Jain-friendly meal options introduced to dining halls amid controversy

Recent accommodations to dining halls mean that many students who had previously received Jainism-based religious accommodations are no longer exempt from the meal plan.

In January, Stanford Residential and Dining Enterprises (R&DE) began rolling out the new Jain-friendly dining options in all dining halls. This development preceded viral allegations this February, which claimed that students commonly lie about following the Jain diet in order to obtain exemptions from the University’s mandatory meal plan.

The controversy stemmed from an article published in The Times by Elsa Johnson ’27. “The students I know who claim to be Jain (but aren’t) spend their meal money at Whole Foods instead… while the rest of us are stuck with college meals,’” Johnson wrote.

Following publication, numerous Indian news outlets, like NDTV and Firstpost, published similar claims. However, some included incorrect details. For example, coverage from The Times of India misattributed Johnson’s article to a “Sebastian Connolly” and claimed it was published in The New York Times. 

Jainism is an Indian religion involving a strict form of vegetarianism, grounded in nonviolence. While Jain students practice to varying degrees, especially when away from home, the Jain diet generally involves avoiding meat, seafood, mushrooms, eggs and root vegetables like onion, garlic and potatoes. 

According to R&DE, meal plan accommodations “are granted only for serious medical issues/disabilities or religious reasons.” Students with faith-based accommodations must connect with Stanford Office for Religious and Spiritual Life (ORSL), which then submits requests to R&DE on the student’s behalf. 

“Stanford Dining approaches all exemption and accommodation requests in good faith and through an established review process,” wrote Eric Montell, assistant vice provost for Stanford Dining, Hospitality & Auxiliaries, in an email to The Daily.

At the primary and largest Jain-friendly station at Gerhard Casper Dining Hall, which was implemented in the fall, the new menu incorporates vegetables, legumes, whole grains and spices. “Clear labeling, intentional menu design and the use of separate service ware where appropriate help students dine with confidence and ease,” Montell wrote.

The menu at Casper was developed in collaboration with ORSL after recent years saw an increase in students reporting that they observe the Jain diet. Through expanding dining options, R&DE aims to maximize the number of students who “feel supported within the residential dining program,” Montell wrote. He directed Jain students to eat at the dedicated station at Casper.

A student who previously falsely claimed to be Jain said that the tactic stopped working at the beginning of winter quarter. “All of a sudden, [R&DE] said ‘we’re opening Jain dining to accommodate students’ and put everyone back on the meal plan,” they said. The student requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation.

Jain student Prisha Shroff ’29, who followed a strict Jain diet at home and hoped to continue it at Stanford, appreciates the new station at Casper.

“Every once in a while, I look at the Jain food and I’m like, ‘Oh, this doesn’t look very appetizing,’ and they’re pretty accommodating,” she said. “They can make me things if I let them know.”

Beyond Casper Dining, Shroff says that the new Jain-friendly stations at all dining halls also allow her to eat with friends from her dorm.

For Shroff, the impact of the new food options matters more than the fact that others lied about their faith to receive exemptions.

“Honestly, whatever happened happened for the better because now Jain food is an option,” she said. “I’ve heard so many stories from my other Jain friends who cannot eat at their schools. Even if they get a meal exemption, it’s still chaos to try to figure out what they can eat.”

Since September, R&DE has been working to train all staff members on new accommodation practices like limiting the use of a seasoning salt. 

“The managers have to make sure the labels are correct and double-check,” Wells said. “I walk around and I’m checking labels. Our nutritionist is going around; she’s checking labels.”

Moving forward, R&DE plans to expand the Jain-friendly section at Casper through a collaboration with Chef Mai Pham, who also provides Asian food to Wilbur Dining through her food concept company Star Ginger.

“Changes can happen just that quickly,” Wells said. “We can say ‘this is a need that has been relayed to us and what can we do?’”

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