The Residential Dining Dietary Support Program
Our Award-Winning Dietary Support Program
Our Residential Dining Dietary Support Program won silver for Special Diet Program of the Year at the 2024 National Association of College & University Food Services awards. Registered dietitian Emily Ortega developed the program to provide meal accommodations to students with food allergies or other dietary restrictions and make their dining experience the least stressful and most enjoyable part of their day. The program serves over 100 student residents annually with meals that are safe, satisfying and nutritious.
UC Davis Dining Services mission is to provide a dining experience that is the least stressful and most enjoyable part of our students' day. To that end, our team is committed to providing safe, stress-free, and enjoyable meals for our students with dietary restrictions. We offer alternative meal options through our Residential Dining Dietary Support Program (DSP), however many dietary restrictions may also be managed independently using the information and resources described on our Food Allergens and Ingredients of Concern webpage.
DSP provides alternative meal options and other support resources to student residents with dietary restrictions, and functions out of our three Residential Dining Commons (Segundo, Tercero, and Cuarto DC). Students in DSP work with the Registered Dietitian, the DSP Peer Mentor team, chefs, and Residential Dining managers who collaborate to ensure students with dietary restrictions have an exceptional dining experience. We work with each student individually, providing the resources necessary to make informed food choices and discussing options that best meet each student's dietary needs.
We strongly encourage students with food allergies or dietary restrictions to plan ahead and coordinate any necessary arrangements prior to arriving on campus. Read below to learn more on how to apply.
Qualifying for the Dietary Support Program
The following individuals may qualify for DSP:
- Students who have residence hall room and board contracts (i.e. living in either Segundo, Tercero, or Cuarto with a mandatory 5-day or 7-day meal plan)
- Student residents of The Green and Orchard Park with a Residential Dining meal plan
- Residential staff members (student or professional) who have a residential meal plan as part of their position
In addition to these, individuals may qualify for DSP if a medical, behavioral health, or religious dietary need makes it challenging to consistently obtain safe and appropriate meals through standard dining commons offerings. Examples may include:
- Food allergies
- Food intolerances (examples include lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance)
- Dietary restrictions related to a health condition (examples include Crohn's disease, Celiac Disease, IBS, IBD, Diabetes)
- Physician-prescribed therapeutic diets (examples include low FODMAP diet, specific carbohydrate diet)
- Behavioral health-related dietary restrictions
- Other medical dietary restrictions
- Religious dietary obligations
How To Apply
Please note: Dining Services nutrition team is not authorized to directly process requests for meal accommodations or accept medical documentation via email. This process is co-managed by the Student Disability Center and the Housing and Dining Accessibility team, who collaborate to review requests via our secure communication portals. It is the student's responsibility to follow the steps below, and consistently monitor the information and communication on their portal account.
Step 1: Apply via the MySDCOnline Portal
Disclose your need for dietary accommodations to the Student Disability Center (SDC) by creating a profile on the MySDCOnline portal. An SDC specialist will then be assigned to review your request, and may reach out to you via the portal for additional information and documentation as needed. In addition, you may be prompted to schedule an appointment with your assigned SDC specialist to review the terms of your request. The specialist will then provide your information to Student Housing and Dining Services for further review.
Troubleshooting tip: if you experience issues or delays in the processing of your request, log into your profile on the MySDCOnline portal and make sure you have read all communications sent to you by your specialist. Often, delays in processing are due to missing documentation that has been requested. Reach out to your SDC specialist via the portal message center for clarification and assistance.
Step 2: Communicate with SHDS via the MAR Portal
The SDC forwards all resident housing- and dining-related requests to Student Housing and Dining Services via the Modified Arrangements Request (MAR) portal. A Housing Accessibility Specialist will then review the request and reach out for final clarifying information as needed.
Once all details have been confirmed, the Housing Accessibility specialist will share the information with the nutrition team.
Troubleshooting tip: if you experience issues or delays in the processing of your request, log into your profile on the MAR portal and make sure you have read all communications sent to you by the SHDS team. Often, delays in processing are due to missing documentation or verifications that have been requested.
Step 3: Connect with the Nutrition Team via the MAR Portal
After reviewing your request, a member of the nutrition team will reach out via the MAR portal and provide you with support resources to effectively navigate your dietary needs in Residential Dining. Students who qualify for meal accommodations will collaborate with the nutrition team to complete a Food Preferences List, a document communicating the student's specific dietary needs to the Residential Dining culinary teams. In addition, qualifying students will be provided access to our meal accommodations ordering app. Please note: Dining Service's nutrition team processes meal accommodation requests submitted ahead of the start of the academic year beginning late July/early August.
Step 4: Independently Navigate your Dining Experience
Dining Service's nutrition team is here to support students' independent dining experience at the DC's. Our Nutrition Programs have a variety of resources that allow our guests to safely and confidently navigate their dietary needs. For more on the support and resources provided to students in DSP, check out our DSP Hub!
