By Emma Giebel, VRG Intern<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a Vegan, figuring out what\ncollege you are planning on attending may seem like a daunting task. At Loyola\nUniversity Maryland there are many dining options that accommodate all\nstudents, regardless of their dietary restrictions. Loyola features many\ndifferent dining locations, including two classic dining halls, two smoothie\nbars, a tacqueria, and a Starbucks. Since veganism is becoming more and more\npopular, especially with college students, Loyola is expanding their vegan\noptions more and more each year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe main dining hall at Loyola, Boulder Garden Caf\u00e9, is the largest and\nmost convenient dining hall. At breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there are a\nvariety of options for vegans. For breakfast, there is a bagel bar with vegan\nspreads to add, such as peanut butter and jam. A new addition to the menu this\npast year has been vegan tofu scramble, which is available every weekday. For\nlunch, there is always a vegan vegetable and starch side available, along with\na daily vegetarian side, which can sometimes be vegan. At dinner, which is\nall-you-care-to-eat, there are similar options. At both lunch and dinner there\nis a customizable salad bar and grain bar, where students can choose from a\nvariety of different options. There are two types of salad bars, a classic\nsalad bar and a Mediterranean salad bar. Meatless Monday also features\ndifferent vegan options at the many stations of Boulder, including jackfruit at\nthe barbeque station. And since dinner at Boulder is all-you-care-to-eat, there\nis an abundance of food choices for vegans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThere is also a similar, but smaller, dining hall that is located on the\nother side of campus; Iggy\u2019s Market. Iggy\u2019s offers a classic salad bar, a deli\nstation with vegan options, and vegan hot sides and the occasional hot entr\u00e9e.\nHot entr\u00e9es can include jerk tofu and stuffed portobello mushrooms, while hot\nsides can include roasted Brussel sprouts, roasted carrots, and buffalo\ncauliflower. Along with being a dining hall, it is also mini market, where\nvegan snacks can be purchased using meal points. Located just feet away from\nIggy\u2019s is Fresh West, which offers healthy customizable options, such as\nsmoothies and a trail mix bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nOne of the most popular stand-alone dining options at Loyola is Green\nPeel. Located conveniently in the middle of the student center, Green Peel\nsells smoothies and a\u00e7ai bowls that can be customized in any way you would\nlike. Whether you are in the mood for a fruit- or vegetable-based smoothie,\nthere are many different combinations that you can make for a fantastic beverage.\nAny smoothie can be made vegan by substituting almond, soy, or coconut milk.\nRecently, a\u00e7ai bowls were added to the menu. These are wonderful options that\ncan always be vegan just by simply eliminating honey. With Green Peel, there is\nalways a quick and healthy vegan option to choose from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe menus for the dining halls are easily accessible on Loyola\u2019s\nwebsite, and the stand-alone dining options keep a consistent menu. All vegan\nfoods are clearly labelled, so finding out what is vegan is as easy as\nidentifying their logo. If a student ever wants to suggest a new option, the\nstaff is always available to suggestions. Veganism at Loyola is growing with\neach passing year, so the options will continue to broaden and improve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n