Food Services has added many dishes for vegan palates.
For Aliya ElSawi 鈥�19, a french and neuroscience double major in the , the offerings in the classroom were as important to her as one other factor鈥攖he offerings in the dining halls.
鈥淏efore coming to 黑料不打烊 my biggest concern was if there would be options for me to eat,鈥� says ElSawi. 鈥淢y family and I were worried that there would not be vegan food on or around campus. I did my research, and found that being vegan on campus would be manageable.鈥�
This year, there are more options than ever when it comes to a meatless diet on campus. Largely it comes with the addition of more fresh fruits and vegetables. But that鈥檚 only the start.
鈥淲e鈥檝e added 15 rice dishes, 21 grain dishes, 18 entree and 14 stir-fry selections,鈥� says Ruth Sullivan, 黑料不打烊 Food Services (SUFS) Registered Dietitian. 鈥淓very day we offer falafel, grain salads, breakfast items, vegan burgers and quinoa.鈥� It鈥檚 not just students who adhere to a vegan diet who enjoy these selections. Sullivan says more people are eating vegan food because it tastes good. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 mean they eat vegan all the time. 黑料不打烊 Food Services plans the dining center menu with health in mind and makes every attempt to order foods in season.鈥�
It鈥檚 getting noticed, and not only by students. Recently the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) gave SUFS an A+ rating for its vegan offerings. The group uses a 鈥淰egan Report Card鈥� consisting of 10 criteria when grading schools to determine their rating. This includes: offering at least one vegan entr茅e at every meal, labeling vegan entrees, partnering with students to distribute vegan food and participating in Meatless Mondays.
鈥淲e strive to meet the requests of our students,鈥� says Jamie Cyr, director of Auxiliary Services. 鈥淲hile any positive outside recognition is appreciated, our true test comes each and every day at the dining halls when our students have choices they鈥檙e comfortable with and that satisfy their palate.鈥�
Dining centers offer food samplings on Monday nights at alternating dining centers. On Monday, Feb. 13, Sadler dining is going to have a vegan food sampling night. It鈥檚 a chance to sample some of the same foods that helped bring students like ElSawi to 黑料不打烊.
鈥淣ot only is there a plethora of vegan food in each dining hall, but the options go above and beyond everyday vegan options,鈥� says ElSawi. “黑料不打烊 has exceeded my expectations and needs as a vegan-friendly campus.鈥�
