Living the Veggie Life, Dining Hall Style

Author: Nathaniel Marcus

How many Middlebury students are vegetarians?
There is currently no system or formula to answer this question. One of the obstacles to tracking the trend is that some students may choose to become vegetarians for a week, a month or a year at a time.
Another problem is that vegetarianism has many different definitions.
In a random sample study, The Middlebury Campus polled 353 students in Proctor, Ross and The Grille. Of those polled, 12 students said they do not eat red meat, 10 said they do not eat any animal meat at all, four identified themselves as "pescatarians" (they eat only fish) and none said they were vegans (eating no animal byproducts, including eggs, cheese or milk).
This poll does not take into account those who used to be vegetarians but are not currently.
When asked the number one reason why they chose not to eat meat, one of the students responded it was due to a connection to animals.
Three explained it was because they don't like meat, five cited health reasons, six because of the harsh treatment of animals in farm factories, four out of respect for the environment or for economic reasons; one because of a diet; one student cited religious beliefs; and two students did not eat meat simply out of habit.
"College is a great medium for experimentation for different things," affirms Peter Napolitano, director of Dining Services at Middlebury College. "Vegetarianism is one of them."
Many students who become vegetarians may have started in college. Luckily, as Napolitano believes, it is easier to experiment with vegetarianism at Middlebury than at other schools, such as Dartmouth for example, where students do not have a comprehensive meal plan.
At Dartmouth, students have to be wary of their "declining balance" and are often compelled to choose the most economical option, which may not always be vegetarian. At Middlebury, students have the advantage of choosing any meal without worrying about the cost.
Napolitano doesn't see a trend for either more or less vegetarians on campus during the past two years. His "guess in the dark" is that eight to 10 percent of students might be vegetarians.
"But from what I've observed," says Napolitano, "based on interviews, comment cards and student surveys, vegetarian women probably outnumber vegetarian men on campus, four to one."
Members of the Dining Committee, meanwhile, think perhaps a third of Middlebury students are vegetarians.
They agree it is a "significant portion" but not a majority.
Vegetarianism has evolved at Middlebury over the years. In the late 1970s, Cook was all-vegetarian; now, vegetarian meals are included in the menu at each dining hall. Back then, admits Charlie Sargent, purchaser for Dining Services, "we didn't know what a soybean was. Now there is a lot more variety for vegetarians than before." He believes up to 40 percent of Middlebury students are vegetarian, "But it's hard to tell."
Sargent is currently working with Anything's Pastable of Burlington to make up vegan entrees for the school, which debut this week. "We try to spice it up as much as we can," says Napolitano, "for instance, soups, vegetarian chili." "Vegetarians don't want something that looks like meat," believes Sargent.
What are those things that vegetarians are eating? There are several meat substitutes dining services use that for the most part take on the properties of the food it is cooked with.
Seitan is made from pressed-wheat gluten; it is high in protein and low in fat. Tofu is soybean curd, and is also high in protein. Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans and is mixed with grains; it is high in complete protein, low on saturated fat and is a good source of dietary fiber.
While it's easy to experiment eating vegetarian, students should keep in mind there's more to it than simply not eating meat. Meat provides certain vitamins and minerals that you have to work on getting elsewhere.
As Heather Tory, senior and life-long vegetarian, warns: "You'll get sick if you just eat cheese pizza.
Green leafy vegetables have so many minerals."
Mary Anne Kyburz-Ladue, the College's nutritionist, says it is important that students realize what they're taking out of their diet.
"A lot of vegetarians come through my office," she says. Her guess: perhaps 25 to 30 percent of college students nationwide are vegetarians to some degree.
She is mostly concerned for vegans, who do not eat any dairy products, but believes that vegans can develop a healthy diet if they eat right.
Vitamin supplements, she warns, don't make up for nutrients from food. She recommends students make an appointment with her through the Center of Counseling and Human Relations in Carr Hall if they are thinking about starting to eat vegetarian "or if you just want to know if you're doing it right."
Despite the added attention to their diet, students who have gone vegetarian often have strong convictions to back up their effort.
Julia West '06 explains her decision: "If everyone became a vegetarian, it would solve many of the environmental problems that are rapidly arising."
Another student adds: "When I treat other living beings with respect, I have so much more respect for myself."
Further facts about vegetarianism are available at the Health Center.