college kid trying to go veg
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LaceyRuth
Posts: 51 Member
Hello! This is my first year at a university and I've felt strongly for the vegetarian/vegan cause for a few years, but couldn't get my old-fashioned family to give up their ways, so this idea has been on the back burner for some time. I would try to go meatless when I had the option, but definitely have not been going out of my way to.
Now that I'm at school, I certainly want to continue moving this direction, eating as little meat as I can manage. The new problem is that my school is catered by Sodexo and the only meatless options are typically side dishes and pasta. Now that I'm on MFP and more aware that I cannot subsist entirely on carbs, I need some veg advice as to how to meet my macros and not feel like I've been eating scraps all day. I rarely ever cook anything because I can hardly afford to, so that adds another strike against me. I'm not opposed to eating meat on occasion, but I don't want it to be the staple of every meal anymore.
I'm still up in the air about eggs and dairy. I drink Silk and use calcium supplements, and have been eating eggs slightly more frequently (I used to never touch them, but have grown to enjoy an omlette now and again).
Apologies for the long and specific post, but thank you for any help at all!
(My campus also has a SubConnetion and Pandini's, both owned by Sodexo, if that gives more options)
Now that I'm at school, I certainly want to continue moving this direction, eating as little meat as I can manage. The new problem is that my school is catered by Sodexo and the only meatless options are typically side dishes and pasta. Now that I'm on MFP and more aware that I cannot subsist entirely on carbs, I need some veg advice as to how to meet my macros and not feel like I've been eating scraps all day. I rarely ever cook anything because I can hardly afford to, so that adds another strike against me. I'm not opposed to eating meat on occasion, but I don't want it to be the staple of every meal anymore.
I'm still up in the air about eggs and dairy. I drink Silk and use calcium supplements, and have been eating eggs slightly more frequently (I used to never touch them, but have grown to enjoy an omlette now and again).
Apologies for the long and specific post, but thank you for any help at all!
(My campus also has a SubConnetion and Pandini's, both owned by Sodexo, if that gives more options)
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canned stuff makes an easy way to get in more veggies when you can't cook them (microwave is nice though). Several brands make preseasoned stuff that actually tastes decent and isn't a salt bomb.
If you have a fridge, throwing some cheese over some canned refried beans (fat free or they may be cooked in lard) is a nice, quick, high protein vegetarian meal.
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Pandini's has vegetarian pizza of course. Does your Sodexo have Vegan Burritos?
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My daughter is vegan (our whole family is vegetarian/vegan) and a freshman. What we did after first semester is pay for the smallest meal plan so she can do more of her own cooking. She has a small crock pot, a small food processor, a microwave, and a freezer/fridge. She can make bean/veggie soups, banana-based ice "creams" in the food processor, sandwiches, of course, and more. Her school has vegan foods in the dining halls, but she got bored with the selections quickly. She also buys vegan canned soups, etc, for quicker eating.0
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Im a vegan college student. It is much easier than you think. While my school does provide some vegan options, I don't want anything to do with them. I'm not a exact macro hitter but I get pretty close. I'm usually high on carbs because hey, I'm vegan.
I find it very cheap to cook fresh vegetables, grains and beans. Its the time that is difficult. So if you have time then try it for one week. If not, you can still do it. I take cans if refried beans, canned and frozen vegetables, whole fruits, pastas, sandwiches, snacks, a little dark chocolate, salads and a lot more to school with me in a lunch box and just heat it up in the school microwave.
When I first startedMy daughter is vegan (our whole family is vegetarian/vegan) and a freshman. What we did after first semester is pay for the smallest meal plan so she can do more of her own cooking. She has a small crock pot, a small food processor, a microwave, and a freezer/fridge. She can make bean/veggie soups, banana-based ice "creams" in the food processor, sandwiches, of course, and more. Her school has vegan foods in the dining halls, but she got bored with the selections quickly. She also buys vegan canned soups, etc, for quicker eating.
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Wow, don't know why my comment copied another users. Sorry!
But yeah, when I first started transitioning to vegan I told myself that I would allow myself to eat some dairy every once in awhile. I found that after two weeks I did not even desire it. Let me know if you would like any more help
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I'm not vegetarian, but I do try to cook at least one meatless dinner per week. Do you access to a stove or maybe an electric skillet? Beans and rice are my go-to quick, I-need-to-make-dinner-but-have-no-time-or-money meal. And you can make this in about 5 minutes using only a microwave, so it would work well in a dorm room.
