Many students can eat what they want without worrying about the ingredients, which on a college budget might come in handy.

But there are those who do not have that luxury.

Alex Hutchinson, one of two winners of the blue category in the Saluki App Competition, has an app for that. The Gluten Free Converter shared the first place prize with SI Trails and enables users to convert recipes and assist people with gluten-free cooking.

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Hutchinson, a senior from Johnsburg studying finance and marketing, said he derived his inspiration from his upbringing.

“Me, my dad and my brother all suffer from celiac disease,” he said. “It’s a hereditary disease that affects the digestive system. Since we all shared the disease, my mom had to come up with alternative ingredients so we could eat food.”

Celiac disease makes the small intestine hypersensitive to gluten, leading to difficulty digesting food.

Hutchinson said his brother was perceived to have attention deficit disorder. When the doctors discovered his brother had celiac disease he was switched to a gluten-free lifestyle and began focusing better.

Student Health Center Wellness Coordinator Lynn Gill said one in 133 Americans, or 1 percent of the population, have celiac disease.

“CD remains undiagnosed in the United States,” she said. “This condition is not entirely accepted in the medical community, but is thought to impact as many as 18 million Americans.”

Gill said gluten refers to a broad group of prolamins, which are a group of proteins found in wheats such as rye, barley, triticale, kamut and spelt. When someone with CD consumes gluten, it sparks an immune response which damages the small intestine — as a result, it can lead to malnutrition and a variety of other potentially serious complications, she said.

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The Saluki App competition was not the first time Hutchinson pitched his app to the public.

“I won $500 in funding at a national convention in Chicago,” he said. “I was the only finalist who won off a conceptual idea, compared to the other finalists who actually had their prototypes.”

Building the app is expensive — it will cost $60,000-$100,000 to complete, Hutchinson said.

“I currently have two strategies to get funding: a Kickstarter campaign and presenting at as many competitions as possible,” he said. “Hopefully, we can catch the attention of as many programmers and investors as possible.”

Hutchinson said anyone could consider a gluten free lifestyle, regardless of whether they have digestion issues.

“People assume that they have to give up their favorite foods and this app proves that’s not true,” he said. “This app lets everyone eat the same meal and no one is singled out.”

Gill said those who choose to adopt a gluten free lifestyle could reduce their symptoms of CD significantly.

“People without CD who adopt this lifestyle for the purpose of weight loss will be disappointed,” she said. “Gluten free foods are not necessarily low calorie. In fact, many foods can have more calories than their gluten containing counterparts.”

In addition to the added calories, Hutchinson said the lifestyle comes with other challenges.

“Going out to restaurants is hard,” he said. “I usually have to speak to chefs before I order to make sure there is no cross contamination with gluten. One wrong ingredient can give me really bad abdominal pains and migraines.”

Arias Rias, a freshman from Chicago studying secondary education, said she is excited Hutchinson’s app is becoming a reality — she has a relative affected by celiac disease.

“My grandmother is on a gluten-free diet and I’m a pescatarian,” she said. “Cooking is a little bit harder because you have to go searching for certain ingredients. It’s also more expensive. On average, I think we spend three dollars more than what we normally would on regular items.”

Rias said she understands why people choose a gluten-free lifestyle, even if they do not have dietary issues.

“I wouldn’t do it personally because as a college student it just doesn’t fit into my budget, but it is better to eat that way. If you can afford it, being gluten-free is healthier for your heart and mind.”

Rias said as soon as the app becomes available, she will download it.

“The app would save me a bunch of time off Google, and I know my grandmother would especially like it,” she said.

Kia Smith can be reached at [email protected] on Twitter at @KiaSmith or 536-3311.