College Students: A Cookbook for the Dorm

Ahhhhh… dorm life!  College campuses have a come a long way in recent years, offering plenty of vegetarian and vegan options in their cafeterias and dining halls.  But we all can remember the late nights, the midnight snacks, and the weekends when we slept past brunch hours.  Whether you’re a college student or you have one, PETA’s Vegan College Cookbook is a super-simple book of recipes that will make cruelty-free eating do-able in the dorm.  A grammar-school friend gave me this book just recently as a thoughtful gesture when I was working in D.C. as a legal intern; I wish I’d had it during my undergrad years.  Most of the recipes have only four or five ingredients, and they tend to favor frozen or  pre-prepared brands.  This book practically celebrates the microwave.  Although now I refrain from using a microwave most of the time, and I keep my fridge stocked with fresh foods, college was another universe.  I didn’t mind not having a television in my dorm room… but I have to admit a microwave proved pretty useful.  And while there are plenty of recipes in the book that probably will NOT help someone avoid putting on the “freshman fifteen,” there are quite a few ideas in here that are cruelty-free and also are relatively healthy options.  Some to try:

• Breakfast: Mediterranean Muesli, a mix of rolled oats, dried apricots, chopped dates, rice/soy milk, and non-dairy yogurt
• Sandwiches: Aspara-Stuffed Parm Sandwich, with microwaved frozen asparagus, non-dairy margarine, vegan mayonnaise, brewer’s yeast, and lettuce.
• Salads: Fakin’ Bacon ‘n Orange Spinach Salad — of course, I picked out the spinach salad recipe as a fave!
• Dinner: The Burning Bibimbap Bowl, inspired by the traditional Korean dish — rice, soy sauce, tahini, vegetable oil and pepper to taste.  That simple!
• Snacks: Pancake Pizza, a combination of typical pizza ingredients and pancake mix.  Sounds like something only a college student could dream up…
• Desserts: Marshmallow Madness Squares, for that one person who just loves to bake for everybody else in the dorm.

Care Packages
Care packages are always a nice surprise, even if your “kid” is a twenty-four year-old graduate student by now.  No one is ever too old to appreciate a box of goodies, especially around exam time or when the deadline for a paper is looming!  Why not help your student stock up on cruelty-free alternatives?  Healthy snacks, maybe some EO bubble bath, or a sweet-scented soy candle to help create a better environment for studying…

A special note to college first-years:
College is a time to study hard and have a lot of fun.  It’s also a time of adjustments, of finding your own way.  In the midst of all this, being kind to yourself is just as important as being kind to the animals and the planet. Remember it’s up to you to take care of yourself.  Savor this time in your life!

*Thanks to Monica Hershey for the cookbook — You’ve been in my life since the second grade, and I’m so lucky to have you as a lifetime friend!

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