Vegetarian Beauty

This past weekend, my friend and I decided to walk down Newbury Street. Bored with the typical stores we go into, we decided to walk into Lush, located at 166 Newbury. Little did we know that we had just entered into a vegetarian beauty paradise. We soon found out that Lush's sexy and fun products are all handmade, only use vegetarian ingredients, and all the ingredients are not tested on animals. With bath bombs like Sex Bomb and a soap that you can play with called Fun, this got me thinking...what other exciting vegetarian beauty brands are out there just waiting for me to discover them?! I did a little beauty investigation and here are my findings...

Tasty Vegan LipBalms 

Bored with you're plain old lip balm? Or have you just realized how many unnatural chemicals the manufacturers use to make it? Meet Crazy Rumors. They are a certified organic, vegan lip balm brand that makes the most fun flavors I have ever heard of: Spiced Chai, Banana Split, Ginger Ale, and even Mystery flavored! The lip balms are made of organic shea butter, organic jojoba oil, essential oils, and a  little bit of natural stevia to make them sweet! If your not already sold, the lip balms are only $4 (the perfect price for any college students budget) dollars each and the owners of the company are a husband/wife duo...so your money isn't going to a large corporation. 

Colorful Cosmetics 

Obsessed with makeup? Then you have to check out Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. They pledge to never used animal-derived ingredient and feel that by doing so they are "raising the bar" on the animal testing issue for companies that say they don't test on animal just because it is fashionable. Their products are so cool and unique, from Lip Tar that applies as a gloss but dries to a extremely pigmented satin finish and the new Creme Color Concentrate, a colored creme that can be used on your eyes, lips, or cheeks! Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is a vegan brand that is not only sophisticated, but also innovative and fun. You can find Obsessive Compulsive products at Sephora, like the one in the Prudential Center on Boylston. 

Alternative Cosmetics 

If you are a makeup junkie, you have most likely heard of the brand Urban Decay before. Also found at Sephora, Urban Decay was made famous for being one of the first makeup brands to bring alternative makeup (ex: green nails and electric blue eyeliner) to the market. Urban Decay sells really pigmented and high quality products, in colors you wont find in many other places (party makeup anyone?). Its packaging is edgy and urban and is a great addition to any cosmetic bag. Best of all, many of Urban Decay's products are cruelty-free. They do not allow animal testing nor animal testing on their behalf. In addition, many of their products are vegan...many but not all. Look for the purple paw print next to the product that designates that it was not made from any animal derived ingredients. 

The Clean Vegetarian 

From toothpaste to deodorant, there are so many products we use every day that goes in and on our body. The brand Kiss My Face has made it easy for us vegetarians by creating a wide range of toiletries and cosmetic products that are vegetarian/vegan friendly. Products include mouthwash, body soap, moisturizer,  hand soap, shave gel, shampoo, conditioner, styling products, face cream, shower gel, sunscreen, and deodorant. You can easily fill up your whole bathroom and morning routine with vegan products through Kiss My Face! Prices are student friendly, and rest assured that you are getting a quality product. Kiss My Face has been creating pure and natural products for over 30 years with the finest natural ingredients that nature can provide. 

Who knew you could extend your vegetarianism in such beautiful ways with all these fun and conscientious brands. Do you know of any cool vegetarian beauty brands? If so let me know! 

Peter Singer on Animal Liberation

Looking for some intellectual vegetarianism in Boston? Look no further than your college campus. Boston University's Vegetarian Society will be hosting the philosopher Peter Singer on Friday, April 26th from 7:30 to 9 pm in the Morse Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public, so even if you don't go to BU, grab some friends and prepare to be treated to a night of intellectual stimulation and vegetarian philosophizing! 

Background on Peter Singer 

Peter Singer is an australian philosopher who became famous for writing his book Animal Liberation. He is a moral philosopher, focusing on applied ethics. Singer is a major proponent of utilitarianism (doing the most god for the most amount of people) and biocentrism (a point of view in ethics that gives inherent value to non-human species). He is one of the most influential contemporary philosophers today and is believed to have influenced the major leaders of the animal liberation movement. Currently he is the Ira W. Decamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and a Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne. 

