Most universities pride themselves on having an amazing selection and wide variety of food to satisfy the unique tastes and desires of their diverse student population. Additionally, most universities advertise a variety of gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan friendly options...
And then you get to the cafeteria. You know that one counter that everyone is passing up? Yeah, that's the "vegetarian" option, an unidentifiable substance that looks like a combination of unidentifiable nasty plus a random, brown mush. It's no wonder people aren't venturing to try such an unappealing dish...
And don't even get me on the salad bar... When there is a salad bar. When the salad bar is stocked, the lettuce can be wilted, discolored, and even slimy. If you're lucky to get some good lettuce, you could have quite the challenge to find additional veggies to top off your salad. Where are the peppers, garbanzo beans, carrots, cheese?!
This is what it really means to be a vegetarian in the caf- you're hungry, you're disappointed, and you're often forced to eat cereal, all the carbs, and less-than-fresh produce- when it's available- to eat.
I should not have to be punished for having unique dietary restrictions. I should be able to eat- and eat well- at my university cafeteria, and be able to utilize the meal plan that I paid for.
I understand that the majority of college students enjoy eating meat, and eating lots of it. I understand that this means more meaty options are going to be available. What I don't understand is this: Why does EVERYTHING have to have meat in it? Seriously?! There are many ways to make more options vegetarian while still satisfying meat-lovers. For example, you can have chicken and wild rice soup... But then next to it, why can't you have a smaller crock of just wild rice soup? This- and many others- are the questions that keep me up at night.
Being a vegetarian in college shouldn't be difficult. And while the dining service at my university, among countless others, is getting better, there is still room for improvement.