1 Packet Uncle Ben's microwavable rice (make sure to get one of unflavored kinds to keep sodium in check. I prefer the brown rice)
1 Can Black Beans (or beans of your choice. Kidney beans work well, too)
Tomato Paste (no salt added, if you can find it)
Minced garlic (comes in a jar, pre-minced, awesome for speeding up prep on busy nights. You could also just mince a regular clove of garlic if you were feeling ambitious)
Directions: Heat rice in microwave for 90 seconds, according to directions on package. Drain and rinse beans. Combine beans and rice in a bowl. Add enough tomato paste to combine the mixture. Stir in a teaspoon of minced garlic (or 2 teaspoons, if you are like me and love garlic). Add salt and pepper to taste. Microwave for a minute or two to heat the mixture all the way through. If you are feeling extra fancy, you can add some fresh cilantro. Serve with a green salad for a complete meal.
These are a couple of my favorite easy vegetarian meals. You'll need access to a stove top or electric skillet.
Chickpea and Spinach Curry
Serve over rice (you can use the Unlce Ben's microwavable rice again to keep prep simple. Basmati would work well here), and maybe some pita bread. You can cut your pitas into quarters and toast them in your toaster.
Browned Butter Gnocchi with Broccoli and Pine Nuts
This may be more carb heavy than you want, but it's quite tasty. It also has butter in it, so it's not vegan. You can easily speed prep by using a bag of frozen broccoli, but you'll need to thaw the broccoli first. I just let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.0 -
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I live between England/Germany so I'm not sure how the US differs, but when I started university I had zero problems maintaining a vegetarian diet (I was already vegetarian for years though). Does your university allow you to opt out of catering? The student halls where I lived in my first year were self catering, so I would just buy and cook all of my own food. The options offered by the cafes and restaurants on campus offer around 50-60% vegetarian.
Generally though, I can tell you that a vegetarian diet is much cheaper than a diet including meat and fish, especially good quality/organic meat and fish so you shouldn't have financial difficulties. I went vegan for two years but strayed back to dairy and eggs eventually because I found it difficult to eat with other people/eat out or pretty much buy any quick food on the go, and my taste for chocolatey things and vegan meat substitutes/soy cheese made things very expensive. For example the supermarket next to my flat sells a 250 gram bag of vegan chocolate buttons for 7 euros!
My advice anyway, for what it's worth, is go vegetarian before you try going vegan. It's cheap, much healthier for your body and a good stepping stone if you do eventually go full vegan. I still cook vegan food several times a week, but protein-wise I'd be lost without eggs, babybel light cheese, 0% fat Greek yoghurt, Quorn and whey protein Good luck! 0 -
Capt_Apollo wrote: »
Are you vegan/vegetarian? Its easy to ask this question when you've never been veg and you don't get what its like to be veg in a house full of meat eaters. Its a lot easier to be a vegan when you can come home to a support system that doesn't tease you or make it difficult/impossible to make your own dietary decisions. Being a dependent living under the roof of parents who know nothing but meat and cheese and refuse to even change their perspective on veganism makes it a living hell to try and be vegan yourself.
OP, I'm a vegan third year college student. I'm also broke as hell. I find that I spend so much less money on food than any of my non-veg friends. The myth that veganism is expensive is just that, a myth. I spend $20-40 a week on food. Its also highly nutritious if you're eating real, whole foods instead of luxury meat replacements and such. Eat a lot of whole grains, beans, rice, fruits, leafy greens and vegetables. Look at cookbooks like veganomicon for ideas on what to make. Cook in bulk, for example make a large pot of soup or chili or brown rice at the beginning of the week so you have leftovers to reheat whenever you need a quick lunch because you're in a rush to get to class. For breakfast, you can toast up some whole grain bread and put jam and nuts on it, or you can heat up a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter and banana and/or whatever else you like. Snack on fruits and vegetables and hummus. Make stir frys with whatever you like for dinner. These are only a few ideas, you'll find that theres lots and lots of cheap, fast meals you can make. And if you don't have access to a kitchen and must eat campus cafeteria food, you'll find that you can modify almost anything to be vegetarian/vegan if you just ask. I was on my schools meal plan throughout my entire freshmen and sophomore year. You'll be surprised at how accommodating people can be. Good luck and good for you for making this lifestyle change
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Hello! This is my first year at a university and I've felt strongly for the vegetarian/vegan cause for a few years, but couldn't get my old-fashioned family to give up their ways
Old fashioned because they don't want to go vegetarian/vegan? Good grief, lose the mightier than thou attitude and just be happy with your own choices rather than needing others to back you up.0 -
So you live in a dorm or apt?Hello! This is my first year at a university and I've felt strongly for the vegetarian/vegan cause for a few years, but couldn't get my old-fashioned family to give up their ways, so this idea has been on the back burner for some time. I would try to go meatless when I had the option, but definitely have not been going out of my way to.
