How To Eat Vegan and Vegetarian in the College Dining Hall
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
By
With one in five college students considering herself a vegetarian, campus dining halls can’t ignore the meatless masses. But can they provide tasty and healthy alternatives to chicken and beef? “We offer at least two vegetarian/vegan entree items at each meal,” says John Povermo, executive sous chef at Wellesley College. “We also offer one vegetarian soup for each meal.” “They try,” says Stephanie Buhle, a Wellesley senior who became vegetarian at 13, when her brother’s veganism caused her to realize she didn’t support the policies of meat processing plants. “I think it’s admirable that they try. They make things with tofu. If there’s a stir-fry with chicken, they’ll take it out for me. But then it’s just onions and peppers.” She finds herself often supplementing her meals with cereal and soymilk.
And that’s just it: there are plenty of eating alternatives for vegetarians on college campuses; they just don’t necessarily contain the proper nutrients. Pizza and veggie burgers are served almost everywhere, but these grease-soaked foods just add more starch and minimal amounts of protein to vegetarians’ diets. Of course, you could be like Molly Fitzpatrick, a junior at Harvard and also a vegetarian (“I’m a big softie for animals,” she says) who works at balancing her diet but is willing to throw a little more caution to the wind. “I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, veggie burgers, and a disproportionate number of desserts,” says Molly. “My ideal diet consists solely of cake and cookies anyway, so I'm doing okay.” 
But what are the health concerns for vegans and vegetarians? Nutritionist Michele Sandone takes us through five components of a healthy diet that are often missed by vegans and vegetarians, and tells us how to make sure to fit them in—even in the campus dining hall.
Protein. “Protein can be an issue, but people think it’s more of an issue than it is,” says Michele. Still, protein is key to muscle repair and maintenance, so it’s important to supplement a vegetarian diet with protein sources like black beans, chickpeas, legumes, and quinoa, a grain. “Tempeh, tofu, those are all good sources of protein,” says Michele, but she cautions against the ‘chicken’ parmesan entrees some dining halls serve. “People rely so much on the meat analogs, the soy burgers and that kind of stuff. It’s still a processed a food; it’s not bad but it’s not good to overdo it.”
Iron. Iron comes in two forms, and the issue here for vegetarians is less about getting iron; it’s about getting the right form. Heme forms, which are easy for the body to absorb, are found only in meat sources such as turkey or beef. Plant sources of iron, such as spinach, only contain non-heme forms, which are tougher for the body to absorb. To prevent anemia, a decrease in red blood cells sometimes caused by iron deficiency, Michele recommends “eating things like Vitamin C, which increase the body’s ability to absorb iron.” Citrus foods such as oranges and grapefruit contain high amounts of vitamin C, as do certain vegetables like kale and broccoli.
B12. More of a problem for vegans than vegetarians, B12 is only found in animal products. Vegetarians can get it from dairy and eggs, but those who keep a strict vegan diet with no animal byproducts whatsoever are out of luck. Like iron deficiency, B12 deficiency can cause anemia. So what’s a vegan to do? “Take a supplement,” advises Michele.
Calcium. Calcium is also commonly missing from vegetarian diets; like B12, it’s more of an issue for vegans than vegetarians, since it’s found in dairy products like cheese, yogurt, and milk. But unlike with B12, a trip to the salad bar can help vegans get the necessary calcium to fight off losses in bone and teeth strength that cause osteoporosis and osteopenia. “Certain leafy greens, like broccoli, swiss chard, spinach, bok choy, and kale contain calcium,” says Michele. And current food trends have made even more calcium options available. “With the way the food supply is now, we’re fortifying a lot of stuff, so if you’re eating soymilk you’re getting calcium”.
Vegetables. Wait, what?!? “Surprisingly, most vegetarians and vegans are lacking in vegetables,” explains Michele. “They eat more starches, substituting meat in their diet with things like whole grains, starches, and cheese.” To avoid this, Michele recommends meal planning, especially for those just switching over to a vegetarian or vegan diet. “Try to aim for a more well-rounded diet and make sure there’s some vegetable,” she advises. This will help vegetarians avoid a common health trap, one that’s particularly easy to slip into in college: daily pizza consumption. So, vegetarians and vegans, listen to Michele and eat your vegetables! So what does a healthy, well-balanced vegan or vegetarian diet look like in college? Check out our sample daily meal plans below, approved by nutritionist Kelly Klacziewicz! These can help guide you to get you started on your own nutritious meatless munching!
