A new school year means many new variables: classes, relationships, places, goals—anything. Luckily, West Chester supplies its students with many ways to be successful with these changes.
Whether it be the stress of new classes or not making any new friends, West Chester offers many sources of comfort including the counseling center, the writing center and over 200 clubs. As a first-year, all of these things concerned me. However, one thing that concerned me most was the food.
We all heard horror stories concerning dining hall foods and the “freshman fifteen” in high school. Not only did I worry about the quality of the food, but I also worried about what I was going to be able to eat. I had been vegetarian since I was fourteen, and had recently cut the rest of animal products out of my diet. Was I going to have to live off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?
Thankfully, I quickly discovered the multiple options both on campus and off campus. Now with applications like GrubHub and Tapingo, eating plant-based, vegetarian or vegan in West Chester is easier than ever.
For those who live on campus, both Lawrence Dining Hall and the Rams’ Head in Sykes have their options.
At Lawrence, the most obvious option is Lindsey’s Garden. Lindsey’s Garden is one of the sections in Lawrence that only serves vegetarian food, and it is often easy to make whatever is available vegan as well. The Italian food is also easily “vegetarianized”—simply get pasta with sauce and vegetables without any meat! Want to make it vegan? Make sure to get the marinara, and skip the alfredo sauce. There are many other options in Lawrence, the salad bar included. If you are ever unsure of the ingredients, feel free to ask.
In Sykes, the options are very similar. There is a salad bar where one can also get wraps. It can easily be made vegan by skipping the cheese and double checking the ingredients on the dressings. Sandwiches are also easily made vegetarian or vegan—most packaged breads are egg and dairy free.
However, it is easy to get tired of the food options on campus. Right off campus are two restaurants that easily cater to those trying to cut back on animal products in their diet. Saxbys is very vegan-friendly, offering three types of non-dairy milks: coconut, soy and almond! They also offer toast, and you can add peanut butter and avocado on it instead of butter.
Right next door to Saxbys is Burrito Loco—a California-style Mexican restaurant that has been in West Chester since 1999. Burrito Loco offers vegetarian versions of their burritos, burrito bowls, tacos and salads. One can easily make them vegan by asking for no sour cream or cheese! Not only does Burrito Loco accept Ram Bucks and Flex, but they have their own Meatless Monday special!
If you’re feeling like venturing into town, there are many options there as well. Restaurants like Couch Tomato, Love Again Local and Dia Doce cater to people with all diets. Couch Tomato offers sandwiches, pizzas, salads and many more options at their restaurant. While they do serve meat and dairy products, they also offer Kite-Hill vegan cheese and seitan as a meat replacement on their meals. Dia Doce is a cupcake shop that offers regular cupcakes as well as vegan and gluten-free vegan cupcakes. They also offer coconut and almond milk for their coffee and latte options.
Love Again Local is a 100% vegan sandwich shop in town, offering snacks like chips, cookies and vegan jerky as well. They specialize in vegan-friendly versions of classic sandwiches—reubens, Cubans and grilled cheeses included. Also, the owner is a WCU alum!
Even if you’re not vegetarian or vegan, the veggie options on campus are worth the try. There are many benefits to eating plant-based meals, nutritionally and environmentally. You don’t even have to go entirely vegetarian or vegan to make a difference—simply cutting down on meat and dairy products can improve your health and decrease your carbon footprint! A study posted by the NCBI in 2014 reported that those who eat less meat have lower stress levels.
If you have any other questions, thoughts, or concerns surrounding eating more plant- based on and around campus, WCU has a club called Veg Out for those interested! Be sure to stop by their table at the involvement fair and follow their Instagram (@vegoutwcu) to learn more about the club and tricks to eating plant-based as a college student.
Paige Baselice is a fourth-year student majoring in English. ✉ PB853173@wcupa.edu.