The number of vegan college students – those who eliminate meat,
dairy and all other animal products from their diet – has doubled
in the U.S. since 2005, according to a study by People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). With veganism’s increasing
popularity among students, how do Loyola’s dining facilities help
vegan students meet their dietary needs?
“I take the tofu options from the regular dining section and
have the [Simpson] wrap station put it in a tortilla for me. Or I
go to the pizza station, because if you’re willing to wait ten
minutes, they can make you personal vegan or vegetarian pizzas,”
Hageman said.
Rambler Room has posted signs explaining the vegetarian and
vegan options offered to students, but even with Loyola’s obvious
vegan options, it’s helpful for vegans to get creative when eating
on campus so that they aren’t forced to eat the same meals over and
over again.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough from fridge. Roll a heaping teaspoon of cookie dough into a ball and place onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches in between each ball. Evenly flatten the dough with your fingertips so that it is about 1/4 inch thick and bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool completely.
Aside from Mondays, there are vegan options available on a daily
basis. The bean and minestrone soups and the salad bar are vegan
favorites, Hageman noted, as well as the few entrées specifically
geared toward vegetarians that vegans can sometimes eat as
well.
Loyola isn’t the only Chicago-area school working with its vegan
student population; Northwestern University in Evanston topped the
2011 list of the “Most Vegan-Friendly Colleges” in a survey
conducted by peta2, PETA’s youth division. The university has
earned the list’s top spot out of 32 colleges in the small school
category twice before (2010 and 2007). Northwestern offers food
such as tofu French toast, country-fried seitan steak with vegan
mashed potatoes and vegan curried tofu with jasmine rice. According
to the Northwestern dining services department, between 35 and 55
percent of students choose a vegetarian or vegan entree on a daily
basis.