Animal Liberation 

In 1970, after having lunch with a vegetarian graduate student, Singer became interested in vegetarianism. He then read the book Animal Machines by Ruth Harrison and a paper by Rosalind Godlovitch, which led him to join the ranks of vegetarians and inspired him to consider animal suffering in philosophical terms. He published 

Animal Liberation in 1975 and introduced his many new arguments regarding animal rights and welfare. His arguments include: 

Extending the utilitarian idea of the "greatest good" to animals. 

He believe that animal rights are the same as human rights, and therefore they should not be treated such. He is against speciesism and believes that animals should have rights based on their ability to feel pain. He believes that all beings capable of suffering should have equal consideration and that if one discriminates against this, that it is just as bad as other more common forms of discrimination like skin color. He believes that you can eat meat as long as the animal was raised in a  way that didn't inflict pain or suffering. Given that these types of farms are uncommon, he concludes that a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is best. He is against experimental surgeries done on living animals unless the good of the surgery outweighs the bad. 

A Vegetarian Philosophy 

His his essay A Vegetarian Philosophy, Singer outlines his reasonings for a vegetarian lifestyle. The article is short and easy to read. As a fellow vegetarian, I would highly recommend reading it to strengthen or pose new questions to your own vegetarian philosophy. Personally, I resonated with: "The case for vegetarianism is at its strongest when we see it as a moral protest against our use of animals as mere things, to be exploited for our convenience in whatever way makes them most cheaply available to us.

Peter Singer at Boston University 

Peter Singer's lecture at Boston University will be exploring his perception on the progress made with animal rights since "Animal Liberation". He will analyze the climate of today's animal welfare issues and conjecture about what it will be like in the future. He also will be exploring what we can learn from the struggle with animal rights throughout the years. 

If you have any questions about the event, contact Rachel Atchenson at vegsoc@bu.edu or 202-215-0356. 

FoMu: Alternative Ice Cream

Grab your ray bans and flip-flops because summer in Boston is steadily approaching. Summer in Boston: essentially the only time of the year where it is actually warm enough to make it enjoyable to go out and explore the cities nooks and crannies. So now that you have de-thawed where is the first place you should adventure to? A nice cool (in more than one way) ice cream place of course! 

FoMu located on 481 Caimbridge Street in Allston is a MUST TRY! 

Love at First Bite 

FoMu oozes the hip, alternative lifestyle of the Alston, Massachusetts community. The store is lined with paintings and pictures made by local artists. The employees typically don multiple piercings, tattoos and a smile. Hipster couples on their first date after a concert and older health conscious citizens alike but are drawn to the vibrant, accepting environment of FoMu. One might question what came first, the chicken or the egg, but in the case of we vegetarians, the alternative lifestyle or the alternative ice cream?

Alternative Ice Cream? 

FoMu serves alternative ice cream. What does that mean you ask? FoMu's ice cream is all natural and dairy free. It is made locally in small batches, with no refined sugars. Yes, you heard it right, the ice cream is dairy free meaning...drumroll please...the ice cream is vegan! 

Vegan Ice Cream... 

Does the though of vegan ice cream make you think of tasteless blob of weirdly textured and fake tasting ice cream? Because thats exactly what FoMu is not! FoMu uses a coconut milk base sweetened by agave nectar and unrefined sugar cane. For most people, they barely notice a difference between FoMu and real ice cream - except that FoMu is actually more rich and delicious. 

FoMu's Menu 

If you are someone who likes to try new things, FoMu's menu will frustrate you because you'll want to try everything. The range of flavors FoMu offers puts regular ice cream shops to shame. Flavors range from Strawberry and Cookies and Cream to Rice Honey Lavender and Thai Chili Peanut. FoMu offers speciality drinks like Mango Lassi and Mocha Bean Smoothies that most vegans miss out on in their everyday dining experiences. In addition to the plethora of ice cream options, FoMu offers vegan treats from Sabertooth Bakery, Bonnieville Power Cookies, Veggie Galaxy, and Taza Chocolates. 

