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| Vegetarian stir fry from Thai Tuesdays at the Fresh Food Market |
As a student who is eating meatless five times out of the week, I’m always looking for meatless options. You can say, I’m the master meatless expert, if you will. So, I thought I’d share some of my meatless mealtime tips and how I eat meatless in the dining halls and don’t ever feel deprived!
General Rules:
Check the menu first online!
Before I go to a
certain dining hall, I check and see what main entrees will be served. That way
I go in prepared and know exactly what I can and cannot eat. It also helps me
select which dining hall to choose. If I know ahead of time, that Terraces has
a lot meat options, I can see what vegetarian options are available at Towers. I
always feel better prepared and can make better choices when I plan ahead
before going to the dining halls.
2 Look for the Nutrition Icons!
Just
ask!
Anytime you have
a question, just ask! Dining Hall staff from all dining halls can answer any
question you have! I know I have asked questions like, if the soup was made with
a beef or vegetable broth or if something contained meat? Its’ the best way to
know about what you eat before you eat it!
Dining
Hall Meatless Guide!
In All Dining Halls:
Soup/Salad Bar:
This is a section I frequent when I’m eating meatless. There is always a vegetarian soup offered
and, of course, pretty much all of the salad bar is meatless. When making a
salad, I always like to add chick pea and tofu because that way I know I am
getting enough protein for the day
Deli:
The deli has a lot of great
vegetarian options, when you just want a quick and easy sandwich or wrap. The
deli offers lots of fresh veggies, hummus, and egg and tuna salad for meatless
choices. My personal favorite is the veggie wrap with a whole wheat wrap. Meatless
Dining Hall Tip: make a sandwich with hummus on whole wheat and then go
over to the salad bar to add additional toppings. It’s a great way to use the
dining hall in its entirety and I can make great sandwiches with items not
found at the deli, like spinach leaves and peppers!
Pizza/Pasta Station:
This station always offers pizza
and pasta that does not contain meat. Best of all, this is a really easy swap.
If you are used to eating pepperoni pizza, just switch to cheese. Or try
something new, like sundried tomato and feta!
Terraces:
Vegetarian Hotline:
One of my favorite new features
at Terraces is the new Vegetarian Hotline! Located at the end of the hotline,
the vegetarian hotline offers meatless meals at both lunch and dinner. Before,
I used to skip the hotline because there weren’t a lot of meatless entrees
offered. Now, instead of just offering vegetarian side dishes, like vegetables
or rice, the new Vegetarian Hotline offers delicious and filling vegetarian
entrees that make a great main dish to a complete meal. Some of my favorites
include polenta lasagna with eggplant caponata, African vegetable curry, and
falafel with a whole wheat pita.
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| Terrace Dining Hall's Vegetarian Section on the Hot Line |
Exhibition:
Exhibition is a great option when
eating meatless. Not only are the dishes that are served mostly vegetables but
you have the ability to customize what you eat! If you are eating meatless, you
can just simply ask to hold the meat or add tofu instead!
Kosher Station:
The Kosher station is a great
place to eat when looking to go Meatless. Everything is homemade and hand
prepared, so if you any questions about what is exactly in every dish, all you
have to do is ask! They also always offer delicious and nutritious fruit salad,
which is not only meatless but a healthy alternative to dessert or snack. I
know it’s one of my personal favorites!
Towers:
The Fresh Food Market is easily,
hands down, my favorite place to eat on campus. It’s just awesome! It has a
salad portion that contains local greens from FingerLakes Fresh and delicious
organic quinoa. It also has my favorite organic salad dressing, sesame ginger.
And if delicious salads don’t peak your interest, Fresh Food Market also offers
delicious entrees as well! My absolute favorite is Tuesdays nights, which are
Thai Tuesdays! It’s a great event that happens every Tuesday where you can make
your own Thai dish! You can add in yummy toppings like, Thai cabbage or
peppers, baby corn, cilantro and Thai basil. Then you pick your protein, which
includes the option of tofu. Lastly, you get to pick our own curry, green,
yellow or red, depending on how hot you want it! It’s absolutely delicious and
definitely worth a look on Tuesdays!
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| Fresh Ingredients available in the vertical Salad bar at the Fresh Food Market |
Vegetarian Hotline:
Just as the name says, this
station is filled with all things meatless! This is really awesome for someone
eating meatless because you don’t have to search and scan; everything is
meat-free and up for grabs! Some of my favorites include the quesadillas and
crepes!
Grill:
The Grill offers vegetarian
options such as grilled cheese and garden burgers. Just like pizza, going from
eating a hamburger to a garden burger, is a really easy transition. I like to
get my garden burger and then go over to the salad bar and add lots of veggie
toppings!
Campus Center:
Entrée/Starch &
Vegetable Station:
While, this station does serve
meat, it also does a really good job of serving really unique meatless dishes
as well. Out of the 6 or 7 entrees that are available, normally half do not
contain meat. One non-meat dish that like I like is, fish sandwich and pesto
mayo.
Vegetarian:
No meat found here! Another great
station, where you can eat and not worry! Some of my favorites include eggplant
Parmesan, tropical stir-fry, and bow-tie with tomato and feta!
Vegan:
For vegetarians and vegans,
alike! Everyone can eat here! I’m always impressed on the different flavoring
of tofu that can be found here, like sesame ginger and General Tso’s. Also, the
hummus and tabouleh are delicious!
International Station:
This is not only a really fun
station, but it offers meatless entrees as well! It’s a great way to try
something different! I really like the spicy shrimp, pasta bar and vegetable lo
mien!
So rest assured, there are plenty
of meatless options available in every dining hall! I would know! I honestly
use these tips every time I eat on campus. So, refer to the tips I follow daily
above and you’ll be a meatless master, too!
Your Meatless Mealtime Expert,
Kat
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Check out our Meatless Monday Specials: http://ithacadiningservices.com/dining.html
Take the Meatless Monday Pledge: http://www.meatlessmonday.com/join-the-movement
This is just what I was looking for! Thank you so much for sharing this article! I have been researching dining Albuquerque tips and things you should do. My husband and I are going to an extremely expensive and fancy dinner and we want to act properly.
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