GENERAL INFO

 

Dietary Restrictions

North Carolina Outward Bound strives to accommodate many dietary restrictions.

We encourage applicants to share with us their dietary needs during the admissions process. We regularly accommodate vegetarian, pescatarian, dairy free, gluten free and more. We dedicate considerable resources to meeting dietary needs by substituting or omitting food items for an individual or for the whole group.  

If you disclose a dietary restriction like lactose free, dairy free, gluten free, etc., we will plan for you to maintain that diet restriction during course unless you specify otherwise. Therefore, please only include dietary restrictions you are committed to maintaining during course to minimize potential food waste. 

We urge caregivers of youth applicants to discuss dietary restrictions prior to completing the application materials, to confirm alignment on the information provided to us.  

Preferences 

Our primary goal is to meet students’ dietary allergies or intolerance/ sensitivities. The addition of food preferences could further influence the menu items we can provide.  

Our staff members, who have had years of experience in the field, find that once students with food preferences engage in our rigorous backcountry, wilderness-based activities, those same students tend to (at least temporarily) broaden their food choices. We believe students may find these foods surprisingly appealing during their course due to their bodies’ increased need for calories. 

Dietary Allergies, Intolerances and Sensitivities 

NCOBS cannot guarantee there will be no exposure to known allergens. If the applicant has had an anaphylactic response related to a dietary allergen, we must consider our remote wilderness area as we determine the appropriateness of our programs for the applicant. 

Depending on the severity of the allergy, NCOBS can accommodate by:  

  • Purchasing foods labeled as being free of the known allergen 
  • Packing out allergen free foods separately to reduce the potential for cross contamination 

A dietary intolerance or sensitivity can also typically be accommodated on course. If you can tolerate the food item in limited amounts, please disclose these details in your application materials so that we may strive to broaden the range of foods we provide. 

Religious Requirements 

North Carolina Outward Bound strives to accommodate religious dietary requirements. Please disclose your requirements in your application materials and call your Student Services Representative if you have questions.  

We urge caregivers of youth applicants to discuss dietary restrictions prior to completing the application materials, to confirm alignment on the information provided to us.   

Food Aversions 

Depending on the food aversions, NCOBS can accommodate by: 

  • Allowing applicants the choice not to eat certain foods/ingredients we provide. 
  • Allowing applicants the choice to bring alternative foods to what we provide. 

 We encourage applicants who indicate highly restricted diets to review our  Essential Eligibility Criteria and note this requirement specific to nutrition and hydration: 

Learn and perform essential self-care....maintaining adequate hydration, nutrition... and managing any known medical conditions for the duration of course, often more than a day from advanced medical care.  

Please call your Student Services Representative if you have concerns about the applicant’s ability to meet our Essential Eligibility Criteria. 

Picky Eaters 

Outward Bound requires daily physical activity that often exceeds an applicant’s level of physical activity in everyday life.  

We urge caregivers of youth applicants to discuss eating habits prior to completing the application materials, to confirm alignment on the information provided to us.  

Over the years, we have observed students with picky eating habits are most successful on course when they are willing and able to broaden (at least temporarily) their food choices due to their bodies’ increased need for calories. Please review our  Essential Eligibility Criteria and note this requirement specific to nutrition and hydration: 

Learn and perform essential self-care, including dressing appropriately for protection from environmental conditions (such as sun, rain, cold, etc.), maintaining adequate hydration, nutrition, and personal hygiene, and managing any known medical conditions for the duration of course, often more than a day from advanced medical care.  

Please call your Student Services Representative if you have concerns about the applicant’s ability to meet our Essential Eligibility Criteria.