Kiera McGuire
Features Editor
I have been vegetarian for most of my life. It isn’t something I have to consciously remember when picking food choices, but it is something I notice when I see the limited food choices at Lowry.
I have had my fair share of hardships with finding vegetarian or vegan options growing up. It was lucky that I liked salad because that was all I ate for quite a while. Then, I was obsessed with cucumbers. Then, I loved peanut butter. Then, I became obsessed with vegan chicken nuggets. From these options, you can see that not only am I vegetarian but also a really picky eater. I thought going to college would be better for my eating habits and expand my palate because I thought there would be lots of options to pick from. However, I would be lying if I said that I haven’t struggled a bit with finding food at Wooster, especially around breakfast and lunch on campus.
I never had a huge issue with finding breakfast food on campus. Last year, I spent a lot of time in Kauke, so I would stop by Boo Bears — now Old Main Cafe — and buy a bagel with vegan cream cheese. This was good because not only did it appease my morning hunger, but it also was something that didn’t cause any extra attention on me.
This semester and last, I spent more time in Lowry, so I indulged in vegan sausage. While the vegan sausage is delicious and makes me feel good for getting protein so early in the day, it can be uncomfortable to have to stand in line and hope a Lowry employee looks at me and helps me get a vegan sausage because they are not sitting out for people to grab. I am in no way, shape or form, attempting to blame anyone who works at Lowry for my discomfort; everyone I have talked to or has helped me get the vegan sausage has been nothing but kind (even remembering my “usual order!”). I just feel uncomfortable when I have to stand off to the side and wait for my meal while others can go through the line like normal and eat their food, not to mention the guilt of pulling those working at Lowry away from their tasks to help me.
For lunch, I usually try to go later in the day when Lowry isn’t too busy and order a Beyond Burger. Last semester was my first time having a Beyond Burger at school, and it was really good! But, once again, it can be time-consuming when I am in a really big time crunch and have to wait to get a source of protein while others can pick up an already-cooked patty and eat right away. I am lucky this semester that I have some time to eat lunch before later commitments, but others don’t have that chance and could really want a vegan protein option quickly.
I implore creative dining services to have more vegan protein options laid out, ready-to-eat, just like the meat options. It would prompt more people to pick up vegan protein and allow for a dissipation of the uncomfortableness that comes with awkwardly waiting to the side for a vegan patty.
*disclaimer – I really do not blame Lowry workers at all nor do I blame Marjorie Shamp. As stated above, everyone who I have talked with about this issue or have helped me find vegan options have been nothing but helpful, kind and understanding. But I would still like to see a change with how vegan options are displayed and encourage for more vegan and allergy-free foods to be safely incorporated within the dining services platform.