Although the new phase II DKU canteen brings students a variety of choices across 3 floors, from cafe sandwiches to Western food to classic Chinese dishes, it is still difficult for vegetarians and vegans to locate suitable dining options.
Ola Stryjska was one of the first people to notice the issues with the plant based options on campus. During the summer, she and her fellow vegetarian friend, Amelia Janiak, both hailing from Poland, faced a recurring issue: having to repeatedly request chefs to eliminate meat from their meals, only to be left with meager and unsatisfying dishes. Although the chefs accommodated their requests at first, there came a point when their pleas were met with refusal. Undeterred by this challenge, Ola felt a deep sense of injustice that the canteen offered nothing more than plain pasta, rice and a handful of vegetables for vegetarians. This ignited a newfound passion in Ola, a supporter who had long been committed to change.
Her initial breakthrough came in the form of the vegetarian sandwich—a small victory that illustrated the potential for enhancing the food choices at DKU. Today, you’ll often find Ola passionately rallying others with her inspiring mantra: “Are you dissatisfied with the food at DKU? It’s okay. Join us to improve the DKU canteens.”
Marielle Williamson is a freshman who has been involved in sustainability outreach and advocacy since high school, particularly about factory farming and plant based milk alternatives. After being told that she couldn’t spread information about plant based milks or criticize the dairy industry, she filed a lawsuit against her district and the USDA for infringing upon freedom of speech. At DKU, she continues to champion plant based milks, particularly Oatly, working with the administration of Family Mart to introduce Oatly ice cream, as well as pushing for oat milk as an option for coffees in the cafe. With her history in animal welfare, she is a dedicated vegan. When asked how she survives, she says that she has been cooking in her room every day, a time consuming endeavor, especially with the upcoming closure of the kitchen in building G. Even as vegetarian options on campus are increasing, vegan options still lag behind. Although the canteen gets many demands for increased meat options, there is a crucial difference: “They already have options, we don’t have any.”
Keyi Shi is an iMEP student who went vegan during her junior year of undergraduate studies at Shanghai University, persuaded by the environmental benefits of eating plant based food such as the general reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and water use[1]. However, she recognizes the difficulty in being vegan in China. Some faculty and students who were once vegan have had to become more flexible, eating vegetarian or flexitarian. “There is still a long way to go before veganism is a concept that can be widely achieved in China, let alone promoted.”
Plant Futures is an initiative based in the United States aimed to promote awareness of plant based diets. The goal of the Plant Futures campaign is not trying to stop people from eating meat or removing meat from the cafeteria but to provide everyone with the ability to choose the diet that is best for them, and fits their needs. However, the reality is that this is currently hard to achieve.
Many faculty are adamant about the cause as well. Plant Futures’ advisor Professor Xing Shi Cai is an active facilitator in group meetings, along with professors Emily McWilliams, Quinlan Bowman, Kris Hiller, Coraline Goron, Claudia Nisa, Pippa Morgan, as well as Dean Jill Creighton. Plant Futures has brought together vegetarians and vegans on campus. “There are more vegetarians on campus than people may think, and when we come together, we can make change.”
With the need to meet food safety requirements and perform a cost analysis of all new dishes in the canteen, as well as getting many layers of approvals, we must be patient. Nonetheless, progress is clearly coming. Canteen managers Ray and Kevin of the catering service Pandora have adapted quickly. After 2 meetings with Plant Futures members, and becoming aware there was an unmet need for vegetarians and vegans, they have been working rapidly to bridge the gap. Today, there you can find a vegan protein option every day on the third floor a la carte and weigh and pay, as well as check out the new vegetarian set menu on the second floor, which students and faculty, vegetarian or otherwise, have enjoyed. When thanked, the managers only humbly stated “it’s only what we should be doing”. By increasing plant based options, we hope to play a role in a more inclusive canteen for everyone’s needs.
