods. None of them are labelled, so you do have to ask someone who works there. But, the baked goods are delicious and cheap and full of all-around goodness.
5. Mackenzie Cafe— Mackenzie is a central hub for all types of food. There’s fries, which are also known as allergy-free heaven. There’s sushi (vegan and gluten free, if you don’t use soy sauce). There are also some mixed bowls, containing rice and veggies and the like. Sure, the food at Mackenzie isn’t amazing, but it’s more than good enough to get you through the day.
6. Poké Bar— Poké Bar is a new addition to SFU, and it is quietly nestled up at Cornerstone. If you don’t know what Poké is, it’s a Hawaiian dish that resembles sushi in a bowl. It tastes amazing, and tends to run fairly allergy friendly. They offer tofu instead of fish, as well as bases of rice and quinoa, both of which are free of gluten and dairy. You can also get edamame beans on top of your Poké, fulfilling the need for protein that many heavily allergic people have. One thing to note is that the people who work there are usually unable to tell you which of the soy-based sauces are gluten free (most likely, none of them) but they do offer spicy mayonnaise and sriracha options instead! Delicious and stomach-friendly.