Dining and Meals

Meals at Commons Dining Hall

You will eat most of your meals at the Commons, a W&M dining center that is a short distance from Poplar Hall. Your first meal will be dinner on the night you arrive at W&M. In addition to offering vegetarian options at every meal and pizza and salads at lunch and dinner every day, the Commons has stations that offer food without gluten or seven of the most common allergens: milk, eggs, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, and wheat.

Meals During Extended Site Visits

You will have several site visits that will last all day and NIAHD will provide sandwiches or pizza for lunch with chips, fruit, and dessert on the side. If you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, we will make sure that you will have a lunch that you can eat during your site visit.

Snacks and Meals in Williamsburg

While you will not need to buy meals at the restaurants near campus, you will have opportunities to eat at local restaurants. There is also a convenience store where you can get snacks and to-go meals. Vending machines for snacks are located throughout campus. Your NIAHD meal plan will not cover snacks or meals that you buy at Williamsburg restaurants or from vending machines on campus. NIAHD will not reimburse you or your parents/ guardians for these expenses.

Food Allergies and Dietary Restrictions

If you have food allergies and/or dietary restrictions, please include this information on your Student Health Form and contact NIAHD before you get to campus if you have any concerns. The more you tell us about your food allergies, the more we can do to find safe options for on- and off-campus meals and in the dorm if necessary.

You are your own best advocate when it comes to avoiding food allergies. NIAHD will notify the dining staff of any known dietary restrictions ahead of time so the staff at the Commons can prepare. In addition, we encourage you to talk with a chef or a server at the Commons when you arrive on campus about your food allergies and/or dietary restrictions. The servers often keep safe alternatives in the kitchen and only bring them out to the dining area when asked so the food does not become contaminated.