So what are you waiting for! Go grab your sunglasses and a friend and go on an adventure to this vegan find! Fellow vegan and vegetarian friends will think you have found the vegan holy grail. 

Battle of the Boston Dining Halls

One evening, while walking back to my dorm with a delightfully full stomach, I wondered: does my school have the best dining hall for vegetarians in all of Boston? If not, which one does? It struck me. This was an important question that must be answered! Therefore, I did some research and digested (punny) the information to create the first ever *cue fanfare *…. Battle of the Boston Dining Halls! Using the same schools that compete in the Bean pot Tournament (Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern University, and Harvard University) I’ve created an in-depth look into the vegetarianism of the Boston area dining halls. The schools are judged on the breadth and quality of their dining options and by a closer look at one dining hall’s menu chosen at random. Let the Battle begin, and may the odds be ever in your school’s favor/flavor!

Boston University Dining Services 

Number of Dining Halls: 3

Other dining options: 35

Special Programs: Sargent Choice, Make a Difference Monday

Awards: One of the Dining Halls, Marciano Commons, is the only 4-star certified university dining room in the country

Opening its’ doors to students in August 2012, Marciano Commons is the newest of Boston University's dining halls. They pay special attention to the non-meat eaters by having one meal station that always serves vegan options, supplemented by other vegetarian and vegan options. Boston University has two special programs that cater to a vegetarian lifestyle: Sargent Choice and Make a Difference Monday. The Sargent Choice program is a collaboration between BU’s dining services and the College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. The program creates nutritionally balanced meals and designates them with a special symbol so students can easily identify the options. The Sargent Choice, students can sign up for a Vegetarian Nutrition course to learn about the vegetarian lifestyle. Every Monday in the dining halls, BU hosts Make a Difference Monday which features sustainable dining options including local produce and healthier options. One of the draws of Make a Difference Monday is that it offers more vegetarian and vegan options. 

So how does Marciano Commons, a BU dining hall look? On its Dinner menu on March 19, 2013, Marciano Commons had 25 items marked vegetarian or vegan out of its 40 options. This makes the dining hall 62.5% vegetarian friendly. What are your options?

Rice Noodle Stir Fry

Lo Mein Noodles

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Mushroom and Barley Ragout

Sauteed Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Black Eyed Peas and Corn

Naan Bread

Arugula Salad

Corn & Tomato Salad

Creamy Tomato Soup

Potato Chips

Tomato, Basil, Fresh Mozerella Pizza

Cheese Pizza

Garden Salad

Veggie Burger

Grilled Cheese

French Fries

Create your own ice cream sandwhich

German chocolate bar

Pumpkin pie

Scratch chocolate chip cookie 

Northeastern University Dining Services 

Numbers of Dining Halls: 4

Other Dining Options: 16

Special Programs: You First

Awards: UI Green Metric University Ranking, Princeton Review’s 2013 Green Rating, 2011 Green Business Award, Three Star “Certified Green Restaurant”

Per student request, Northeastern University has begun an initiative to increase vegetarian and vegan options on campus for the student population. On their website they claim “Its not just tofu and veggie burgers anymore,” which is a joy for any vegetarian to hear. In fact, NU dining is dedicated to giving the students what they really want, as seen through their feedback system called You First. Levine Marketplace is one of NU’s dining halls that has amped up their veg offerings. On March 19, 2013 Levine Marketplace had 26 vegetarian options out of the 53 items on the menu, making it 49% vegetarian friendly. Below are the vegetarian options for that day.

