How to Live Plant Based in College

First, let’s make note of the words “plant-based” versus the daunting “vegan”, if you’re trying to clean up your eating habits and want to try eliminating some of the more toxic foods in your diet, plant-based is for you. Following a plant-based diet can be challenging in any environment, but with a limited budget and more fast food chains than grocery stores, living plant based in college sounds nearly impossible. Notice how I said nearly? It is very much possible, and here’s how you can do it.

Let’s start with our beloved dining halls. If you’re a freshman and prefer to spend your housing money instead of living off the very tight budget your bank account allows, the dining halls are where you want to be. At first glance your options are pizza, wings, burgers, and the occasional Mexican dish, but if you take a closer look, you will find you can modify previously animal-dominated meals to be completely plant-based. For example, at the sandwich station, skip the meat and cheese and load your sub with the countless veggies they offer. You can also combine snacks to make one larger meal, grab some togo veggies and hummus and pair it with some soup and crackers for an easy dinner!

It may seem tricky to make a filling meal without your usual meat and dairy staples, but if you’re the chef of the house, cooking plant-based is easier than you think. The easiest thing you can do to help yourself is prepping your meals. Having chopped veggies in your fridge can make throwing together a roasted veggie rice bowl and salad simple and quick. Meals come in all shapes and sizes, if you normally eat one plate of steak and potatoes, you can double that serving size when you substitute chickpeas or tofu. Double the food, double the delight.

One of the main complaints people often have with a plant-based diet is cost and availability. I will admit, if you walk into Walgreens or a Badger Market, it will not scream “plant-based,” but the options are still there. The trick is shopping strategically. For example, I would refrain from buying 12 bananas at once as their shelf life will most likely not match how fast you go through bananas (unless you’re into eating 12 bananas at once, then knock yourself out). Buying in bulk can save you money if you utilize the produce you buy and don’t wait until it goes bad to use it. If you’re still struggling to find cheap, available produce, you may want to look into ordering from an imperfect produce company that sells “ugly” produce for cheaper.

Deciding to transition to a plant-based lifestyle can be challenging and it’s often easy to let life’s curveballs get in the way, but if you’re dedicated and excited, it will be a walk in the park! Instead of thinking about all of the food you’re missing out on, think about all the food you get to try. Buraka’s vegetarian peanut stew, anyone?

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• how to
• plant-based