Go Vegetarian

By: Cybill Shaffer

Remember when you were six or seven years old and your parents had to beg you to eat your vegetables?

In college, most students have adapted to the taste of the greens they once loathed but find it difficult to integrate them into their regular diet in a way that is tasty and inexpensive.

This presents a problem for vegetarians. According to The Vegetarian Times, 7.3 million Americans are vegetarians.

A solution that caters to a college student’s budget and taste buds is imperative, and there are ways to indulge without compromising the wallet.Ramen is available in a vegetable flavor, but no one can consume that on a daily basis. Fresh produce is available at all supermarkets but is generally pricey.

When asked why she chooses a vegetarian diet, Katie Taibl, sophomore, said, “I have personally never enjoyed excessive quantities of meat in my diet. As a young girl, for no particular reason other than disliking it, I refused to eat meat. Also, as a nursing major I will be working with lots of blood and guts, which is always fun, but eating meat reminds me of gory scenes in movies and such, which is rather unappetizing.”

Josh Saul, junior, said: “I’m a vegetarian because I do not condone the inhumane practice of factory farming that our country relies on for the bulk of its meat and poultry. I also try to follow a macrobiotic diet which suggests eating mostly things that are grown near the area you live and only when they are in season. And lastly, vegetarian cooking is more fun and exciting because the chef must be creative with seasonings and ingredients.”

Some restaurants in Tallahassee that cater to vegetarians are Jimmy Johns, All Saints Café, Gordo’s, Decent Pizza and Mr. Roboto Sushi. Vegetarian menu options are almost always cheaper than ones containing meat. Meat is more expensive than greens. So it ends up saving time for the restaurant and money for the student.

All of the dining halls on campus have a vegetarian section, as well, and they produce a unique, new meal every day.

Eating in? Hummus is a great snack and a fantastic source of protein for the student who is not getting enough. It’s full of beans and other cheap ingredients so it helps provide cost-effectiveness without sacrificing taste.

Hummus Recipe:
4 garlic cloves- minced and then mashed
2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans drained/rinsed
2/3 cup of roasted tahini
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Just blend together and serve. It makes a great appetizer or a great protein-filled addition to dinner (spreading it on sandwiches and wraps is a fantastic way to sneak it in.)

Being a vegetarian in college can be difficult, but is by no means an impossible feat. Being inspired by your own personal reasons for doing so and planning out meals ahead of time will ensure consistent commitment to the lifestyle, as well as contribute to the ease of success being a non-meat eater will bring.