My identity has always been shaped around being vegan. Even at a young age, I knew it would be something I carried with me for the rest of my life. However, that doesn’t mean it never came with its challenges. Like many others with dietary restrictions, voluntary or not, secondary school cafeterias were a hurdle I tried to avoid. It was easier to bring my lunch from home, and while I occasionally got food-envy seeing my friends grab pizza slices and smoothies, it never crossed my mind as something I was missing out on.Â
When I started applying to colleges, the anxiety surrounding adulthood set in. I realized I would have to learn how to navigate my dietary preferences in a new location. I mapped out grocery stores near me with plant-based proteins, restaurants for when I had a couple extra bucks to spend, and my time when I needed to cook my own meals.
And then, I arrived in college and realized I had nothing to fear. In the Dining Hall, Root and Stalk offers vegan options for every meal, including desserts and rotating gluten-free options, all labeled both online and on the screens above the food. There are plant-based protein alternatives at the Max and the Lion’s Den, and a veggie-specific sandwich at the Backstage Deli. All of this to say, there are options. Never once in my time here at Emerson have I felt the pressure to buy food for myself because there was nothing available for me. DoorDash has been available when I craved comfort, not so I could make sure I wasn’t eating the same salad for dinner every night.Â
But since being here, I’ve also come to realize that my perspective is quite different than other people’s. Coming from Kansas, even having one vegan restaurant within a twenty-minute drive from me was a big deal. People looking to explore different dietary choices, or coming here from more plant-based-friendly cities, might be as underwhelmed as I am overwhelmed.
The problem that needs to be tackled is the stigma surrounding dietary restrictions and choices in college. When you make your own decisions regarding food, it doesn’t have to be a “hurdle,” like I worried it would be. Being creative in your dining hall isn’t about scavenging for french fries and lettuce—it could be adding the offered protein to a plate of veggies and fruit (with a dairy-free cookie on the side, of course). And if you are questioning if the bread is allergen-friendly, use the FAQ form through Cafe Bon Appetit’s website to ask. Or use it to request a specific gluten-free meal.Â
If you have the inclination to make a different dietary choice, I say make the leap. College is the time to explore new things, and change doesn’t have to be scary—you might even end up finding what’s best for your body along the way.