You hear a lot about people ‘acting out’ when they get into a college environment. But instead of partying hard, getting a tattoo or dying my hair- I became a vegetarian.

I became intrigued by the lifestyle at the end of my freshman year. Until coming to college, I had little contact with vegetarians or vegans. After I began dating a vegetarian, I thought I’d try giving up meat just to see what it was like. And so, on Aug. 1, 2005, I went cold turkey, thinking I could go back to omnivore when it became too much for me.

Instead, it became like kicking a drug habit for good. Two and a half years later, I’m still meat-free. It’s probably hard for many omnivores to grasp, but it’s been so long since I’ve had meat that it doesn’t even appeal to me anymore.

Don’t worry- you still can enjoy your sausage (tempeh sausage), hamburgers (veggie burgers), chicken (chicken-free chicken – it really tastes like chicken!) and hot dogs (veggie hotdogs, which actually aren’t as bad as people think).

Not that I’m trying to convert anyone. For me, being a vegetarian has more to do with staying healthy than saving animals. Sure, I like animals and all, but I’d rather not be thrown into the ‘hippie’ or ‘tree-hugger’ category. But for many people, including several at Syracuse University, the choice to ‘go veg’ stems from a compassion for the animals that are killed for our consumption each day.

And though a college setting (especially SU’s) may be more accepting and accommodating for these people, it can be a struggle to get by as a vegetarian on campus.

This is probably why my love for cooking developed with a removal of meat products from my diet. Along with this change came a growing need to supplement the meat part of meals with non-meat dishes. Chicken, beef and pork were replaced by soy products, such as tofu and grains such as quinoa, lentils, tabbouleh and tempeh. Even mushrooms, such as ‘beefy’ portabellas, became a staple in my cooking.

I even diversified my palate for vegetables, experimenting with asparagus, bok choy and eggplant. I became more conscious of the ingredients of store-bought items, such as pasta sauce and many kinds of gummy candy; many contain gelatin, which is made from ground animal hooves. (Yeah that’s right, you can make fun of your carnivorous friends because they’re really eating animal hooves.)

These meat ‘replacements’ expanded my culinary palate without hurting my bank account. And I don’t have to search far and wide for most ingredients; these days, most grocery stores have them readily on hand.

There are ways to survive when eating around town, too. Many restaurants around SU do include at least one vegetarian option on their menus, but if you’re looking for a place that will cater to vegetarians, vegans and omnivores alike, my favorite place is Alto Cinco. It’s even won acclaim as one of the most vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Syracuse. Along with cheap food and good wine, the atmosphere is great for a casual night out with friends.

On Marshall Street alone, you can find several good options for meals. Syra-Juice has great vegan and vegetarian-friendly salads, sandwiches and wraps. Ethnic places such as appeThaizing, King David’s and Aladdin’s Natural Eatery also aim to please both meat-eaters and ‘meat-freers’ alike. The dining halls on campus all offer vegetarian and vegan meals, so you aren’t just limited to cereal and salads all the time.

Vegetarianism and veganism are even receiving more attention among cookbook authors, and the ingredients in their recipes are largely inexpensive and easy to obtain. ‘Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook,’ by New York City vegan cooks Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, recently hit bookstore shelves and includes lots of tasty, easy and delicious recipes for vegan meals and even desserts.

By giving up meat, you aren’t also giving up the pleasure of food. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice good flavor, either. By making simple ingredient substitutions, becoming more conscious of what’s in your food and compromising with your meat-eating friends, you can survive quite comfortably in a college environment.

And trust me – if you follow these simple survival rules, you’ll probably end up like me: Once you go veg, you won’t go back.

Published on January 23, 2008 at 12:00 pm