Vegetarian: The other carnivore
February 21, 2008
There are not enough options for people to eat at Sacramento State. If this is true then vegetarians really feel the burn. As a vegetarian, I think there are a variety of vegetarian foods on campus to keep me satisfied from sunrise to sunset every day.
No, I’m not talking about salads, I’m talking about meals that give you the energy to stay up in class, look alive throughout the day and study at night.
After seeing a couple comments on the University Union Suggestions Board about not having enough vegetarian or vegan food on campus, I think it’s only right to tell people that there are options right here. They just have to look and ask.
Kaytie Chow, a business major and non-vegetarian, could feel the frustration Sac State vegetarians feel.
“I have a vegetarian friend who doesn’t eat as much as she used to because Sac State doesn’t have much options on campus,” Chow said.
However, out of the 20 or so fast food restaurants on campus, including five Java City locations,there are more than 15 restaurants that have at least one item on their menus that is vegetarian.
When I say item, I don’t mean salads. Though I’m sure most of these restaurants have salads.
A few of my favorite places to eat at include Burger King, Da Deli, Gordito Burrito, Round Table, Kung Fu Fats, Saigon Bay and Togo’s.
Other vegetarian restaurants include Mother India, Java City, Hula Dog and Mego, both in the River Front Center.
When I spend my whole day on campus, I don’t feel restricted and I hardly pack food from home.
An hour before I eat lunch and dinner I’m already debating with myself about where and what I’d like to eat because there are so many choices. Pizza or sandwich? Burger or burrito? Soup or egg rolls? Salad or stuffed potato?
Burger King offers the BK Veggie combo, which comes with a veggie burger made with a tofu patty, fries and a drink.
A social work major, non-vegetarian and former McDonald’s employee Tom Xiong thinks that many places try to also cater to vegetarians.
“I’m not surprised that Burger King offers veggie burgers because the McDonald’s I worked at did,” Xiong said.
“I like vegetarian food though, especially the sandwich places on campus,” he said.
Da Deli and Round Table in the Union offer great vegetarian sandwich combos. Togo’s in the River Front Center and Mego also offer vegetarian sandwich combos.
Saigon Bay, located west of the Library Quad, offers tofu noodle soup and tofu spring rolls. Kung Fu Fats in the Union offers vegetarian egg rolls, vegetable chow mein and tofu with vegetables.
All of the Java City locations offer two delicious vegetarian sandwiches, vegetarian with three cheeses and vegetarian with sun-dried tomatoes.
The Union’s Mother India’s vegetarian menu is as big as its non-vegetarian menu. To the right of it is Gordito Burrito, which offers five vegetarian burritos.
Hula Dog offers a few types of pretzels and slices of pizzas, or you can walk across campus for Round Table’s pizzas.
To snack on while studying, I usually buy a banana, an apple or some nuts at The Store in the Union.
Maybe there could be more options, but maybe there are enough already. Oh, and if you haven’t noticed, the majority of people on campus are non-vegetarians.
Deur Julie Tcha can be reached at [email protected]