Curried Rice and Lentil Soup

Dijon Roasted Potato Salad

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

Penne with Sundried Tomato Pesto

Cucumber and Onion Salad

Cauliflower au Gratin

Herbed Quinoa

Baked Potato

Cheese Pizza – Without Gluten

Roasted Zucchini

Jasmine Rice

Egg Salad Fresh Cut Potato Chips

Sliced Provolone Cheese

Swiss Cheese

Whole Wheat Bread

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Peas and Mushrooms

Red Roasted Potatoes

Garden Burger

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Spinach Ricotta Calzone

Cheese Pizza

Penne Pasta

Hard Fried Eggs

Egg Omelets

Egg & Cheese Omelets

Harvard University Dining Services

Number of Dining Halls: 15

Non-Dining other dining options:

Special Programs: Food Literacy Project

Awards:

Dining Services at Harvard are very different from other schools in Boston. Instead of a few central dining halls and supplementary eateries, Harvard’s dining plan is based on a system of houses. There are 15 dining halls each associated with a specific house (or dorm complex). You may eat at other houses, but there are interhouse restrictions. Harvard believes in the well-being and nourishment of their students and encourages it through special programs like the Food Literacy Project. The goal of the Food Literacy Project is to educate students on how to make informed food decisions. The FLP hosts specials events on campus in order to fulfill their mission. Harvard dining services has an extensive list of vegetarian offerings with 46 out of 58 items on the Menu for March 26, 2013 marked as vegetarian, making Harvard 95% vegetarian friendly. Even if you don’t find something you want to eat on the menu, the Harvard Dining Services website claims that “And, while we have a vast number of offerings each day, we also have an ‘if you don't see it, ask’ policy. You are welcome to whatever is in our kitchen, even it's not on that day's menu.” So what are you options?

Butternut squash soup

Portobello Lentil Pattie with Tomato Basil Salsa

Sticky Rice

Sautéed Collard Greens

Stir Fry Vegetables

Cherry Pie

Irish Mint Frozen Yogurt

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

Baguette

Spicy Black Beans

Applesauce

Corn Niblets

Edamame Beans

Feta Cheese

HUDS Salad Mix

Hard Cooked Eggs

Peeled Baby Carrots

Red Pepper Hummus

Sliced Cucumbers

Sliced Yellow Peaches

Spinach Salad Base

Suntan Pepper Strips

Tofu

Tomato Wedges

Boca Burger for Grill

Cage-free eggs to order

Cage-free egg whites

Frankfurter rolls

Garden burger

Grilled burrito

Grilled cheese sandwich

Hamburger rolls

Vegan chicken grill patty

Vegan dog

Brown rice

BBQ Korean Tofu

Chopped scallions

Kimchee

Korean Pickled Cucumber

Leaf Lettuce

Broccoli Cole Slaw with Wasabi Dressing

Cucumber Onion Salad

Barilla Plus Multigrain Spaghetti

Wild Rice

Garlic and Fennel Sauce

Red Spaghetti Sauce 

Boston College Dining Services 

Number of Dining Halls: 3

Non-Dining other dining options: 10

Special Programs:

Awards: 2011 Mass. Rest. Assc. Food Service Operator of the Year, 2012 Parents&Colleges.com Ranked #2 in Best Eats, 2006 Ivy Awards, 2004 Silver Plate Award, 2004 Leader in Innovation - Nation's Restaurant News 

Boston College's Dining Services mottos is "Food, Attitude, Customer Service and Teamwork, which shows the student-centric philosophy that goes into their dining plans. BC is very aware of vegetarians on campus. They cater to vegetarians on campus and are even adding new vegetarian options to the spring cycle. One dining hall with great vegetarian options is Lyons Hall. Located on the Quad, Lyons Hall, has a great location for student looking to both grab a quick meal or sit down and enjoy one with friends. It's dinner menu on March 26, 2013 included 11 vegetarian options out of the 31 items, making it 35% vegetarian friendly. Below are the options. 

Vegetarian Entrée Value Meal

Vegan Lentil Stew

Vegan White Bean Escarole Soup

Mediterranean Hummus Sandwich

Tuscan Veggie Sandwich

Vegetable Quinoa Bake

Baked Potato

Basmati Rice

Garlic Spinach

Sticky Rice

Yellow Summer Squash 

....and the winner is....

