People ask me all the time “why don’t you eat meat?” I feel like people expect some answer with an elaborate and personal or politicized story attached, but to be honest I don’t have one. For me it just feels right and ethical to have no meat in my life. As it’s coming up on my fifth year of being a vegetarian, I’ve started to reflect on how this has defined a large part of my identity, and how avoiding meat is manageable at college
I’m not going to lie, when I was heading off to college I really had no idea if I’d be able to sustain this lifestyle with the available options I had on my meal plan. I’m a current sophomore at the College of the Holy Cross, and I’m sure the College would love for me to say how effortless and easy it’s been for me to find meatless options, but that’s just not true. Our dining hall is small to begin with and most nights our dining hall has one (if that) vegetarian option under the main classics section. For instance tonight it looks like vegetarians have carrots and scalloped potatoes as our option. To be fair there is a large salad bar, however I don’t think I should be bored with a salad every single night. Veggie burgers used to be available every night, which I used as a backup option, however this year they were taken off the menu and only available on occasions. I’ve spoken with a lot of fellow vegetarian Holy Cross students, and the consensus seems to be that we are all certainly fed up.
But I’ve learned to adapt. I have friends with cars, and any chance I get I try to make it to a local grocery store, to stock up on some food that I can enjoy. My school also gives us meal swipes at other dining locations on campus, where I can find some good meatless sandwiches or meals. Additionally I’ve become a pro at reading our dining halls menu. If I see eggplant parm or edamame dumplings on the menu, I know I’ll be safe at the dining hall. Compared to other schools I will say some of my options are very delicious, but in all, every night is a gamble.
Overall I would advise vegetarian high school students to really do their research before going to college. See if your school has a lot of food options, if not ask yourself if you’re willing to fend for yourself on some nights, and if that is sustainable for you. Being a vegetarian at college has certainly been a challenge for me, but as I’m looking forward to studying abroad next semester, I’ve learned to be independent, and I’m confident that I’ll be able to find food. The moral of my story is that it’s manageable, and at the end of the day give it a shot and learn if being a vegetarian could be for you!