While I’ve been a vegetarian for around six years now, I didn’t figure out how to be vegetarian and still get all the nutrients I needed until my last year of high school. My family, like many, was ordering in way too often out of lack of motivation to cook in the pandemic. To change this, we decided that each family member would take turns cooking dinner throughout the week, which became something I really enjoyed. I played around with different vegetarian proteins like halloumi cheese (which is now a staple in my household), Just Egg plant-based eggs and many different tofu recipes which left me feeling the healthiest I’d ever felt. However, I was constantly told that I would only last a few months, tops, being vegetarian in university. While it’s definitely difficult, being vegetarian is something I’ve maintained and have found ways to navigate, so I thought I would share some of my top tips for anyone else who is struggling.
Find consistent staples at the cafeteria
One thing that I’ve come to notice with university cafeteria options for students is that vegetarians generally get whatever the meat option is but with tofu, so be prepared to consume an insane amount of it. But tofu can get a little repetitive, so I’ve found through trial and error that dishes with non-tofu protein are great for switching things up. When the cafeteria is offering those alternatives, I always make sure to get them and save the tofu dishes for days when I can’t find anything else. A recurring meal that is not tofu-based that my cafeteria has is Field Roast plant-based sausages and mashed potatoes, which are so delicious. The vegetarian lasagna and white bean caprese sandwiches are also on my list of favourites, and neither of them contains tofu. Sometimes if nothing is really appealing to me, instead of getting a salad with no protein I’ve found that finding my one consistent backup has become essential. My cafeteria always offers either fried rice or a stir fry with tofu at lunches and dinners, and it has become my go-to (especially when they serve the noodle base with the sweet-and-sour sauce). It has carbs, vegetables and protein, and it also tastes great.
Keep nutritious snacks in your room
While having staple meals at the cafeteria works most of the time, sometimes you’ll end up unsatisfied or just eating fries. While that’s okay, the lack of protein will make you just keep eating because you still feel hungry, and then you’ll be left feeling gross (at least in my experience). So, having nutritious snacks in my mini-fridge has been essential to filling in the gaps from my meals. I always make sure to have some source of protein in my fridge, I personally keep individually packaged Premier Protein Chocolate Shakes because they taste like chocolate milk, have thirty grams of protein and are great after the gym. More items that you can always find in my fridge are individual portions of hummus and both cucumbers and pretzel chips for dipping. This snack is my go-to when I haven’t had enough vegetables and the hummus gives an extra boost of protein.
If you’re struggling with sticking with vegetarianism, I’m right there with you. But, finding a system for getting the nutrients you need is possible, and will make university life that much easier.