Harvard's superior level of commitment to nourishing and supporting its students transcends the classroom. This includes making sure the vegetarians at the school are just as satisfied as the remainder of the student body. Harvard's dining services provide a menu rich with vegetarian options. These options go past the typical veggie burger and tofu with meals such as vegan hot dogs and portobello patties. Even if vegetarians don't want what is on the menu, they are free to ask for other alternatives. Harvard's flexibility, range of choice, amount of choices, and commitment to their students welfare is what makes it the winner of THE BATTLE OF THE BOSTON DINING HALLS!!! 

What is the vegetarian experience at your school like?

Avoiding the college diet downfalls

Dinner at college 

Dinner at home 

Between the communal showers and strange roommates, college is a whole lot different than home. Let's be real, we’re not in Kansas anymore. It’s then safe to recognize that our eating habits are completely different from the ones we left back at home. The closest thing to the beacon of light that was once a stocked fridge (courtesy of the parentals) is the Dominos delivery man/woman that comes to the front door of your dorm while you are in your slippers. If all the food you ate during the late evenings/wee-mornings of the weekend doesn’t make you feel nutritionally hung over, than the three desserts from the dining hall will.

 

Eating in college is categorized by an inconsistent schedule, a multitude of bad (but tasty) food temptations, eating on the go, and price-determined eating. Vegetarians are not immune to these college-eating woes DUN DUN DUNNNN. So to make things easier, I'll share with you some of my vegetarian eating tricks to the age-old college diet downfalls.

Bored eating while studying 

Cuddled up in my brownstone with some tea

Besides popping in a fun piece of flavored sugarless gum, my favorite trick is making a really large cup of tea. I usually go for non-caffeinated tea, so that I can stay at a consistent homework pace without crashing.  The tea always smells wonderful and lifts my mood. It gives me something to hold and focus on while I’m reading, so that I’m engaged in something but not completely absorbed. Tea also has its health benefits and can keep you hydrated.

You actually need a study snack. Someone nearby has Cheetos…

Strawberries bough on Commonwealth Ave

The sad pitfall that many unsuccessful vegetarians fall into is that they begin to eat really poorly. This usually happens because they don’t know what to eat and therefore resort to junk food or they believe the junk food makes up for the meat that they are not eating. This is not true, or good. Nobody wants to be one of these unsuccessful vegetarians. That’s why it’s so important to BE PREPARED FOR SNACKAGE. Always have a few healthy snack items either in school bag or in your room.  I recommend cut up vegetables, pretzels or pita chips, nuts, pieces of fruit, low-fat chocolate milk, and my personal favorite, protein bars. Apart from the chocolate milk you can throw any of these items in your bag and forget about them for a while. They all offer fiber and or protein that can both satisfy your hunger while giving a studying boost. There are so many fun vegetarian snack ideas to try. 

 You have to find dinner in a convenience store 

Naked drinks come in so many flavors 

It happens to the best of us… convenience store dinners. Whether because we are running between classes or because it’s late at night and there is no other place open, most vegetarians have had that dreadful moment where they walk aimlessly around a convenience store in hopes of some semblance of a meal. Fear no more! I have done it enough that I have come up with a few solutions. (Results will vary depending on each store.) If the store has Kashi frozen vegetarian meals (and I have future access to a microwave), I usually go for that. If not, I’ll grab a Naked juice, some sort of whole grain bar like and Odwalla bar, and a slice of Cracker and Barrel cheese. You get your fruits and veggies, grains, and protein. Granted, convenience store dinners are not optimal, but thankfully Boston has convenience stores located on almost every block and may are opened until late hours of the night, servicing many late night adventures.

My stash of treats from Trader Joe's on Boylston

Overeating at the dining hall

This might sound silly, but I promise this will work if you actually do it. Go to the store a buy a special dessert. I recommend a novelty that you don’t usually buy yourself, like a special dark chocolate. Keep the treat in a special spot and then get really excited about it. Only allow yourself a little bit of this treat at a time. The dining hall desert does not seem so cool anymore, does it? I even use this to bribe myself to get my homework done. It works.  

