Lately it seems more and more people are starting to eat vegetarian, pescatarian, and vegan diets. Sometimes it can be a struggle, especially if you are living off of pre-cooked dining hall food. As a meat connoissuer myself, I enlisted 3 of my best girlies to share with me their vegan and pescatarian ways.
Name, age and school currently attending…
Tara, 20, Siena College
Abby, 19, Siena College
Julia, 19, SUNY Plattsburgh
How long have you been vegan?
Tara: I have been pescatarian for over a year. I eat probably 75% vegan though, as I avoid dairy whenever possible.
Abby: I have been vegan for six years and I was vegetarian for two years prior.
Julia: I have been a vegan for almost two years.
What is the biggest challenge you face when it comes to eating on your campus?
Tara: My biggest challenge is making sure I am able to get enough variety of food that is healthy and that I enjoy eating. I can usually be creative and utilize basics to come up with tasty meals, but sometimes it is still a challenge.
Abby: In my opinion, Siena’s main dining hall does not have a wide array of vegan options and some days the options are more limited than others. The other option for food on campus is Casey’s which does not have many vegan options other than a basic salad or wrap. However, it seems as if they are trying to incorporate more plant-based options.
Julia: The biggest challenge I face at my school is finding a variety of food that is available at my dining hall.
Do you have a “go to” food in the dining hall that is always offered, is tasty and always vegan?
Tara: My go-to food is making a Buddha bowls by combining the salad bar with the entrée that is being served. I also love the pasta bar, because they make delicious rice noodle, vegetable and tofu stir-fry.
Abby: French fries, which are not the healthiest but they are my addiction…there is usually a rice dish that is vegan and a vegan soup option each day; however, it is not guaranteed.
Julia: There is always a stir fry section in the dining hall, which offers me a good variety of vegetables. This is my go to if there aren’t any great options that day.
Have you found that your campus is accommodating to students with special diets? For example: nutritionists, all vegan sections, clear labels on food, sufficient options, etc.
Tara: I think that Siena’s campus is very accommodating to people that choose not to eat meat and vegans. For both they have all sorts of dishes made from tofu, tempeh, and various vegetables. In addition, they often have vegan sweets and treats. The workers are willing to tell you what ingredients the food contains if you ask and they are very helpful.
Abby: Siena is fairly accommodating to special dietary needs. You can visit a nutritionist on campus who helps you with dietary restrictions. The food in the dining hall is labeled with what it contains such as dairy, eggs and other allergens. However the food has been labeled incorrectly in the past, which is a health hazard for those with allergens and is upsetting for someone who strictly follows a special diet for moral, health, and environmental reasons.
Julia: Plattsburgh is pretty accommodating to all diet needs, such as vegan, and can also be gluten free. Sometimes the labels might say vegetarian when the food is actually vegan, so it can get confusing at times.
What is a staple food you like to keep in your dorm room?
Tara: In my dorm, I always have healthy protein bars for on-the-go snacking.
Abby: I keep various foods in my dorm but I always try to keep some basics and good sources of protein such as frozen “meats” that I can easily microwave or bread in my freezer that I can defrost to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Other than that, I may keep some vegan yogurt in my fridge or some of my favorite snacks, such as little cooked chips or chips and salsa.
Julia: I always have peanut butter and crackers in my room. I will also keep any sort of nuts, which give me a good amount of protein aside from what the school offers.
Is there a non-vegan food that you miss the most?
Tara: I would say the non-vegan food I always try to stay away from, but do crave sometimes, is cheese.
Abby: Every now and then I will crave mozzarella sticks but I rarely miss non-vegan foods anymore. If anything I miss the convenience and accessibility of getting food when I wasn’t vegan.
Julia: I would say the non-vegan food I miss the most is mozzarella sticks.
If someone is looking to exclude animal products from their diet what is some advice you would give them?
Tara: The advice I would give is just to try to gradually cut out or reduce various animal products and see how it positively effects your energy and mood. It may be tough at first, but the health benefits of a plant-based diet are so worth it in the end! The key is to make sure you are eating enough nutrient dense food and getting enough calories to have energy to be your best self.
Abby: I would recommend starting off slowly, removing certain animal products from their diet at slow pace and not making it an overnight transition. For me, it was helpful to start out as a vegetarian and slowly work my way to becoming vegan.
Julia: I would say read all the food labels thoroughly and also look up foods in advance to see if it truly doesn’t have any animal products because labels can get tricky.