Step 5: Termination and Re-Application
Students' access to DSP terminates at the conclusion of the academic year following the spring quarter. Students who still qualify for DSP after this time must re-apply to continue their access to meal accommodations.
Introducing: OrderIt by Touchwork
OrderIt makes accessing meal accommodations in the DC's easy! This smartphone-based app allows students in DSP to order customizable meals made according to their dietary needs. Learn more about OrderIt by visiting the Touchwork website. You can also check out a web-based demo version of OrderIt here!
Students with Aggie Swipe Plus Meal Plans
At this time, alternative meal options through DSP are not available to students with the voluntary Aggie Swipe Plus meal plans. Because there is no meal plan requirement for students living off campus, students who make the choice to purchase voluntary Aggie Swipe Plus meal plans should do so with their own dietary restrictions in mind. Inquiries and refunds can be provided at any time by visiting the Dining Services Meal Card Office, located on the 3rd floor of the Segundo Services Center, and by telephone at 530-752-6335. Visit the Aggie Swipe Plus Meal Plan website for more information.
Do you have general questions about our Dietary Support Program? Email us at DSP@ucdavis.edu.
Parent Involvement: Fostering Self-Advocacy for Safety & Success
Moving away from home to college is a certainly exciting and sometimes overwhelming time, as students take their first steps toward independence and adulthood. This experience can be particularly daunting for both students and parents alike, especially if those students are living with a food allergy.
Parents or guardians communicating on behalf of a UC Davis student with members of our Dining team are always met with utmost care and concern. In an effort to provide student-centered care, we prioritize direct and open communication with the UC Davis student, which fosters the development of their self-advocacy while also allowing us to best service their needs. We are also mindful of FERPA regulations, and can only provide general information unless we have a release from the student involved. Parents are highly encouraged to have their student reach out on their own behalf, to ensure the student's safety and success both at UC Davis Dining Services and beyond.
Dietary Accommodations During the Summer Quarter
Summer program participants with dietary restrictions are eligible for temporary dietary accommodations that span the duration of their program. Please note: reductions in Summer dining service are in place to reflect the reduced volume of on-campus patrons. Please be advised that some of our campus dining establishments may be temporarily closed during the Summer quarter.
Current UC Davis Students:
If you are a current UC Davis student participating in a residential Summer program that includes a meal plan in the DC's, follow the steps above to qualify for our Residential Dining Dietary Support Program.
Non-UC Davis Students:
If you or your child is a summer program participant with food allergies or other medical dietary restrictions, follow the steps below:
- Request a Modified Arrangement Request Form from Conference Housing (conferencehousing@ucdavis.edu) and/or from your summer camp coordinator. Ensure your summer camp coordinator is notified of your request for dietary support.
- Submit the completed form to the Housing and Dining Accessibility team following the directions on the form. Please submit your request form at least four weeks in advance of your summer program in order to receive timely support from our teams.
- The Housing Accessibility team will provide your information to the nutrition team.
- The nutrition team will connect via email to provide comprehensive instructions and resources needed to safely navigate dining services.
- For questions, please reach out to conferencehousing@ucdavis.edu.
Exploring Retail Dining with Dietary Restrictions
At this time, alternative dining options for food allergies or other medical dietary restrictions are only available in Residential Dining (Segundo, Tercero, and Cuarto DC) through our Residential Dining Dietary Support Program. We cannot guarantee that foods served at our campus retail dining establishments can be prepared allergy-friendly. These establishments include: residential markets, Silo Market, Latitude Restaurant and Market, Spokes Grill, The Gunrock, Sage Street Market and Café, Scrubs Café, and campus Peet's Coffee locations. While menus can be found on our website and provided upon request, dining patrons are highly encouraged to communicate their dietary restrictions to a manager upon visiting any of our retail dining establishments. Our staff are knowledgeable of the menus and food preparation methods, and would be happy to assist you during your visit. Please note: the Coffee House, or CoHo, located in the Memorial Union, is run by ASUCD and not part of UC Davis Dining Services. Additionally, food trucks are independent businesses with their own practices. While Dining Services assists with answering allergy-related questions, food trucks are not operated or supervised by Dining Services. Please plan accordingly when dining at these establishments.
What About Latitude?
While not a DC, Latitude is a restaurant that accepts meal card swipes, and features authentic cultural cuisine from around the world. In order to respect and preserve the cultural authenticity of the dishes served, Latitude chefs strive to create global cuisines that accurately represent a variety of international culinary traditions. Some dishes, therefore, may contain possible choking hazards (including whole spices, peppers, and bones) and/or major food allergens. While precautions are taken to ensure accurate and transparent labeling, Latitude dishes are prepared in a facility that also processes most major food allergens, and therefore may potentially contain major allergens and ingredients of concern. Please note that our Residential Dining Dietary Support Program is not offered at Latitude. If you have a severe food allergy or other dietary restriction, it is highly recommended that you speak to a Latitude manager first and communicate your dietary needs. Learn more about Latitude Dining and Restaurant at the Latitude Restaurant website.
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