By Kate Glick ’26
Most kids at school worry about whether the Mac and Cheese in the cafeteria will be cheesy enough or hope for french fry pizza on Fridays. However, students with food allergies and intolerances have completely different concerns. These students could suffer anaphylactic shock or an upset stomach if they eat the foods they are allergic or intolerant to. Their concerns go far beyond the menu of the day.
Is school a place where these students can feel secure knowing that they won’t come in contact with these foods? Or is it a place where they must be wary of what they consume? Do students with allergies and intolerances feel seen and accommodated at school? Furthermore, do these students feel that they receive a variety of safe options equal to the rest of the student body?
Out of over 800 students at TLS school, approximately 9%, have food allergies or intolerances. That is around 80 students! These include allergies to nuts, sesame, eggs and dairy. Other students have celiac disease or intolerances to gluten and dairy.
“The main allergy that we worry about is gluten,” Estremera said. “We make sure that we personally prepare the gluten free items separate from everything else.”
School lunch is the most prominent example of where students with allergies and intolerances encounter challenges. Jesus Estremera, the head of the kitchen staff, explains how they handle allergies at school and accommodate these students.
Ninth grader Harry Lackowitz, who has celiac disease, feels the food in the cafeteria is a struggle, and therefore opted not to sign up for school lunch.
“I can’t trust the food because I don’t know that it’s 100% gluten free,” Lackowitz said. “So, I just bring food from home.”
It is evident that there is miscommunication between students with allergies/food intolerances and the school. Lackowitz explains his mistrust about the gluten free food, while in reality, the food is prepared in a completely separate area.
Freshman Ilana Wechsler, who is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, other nuts and sesame, explains how she feels about the school lunch. She is registered for school lunch, but often doesn’t eat it.
“You don’t always know what you can eat, and it’s important to be sure so that you feel comfortable eating the food.”
Wechsler’s main concern is knowing what is safe to eat for specific allergies and intolerances, including her own.
While Wechsler’s concerns are completely valid, Estremera explains their policy on nuts and sesame in school lunch that many students are possibly unaware of.
“We don’t use any items that may contain nuts or sesame,” Estremera said. “Even if the ingredient is manufactured in a facility with nuts or sesame, we don’t use it.”
Food on school trips is also an issue for people with allergies and food intolerances. While there are typically special options for these students, there are often problems with the provisions.
Freshman Bailey Levine explains an unfortunate situation that arose on a recent field trip.
“There were many regular (gluten) pizza pies but there was only one single serve gluten free pizza pie ordered for four kids,” Levin said.
Lackowitz also gives his opinion on the shortage of gluten free food during the trip.
“The main thing is on a trip, they can’t run out of food,” Lackowitz said.
TLS could do more to cater to these students and additional communication is a great place to start.
“I feel like there should be some sort of superior who handles the allergies at school,” Levin said. “There might already be one, but if there is, they’re not really representing us enough, and no one knows who it is.”
Sophomore Natalie Flaxman who is dairy free, agrees. She can often eat the provided treats if they are pareve, but when the food is dairy, it’s a different situation. Flaxman is also unaware if there is someone handling the allergen friendly food.
The goal is to instill confidence that the food options have been reviewed, are sufficiently available, and that all kids feel represented. Estremera’s confirmation about allergy friendly food that is already offered during school lunch is proof of the miscommunication that has been occurring.
Three freshmen have already started an advocacy group, “Advocacy for Allergies and other Food Intolerances” to champion these improvements.
It seems clear that TLS, while taking steps to provide food for students with allergies and intolerances, could do more to communicate and label these foods. In fact, in the past few months, TLS has begun providing allergy labels on most lunch options.
