Tips for college meal planning

Bring your own vegan foods to events and meet-ups that might not have vegan options. It is always best not to assume unless explicitly being told there are vegan options available.

Choose what meal plan is best suited for you given your local available and accessible options. Also consider asking for a portion, or the entirety, of your meal plan money back if there are not adequate options available. This money could be reserved for alternative food purchasing from grocery stores, meal prep delivery kits, and farmers’ markets.

Acquiring food items and meal prepping during the weekend can save time and energy during the week to ensure you eat nourishing foods during the busy school week.

Make DIY meals with what is available. This might mean getting a basic dish in your dining hall and adding other ingredients or food items from more than one place in the dining hall, pod, or store. For example, a veggie burger at one spot, then visiting your salad bar and adding toppings.

Do a scan of your dining hall and campus grocery store/pod of vegan options and take note. You can also check to see if your dining hall has an online menu available, some have the option to be filtered to only show vegan foods. You can use your scan to support more vegan food advocacy on campus, knowing your food options, and requesting full or partial return of your meal plan money if applicable.

Find local farmers’ markets or grocery stores you could visit to buy vegan foods you want that are not available around campus if this is accessible to you.