 |
| 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.