Last night's revenge 

Making eggs at my friends apartment on Ashford

Vegetarian eggs benedict at Trident on Newbury

I swear by egg and cheesed after a late night on the town. Scramble up some eggs and use low fat cheese and multi-grain bread and you have yourself a little miracle worker sandwich. The eggs not only add a kick of protein, but also have high amounts of cysteine, which breaks down hangover causing toxins. Score! Tasty while doing work for our collegiate bodies at the same time!

Skipping breakfast for the sake of sleep

Almonds for a quick breakfast 

I probably snooze my alarm five times each morning. I have the timing of walking to my classes down to a science. For me, breakfast must be quick, easy, accessible and preferably in my dorm room while I’m getting dressed. My favorite way to do this usually involves taking fruit from the dining hall (which my school allows). Ill grab two bananas, cut them up, and throw some peanut butter and honey over them. Its super quick does not require any cooking. You also start the day off with some protein, which is good for any vegetarian. My second favorite method is grabbing a handful of nuts and dried fruit and eating them together. Both methods leave you surprisingly full, and for me at least, help me wake up and power through my classes. 

Life as a student vegetarian in Boston

Welcome to the Boston Collegiate Vegetarian blog! 

Or what I’ve been referring to in my head as BoCoVeg. I’m Kate and I’m a collegiate vegetarian (sounds pretty fancy eh?).  I’ve been veg for 11 of my 20 years, and am still going strong in college. Stronger than ever in fact! That’s because being a vegetarian in the great city of Boston is as easy as ever.  I’ve created this blog as a way to share my experiences as a vegetarian college student in Boston. Whether you are looking to strengthen your own vegetarianism or make the switch to where the grass is definitely greener (wahoo go veg!) I’m here to start the conversation among the Boston collegiate vegetarians.

Are you already a BoCoVeg? Are you looking to make the switch? 

Lets begin by looking at why vegetarianism, boston, and college work so well together! 

Why go veg?

You may be thinking, what’s the deal with vegetarianism anyway? Why would anyone willingly choose to cut out meat and animal products from their diet? The truth is that there are so many reasons to go veg! First and foremost, a vegetarian diet done right can be healthier than one that is meat based. It reduces the amount of hormones, chemicals, processed foods, and cholesterol in your diet.  You become more conscientious of the food going into your body. People begin to become more aware of how much protein, carbohydrates, etc. that they consume in relation to how much they actually need. After going veg, many people see a visible change in their waistline, regularity, wallet, and overall feeling of well-being. Not only do their bodies’ feel better, but their consciousness as well. Vegetarian diets are kinder to the natural world. It saves the lives of animals and does not support the cruel treatment of the animal food industry. A vegetarian diet can also help the environment, saving water, reducing pollution, and preventing global warming. There so many reasons to go vegetarian. What will yours be?

Why go veg in Boston?

Boston is an extremely vegetarian friendly city. Think about it, it’s even nicknamed after one of the best non-meat sources of protein (Beantown anyone?). Almost all restaurants and fast food venues are vegetarian friendly. On top of that there are so many restaurants and bakeries that are completely vegetarian. These vegetarian restaurants come in a wide range, or shall I say cornucopia of ethnicities and eating experiences and are fun places to try while exploring the various neighborhoods of the city. And for your everyday eating, grocery stores and specialty grocers are typically only a walk or t-ride away, and many grocery stores now have a vegetarian aisle or section. Besides the food, Boston has a great community of vegetarians and even has vegetarian festivals and meet ups throughout the year. Boston is the perfect playing grounds for a vegetarian. 

Vegetarian in college?

What makes college such a special time to go vegetarian you say? College is a time of learning. It is meant to try new things and experiment. Vegetarianism can be a learning experience that brings personal growth. There are many resources available at most colleges that can help in the transition to vegetarianism or strengthening ones previous veg lifestyle. Other vegetarians are especially valuable resources, as you can swap recipes, recommendations, and ideologies with people you don’t typically run with. In addition, things like dining halls and meal plans make vegetarianism easy, as the food is already available without having to figure out what to eat. Lastly, meat is expensive! Going veg can cut down meal costs for the student on a budget. Going vegetarian is an easy ordeal for any student.