Welcome to the family! You made it; both to vegetarianism/veganism and to Nottingham. I’m sure the journey’s proved tough so far, but you’ve taken the plunge, and (assuming you’re not craving Nando’s chicken so badly you’re practically pulling your hair out) you couldn’t be happier you did.
All this being said, just EATING at university can take a whole bunch of planning, especially when the vast majority of us have relied on someone else to do it for us. This goes without throwing the V Card into the mix – veggie and vegan, that is.
Don’t worry; you can still have a great time at uni without annoying your flatmates too much with your high maintenance dietary needs. In fact, it’s really not that high maintenance at all. Here are the dos and don’ts!
1. Do your research.
Cutting animal products out of your diet means you should be fully vegging out and making up for certain vitamins you’ll start unintentionally missing out on. Don’t panic – it’s a piece of (vegan) cake to get all the good stuff in your 3 meals a day. Easier in fact! My tip? For you vegans, get some vitamin D and B12 supplements. For everyone, if you don’t dig broccoli and spinach, well, start.
2. Explore Nottingham.
The earlier you start finding veggie/vegan friendly places, the quicker you can begin indoctrinating your friends to visit these places with you. Because that’s what we do. To help you get started, here are some places that offer at least one vegan option in Notts: Wagamama, Pizza Express, Zizzi, Yo! Sushi and Annie’s Burger Shack.
3. Plan your meals.
Centre your planning around your vital nutrients, and you won’t have to feel paranoid about not consuming enough of everything! Choose a protein you fancy (like tofu, beans or lentils), a carbohydrate (like rice, noodles, or pasta) and finally, with the veg, the way I think is to make my plate as colourful as possible – like a rainbow. The more colours, the more variety of nutrients! It’s never been easier!
4. Experiment and find your faves.
Aim to try at least one new healthy recipe each week and rate them out of ten. Eventually you will have a bank of go-to recipes you know won’t disappoint and you can concentrate on other things, like your social life! Remember that?
5. Get involved!
There are tons of events and societies that celebrate vegetarians and vegans. The University of Nottingham’s Vegetarian and Vegan Society is a prime example; you can meet students with the same interests, struggles and loves and you’re all rewarded for just being there with discounts for restaurants all over the city! Outside of the uni there is also the Nottingham Vegan Market every month in the Nottingham Conference Centre, and an annual Vegan Camp Out with not just vegan food stalls, but the full music festival vibe and special guest speakers, like your favourite vegan youtubers and activists!
You’ve probably noticed I haven’t included any ‘Don’ts’ in the mix; the only ‘Don’t’ I have for you is ‘Don’t give up’. It’s cringy AF, but it’s no lie that it’s super daunting to make such a lifestyle change, especially when you’re forced to fend for yourself at university.
However, when you weigh everything up, it’s never been a better time to be veggie and vegan – and Nottingham is truly the place to be when you do it!
Image Sources:
https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Andy-Parks-Recreation-GIFs-36414139