Eating Plant-Based in the Dining Commons

Thursday, September 7, 2023

by Stephanie Lacava, 4th year Dietetics Major, Dining Services Nutrition Clerical

A group of four students sitting around a table at bolton, enjoying a variety of dishes.

Your first year at college can be a difficult adjustment in many ways, and finding plant-based options in the dining commons can feel like an additional challenge. Luckily, eating plant-based in college is not nearly as difficult as it may seem.

Here are some hacks I discovered as a first-year vegetarian that I still use today:

  1. A photograph of a red bowl with chickpeas, cucumbers, edamame, spring peas, shredded carrots, and rice.Visit the UGA Dining Services website and familiarize yourself with the vegetarian and vegan options that are available daily.
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  2. Check Build Your Plate before going to the dining commons! This will show you which rotating plant-based entrees and sides are being served that day in addition to the daily offerings.
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  3. Create filling and nutrient dense salads by adding choices like brown rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and beans.
       
    1. To add even more protein to your salads, use hummus from the deli line as a nutrition-packed dressing. 
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    2. Other great options include adding chickpeas and peas from the salad bar or tofu from the Lemon Grass Kitchen in Bolton or from O’Hacienda in O-House.
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  4. If you accidentally oversleep but still want some breakfast foods, you can use the guacamole at the lunchtime Mexican stations to create your own avocado toast. Snelling also serves avocado for lunch and dinner at The Bowl. Use toasted whole grain bread and add your favorite toppings!
       
    1. Some of my favorite toppings include salt and pepper, tomatoes, and sautéed vegetables.
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    2. Add chopped eggs or tofu from the salad bar.
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    3. If you make it to the dining commons before the breakfast stations close, you can top your avocado toast with a fresh, fried egg from the omelet stations.
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  5. For coffee, add pea protein milk, soy milk, or almond milk as a creamer if you don’t want to drink it black.
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  6. When quinoa is being served in the dining commons, it makes a great high-protein base! Create your own protein bowl by adding your favorite fresh or sautéed vegetables on top.
       
    1. Pro Tip: you can get sautéed veggies at the omelet or pasta stations – tell them which veggies you want, and when they ask you what eggs or pasta you want, just tell them “none”.
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  7. A photograph of a plate with rice, chickpeas, leafy greens, and cherry tomatoes.The veggie burgers served at the grill stations are an amazing source of whole grains, vegetables, and protein. Pair a burger with some fresh vegetables and French fries to make a satisfying meal.
       
    1. Fun Fact: you can find sweet potato fries at the Niche!
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  8. The classic combo of rice and beans can be found in all of the dining commons at lunch and dinner. Create the perfect meal for staying fueled through classes when you add your favorite veggie and fruit sides.
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  9. Bolton’s Lemon Grass Kitchen and O-House’s Oishii Ramen always have tofu and veggie options available to build a delicious and nutritious Asian-inspired bowl.
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  10. If you are wanting a nutrient dense and filling soup, add brown rice and the bean-of-the-day to your choice of soup base. This will keep you fuller for longer and increase the amount of whole grains and protein in the meal.
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  11. All the dining commons have baked russet and sweet potatoes every day. There are numerous ways to use these to create a nourishing base or side dish.

Being plant-based in the dining commons is much easier than it first seems. Hopefully this list inspires you to try out these hacks and even come up with some of your own. Whether you’re vegetarian, flexitarian, vegan, or just trying to add more plant-based options into your meals, I hope you give these tips a try sometime!

 

Don’t Forget! Tag us in your dining commons creations when you share them on social media.

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