By Jenna Birdwell, Staff Reporter
I’ve never been one to sit idle at Loker Student Union, but my days on campus have been long lately, so I’ve found myself at LSU a lot more. I’m a pescatarian, which means the only meat I eat is fish. I usually get Subway or an expensive tuna sandwich at the DH Express located in the Social and Behavioral Sciences building.
So imagine my relief when I discovered Compton Vegan. I was thrilled when the restaurant opened inside LSU last fall, because I thought it could give students like me more options on campus. For so long, I had to settle for plain, over-salted potato chips or pricey and boring sandwiches. A plate of saucy jackfruit “ribz” or crispy fried “chik’n” sounded far more appetizing.
I like Compton Vegan a lot – it’s more expensive, yeah, but you get used to paying a premium when you’re on a plant-based diet. Sadly, Compton Vegan doesn’t seem to draw the same crowds as, say, Panda Express, and I’ve noticed that it’s usually the first place in the food court to close up shop for the day.
We used to have healthier grab-and-go options like Everytable and a Jamba juice once upon a time, but they shut down without much fanfare – what happened? According to Phillip Mangawang, the general manager for Urban Mosaic Food Co. – the campus dining services providers – they closed due to low sales.
I went on a mission to find a vegan Toro eating at LSU, but found just one person after interviewing almost 80 students.
“I haven’t explored other restaurants other than Subway, Compton Vegan, and what used to be Everytable,” said Evelyn Pasquel, a senior psychology student. “I’m scared that I won’t be able to find anything [vegan]. But I’ve noticed that with outside restaurants it is easier to substitute something else, or ask them to take it away.”
Teddy’s Pantry and the weekly Farmers Market are wonderful places to find budget-friendly ingredients to use at home. But what about people who don’t eat meat or dairy – what could they eat on campus that’s filling before classes? They’ll likely have to break the bank to find healthy and satisfying vegan substitutes.
Even meat-eaters have been dissatisfied with the vegan options on campus. Jasmine Santis, a junior psychology student, was excited to pick up a salad from the Farmer’s Fridge vending machine outside Welch Hall. Her excitement, though, didn’t last long after opening the jar.
“I tried the chia seeds and it was expired,” Santis said.
If there’s a silver lining for vegans at LSU, it’s that all the restaurants fry their foods in vegetable oils. So there may at least be something available to people looking for a plant-based meal.
The bottom line is that Compton Vegan can’t be the only place on campus for vegan and vegetarian Toros in need of a good meal. If it goes the same way as Everytable and Jamba Juice, there aren’t too many options available.
“If you’re okay with eating junk food once in a while, like, those instant ramen, if you’re okay with having junk food, I guess there are options,” Pasquel said. “But it would be nice to have options that are not so expensive or have bad nutritional value.”
