Plant-based for a week: what it’s like to be vegan in college.

“I don’t know where to eat!” I complained to my friends as they left our dorm to get chicken wings. The cafeteria had nothing but junk for a circus theme, the restaurants in the Joe were closed and I had no car or anyone to take me to a restaurant. “The salad bar is still open!” they responded. Salad for dinner? Am I a rabbit?

To be fair, that was the only time during my week eating vegan that I had to resort to a pathetic dinner of rice cakes with peanut butter in my room. However, if I stayed vegan for longer, I would have faced challenges like this all the time. I interviewed Dani, Alexis and Kait, college students who had been vegan for at least a year, for insight about challenges they face.

My interviewees all went vegan for a variety of reasons. Dani, a freshman at UNR, went vegan for nutritional reasons after learning about veganism. “I ended up watching this documentary called ‘Vegucated’,” Dani told me, “and my sister and I started fact-checking it… The facts checked out and we decided to go vegan together.”

Kait, also a freshman at UNR, initially went vegan for ethical reasons, but later became passionate about the environmental aspect. “The agriculture industry has one of the biggest water footprints out of all the industries in the world,” she told me, “The main cause for deforestation is the meat and dairy industry.” According to TIME, livestock production uses one-third of the world’s fresh water.

Alexis, a sophomore at Indiana University, went vegan for health reasons, but stayed vegan for ethical reasons. “When I was eating meat and even when I ate vegetarian, I always felt tired and slow and very bloated. I didn’t make the connection that animal products aren’t easily digested by the body,” she explained, “I learned a lot about compassionate living and animal rights, and I am definitely more into that than the health aspect now.”

Unfortunately for vegans, not all college campuses have vegan-friendly dining options. Freshmen at UNR have to have a meal plan, which is difficult for students with any kind of dietary restriction. “Although I worked very closely with the food committee, and I had a very good relationship with the chefs and the staff at the cafeteria here…it was very difficult to get vegan meals.” Kait said. As a result, she reluctantly switched to vegetarian. However, Alexis found a solution that works for her. “I have a rice cooker and a microwave, so I can cook all of my meals easily in my dorm!” This means she doesn’t need to eat at the dining hall a lot, even though she is also required to have a meal plan at Indiana University.

From what I’d heard before my vegan week, I was afraid it would be expensive. However, Alexis insisted otherwise. She says she saves money by “buying in bulk and keeping meals super simple, as well as buying produce that’s in season… At the grocery store, I only spend maybe $100 a month or less.” Kait also described how cheap a vegan diet could be. “A sack of potatoes, which will feed you for like a month…is like 3–5 bucks. If you’re just eating raw, whole veggies, insanely cheap.” According to Dani, “If anything, I found it cheaper to eat vegan.” With ground beef at $3.50 a pound, versus potatoes at 58 cents a pound, it’s easy to see how a vegan diet could work for the frugal college student. Potatoes, bananas and frozen vegetables are all extremely cheap vegan food options.

One of the toughest of these challenges is lack of support from others. Kait said this was one of her biggest struggles when she went vegan. “My mom refused to buy me any vegan food, and so I said, well, if you won’t buy me any vegan food, I’m not going to eat. It helps that my best friend is vegan… I think it’s really important to find that support system.” I also experienced a lot of weird questions and judgment during my week eating vegan, which made me self-conscious. People kept saying things like “I could never go vegan” when no one had asked them, sounding half-admiring and half-judgmental. I felt a lot more comfortable around people who were either vegan or vegetarian during this week, since they didn’t make me feel weird about my food choices.

I’ve experienced a few changes from this project. I didn’t eat meat before my vegan week, but I’ve also started eating a lot less dairy since that week. I discovered some awesome restaurants and foods that I wouldn’t have tried before going vegan, and I found that I’ve become less picky. There were some challenges, but they were far from insurmountable. If you are passionate about the environment and animal rights, or are just looking to try to eat healthier, a vegan diet could be a great choice. As Alexis said, “Just try it! I can guarantee that anyone can find the way of eating within a vegan diet that works for them and makes them feel their best.” After all, college is the perfect time to try new things.