I attend Sacramento State. I work on campus. I am vegetarian. Though being a vegetarian living in a meat lover’s world might seem like it would be a pretty intense task, I have found ways to make the challenge of eating a decent meal into a fun one.

My schedule that includes work and school runs Monday through Friday, mid-morning through late into the evenings; in other words, I consider the Sac State campus to be my second home. This means that I usually end up being on campus for at least two meals out of the day.

Since I first transferred to Sac State, I was automatically amazed at the wide selection of restaurants that are located on campus, and the menus found at most of these places do include some vegetarian-friendly items.

Yet, even though there seems to be something on campus for everyone to consume, being vegetarian on a tight budget makes it tough to eat on campus constantly. The genius alternative to buying snacks and meals on campus is packing a lunch. Here are some of my favorite meals that are both vegetarian and budget friendly:

1. Soy turkey sandwich – Even though this might not appeal to anyone other than the vegetarian, it is quite a tasty alternative to the smoked turkey sandwich. The soy turkey is available in slices which make it more convenient for quicker packing on those days that you might be running behind schedule, and the taste is a winner. Add some cheese, greens, tomatoes, mayonnaise and brown mustard and put between two slices of whole grain bread. Don’t be fooled if this sounds quite pricy; the materials for this item last a while.

2. Soup – Yes, it is possible that soups can be portable. There are many different canned soups that do not have meat in them at all. The most obvious one is vegetable, but there are a wide variety of others including tomato, lentil and split pea. A great thing to do is to cook a huge pot on your own, adding whatever you want to it, and then making it last for the entire week! Soups are healthy, cheap and filling as well.

3. Burritos – Beans, cheese, rice and a whole lot of vegetables. I don’t think you can go wrong with this and you can mix it up by changing the ingredients every time!

These are just three of a countless number of items that are easy to pack, are fairly inexpensive to make and taste wonderful for Sac State vegetarians to consume. I know that I enjoy packing a lunch because it gives me more control over my diet, it is easier to budget myself and I know that I’m going to enjoy what I’m eating. So if you are interested in a meal that is healthy and inexpensive while sticking to your vegetarian ways, then perhaps consider the idea of a brown bag lunch.

Sarah Kay Hannon can be reached at [email protected]