Plant Based Universities

[GriseldaMolestrangler]

https://www.plantbaseduniversities.org/post/warwick-students-vote-yes-for-100-plant-based-menus

Two Russell Group Universities have voted to install a 100 per cent plant-based menu on campus to “end the climate crisis”. During Student Union meetings, students at both the University of Bristol and Imperial College London voted to switch to a vegan catering menu.

What do you think to this?

As long as there are options that aren't fake meat products, e.g. meals with just veg (bean & veg chilli etc), I think it's fine.

But I wouldn't want to eat all TVP/Quorn/fake meat products.

It wouldn't bother me. I have had plenty of delicious vegan food. I'd rather have good quality vegan food than cheap mystery meat (which used to show up in school dinners when I was at school and based on the weird colours, taste, and texture could have been anything from badger to rhinoceros).

I wonder if people would be so bothered if the universities presented it as a cost saving measure rather than saving the planet? Vegan food tends to be cheaper than meat.

The only proviso is if it is the only source of nutrition for students, those in catered halls for instance, I hope whoever is setting the menu actually knows how to do a vegan diet so the students get the protein, vitamins and minerals they need.

I think it's ridiculous. Veganism denies even the vegetarians a decent meal due to the fake bloody dairy crap they use, and the jackfruit/highly processed goo 'flavoured' to taste like meat or fish.
Worthy sentiment, but why should the whole be punished for the few?

It wouldn't work for me.

Interesting! I suspect people will vote with their feet if they do not like it. Either the food gets really good or quietly another vote is held to restore sausages.

Student canteen food is nearly always dire. This could be an improvement

No doubt the food will be vile ultra processed garbage not lovingly curated nutritional plant based delights. Still they can take packed lunches and the catering departments will just fold eventually.

But eggs, cheese and dairy are not vegan.

Having lunch when you’re at college (or work, or school) is hardly a ‘treat’.

Really??? I had no idea

Or maybe I was also talking about vegetarian food as well as vegan......

Buying lunch out, is a treat for me, and I would assume for the vast majority of students, and also staff at the University.

If you don't realise that buying a meal when out is a treat for most people, I think you need to check your privilege.

For students it is!

Buying lunch is what millions of working people, and the vast majority of students, do every day. Some students might take a packed lunch to university but it would be a tiny minority and usually for dietary or religious regions.

The idea that buying lunch when you are at work or your place of education is a ‘treat for most people’ is risible.

It is definitely a treat.

My daughter budgets for either a nice coffee per week or she will buy lunch occasionally when she has a busy day to give her a bit of extra time. The rest of the time she meal preps & takes a packed lunch.

Buying lunch is what millions of working people, and the vast majority of students, do every day. Some students might take a packed lunch to university but it would be a tiny minority and usually for dietary or religious regions.

you must be joking. I’m pretty wealthy & buying lunch at work is definitely a treat as it is to my colleagues.

in fact we make a fuss about it. We have chippy Tuesday & Fat Friday (bacon sandwiches).

if a rep visits which maybe happens once a month & brings in lunch for us we all love it.

There’s bare any meat on su menus it’s all fries and nachos anyway. So it’s fine I’m sure.

Working at a uni, I was surprised by howany of our students do actually bring their lunch in. They're better at it than I.

You must know a limited circle of students.
Where do you think they are getting the money from ?
I mean, it is a minority of students that are actually in lectures for a full day, day after day, so a lot will eat at home and not take a packed lunch.
The idea that most students can afford to eat out day after day is risible.

I've taken packed lunches to work in different environments for the 40+ years I've been at work and that has always been the norm in all those different places. I mean, clearly there are people who buy themselves a lunch every day, I'm not denying that, but "the vast majority of students" certainly don't buy lunch out every day.

So long as they stick to using fruit and veg, nuts, lentils grains etc and steer well clear of disgusting faux food like processed pretend meat and so called vegan cheese which is vomit inducing.

So you’ve never worked somewhere with a works canteen? Or a sandwich van that parks up on the industrial estate? How odd. Your work experience is certainly not typical. And I can assure you that students eating in a campus cafe is as unremarkable as schoolchildren eating in the school canteen. And certainly STEM students are on campus all day, every day. I help recruit for our company and visit plenty of universities - the food outlets are always packed at lunchtimes.

Works canteens are usually subsidised. University food outlets are not. The sandwich van is a once a week thing at many workplaces, (in mine it's Friday breakfast).

The food outlets you have seen may be packed, but that is because there are thousands of students in a university. Most are not eating at the outlet every day, it would be ore like once per week unless they are in catered halls with a meal plan package.

My daughter's food budget for the week is £35 to include any food bought out. Eating lunch out every day would mean she would only be able to eat 1 meal per day.

Also if you re visiting universities to recruit I assume they are events ike graduate fayres. The people eating are more likely to be visitors like yourself on expenses and on those days there will be more students not in their usual routine. It's not a typical day.

Exactly @Comefromaway

It seems there are quite a few posters on MN that are unable to understand people work in different jobs from themselves, and clearly have different budgets from them.