From Rebel Yell............

March 9, 2007

Dietary Drama I am writing in response to the letter Dean Chiarelli wrote concerning vegetarian and vegan choices in the dining commons. I am vegan and have found that my choices are limited. I have been a bitter patron of the DC for the past three semesters. My distaste towards the DC started at the sight of egg fried rice as the lone vegan entr�e for the day during my first semester. Here’s the rundown on these alternative diets: vegetarians never eat meat, fish or fowl but can choose to include dairy products and eggs in their diets. Vegans do not eat any animal products including meat, fish, fowl, dairy, eggs, honey, etc. Chiarelli, a registered dietician and nutrition instructor, stated “many individuals who describe themselves as vegetarians do in fact consume animal matter such as dairy, animal tissue (fish, poultry, pork), eggs or honey”. Later in the letter he lists “cold cuts (turkey

breast, ham)” and “tuna (salad or packed in water)” as a vegetarian source of protein. Go ahead, read it for yourself: http://www.unlvrebelyell.com/article.php?ID=10434 I find the same thing every time I brave the vegan entr�e tub: Rice, beans or a bland, unimaginative combination of the two (except for the time they served egg fried rice). The salad bar is impressive but the ingredients of the dressings are not posted. Also, contrary to what Chiarelli stated, the DC does not serve vegan Boca Burgers, only vegetarian Garden Burgers. I asked the grill chef myself. Students that live on campus are required to buy meal plans and freshmen are forced to buy a minimum of 14 meals per week. I am signed up for eight meals per week, the lowest plan, which costs $1,327 per semester and $9.76 per meal. If students have meals left over at the end of the week, they can swipe them out for drinks, frozen foods and snacks. When I do eat in the

DC, I usually have cereal, fruit, salad, or a good old peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I could buy the ingredients for all of those items and more with a couple meal plans. Also, the swipe out options are not health or vegan friendly. One swipe is good for two snacks and a drink, or one frozen snack and a drink. Students can choose chocolates, candy, frozen pizza and burritos, soda, sugar cereals, ice cream and a variety of other foods that are contributing to poor eating habits in this country. I have seen improvements in the swipe out line with nutrigrain bars and fruit cups, but the other foods listed greatly outnumber these. When I swipe out every Sunday I get eight water bottles and candy for my room mate. Fruit is not offered at the swipe out table and when I tried to sneak some apples from the fruit bowl they were more white than red. If I have to pay $9.76 per meal, I want to get my money’s worth. Beans and rice don’t cut it. Would it be that hard to

prepare creative vegan dishes? I am by no means a professional chef and I cook vegan meals whenever I visit home. Why not serve baked pastas, vegan pizzas, lasagna and meals with soy cheese and meat alternatives? I found recipes for all of these items online for free at vegweb.com and other vegan websites. Having a vegan dessert to compete with the smorgasbord of desserts would be nice as well. Yes, it is possible to make tasty vegan desserts, just ask my co-workers. To make dining easier for vegans, vegetarians and the health conscious, the DC should implement the food labeling system on the Sodexho website, http:/lancemindbodysoul.com/faqs.pdf. The four labels include well-balanced, vegetarian, vegan and carb-friendly. The website explains the criteria for foods in each of the categories. These labels would clear up the ambiguity various foods in the DC have. For example, I stay away from soups because I don’t know if they are prepared with chicken or beef

stock. Also, these labels would be helpful for students curious about changing their eating habits. With more than half of adults overweight and 30 percent of adults obese in the U.S., information about making good food choices should be available in the Dining Commons and food that is served should reflect healthy ideals. I find the lack of this information particularly deplorable because this is college, a higher institution of learning. I am especially appalled that a registered dietician and nutrition instructor at this school stated that vegetarians eat meat twice in his letter. If you have any questions, contact dietician and nutritionist Debi Meyer, her number is 895-3981. Also, there are many helpful and informative vegan and vegetarian websites available such as www.vrg.org, www.goveg.com, www.vegweb.com. Anisa Buttar, JournalismPeter H

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