Eating at a dining hall is never easy, I’m pretty sure even the kids that go to schools with top dining halls get sick of the food. That being said, the thought of eating vegan at a dining hall can be very daunting. Limiting your already slim choices can seem like a pain, but being vegan is better for your body, the planet, and the animals. IT’S WORTH IT.
That being said, here is how I survived eating at the dining
hall for 2 years as a vegan. I also went to a fairly large school, so my tips
might have to be adjusted slightly if your school doesn’t have the amenities
that mine had.
1. Get creative and find some staples
Be creative and find staples that you know you can have
regardless of the time of day at the dining hall. You’d probably be surprised
with the different amount of ways that I can make a veggie sandwich. Aka my go to when there was really nothing I want to eat in the dining hall. Pile all the
veggies you can find, I found the veggies in the salad line to be a little
fresher than those in the sandwich line so I always went for that. Also, I’m a
big fan of making my own “pasta salad,” grab some pasta from the pasta line
(it’s never warm so perfect for pasta salad!) add some Italian dressing and
some veggies. Anyways those are just some of my staples, I also went for breakfast
for dinner a lot, you can never go wrong with some cinnamon raisin bread and cereal. Get creative and always have some staples you know the
dining hall will have regardless of the time of day.
2.
Read the
menus before hand
Again, I go to a big school so we have an app where you can
look at all the dining halls menus for the next week. You can also filter the
foods you want to see, and they even had a vegan filter! I always checked menus before-hand so A. I can go to a dining hall that has something I like or
B. I know what there is that I can eat and I don’t have to stand in long lines
just to find out I can’t eat anything on the menu. It’s also nice to have a
game plan, so you can find what you want quick, rather than reading all the
signs figuring out what you can eat. I think for the most part schools post
their menus online, so take advantage of this.
3.
Bring
your own staples
Another tip is to bring your own staples, when I first went
vegan I used to carry a jar of peanut butter in my backpack because I didn’t
like the school's. This was nice just to have peanut butter with apples or a
banana and peanut butter sandwich. Some of the options can get a little bland
so being able to add peanut butter to your fruit or bringing your own hummus to
dip veggies in can make all the difference. I’ve also brought nutritional yeast
to spice up my pastas. I’ve seen people bring their own avocado and nut butters
into the dining hall. We’re all just trying to survive, no one’s going to
question you bringing some of your own food in with you.
4. Don’t skip breakfast
For my school at least, breakfast goes until 10:30 and I
always knew there is going to be something I could eat. I know for my school
there is always oatmeal, potatoes, melon, and the gluten free section had vegan
waffles (score!). Even though I did get a little sick of this rotation, I always knew
there was going to be at least one thing that I like and it will keep me full
during class. Breakfast is generally a vegan friendly meal, plus there’s always
the toast, bagels, and cereal option. Pro tip: If they have blueberry topping
for pancakes, add that and a little maple syrup to oatmeal.
5. French fries are not always your friend
This is probably the saddest one for me to write. I first
went vegan during my sophomore year of college and I quit eating dairy and eggs
all at once. So, you can imagine it was a little hard watching everyone eat
pizza, grilled cheese, and mac and cheese. Especially since I hadn’t figured
out the whole eating a balanced diet thing. Safe to say at first I lived off of french fries,
cucumbers, and bagels. Anyways, being the food jealous person that I am, I would
replace all my cravings for desserts and cheese with fries. Now this would be
fine and dandy if I ate them like I do at home, which is baked with no oil.
However, the fries that have probably been fried multiple times in the dining
hall just isn’t good for your health in any way. Just remember moderation, not
everything that is vegan is healthy.
6. Reach out to dining hall managers
I never did this personally because I was able to find
enough to eat, but this might be important if you go to a smaller school and
the options are limited. I have friends with allergies that had really good
relationships with the dining hall managers and were able to order them plant
based milks they could eat, or adjust for the allergies they had. So if you’re
having trouble feel free to reach out, they are there to help you, and you’re
paying a lot for that meal plan so get your money’s worth. Even if they’re just
able to get you plant based milk or vegan butter, it can really help to add to
your options.
7. Bring fruit with you
My last and final tip is to take fruit from the dining hall
with you. Most dining halls have a rule where you can take a drink, a fruit, or
a dessert out with you. Not sure if most dining halls actually abide by this,
but stuff some apples or bananas in your bag just to have on hand. It is hard
at first to find enough to eat and get comfortable where you don’t mind
asking for help. So it’s nice to have a banana in your bag for if you get
hungry in class or when you’re studying.
Best of luck to anyone’s that is vegan and going to be
eating at the dining hall. I know it isn’t great all the time but just remember
that no one loves eating at the dining hall. Leave any tips below if you’ve
eaten plant based at school and have any suggestions that I failed to mention.
Always keep in mind that you’re doing this for your health, the environment, and the animals. It’s definitely worth it.
Always keep in mind that you’re doing this for your health, the environment, and the animals. It’s definitely worth it.
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