Being a full-time college student with two jobs, no money, and a different diet lifestyle makes life a little complicated sometimes. Before transitioning to veganism a few months ago, I was under the impression that vegans ate only salads all day, every day, but I’m here now to prove my past self wrong; I also have the hope that my mom will read this and be relieved that I eat like a normal person and not a rabbit.
Breakfast
A good breakfast in my life doesn’t really exist. If I work in the morning, I typically take advantage of my employee discount and munch down on a vegan chocolate chip scone.
Also, if you haven’t yet, check out Pump Station Café in Boalsburg, PA. It’s only about a ten-minute drive from campus, and they have a few vegan options.
A Clif bar is always a safe option as well. My current favorite is White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, but make sure to check that each flavor is vegan!
Lunch
If you can’t make the trip out to Boalsburg, then there is a great vegan café right in downtown State College! Café Verve is one of my favorite places to eat, especially if I’m on my way to work or don’t feel like cooking that day. My favorite option there is the All-American Burger with tater tots on the side. I also recommend the delicious (and photogenic) tofu-scramble breakfast sandwich!
Dinner
Dinner is about the only meal that I actually take my time preparing due to the fact it’s usually the only time I’m home during the day. I love making homemade veggie soup, because it lasts a long time and tastes amazing. I put a whole bunch of vegetables in, such as celery, green beans, corn, carrots, broccoli, potatoes, and diced tomatoes, with vegetable broth and a bunch of different seasonings, and it’s good to go! It must look good to other people as well, because it graced my mom’s Facebook page a few different times.
As I said, dinner is about the only meal that I actually cook for myself (most of the time). If you are from the area, you know that DelGrosso’s spaghetti sauce is the only sauce that’s worth eating. I was so happy to learn that their marinara sauce is vegan, so I use that sauce and spice it up a bit with salt, pepper, garlic, and essentially anything else that I have in my cupboards. I did eat it all before I could take a picture of it, so just imagine a plate of spaghetti in your mind.
Dessert
I need to brag about the vegan slutty brownies I made as a treat for the season premiere of The Walking Dead. I get together with my friend and her dad every Sunday night to watch the show, and usually our treat of choice is an apple pie. Recently, however, we decided to try this new option, and it was so worth it. Enjoy this picture of our brownies and pretend you’re eating one right now, which is totally what I’m doing.
Happy (vegan) eating, collegiettes!