Veg Out: A guide to eating vegan on campus
‘I started being a vegan for health reasons, then it was a moral choice, and now it’s just to annoy people.’
In a world of Chick-Fil-A’s and Suwanee cuisine, it can be hard for the campus herbivores to eat anything other than bananas and limp salad for every meal. At FSU, vegans are often subject to public scrutiny, unsympathetic chefs, and overpriced produce. It’s a man-eat-meat world out there, but does that mean you should throw down your fork in favor of a single-edged, serrated, cafeteria-chicken cutting blade of glory? Not at all. If you find yourself struggling past the smell of Fried Chicken Fridays and crying when Suwanee runs out of soy milk (as though it actually had some in the first place), here are six tips for green eating on campus.
Wrap it up
You’d be surprised how much better vegetables taste when wrapped in a delicious, whole wheat tortilla. Go to the sandwich station in Fresh or Suwanee and ask for a tortilla (Yes. Just a tortilla. On a plate). Then, mosey on over to your regular salad bar and go wild. Just make sure you don’t over-stuff.
Top it off with some hummus and veggies
Keep it fresh
The walk to Fresh may seem daunting to anyone not in Smith or Sally, but it has the luxury of a vegetarian option for every lunch and most dinners. And if the meal of the day doesn’t suit your molars, you can always special order a vegan burger. If you do, make sure you order it with time to spare, because it takes 10-20 minutes to cook.
When soul mates meet, no meat is needed.
Get dressy
Damn, Daniel! Back at it again with the vinaigrette! There are some days where salad may be your only option, in which case you can spice things up by buying your own salad dressing. Publix has a wide variety to choose from, and the advantage of buying your own is you can check the ingredients. If you’re worried about being that weirdo who brings their own salad dressing to the cafeteria, fret not — there’s already someone else with that title.
(it’s me)
Pro(tein) tip
Granola bars and PB&J may seem like sufficient nutrition when you’re running between classes, but it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough protein in your diet. There are more vegan proteins than you might realize: tofu, black beans, leafy greens, and oatmeal are all readily available on campus. To stay on top of your protein intake, check out “25 Delicious Vegan Sources of Protein.”
Travel the globe
The Globe is one of FSU’s hidden treasures, and its main gem? Krishna Lunch. Krishna Lunch is served Monday through Friday from 11:30am-2:00pm. For a $5 donation you can get not one, but TWO heaping plates of vegan Indian cuisine (although I’ve yet to get past my first helping). Krishna is a delicious and relatively cheap way to break up the drab cafeteria food. Don’t believe me? Resident vegan Chiara Montali will vouch for it.
A collage of Chiara’s texts about Krishna sent to me in the past month.
Find support
Above all, the best way to stay on a vegan track is to get support from your peers. There are plenty of clubs on campus that support green eating, such as Raw FSU and the Ethical Food Association. Look them up on social media to find out when they meet, and you’ll no doubt learn more tricks to eating vegan on campus.