College Vegans / Vegetarians

[funkyfitfreak]

Hey all.

 

I'm heading to college in the US for a semester in the Spring and wanted to plan ahead.

 

I've applied for housing and I've been forced to purchase a meal plan (ie. eat cafeteria food).

 

I want to plan ahead and anticipate what might occur. I am currently vegetarian which may make it easier.

 

Does anyone who has gone through a US college, been vegetarian or vegan and eaten well???

What sort of non-meat food do they serve at those dining halls? (we are not really forced to eat from the cafeteria down here and so i usually bring food)

From reading the uni's website there is little to no cooking facilities if anyone suggests cooking for myself. I'm sure I might be suprised if there are.

 

Any experiences would be appreciated.

 

Cheers

[lobsteriffic]

I lived in a dorm in Canada...although that was 8 years ago.

 

At the time I was a vegetarian, I ate dairy and eggs, which made things a lot easier. I believe they were required my law to have at least one vegetarian entree available each day. There was also a salad bar. Usually the vegetarian entree was pasta and sauce, a veggie casserole, etc. Breakfast there was eggs and toast and hashbrowns....lunch they had a line where you could build your own sandwich or wrap. Honestly it was very carb-heavy and I'm not sure I would have eaten very well had I been vegan. But like I said, this was 8 years ago, so things have probably improved since then.

 

What school are you attending? Is there any way you could see if they have some sort of menu for you to check out?

[myownsummer_5]

From as far as ai know most rooms have a sink and room to have like a microwave, so you can re-heat meals purchased out.

 

Also what uni are you going to?

 

I was at St. Cloud State in MN

 

when it comes to food you can prepare boca burgers will go decent for a quick bite but most places you go to give you so much food you just take it home and eat it later and food isnt hat dear.

[cubby2112]

I just finished at a state university in Illinois last May. When I lived in the dorms a couple years ago, they always had a well-stocked salad bar, usually with some beans or tofu available. As a vegetarian, you will likely find cheese and eggs to use, also. As a vegan, the hot options could be difficult, with many items labeled vegan actually only being vegetarian. There were always plenty of vegetarian options, though, some unintentionally vegetarian. They always had Boca burgers available.

 

A blender in your dorm room with plenty of fruit and protein powder of some sort may be your best friends.

[LoganKost]

I'm vegan and have been for the year and a half i've been attending ASU. You should be able to find vegan and vegetarian options available in both your university market/dorm market, and the cafeteria/food courts. I don't live on campus, but I had friends who were vegan and lived on campus and it wasn't a problem. I would also suggest buying a lot of things you can heat up in a microwave, it's not the healthiest obviously, but it will probably come in handy.

[CollegeB]

My college in Texas had a whole service line for vegans/vegetarians. I think PETA puts out some list of the schools with the best veg food programs.

[Fallen_Horse]

Yeah, don't come to the School of Mines. Good programs, terrible food, especially for vegans. TERRIBLE.

[Lyric]

Right now I gave up the hope of decent food, and just spend the extra bit and shop/cook for myself. I got tired of trying to explain what gelatin is, and why I cannot have any.

[funkyfitfreak]

Thanks for the responses.

 

I'm heading to a uni in NC. They have the names of dining halls on their website but no actual menus.

 

I did hear something similar that by law they had to provide a vegetarian option. I'm still educating myself on the differences in Vegan and Vegetarian and trying to stay away from stuff like Oyster sauce, gelatin related products just in case I decide to cross over fully. I know college in the US without a kitchen isn't the platform to cross over (maybe).

 

I did read on another forum that in some dining halls they tend to serve meals based around things like mushrooms and kale (which doesn't sound too bad). Not sure how true or untrue that is.

[sift to the seven]

Sounds like it varies by school. I went to Occidental my freshman year of college (Obama went there) and the food there was so good and they had awesome vegan options. At least thats how I remember it. I almost want to go there for grad school just to enjoy the cafeteria some more. Hehe.

 

It was also my first time on my own in a big city so i went exploring and went to the farmers market and health food stores for fun and variety. I think some dorms might either have a kitchen or you could get a small fridge for your room.

 

You wont go hungry! But it is harder at least at first, especially if you want to eat healthy; not too much soy, whole grains, etc.

 

Good luck!

[funkyfitfreak]

I just want to thank everyone for their suggestions prior to me going to college. I also thought I'd reporton my condition. I am at UNC at the moment in North Carolina and the vegetarian food is good.

 

Whilst I have to make my own food combinations, the selection does allow me to eat pretty well. I am trying to cut down on egg as I realise that might be my only complete protein. I have been upping my legume intake due to this cutting.

 

Anyway. Thanks y'all

[chrisjs]

Depends on the college. Rutgers in NJ would often have very good options: vegan taco meat, vegan meatball subs, breakfast links, tofu stir-fries, veggie burgers, etc. But it was hit or miss, some days they had two or three hot vegan options and other days nothing. There was still always a salad bar with hummus and often cubed tofu available (which unfortunately looked very similar to some cubed white cheese).

[strawberryriddick]

It does vary by school, but I recommend making your own food. You should be at least given a microwave, and you can see if you can get yourself an electric skillet (really cheap, about $25 for a new one). This way, you can cook in your room and not have to be at the mercy of whatever the hell they're serving.

[HawaiiDolphin]

It's pretty easy to make your own food, even if the dining hall is no help.

You definitely want to get a microwave, minifridge, and blender. You can get all of that for less than $75US and they will save your life. Stock up on easy things like nondairy milk and cereal, bars, and other stuff.

Also, most places have at least a salad bar. I don't much care for salad every meal of the day like some do, but you can nuke the veggies with different sauces and make impromptu stir-fry.

Also, if push comes to shove, oriental ramen is vegan. *Braces self for onslaught of OMG MSG WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE feedback*

[Northstar]

I think in a situation like that it really depends how you are willing to eat. I could easily eat with zero cooking or preparation as long as I had a fridge (not that I am raw or dont cook at all, I cook lots). I would get by just fine on nuts and seads, raw veggies and fruit, and other meal replacement items like vega bars (love em).

[godisagnostic]

It depends on where you go to college. I go to NYU and it's pretty vegan friendly, except for weekends when the vegan options all but cease to exist. You will have to get creative most likely and mix various items to make a meal. Most places will have a salad bar with beans, veggies, and some very slightly cooked tofu. If the dining hall has a microwave you can nuke the tofu to make it more delish.

 

A can of beans, some salsa, and corn tortillas is cheap and will serve you a very good meal or two. I recommend having a lot of stuff like that if the dining hall isn't great.