The College Student's Veg Survival Guide

College is one of the busiest and most demanding times of our lives.  For those students who are vegetarian or vegan it can be difficult.  Schools often offer poor options for eating a well balanced, nutritious veg*n diet.  The best thing you can do is to be prepared, and realize that if you want to eat healthy, you are going to have to take an active role in doing do.   Here are some suggestions.

The College Student's Veg Survival Guide 

Essential Equipment to Pack (check with your college for a list of what’s allowed and not – it will vary from college to college)

Compact Refrigerator (ie. 3-3.9 cubic ft. - $100-$130)
Compact Freezer (ie. 1.3-1.9 cubic ft. - $100-$140) (you can stack it on top of the fridge)
Microwave Oven
Crock Pot
Food Processor &/or Mini Food Processor
Mini George Forman Like Grill
Combo Toaster/Toaster Oven
Manual Can Opener
Blender
Colander

Using these items you can make a week’s worth of healthy meals when it’s convenient, freeze, thaw and reheat as you need. Remember...processed veggie meats and products are much more expensive than the easy, quick healthy versions you can make yourself.

As for food staples to take:
Before you leave home, buy frozen veggies in bulk and repackage to smaller single or recipe size portions in freezer Ziploc bags for your dorm freezer. 

Leave the extra at home for quick restocking when visiting.  Broccoli, cauliflower and chopped spinach are god items to have.  Also buy fresh onions, chop and ziplock the chopped onion in recipe ready portion and add that to your freezer stash (Peppers are great too).

Canned goods are usually inexpensive and can help keep your diet diverse.  Pack:
Beans: Black, Kidney, Chick Peas and any other you like (for soups, stew, burgers & hummus)
Vegetables: Tomatoes, Sauerkraut, and others (For Chili, soups and stew)
Fruit: any kind, just make sure they are packed in water or natural juice (you can add to smoothies)

For the Fridge:
Tahini, Non-dairy Margarine (you can freeze sticks), Non-dairy Mayonnaise, Ketchup, Mustard,
Nutritional Yeast – to make cheeses & cheese sauces (great B-12)

Non-Perishables (or long shelf life)
Boxes of Silken Tofu (Soft, Medium & Firm)
Boxes of Rice or Almond or Hemp Milk
Vital Wheat Gluten (to make Seitan)
Boxes of Juices
Healthy Nut Butter
Brown Rice
Quinoa
Quinoa Flakes (Makes a fast, great High Protein hot Breakfast Cereal)
Boxes of Healthy Pastas
A Large Cylinder of Mothers Oats (make quick oatmeal or process to oat flour)
Healthy Cereal, Granolas
Assorted Spices (Garlic Powder, Cumin, Chili Powder, Onion Powder, etc), Vegetarian “Beef” and  “Chicken” Powders
Healthy Crackers, Microwave Popcorn

Buying in Bulk is cheaper than pre-packaged brand name options. 
Here are some of the items (with examples) that you can buy in bulk and save money on:

Nuts
Dried Fruits: Raisins, Apricots, Dried Cranberries
Dried beans
Whole Grains: Quinoa, Oatmeal, Barley, Millet, Couscous
Pasta
Rice: Brown Rice, Basmati Rice, Jasmine Rice, Arborio Rice
Nutritional yeast,
TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)
Vital Wheat gluten

Other Tips
Some things you’ll need to shop for locally, like lettuce, greens and whole grain breads, but you can start with some from home.

With a food processor you can make 6 cups of hummus once a week to use for lunches & snacks. It a great source of protein, easy to prepare and because it's inexpensive... a real budget stretcher.

Before leaving home you can make and freeze bean burgers and seitan slices & chunks.

Always cook more than you need for one meal and freeze for refrigerate the rest.   The crock pot will let you make a lot at one time and it’s an easy solution when time is at a premium.

Bring a file of your favorite recipes and create a monthly plan of menus, so when your schedule gets crazy you won’t have to think about what to make. 

Stock supplies to coincide with your plan.

Put a notice up at school to find other vegetarians to do a weekly potluck dinner with.  After dinner, evenly divide up the leftovers.  My son had a great idea his freshman year.  He loved to cook (and was good at it)…the friends he made longed to eat well, but couldn’t cook…so…once a week he’d have his

friends buy the groceries and he would cook at lot and they’d divvy up the leftovers afterwards.  It really stretched his budget and the weekly meal was a great social event.

The one thing most college students will tell you is that food…especially ready to eat or snacks… magically disappear from their owners. I came up with a great idea to protect your food.  First..Store all perishables in a large plastic tub with lid that you can’t see through (or a trunk with a lock).  Clearly and in Large letters mark the outside with your name and “VEGAN STAPLES: Tofu, Quinoa, Seitan, etc.  Restricted Diet.  I Can’t eat your food So Don’t eat mine!”  If you are storing things in the fridge or freezer do the same thing, just sub the name of the item for the Vegan Staples part.  If the name of the item includes things that most non-veg kids usually don’t eat, like tofu, kale, turnips greens, etc. the likelihood that your food will remain safe is pretty good.  If it says, Vegan Chili or Enchiladas, it may disappear..so be sneaky with your labeling:>) And Good luck

These are just a few tips for getting started at school.  Many schools offer vegetarian meal plans and dining options.  You may still need to ask about ingredients as most still don’t truly understand what is and isn’t vegetarian or vegan.  Take Cheese, for example. Most people think all cheese is vegetarian and don’t get that even a soy cheese may not be vegetarian if it’s made using animal rennet as a coagulant (most dairy cheese use animal rennet – an enzyme found in the stomach of newborn calves or goats).  Ask your school if you can talk to their food service staff so you will be prepared and they will gain a better understanding of your dietary needs.

Lastly, to all heading off for college, have a great year.  If you have questions, need help, or have a great tip to pass on to other students… feel free to email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   Subject: Student Tips. 

And remember…eating a healthy whole foods plant-based diet will give you energy, help your mind to focus and work better and give your immune system a boost.  :>)

Alaine Chang
Founder, President TheVegetarian Way

The appearance of any brand name products on this website does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of a product.  Anyone contemplating a change in dietary lifestyle should consult their physician and a qualified nutritionist specializing in vegetarian/vegan nutrition to achieve the best possible health benefits.  The information poted on this website is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, or treat illness.