Thin crust pizza, oozing with cheese and smothered in sausage. Juicy, meaty hamburgers. Ballpark franks dripping with grease. Sounds like the standard college diet, right? But for a handful of students, these animal-based delectables are strictly off the menu.
Veganism’s popularity is ever-increasing, not leaving college campuses unscathed.
Architecture freshman Marissa Sanders became a vegan when she was a freshman in high school. Vegans like Sanders don’t eat meat, dairy or any animal byproducts like yogurt or honey.
Yet with most Americans consuming meat-heavy diets, one question needs to be asked: Just what do vegans eat on campus?
“”Sometimes people become vegans, and then are confused at what to eat at all, and they eat very little,”” said Gale Welter, Campus Health’s nutrition services coordinator.
This can result in a deficiency of crucial vitamins and minerals such as iron and B-12, leading to weakness and anemia, Welter said.
“”It’s kind of like your car’s oil getting low – you don’t have the little catalysts that help what fuel you’re putting in to operate efficiently,”” Welter said. In addition to vegetables and beans, she suggests soy as a source of whole protein.
Sanders is familiar with the woes of being improperly fed.
“”Eating out can be a hassle,”” she said. “”You have to ask the waiter about everything.””
Sanders typically eats at Cheba Hut, Frog & Firkin, Pita Pit and Core, which offer several options for vegans. There are vegan options on campus, but choices are limited. After all, how many days a week can one subsist on the offerings of a salad bar?
“”I do eat a lot of oatmeal, and that’s about it,”” nutrition freshman Bailey Zygutis said. A self-proclaimed “”picky eater”” who is cautious about animal byproducts, Zygutis explains that even “”some gum has milk products in it.””
Whether vegans choose an alternative lifestyle for ethical or health reasons, it’s a lifelong commitment that requires a lot of effort, Welter said.
“”It can be done,”” she said. “”If you’re going to take that on, examine your drive for solid philosophical reasons and accept that there is a responsibility for self-education that goes with that in order to provide for your own healthy body.””
DELICIOUS VEGAN RECIPES
Whether you’re a vegan or a carnivore, you can still try out vegan recipes such as these, from Vegan.org, in the comfort of your home or dorm kitchen.
Tofu, Green Beans and Cashews Stir Fry
In a bowl, whisk the marinade together:
-1/4 cup soy sauce
-2 teaspoon corn starch
Add 14 oz. of firm, Chinese-style tofu, drained and cubed, to the marinade.
Bake 1/2 cup of raw cashews on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees until golden.
Cook 1 lb. of green beans in boiling water (enough to cover the beans) for three minutes. Drain water.
Reserving the marinade, fry the tofu in a wok or pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil for three minutes and set aside.
Chop one red onion and fry it in a small amount of oil until soft.
Add the tofu, green beans, the rest of the marinade and 1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil to the pan. Add cashews and simmer for two minutes. Serve.
Vegan Rice Krispy Bars
Ingredients:
-1 cup peanut butter
-1 cup corn syrup
-1 cup brown sugar
-6-8 cups Rice Krispies-like cereal
Directions:
Pour corn syrup and brown sugar into a saucepan and stir over medium heat until it boils. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Mix in cereal. Press into a 9-by-9-inch pan and cool. Cut and serve.
