Gluten free, vegan, low-carb, fat-free, and vegetarian. Walking around a college campus you will surely meet people who are allergic to various foods, are on strict diets or are just opting for an alternative lifestyle. As someone who unexpectedly decided to become a vegetarian five years ago, here are a few moments I have encountered since coming to college.
1. People are surprised to hear you are a vegetarian
Unless you run a food Instagram, rally for animal rights or constantly keep telling people you are a vegetarian, most people won't notice for a while. When you are finally in a situation that you have to make your own dish off the menu at a restaurant, people will realize you are a vegetarian. At first, most people are shocked you didn't tell them before or they swear they had seen you eat meat before.
2. The questions
When people find out you are a vegetarian they will have so many questions to ask. Is it for animal rights? Like why? Have you always been one? Have you ever tried meat? Do you miss bacon? What do you eat? Do you eat fish? I couldn't do it.
3. The feeling when you find another vegetarian
When you find another vegetarian you initially feel really shocked that you found one. I am not sure why it is so surprising, especially if you are one yourself. You start asking the same questions non-vegetarians generally ask you. You want to know why they became one, what they eat and what foods they miss. You get excited to have someone to relate to, especially in college.
4. You realize sometimes it is hard
When you are a vegetarian at home, your family is well aware of your dietary restrictions and will accommodate your eating habits. When you are in college, you often end up overloading on carbs because you don't know what to eat. It's is easy for people to run in and get a turkey sandwich to go or get dinner from Chick-fil-A, but if you are a vegetarian you have to sometimes plan ahead.
5. You find new restaurants
When you are vegetarian you are always so surprised to find a restaurant with an extensive vegetarian menu. It is always refreshing to be at a new restaurant in your college town and see all the food you can eat.
