The summer before my freshman year of college, I made a drastic change to my eating habits: I went vegan. This is something that I never thought I would do, because my love for meat and cheese was so large I couldn't imagine going one day without either.

However, towards the beginning of the summer, my family decided to start adapting to a vegan diet because it was something new, and my mom had already tested out the diet for a week. She believed it would be a healthier lifestyle for all of us and implement new changes to our health, so she wanted the rest of us to try it as well and see for ourselves.

At first, this diet was hard to become accustomed to, and I utterly missed my chicken and cheese in my burrito bowls at Chipotle. But as time passed, I eventually began to get the hang of it and forgot all about my love for meat and cheese.

I began to enjoy making myself avocado toast for breakfast and snacking on pineapple and strawberries. This all felt different and foreign to me and my body, but it was a good kind of different. Eventually, I felt unstoppable and as if I could actually continue this diet for a while.

However, one question lured in the back of my mind throughout this summer: how was I going to be a vegan in college? When a freshman first arrives at a campus, they are immediately overwhelmed with all of the diverse food options, especially since there are no parents there to control what you can or cannot eat.

But as a vegan, it's a bit more limited to enjoy yourself. While all of our friends get to munch out on pizza, chicken tenders, hot dogs, and ice cream sundaes, we're left with the salad bar, fruit, and vegetable sushi on sushi night. I was afraid that when I stepped foot onto campus, I wouldn't find any food options that satisfied my hunger and was also vegan at the same time.

This is not the case at all.

When I first entered the dining hall, I noticed that each food item had a tag with what kind of food it was, followed by the word 'vegan' or 'vegetarian' in parentheses, or nothing at all. And to my surprise, about roughly half of these items were vegan and actually sounded delicious!

Sure, they're not something out of a 5-star restaurant or made by Gordon Ramsay, but these options are actually good for a college dining hall. I suddenly didn't feel as if I was going to be alone or left out when I would come to eat with friends because now I knew that college actually has many options for people with allergy and dietary needs.

It's been three months since move-in day, and I am currently still going strong in maintaining the diet. Being vegan is a lot easier than I originally thought, and is something that has taught me to be creative and flexible when it comes to eating.

I still might not be able to enjoy a calzone or a milkshake after a night out with friends, but I know now that regardless of whatever dining hall I go to on campus, that I will have at least a few fun options to munch out on.

If you're about to enter college as a vegan and are afraid that it will be challenging to find foods that follow the strict diet, do NOT worry! Although it is different for each college, there is always a guarantee to be some sort of vegan options that anyone would want to put on their plate. Here are a few tips that have helped me survive college as a vegan:

1. Take advantage of the salad bar

This step is vital! The salad bar is where your true creative side can come out because there are endless recipes that you can make from all of the toppings and dressings that are offered. Feeling something simple? Try some romaine with cucumbers, shredded carrots, red or green peppers, chickpeas, topped off with some balsamic vinaigrette dressing!

Or, if you're feeling something fruity, incorporate some power food into your bowl by adding kale, cucumbers, chopped strawberries, quinoa, walnuts, and some creamy poppyseed dressing! Both of these are my go to options whenever I need something light, but there are definitely many more concoctions that can be made if you put your creativity to work.

2. Make your own creation based on popular food trends

Craving avocado toast but can't find any full avocados in the dining hall? Use guacamole instead! I have made this countless of times and each time, I find myself wanting more because of how delicious and similar it is to the actual food trend. Top off your creation with some red chili flakes and maybe even a slice of tomato, and you won't even realize it's not from your favorite cafe from home!

3. Be bold and try something new

Trying new foods is always a questionable and scary process. When I look at some of the dishes in the hot bar, I sometimes stand there wondering, "How the hell did they come up with something crazy like this?" But trust me when I say there are many delicious vegan main dishes that the dining hall offers and deserve to be recognized. Whether it's pasta, a tofu dish, veggie burgers, or even falafels, these entrees are actually better than they sound and will still leave your stomach satisfied. All you have to do is trust the process!

Happy eating!