Vegan: Breakfast Take a slice of whole wheat toast, spread on peanut butter, and add a few apple or banana slices. Pair with an orange or half a grapefruit. Lunch Head to the salad bar and combine broccoli, chickpeas, onion, and tomato. Use red wine vinegar and small amount of olive oil as dressing. Dinner Try a tofu and vegetable stir-fry (easily available if your college has a sauté station!) and pair it with a small portion of brown rice. Make a side salad using spinach as a base, adding your favorite vegetables and top with olive oil & vinegar or a low-fat vegan dressing.
Vegetarian: Breakfast Mix low or non-fat yogurt with low-fat granola. Top with berries or pair with half a grapefruit or an orange. Lunch Head to the salad bar and combine spinach, hard-boiled egg, tomato, onion, and cucumber for a vegetarian Cobb salad. Sprinkle on a small amount of feta cheese, and top with a low fat dressing. Dinner Try a Mexican dish like black bean and cheese quesadillas. These may be greasy, but try wiping off excess grease with a napkin. Pair with a side salad chock-full of your favorite veggies, but skip the cheese and croutons and use a low-fat dressing.
Sources: Molly Fitzpatrick, vegetarian and Harvard student Stephanie Buhle, vegetarian and Wellesley student John Povermo, Executive Sous Chef, Wellesley College Michele Sandone, RD and MS, owner of Innovative Nutrition Options LLC Kelly Klacziewicz , RD, UCSF Children’s Hospital http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-healthy_u/ci_13253943
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About the Author
Biography
Elana Altman adores alliteration, and thus is majoring in economics and minoring in English at Wellesley College, where she is a senior. At Wellesley, she’s co-editor-in-chief of Legenda, the yearbook, and has occasionally contributed to the monthly magazine Counterpoint and the weekly newspaper The Wellesley News. She’s originally from Glen Rock, NJ, which is 30 minutes from NYC and 15 minutes from 5 different malls. Currently, Elana's in Harrisburg, PA, where she’s a features intern for the Patriot-News. She’s previously interned at The Record and TWIST magazine. After college, she is considering moving to Los Angeles to fulfill her lifelong dream of getting a tan, though she wouldn't mind a job either. Elana enjoys anything with coffee in it, cooking, a few good TV shows, and a few too many terrible ones.
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Comments
Going vegetarian doesn't have to be all or nothing! I eat vegetarian 97% of the time, but if I'm somewhere where it would be extremely difficult or if the meat/fish just looks absolutely incredible, I'll eat a little! I don't understand why people feel the need to label themselves. I'm "vegetarian" because I love animals, for health reasons, and because I've never felt like it was totally necessary, but I know eating a little meat or fish a couple times a month isn't going to hurt anything. In fact, I think it's made me eat better, because nothing is off limits- I CHOOSE not to eat meat/fish...unless I do!
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Oh well, never been a vegetarian myself and I could eat whatever I like ( I'm gaining weight ). I find it hard to eat veggies really.
While I realize that some people feel good about going vegan/vegetarian, I don't understand why anyone would want to do it.
Yes, the point has been brought up that it helps people to 'have more energy' and people 'feel better', but I eat my protein in the form of meat every single day, go to Spin class at the Y three times a week, and get plenty of sleep, and I have never felt better in my life.
It is mentioned in the first paragraph that Ms. Buhle didn't support the way animals were being harvested in packing plants. There are a MULTITUDE of regulations that have been put in place to ensure that the process is done as humanely as possible. Using Temple Grandin's design (http://grandin.com/humane/rec.slaughter.html) coupled with HACCP and USDA regulations, I can ensure you that this is nothing to be concerned about.
Also, have you considered all the by-products that you use every day that come from animals? Just to name a few: Shampoo/Conditioner, Make-Up, Lotions, ink pens, jello, gum, leather products, pharmaceuticals (pain killers actually come from the gall bladder), and the list goes on and on. (http://butlergrizzlies.wordpress.com/2011/02/03/oprah-goes-vegan/)
Im not here to tell anyone what they should and should not be eating and doing. Im just trying to raise awareness. So, just think about what your goals are the the motives behind them, and are you really as successful as you think?
While there are regulations for the slaughterhouse and meat-packaging industry, the regulations are not always followed and are loosely (or not at all) enforced. The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act which requires animals to be stunned insensate before death is really the only major piece of legislation governing the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses. However, because efficiency and economic gain drive the meat-packing industry, slaughterhouses are usually understaffed and rushed. Becuase there are fewer workers working, and more animals are being slaughtered than at any other point in history in order to maximize profit, the workers often do not have the luxury to be careful when handling or working with animals.
Theoretically, the HMSA is enforced in two ways. Federal meat inspectors are authorized to ensure that HMSA is being followed in slaughterhouses. Should the inspectors find violations, inspection of the slaughterhouse may be suspended. As meat that has not been inspected cannot be sold, the suspension of inspection would theoretically be enough of a deterrence for slaughterhouses.
Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1967, violations of the HMSA may be penalized by up to 1 year in prison and a $1,000 fine. It is, however, important to note that there have been rarely any cases of prosecutions for inhumane slaughter and there has never been a fine handed out over a violation of HMSA. This means that essentially the FMIA is rarely enforced, leaving the suspension of meat inspection the only enforcement for HMSA in practice. Even a suspension is not a significant deterrent, as suspensions typically last no longer than a day.
According to a report made by the Animal Welfare Institute in 2010, "of the 169 federally inspected plants that have been suspended for humane slaughter violations since January 1, 2005, 50 (or 30 percent) have been suspended more than once within a one-year period. Of these plants, 10 were suspended between 3-5 times within a one-year period." Furthermore, individuals found to have violated HMSA's regulations concerning the handling and slaughtering of animals--even in cases of extreme and intentional animal cruelty--are not penalized in any way.
Although the HMSA was intended to regulate slaughterhouses and rid them of inhumane slaughter methods, the reality is that many slaughterhouses today still violate the HMSA. Case in point--the 2001 expose in the Washington Post entitled "They Die Piece by Piece," which uncovered horrifying violations of the HMSA in slaughterhouses in Washington state and elsewhere. It chronicled reports of cattle being butchered while still fully conscious and noted that the "USDA rarely took significant enforcement action, even at slaughterhouses where repeated violations of the HMSA had occured."
A worker at a slaughterhouse in Pasco, Washington gave an interview wherein he talked about the cattle being slaughtered. "they blink. They make noises...The head moves, the eyes are wide and looking around. They die piece by piece."
Following the publication of the article, public uproar eventually led to Section 10305 in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, which declared that the USDA should "fully enforce" the HMSA and should track violations of the HMSA and "report the results and relevant trends annually to Congress." However, since no new penalizations were established for violations of the HMSA, the legislation was essentially left as weak as it was before.
So really, when you say you are trying to raise awareness, I think you had better look a little deeper into the issues concerning slaughterhouses before saying that the practices are completely humane.
Links:
http://www.law.duke.edu/shell/cite.pl?70+Law+&+Contemp.+Probs.+175+(winter+2007)
http://www.awionline.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/24598
http://www.animalliberationfront.com/Philosophy/Animal%20Testing/10ThingsYouWereNot2Know.htm
While there are regulations for the slaughterhouse and meat-packaging industry, the regulations are not always followed and are loosely (or not at all) enforced. The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act which requires animals to be stunned insensate before death is really the only major piece of legislation governing the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses. However, because efficiency and economic gain drive the meat-packing industry, slaughterhouses are usually understaffed and rushed. Because there are fewer workers working, and more animals are being slaughtered than at any other point in history in order to maximize profit, the workers often do not have the luxury to be careful when handling or working with animals.
Theoretically, the HMSA is enforced in two ways. Federal meat inspectors are authorized to ensure that HMSA is being followed in slaughterhouses. Should the inspectors find violations, inspection of the slaughterhouse may be suspended. As meat that has not been inspected cannot be sold, the suspension of inspection would theoretically be enough of a deterrence for slaughterhouses.
Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1967 (FMIA), violations of the HMSA may be penalized by up to 1 year in prison and a $1,000 fine. It is, however, important to note that there have been rarely any cases of prosecutions for inhumane slaughter and there has never been a fine handed out over a violation of HMSA. This means that essentially the FMIA is rarely enforced, leaving the suspension of meat inspection the only enforcement for HMSA in practice. Even a suspension is not a significant deterrent, as suspensions typically last no longer than a day.
According to a report made by the Animal Welfare Institute in 2010, “of the 169 federally inspected plants that have been suspended for humane slaughter violations since January 1, 2005, 50 (or 30 percent) have been suspended more than once within a one-year period, according to FSIS Quarterly Enforcement Reports. Of these plants, 10 were suspended between three and five times within a one-year period.” Furthermore, individuals found to have violated HMSA's regulations concerning the handling and slaughtering of animals—even in cases of extreme and intentional animal cruelty—are not penalized in any way.
Although the HMSA was intended to regulate slaughterhouses and rid them of inhumane slaughter methods, the reality is that many slaughterhouses today still violate the HMSA. Case in point, the 2001 expose in the Washington Post entitled “They Die Piece by Piece.” This uncovered horrifying violations of the HMSA in slaughterhouses in Washington state and elsewhere. It chronicled reports of cattle being butchered while still fully conscious and noted that the “USDA rarely took significant enforcement action, even at slaughterhouses where repeated violations of the HMSA had occurred.”
