How does one live as a vegetarian around campus?
Well, it’s rather hard to be completely honest.
At every meal there is always a “vegetarian” option, but
what that entails is not always the balanced meal one would hope. Serving pasta
or some other carb with a vegetable medley is not wholesome and healthy.
Where’s the protein? Where’s the iron? Where are the rest of the nutrients one
needs to maintain a good immunity?
Meal times get especially difficult when there are labels such
as “beefy veggie mac n’ cheese” yet are actually vegetarian- soy beef was used-
but do not carry the signature green leaf that symbolizes that it suitable for
non-meat eaters. Then there are the times in which the products are labeled
suitable yet contain bacon bits or beef or chicken broth.
Caution.
Anyone who embarks on this endeavor, for it is an endeavor;
have to start thinking about other places in which a balanced diet might be
found. Trust me, it is only so long that one can live off of bean patties for
lunch, dinner, and occasionally breakfast. Some of my friends criticize my
complaining, saying that there is always an option for a healthy salad. However
I do not pay a great amount for the meal plan to consume leafy greens everyday.
Time to get inventive.
Roche bros, CVS, and Walgreens become your best friends. I
usually go once a week to stock up on rice cakes and other such goodies. Rice
cakes are god. I grab some peanut butter and a banana- in which I usually have
to venture down to Chase for- and then pile the combination on top of a rice
cake and smother it with honey. This is perfect for a little pick me up in the
middle of the day. Protein shakes are also glorious. They are able to keep your
energy levels up since you may feel a little depleted by the lack of dietary
balance- I can personally attest to this, also shakes can generally help you
from getting ill. I also love reading vegetarian blogs for healthy snack ideas
or ways to supplement nutrition that one might otherwise be lacking.
Don’t fret, things will get better. You’ll learn to find
alternatives plus you’ll be more prepared to live on your own. Get ready for
some monotony in your food selection and really cherish going home.
Thank you for sharing this creative formation of rice cake! I personally have a strong attachment to white rice as a staple at home. Besides, there's a wide range rice snacks with different terms in Chinese, made in various combinations of supplementary ingredients that come in all kinds of shapes mostly through boiling and steaming (Ten years ago rice popcorns were even more popular than "Western" popcorns but now traditional way of making them is rarely seen on the street). Similar to the one shown in your picture, there's one kind called "米花糖/rice-flower snack" with sugar, peanuts and goji, which people used to buy in large chunks but now often sold in small packets. Such good times when my sweet-toothed grandma used to soak it in hot water for both of us to enjoy. I guess it was in a sense similar to "hot chocolate" to Americans.
ReplyDeleteI agree that being a vegetarian on campus can be difficult. Even though the vegetable quality has gotten better, I can't eat a salad for two meals a day every day. The vegetarian hot meals offered are definitely not balanced and I (and my parents!) an always worried that I'm not getting enough iron or protein. When Emerson recently had a "Meatless Monday," I heard lots of people complaining about the lack of balanced options. I thought to myself, "Now the rest of the school knows what it's like to eat vegetarian here!" Also, thanks for some great suggestions!
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