Now that I'm at school, I certainly want to continue moving this direction, eating as little meat as I can manage. The new problem is that my school is catered by Sodexo and the only meatless options are typically side dishes and pasta. Now that I'm on MFP and more aware that I cannot subsist entirely on carbs, I need some veg advice as to how to meet my macros and not feel like I've been eating scraps all day. I rarely ever cook anything because I can hardly afford to, so that adds another strike against me. I'm not opposed to eating meat on occasion, but I don't want it to be the staple of every meal anymore.
I'm still up in the air about eggs and dairy. I drink Silk and use calcium supplements, and have been eating eggs slightly more frequently (I used to never touch them, but have grown to enjoy an omlette now and again).
Apologies for the long and specific post, but thank you for any help at all!
(My campus also has a SubConnetion and Pandini's, both owned by Sodexo, if that gives more options)
Do you own a blender?
Do you have a refrigerator?
I just got a Nutribullet Rx. It makes soup, too!!!
You could get in quite a bit of nutrition by learning to include leafy greens into protein drinks (did you know a wad parsley tastes really awesome in a vanilla protein drink? Neither did I!!), like kale, dandilion, mint, collard and more.
Personally I think you are wise in the diet changes you are thinking of...limiting conventional meat, and increasing veggies, while avoiding excess refined carbs. You're smart!
Fiber is really important in many ways, including the fact that it helps to balance hormones by carrying out excess estrogen from your body (important for both men and women).
I'd like to learn some homemade protein drink mixes to save money instead of buying so many protein powders (I get the vegan grain-free ones like Garden of Life Plant Protein).
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Oh, I'd also HIGHLY recommend checking out this podcast, it genuinely changed my life when I was a vegetarian thinking about going vegan. She offers so many amazing tips on being a healthy vegan and not wasting food/money, as well as just answers general questions about what it means to be vegan and why. Seriously, check it out.
https://soundcloud.com/colleen-patrick-goudreau0 -
Capt_Apollo wrote: »
Are you vegan/vegetarian? Its easy to ask this question when you've never been veg and you don't get what its like to be veg in a house full of meat eaters. Its a lot easier to be a vegan when you can come home to a support system that doesn't tease you or make it difficult/impossible to make your own dietary decisions. Being a dependent living under the roof of parents who know nothing but meat and cheese and refuse to even change their perspective on veganism makes it a living hell to try and be vegan yourself.
OP, I'm a vegan third year college student. I'm also broke as hell. I find that I spend so much less money on food than any of my non-veg friends. The myth that veganism is expensive is just that, a myth. I spend $20-40 a week on food. Its also highly nutritious if you're eating real, whole foods instead of luxury meat replacements and such. Eat a lot of whole grains, beans, rice, fruits, leafy greens and vegetables. Look at cookbooks like veganomicon for ideas on what to make. Cook in bulk, for example make a large pot of soup or chili or brown rice at the beginning of the week so you have leftovers to reheat whenever you need a quick lunch because you're in a rush to get to class. For breakfast, you can toast up some whole grain bread and put jam and nuts on it, or you can heat up a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter and banana and/or whatever else you like. Snack on fruits and vegetables and hummus. Make stir frys with whatever you like for dinner. These are only a few ideas, you'll find that theres lots and lots of cheap, fast meals you can make. And if you don't have access to a kitchen and must eat campus cafeteria food, you'll find that you can modify almost anything to be vegetarian/vegan if you just ask. I was on my schools meal plan throughout my entire freshmen and sophomore year. You'll be surprised at how accommodating people can be. Good luck and good for you for making this lifestyle change
That still doesn't explain why the entire family needs to change because you made a dietary decision for yourself....just typ'n.0 -
scottacular wrote: »Hello! This is my first year at a university and I've felt strongly for the vegetarian/vegan cause for a few years, but couldn't get my old-fashioned family to give up their ways
Old fashioned because they don't want to go vegetarian/vegan? Good grief, lose the mightier than thou attitude and just be happy with your own choices rather than needing others to back you up.
