Vegetarianism at AU

“Any vegetarians or vegans?” I paused. “I ask because we consistently rank as one of the most vegan- and vegetarian-friendly colleges in the nation by PETA.”

And that’s as much as I knew about vegetarian and vegan options at American University.  I proudly touted that fact on tours I gave, but I never really understood it.  Yes, I had seen the salad bar in the dining hall.  I knew that we had a vegetarian/vegan section, and sometimes they had good (gluten-free) pasta there.  But all this has changed.

I’m now a month-old vegetarian, and suddenly I’m really thankful for our school’s standing on PETA’s list.  I don’t know how many schools regularly serve tofu, tempeh, and seitan, but I’m glad that AU does.

Outside of our dining hall, most of our food locations also provide vegetarian options.  My favorite is currently the vegetarian taco salad from Salsa (our version of Chipotle).  The Tavern, another food place that accepts meal swipes, offers options like tofu salads, garden burgers, portobello mushroom burgers, veggie quesadillas, and black bean quesadillas.  I also made my favorite egg, ham, and cheese (on a plain bagel) sandwich from MegaBytes Cafe vegetarian-friendly, although I guess it wasn’t really that difficult to do…

My lunch - A giant black bean quesadilla from the Tavern

When I don’t feel like exploring the dining hall, and I just want to make my own tofu tacos, I walk from my dorm room to the communal kitchen, where I have a stove, microwave, and an oven at my disposal.

So what does this mean for non-vegetarian/vegans?

It means that you will still have plenty of meaty options (the Terrace Dining Room’s grilled chicken goes great with their mac and cheese, and Taco Tuesdays are a favorite here), but if you ever feel like exploring something different, you will have that option.  AU is full of people with different beliefs, and I’m proud to be a part of a school that supports all of these views.

To see this year’s PETA list, click here.