YOUR IN-DEPTH GUIDE TO SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS AT SUMMER CAMP

When your summer camper has a food allergen or health restriction, the question isn’t only “will there be something they can eat?” It’s also “will they feel like everyone else?” That’s what we’re working to answer here.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT MEALS

The first event after Monday check-in is lunch. It’s here that we encourage campers to introduce themselves to the special diets team.

Every meal is served through a dedicated special diets door, located to the right of the main serving lines in the dining hall. It’s staffed, clearly marked, and the same door for every meal, so your camper learns the routine once and then repeats it for the rest of the week. Please inform your camper’s counselor during check-in so they can help make their experience as smooth as possible.

If no one is at the door, your camper can step inside. Someone from the kitchen will help them.

Campers on Jump Start or Fresh Start receive their meals in individually labeled to-go boxes. Fresh Start campers on the rafting trip will receive a fully customized, individually packed set of menu items and cookware built around their specific needs to avoid confusion and cross-contact.

Here’s one thing every special diets camper can expect: we try our best to make sure that every special diets meal is nearly identical to what is served in the main lines.

WHAT WE ACCOMMODATE

The special diets program is built to serve our guests with specific food allergies and health restrictions, not dietary preferences.

The most common needs we serve include gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and tree nut or peanut allergies. If your camper’s needs don’t fit neatly into a category, that’s okay. Reach out before the summer, and we’ll work with you from there.

HOW IT’S PREPARED

Our full-time food service team is ServSafe certified in allergen handling, but the way we run special diets goes well beyond a certification.

Everything in our special diets kitchen is purple. That’s not an aesthetic choice. Purple is the industry standard color for allergen handling, and we use it as a visual system to make sure nothing gets mixed up in a busy kitchen. Purple aprons on our special diets cooks. Purple spatulas, whisks, cutting boards, mixer, prep cart, hot pads. If it touches a special diets meal, it’s purple, and it stays that way.

Our special diets cooks are the only staff members allowed to touch special diets equipment, no exceptions.

They work as a dedicated team during meals: one cook takes orders at the door and relays them to their partner, who plates the meal. That hand-off system keeps special diets food away from the main serving lines entirely.

Storage is just as intentional. Special diets ingredients have their own designated shelf in dry storage and the walk-in freezer, and a separate cooler for refrigerated items. Special diets food is never stored on the same shelf, in the same hot box, or baked in the same oven as anything from the main kitchen. The separation isn’t just during prep. It’s the whole system.

For meals outside the dining hall, including cookouts and to-go meals for Jump Start and Fresh Start campers, our special diets cooks prep and label every ingredient in advance so the right food gets to the right camper every time.

We take celiac seriously and prep with that standard in mind across the board. We do not serve anything that contains or may contain peanuts or tree nuts from the dining hall serving lines.

THERE’S ALWAYS ENOUGH

We prepare enough for every camper to eat until they’re full, including your camper. The goal is the same experience for everyone. Special diets shouldn’t mean smaller portions or fewer options, and we plan to make sure it doesn’t.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

Every individual allergy and dietary restriction must be listed on your camper’s registration form. Not the broad category. Every specific allergen.

If your camper is allergic to tree nuts, list the specific ones. Even sensitivities matter to us, so please list any sensitivities in addition to allergens. The more our kitchen team knows before your camper arrives, the better we can prepare.

In the past, we’ve had campers list sensitivities or allergens on their registration form, but choose to forego the special dietary need once they’re on-site. As an example, a camper with a dairy sensitivity might take Lactaid medication and eat meals from the regular serving lines rather than participating in our special diets program for the week. If your camper does something similar at home, there’s no need to list their sensitivity on their registration form. If your camper takes medication for allergies or sensitivities, please be sure to follow all of our medication policies.

If a camper on our special diets list misses three consecutive meals, we assume they no longer need dietary accommodation service from us.

Please ensure your camper’s registration reflects their current needs and restrictions.

If anything changes between registration and arrival, contact us; we’re happy to help.

NOT SURE IF YOU’RE ON THE LIST?

If your camper is registered and their dietary needs are on file, come to the special diets door, and we’ll take care of the rest. If you’re not sure they’re listed, or if something was missed at registration, stop by the kitchen when you arrive and talk to someone. If your camper is not on our list and they show up at our door, we will gladly add them to it! We encourage all campers to visit the special diets door if they know they have an allergy or sensitivity.

NEED TO BRING YOUR OWN FOOD?

Reach out to our food service team at [email protected] before your camper’s session, and we’ll work through it together.

FOOD SERVICE AS A MINISTRY

Feeding campers with food allergens or health restrictions isn’t just a logistical box we check. It’s part of the ministry we do here. When a camper with a restrictive diet sits down to a full plate and feels like everyone else at the table, they’re cared for, and they belong.

If you want to know more about how we feed thousands of campers each summer, visit our food page. For any additional questions or concerns, reach out to our food service team at [email protected] before your camper’s session, and we’ll work through it together.