Maintaining a vegetarian diet is a challenge that nearly 15 percent of college students deal with every day, reports U.S. News and World Report.
How do Ball State's vegetarian accommodations compare with other campuses across the country? Not so well, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. They recently published a top-ten list of colleges that do a good job of accommodating vegetarian students, and only one school from Indiana made the cut: Indiana University-Bloomington, which placed sixth.
Sophomore Sam Rak, who has been a vegetarian for nine years, appreciates Ball State's effort to accommodate vegetarians but is disappointed with the variety, or lack thereof. "I have eaten more veggie wraps lately - and not by choice," Rak said.
For variety, Rak would enjoy finding a broad array of vegetarian-friendly food around Muncie. Unfortunately, he says that creating his own sub or salad at Subway is basically all the city offers.
Some people are aware that there are different types of vegetarianism but probably aren't aware of the specifics. VegetarianS.com explains the types: A lacto-vegetarian eats dairy products, but not meat or eggs. An ovo-vegetarian does just the opposite - eats eggs, but not meat or dairy products. A lacto-ovo vegetarian eats no eggs, dairy products, meat, and buys no products made from animals. A vegan has all of the same characteristics as the lacto-ovo vegetarian, but in addition does not consume any animal by-products.
Non-vegetarians often criticize vegetarians for their choice of food. "The thing that bothers me the most is when people put meat in my face. I don't understand how people can be so disrespectful," stated Rak.
Chances are that vegetarians are given grief because their habits are not understood. Many eliminate meat from their diets for ethical purposes. Rak said that his reason for becoming a vegetarian was because "I was bothered by eating something that used to be alive, and I didn't want any part in it."
Linda Gilbert, president of the market research firm Health Focus, said many people become vegetarians because the easiest way to eliminate fat from one's diet is to quit eating meat.
No matter what one's reason is for becoming a vegetarian, there are many healthful benefits. In an article about celebrity vegetarian Christie Brinkley, registered dietitian Jessica Siegal said, "A vegetarian diet is true healthy living. You can eat larger quantities of food so you don't feel hungry. When you get most of your food from whole grains, veggies, fruit, beans, and tofu, you are avoiding empty calories from refined carbs and sugars. Vegetarians, as a whole, live longer. They have lower rates of heart disease and cancer, and tend to not be overweight, so there's less instance of diabetes."
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