While Vanderbilt Dining is well known for its extensive meal options, the experiences of vegetarians and non-vegetarians on campus can be very different.
According to a CBS poll published in 2006, greater than 5 percent of the population identify themselves as being vegetarian. At Vanderbilt, however, the number is slightly higher. A poll sponsored by The Hustler reveals that 6.4 percent of Vanderbilt students identify themselves as vegetarian, and not all of these vegetarians are satisfied with Vanderbilt’s dining options.
While omnivores describe their on-campus eating experiences using such terms as “lots of variety,” “generally delicious” and “great,” vegetarians have a different take.
Vegetarian and freshman Dona Rehm articulates what seems to be the general sentiment amongst Vanderbilt vegetarians.
“The veggie options are usually really good,” she said, “but too often they are lacking in presence and variety.”
While both The Commons Center and Rand host salad bars, the lack of general variety can be unhealthy for both psyche and body. Freshman Chloe Prieto often finds herself getting bored with many of the vegetarian options.
“The salad bar in The Commons is always fresh and usually has some interesting things, but salads can get tiring after a while,” Prieto said.
Not only is such a lack of variation unappealing, but as Vanderbilt’s own dietitian Dianne Davis says, it is also unhealthy.
Davis said while the lettuce and vegetables that traditionally accompany a salad bar offer many essential vitamins, in the realm of protein it is easy for the salad to fall short. While toppings such as garbanzo or black beans are good sources of protein, they are not staples of Vanderbilt’s salad bars in the same way that bacon bits are.
“This is particularly problematic in that a lack of protein can inhibit the body’s ability to renew and repair all types of body cells (not only muscle cells, as is the common myth), and, perhaps even more apparent to the vegetarian themselves, protein serves the important role of maintaining appetite control in between meals,” Davis said. “Not eating enough protein at your meals can result in extra snacking to satisfy hunger.”
As such, hungry vegetarians may often find themselves driven to the pizza, French fries and the delectable but none-too-healthy dessert bar.
Grins, a favored place to eat on campus by many Vanderbilt students, holds particular allure for the vegetarians on campus as being one of the only places where one may have a complete, healthy meal. But its location in the Ben Schulman Center for Jewish Life puts Grins farther away from most dorms.
“Grins can be interesting, but its distance from The Commons doesn’t always make it a viable option for meals," freshman Betty Sat said.
However, not all vegetarians find Vanderbilt lacking. Freshman Pooja Jagadish said he does not find it difficult to eat a healthy and varied vegetarian diet.
“As a vegetarian, I really feel well fed here at Vandy. Rand is better than The Commons for vegetarian options, however,” Jagadish said.
Camp Howard, director of Vanderbilt Dining, makes the point that vegetarians who find themselves disenfranchised may simply not have the information to fully use the meal options at their disposal.
“On the Vanderbilt Dining Web site, a menu can be found of all dining options at every concept every day, with vegetarian and vegan options specially marked,” Howard said. “Because Vanderbilt has so many different dining options, it is easy to offer many different vegetarian options. Chef James Bistro in particular is where our more creative vegetarian options are. Anybody can steam vegetables, but here at Vandy Dining we really strive to make dishes interesting and flavorful.”
There are also a lot of opportunities for students to become more active in the shaping of their meal options, including a group of students and staff who meet to discuss food options.
“The Commons Food Committee is made up of myself, Jo-Anne Bachorowski and 10 students, one from each house on The Commons,” Howard said. “There are still some houses that are unrepresented, however, and a part of molding the food experience in The Commons to be the best is in having a proactive student body. This can be done by filling out the online comment cards, joining The Commons Food Committee, or even the general Dining Advisory Food Committee.”
