By Julia Stanitski, VRG Intern

Are you nervous about heading to college as a vegan? Or are you currently a student at the University of Delaware (UD) in Newark, DE and don’t know where to find vegan options? Here is a survival guide for you to navigate your way to finding food to eat in the dining halls, Trabant University Center, the small market P.O.D.s, and the establishments on Main Street. The information below pertains to UD before COVID-19, but any COVID-related changes to food availability is noted at the bottom of each section.

Dining Halls

There are three dining halls on campus, all of which are all-you-can eat style. These are Caesar Rodney, Russell, and Pencader. Each has a specified Vegan section, serving a wholesome vegan meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (different every time!). You will ALWAYS have this option available! Additionally, there is always a fully stocked salad bar filled with beans, all types of veggies, a variety of dressings, and more. Also, grab some fresh-cut fruit and hot rice & beans to take at any time. Keep an eye out for the occasional vegan cookies in the dessert section! Due to COVID-19, only the Pencader Dining Hall on North Campus remains open, providing the option of dining in or take-out. There are designated entrances for students to use and many new levels of safety protocols.

Trabant University Center

Trabant University Center does have vegan options, starting with the snacks on display. There are a variety of granola bars, pretzels and chips, fruit, hummus cups, sandwiches, and wraps that are vegan. My personal favorite is the Buffalo Seitan Wrap and the Falafel Bites. There are cold drinks and smoothies in the fridges that do not contain dairy.

Moving on to the small restaurants in Trabant:

• Greens to Go has customizable salads that can easily be made vegan with different mixes of lettuces, beans, veggies, and dressings.
• Konomi has great grab-and-go sushi where they offer vegetable rolls and seaweed salad.
• Peet’s Coffee has coffee drinks and teas that can be made with a variety of plant milks, such as coconut or soy.
• Chick-Fil-A offers fruit cups.

Sometimes there are pop-up food shops where vegan options can be available, so keep your eyes open! A small Information Desk in Trabant is open daily where they sell a few vegan candies and snacks like chips, too. With COVID-19, all Trabant food shops remain open with online ordering through Grubhub, Monday through Friday for both lunch and dinner.

The P.O.D.s

There are 3 P.O.D.s on campus. These are small markets with snacks, food, drinks, and other convenience items you may need. They are always stocked with energy bars and a huge variety of drinks, cereal, granola bars, healthy snacks, soups, and candy. They also have fresh food! Look out for veggies, fruit, and incredible pre-made vegan meals (yes, vegan!). These meals really come in handy when you are in a rush. My favorite is the vegetable dumplings, because you don’t even have to heat them up! The P.O.D. in the school building, Gore Hall, is smaller and has a limited selection. Due to COVID-19, only the P.O.D. on North Campus is open currently.

Main Street

Main Street is the busy, bright street close to campus where students go to eat, socialize, and hang out with friends. It is filled with so many restaurants and grab-and-go food places – many with vegan options. Here are just a few:

• Daily Veg: a vegan restaurant that has amazing food. They have sandwiches, burgers, salads, smoothie bowls, desserts, and even milkshakes! Yum!
• Homegrown: a very inclusive restaurant that offers countless vegan options. Almost anything on their large (and local) menu can be made vegan! They have incredible nachos, tater tots, breakfast burritos, and my favorite, the Tofu Banh Mi.
• Roots: one of the most popular spots to get lunch or dinner on Main Street. Make your own bowl or salad here, and fill it up with roasted veggies, seasoned beans, homemade sauces, fresh lettuce, and their famous Barbecue Tofu and Miso Tofu.
• Snap Pizza: create your own pizza at Snap and finish it off with vegan cheese. They also have a diverse variety of vegetables and herbs to place on top!
• Ramen Kumamoto: a fun noodle joint that has awesome vegan miso ramen. Just ask your waiter to ensure they don’t add egg! Come here for a BIG portion.
• Other common places on Main Street with vegan options: Chipotle, Qdoba, Mod Pizza, Playa Bowls, and Starbucks.

Even with COVID-19, all of these restaurants remain open with limited seating inside.

As you can see, you will definitely be able to find healthy, vegan food you can eat on and around campus. The options are endless! Let us know if you check out any of the places mentioned.

For information about other schools, see https://www.vrg.org/teen/#college

The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.