Lose the mightier than thou attitude and try to understand other people's perspective before you boss them around and act like a jerk, maybe?0 -
Changing the way your family sees vegetarian lifestyles is a form of change even if they aren't changing their own diet.... and it is very important to someone who wants to be a vegetarian in a non-vegetarian house. I don't see whats confusing about that.0 -
Changing the way your family sees vegetarian lifestyles is a form of change even if they aren't changing their own diet.... and it is very important to someone who wants to be a vegetarian in a non-vegetarian house. I don't see whats confusing about that.
The OP specifically states they couldn't get their family to "give up their ways", why should they have to. The op doesn't say "I couldn't get them to change their feelings"
I don't see what's confusing about that.0 -
Changing the way your family sees vegetarian lifestyles is a form of change even if they aren't changing their own diet.... and it is very important to someone who wants to be a vegetarian in a non-vegetarian house. I don't see whats confusing about that.
The OP specifically states they couldn't get their family to "give up their ways".
I don't see what's confusing about that.
"giving up their ways" could mean giving up the idea that every meal every day has to have meat or cheese in it. It could mean giving up the idea that their child can't make their own dietary decisions. You don't know what exactly that means to the OP, or what their family life is like, so stop jumping to conclusions.
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Changing the way your family sees vegetarian lifestyles is a form of change even if they aren't changing their own diet.... and it is very important to someone who wants to be a vegetarian in a non-vegetarian house. I don't see whats confusing about that.
The OP specifically states they couldn't get their family to "give up their ways", why should they have to. The op doesn't say "I couldn't get them to change their feelings"
I don't see what's confusing about that.
Gotta agree with you here, I am a pescetarian with a full meat eating husband and stepson, They would NEVER eat this way and I would never presume to expect them to, as ALWAYS it is a personal decision. You can lead by example( I don't mean lead like it makes you better than them either) but doing anything more than that makes you the jerk, and causes the opposite of the support you want. If I pushed my husband and lectured him he would be that much more determined not to. I've "led" by example and in 7 years he hasn't changed one iota. By not pushing and lecturing him he doesn't do it to me. Like I said the MOST you should do is eat the way you want and hopefully they will wanna try it too, otherwise I wouldn't waste my time.
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emmydoodles83 wrote: »
Changing the way your family sees vegetarian lifestyles is a form of change even if they aren't changing their own diet.... and it is very important to someone who wants to be a vegetarian in a non-vegetarian house. I don't see whats confusing about that.
The OP specifically states they couldn't get their family to "give up their ways", why should they have to. The op doesn't say "I couldn't get them to change their feelings"
I don't see what's confusing about that.
Gotta agree with you here, I am a pescetarian with a full meat eating husband and stepson, They would NEVER eat this way and I would never presume to expect them to, as ALWAYS it is a personal decision. You can lead by example( I don't mean lead like it makes you better than them either) but doing anything more than that makes you the jerk, and causes the opposite of the support you want. If I pushed my husband and lectured him he would be that much more determined not to. I've "led" by example and in 7 years he hasn't changed one iota. By not pushing and lecturing him he doesn't do it to me.
Because everyones situation is exactly like yours? You are an adult who can buy your own food, I doubt you depend on your parents to still buy everything you eat and hope that they support your decision to not eat animals (except fish apparently).0 -
Capt_Apollo wrote: »
Are you vegan/vegetarian? Its easy to ask this question when you've never been veg and you don't get what its like to be veg in a house full of meat eaters. Its a lot easier to be a vegan when you can come home to a support system that doesn't tease you or make it difficult/impossible to make your own dietary decisions. Being a dependent living under the roof of parents who know nothing but meat and cheese and refuse to even change their perspective on veganism makes it a living hell to try and be vegan yourself.
it would be a different story if she said something like "i can't get my old-fashioned family to stop teasing me and trying to force feed me beef." but she said "can't get them to give up their ways" basically saying that she's trying to get them to go meatless as well.0
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