Saturday, October 09, 2010

College and Being Vegan

Being vegan at college has been kind of tough, not going to lie. There are no vegan desserts at the dining halls. The soups don't specify whether or not they are made with animal stock or not. Things are supposed to be labeled vegetarian and vegan but I've seen things that are obviously vegan (for example, lettuce) not labeled at all at certain stations. The french fries aren't labeled vegan but I know they are because I asked the chef. So whenever I get something that appears vegan I can never be entirely sure. And one day I saw the vegan meal of the day list "milk" as an allergen.

Of course, none of the servers speak English so when you ask them for help they just smile and nod or give you more food. I literally told one guy that I wanted "everything but the meat" and then he said I looked skinny and gave me the meat anyway saying it was good that day, then got mad when I demanded he give me a new plate after smothering all my veggies in carcass juice.

Its not that bad though, I guess. They have a really nice salad and sandwich bar. They have margarine and lots of non-milk beverages. Soymilk is a pain to get but its there if I need it. And they do sometimes have a tasty vegan meal of the day.

I think I might mosey down to downtown Troy today and check out the vegan bakery. I haven't gone yet because I've been busy but I dropped Organic Chem because it was too hard (and my new major doesnt need it) so now I have time. The hours are crazy but they're open on Saturdays :)

10 comments:

Gabrielle Lyons said...

Always annoys me whenever I see something listed as vegan and then it says it has dairy. Ding dongs.

College + vegan = tough but not impossible :) <3

Nicjor79 said...

My sophomore year I had the exact same experience with a server who insisted on putting meat on my plate because "I needed it since I was still growing." I was nineteen years old and about thirty pounds overweight- what was THAT supposed to mean?! I had to scream and use a couple of four letter words before she got the message. I'm still ashamed for being so rude, but she never did it again.

Daughter of God said...

I wish that for 1 week everyone had to live in a vegan/vegetarian world...im tired of explaining why i dont eat meat and asking for my food without meat...agh..stay strong! I'm a vegetarian in Korea and it's harder than I thought...so I'm learning to cook

spit said...

snag some healthy snacks from your local grocer and steer clear of the dining hell as much as possible. dig the vibe. that's peace. later.

Toyin O. said...

Good luck finding better vegan diet in and around yiur college.

AKM said...

The PETA college cookbook has some fun recipes in it. They're not complicated at all and they work for anyone with at least a dorm fridge and microwave. Maybe that would help? At any rate, hang in there!

Unknown said...

I'm a student at SUNY Cobleskill, I was able to get my meal plan removed completely because they literally have no vegan options besides the salad bar. But if that bakery in troy is x's to o's it is freaking awesome! The girls that run the place rock, and are really involved in the AR community. The do a vegan potluck once a month (i think it's the 22nd of jan), and they also hooked me up with a local AR book club. Good luck, keep strong... remember how much good your doing.

Anonymous said...

Going vegan at college, this next semester, cuz its easier to be there than at home. :/
But its still going to be a challenge, as, like you said, milk and eggs are there to be put into the "vegan" food.
Much thanks for the blog though!

Anonymous said...

I am currently a freshman in college and I am considering going vegan (or at least trying it out for a while). Your blog is helpful, I am going to keep reading about your experience.
- Kait :)

Anonymous said...

I am currently a freshman in college and I am considering going vegan (or at least trying it out for a while). Your blog is helpful, I am going to keep reading about your experience.
- Kait :)

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