A worker at a slaughterhouse in Pasco, Washington gave an interview wherein he talked about the cattle being slaughtered. “They blink. They make noises...The head moves, the eyes are wide and looking around. They die piece by piece.”
Following the publication of the article, public uproar eventually led to Section 10305 in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, which declared that the USDA should “fully enforce” the HMSA and should track violations of the HMSA and “report the results and relevant trends annually to Congress.” However, since no new penalizations were established for violations of the HMSA, the legislation was essentially left as weak as it was before.
so really when you say you are trying to raise awareness, i think you should look a little deeper into the issues concerning slaughterhouses before saying that the practices are completely humane.
Links:
http://www.law.duke.edu/shell/cite.pl?70+Law+&+Contemp.+Probs.+175+(winter+2007)
http://www.awionline.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/24598
http://www.animalliberationfront.com/Philosophy/Animal%20Testing/10Thing...
While there are regulations for the slaughterhouse and meat-packaging industry, the regulations are not always followed and are loosely (or not at all) enforced. The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act which requires animals to be stunned insensate before death is really the only major piece of legislation governing the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses. However, because efficiency and economic gain drive the meat-packing industry, slaughterhouses are usually understaffed and rushed. Because there are fewer workers working, and more animals are being slaughtered than at any other point in history in order to maximize profit, the workers often do not have the luxury to be careful when handling or working with animals.
Theoretically, the HMSA is enforced in two ways. Federal meat inspectors are authorized to ensure that HMSA is being followed in slaughterhouses. Should the inspectors find violations, inspection of the slaughterhouse may be suspended. As meat that has not been inspected cannot be sold, the suspension of inspection would theoretically be enough of a deterrence for slaughterhouses.
Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1967 (FMIA), violations of the HMSA may be penalized by up to 1 year in prison and a $1,000 fine. It is, however, important to note that there have been rarely any cases of prosecutions for inhumane slaughter and there has never been a fine handed out over a violation of HMSA. This means that essentially the FMIA is rarely enforced, leaving the suspension of meat inspection the only enforcement for HMSA in practice. Even a suspension is not a significant deterrent, as suspensions typically last no longer than a day.
According to a report made by the Animal Welfare Institute in 2010, “of the 169 federally inspected plants that have been suspended for humane slaughter violations since January 1, 2005, 50 (or 30 percent) have been suspended more than once within a one-year period, according to FSIS Quarterly Enforcement Reports. Of these plants, 10 were suspended between three and five times within a one-year period.” Furthermore, individuals found to have violated HMSA's regulations concerning the handling and slaughtering of animals—even in cases of extreme and intentional animal cruelty—are not penalized in any way.
Although the HMSA was intended to regulate slaughterhouses and rid them of inhumane slaughter methods, the reality is that many slaughterhouses today still violate the HMSA. Case in point, the 2001 expose in the Washington Post entitled “They Die Piece by Piece.” This uncovered horrifying violations of the HMSA in slaughterhouses in Washington state and elsewhere. It chronicled reports of cattle being butchered while still fully conscious and noted that the “USDA rarely took significant enforcement action, even at slaughterhouses where repeated violations of the HMSA had occurred.”
A worker at a slaughterhouse in Pasco, Washington gave an interview wherein he talked about the cattle being slaughtered. “They blink. They make noises...The head moves, the eyes are wide and looking around. They die piece by piece.”
Following the publication of the article, public uproar eventually led to Section 10305 in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, which declared that the USDA should “fully enforce” the HMSA and should track violations of the HMSA and “report the results and relevant trends annually to Congress.” However, since no new penalizations were established for violations of the HMSA, the legislation was essentially left as weak as it was before.
so really when you say you are trying to raise awareness, i think you should look a little deeper into the issues concerning slaughterhouses before saying that the practices are completely humane.
Links:
http://www.law.duke.edu/shell/cite.pl?70+Law+&+Contemp.+Probs.+175+(winter+2007)
http://www.awionline.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/24598
http://www.animalliberationfront.com/Philosophy/Animal%20Testing/10Thing...
Some people are vegetarians because they just don't like meat. I don't like meat, and I say I'm a vegetarian because I think it's more polite than just saying "I don't like that, so I won't eat it." It doesn't take will power to stay away from something you don't like.
Thanks for the tips. I haven't eaten meat since June 2010... going strong, but some days it can be tough— I just find myself eating potatoes and cheese lol. I'm definitely going to try the vegan breakfast soon!
I failed once in becoming a vegetarian. I'm doing it again now and it will be one week tomorrow. Except for the maybe 3 cups of plain yogurt I eat a week, I am totally a vegan right now. I feel really good with my new diet I hope I can maintain it this time. But the more I read up on the nutritional requirements the more complicated it gets. The omega 3/6 ratios are really confusing:/
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