Raw in College

[treegirl]

Hey, I have a question for everyone out there in college - how do you do it? I'm entering as a freshman this sept. and I'm kinda worried about staying raw. I'm going to Spokane, which si seven hours from my home, and they don't have much in the way of raw food, as far as I can tell. Plus, I'm poor as dirt. Any suggestions? Encouragement? Help?

[Random Violin Guy]

Well I've got my own apartment, which means my own kitchen in which I can make whatever I want. I suppose it would be different if I were in a dorm. What are you doing for housing? Are you going to be on a meal plan? Will you have a kitchen?

For money, I'm also dirt poor. I'm struggling to make ends meet, but I refuse to cut back on my food bill by eating SAD or frankenfoods. My health is more important than having money to hit the bars or go out to see the movies. And I'd much rather feel good than feel bad.


A few money tips though:

Learn to forage. I haven't yet, but would like to. Some people might even dumpster dive for produce. It's another thing I haven't done, but it sure would cut costs.

Sprout. It's something else I have yet to do. Actually, today I'm planning on researching it and buying everything I need to start sprouting. It's cheap and nutritious. And of course, raw.

Order in bulk. Stuff is cheaper that way, and you'll go through a lot more produce as a raw foodist than the average person. If everything ripens at the same time, you can always freeze it for a bit. Oh, and sometimes you can find somebody or a few people to go in on bulk orders together. If you can get enough people together, you might even be able to order directly from the wholesaler without going through a store.

Start your own garden. Or garden indoors if you can't. Growing your own herbs and produce brings you that much closer to nature, and whatever you eat from the garden is super fresh.

If you can, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a job at a health food store (HFS). Often times you'll get an employee discount and get to take produce home for free if it's going slightly bad or has a bruise on it.

Also, if you spot something that's starting to go bad at the grocery store, sometimes they'll let you take it home or give you a discount on it. It's worth asking, anyways.

Find the farmers markets and CSAs (community supported agriculture) in your area. Check out http://www.localharvest.org/ to help you do this, and also ask around at your local HFS.


OK, I think I'm out of ideas for now. I'm just parroting back what I've heard others say, anyways. If you do a search for the word "budget" you'll find a bunch of threads about the money issue. Hopefully I've given you an idea or two that you wouldn't have thought of on your own :)

Cheers!

[rande]

i have my own apartment also, i dont know how i'd do it living in a dorm or eating in a cafeteria...i dont have much money, i work a couple days a week, and it pretty much ALL goes for food. and i have to say, its totally worth it! i could spend my money buying clothes, seeing shows, or partying but if i felt like crap it wouldnt be any fun anyways. sprouting is great, i'm always sprouting...farmers markets tend to be a little cheaper than grocery stores...conventional produce is cheaper than organic although i buy as much as i can organic anyways. pretty much if you really want this, its entirely possible even on a very small budget!

[Cherry-tree]

I think that you will be OK! In the dining commons, just have your salads and fruit and maybe you can order some things that you particularly like, like any crackers or bars, online for your dorm room.

If you have a mini fridge in the room then just load up on cheap veggies like carrot sticks and celery and you can even keep olive oil and vinegar in your room for a quick dip. Also, nuts are not too expensive and do not need refridgeration at all. Those would be good for snacking, too.

In all, I think that you will be successful if you do not let the others pressure you into eating SAD. HAVE FUN!!!!:o

[treegirl]

Thank-you everyone! Yeah, I'm living in a dorm on a meal plan...I will definitely look into you're suggestions. I don't do much sprouting - but it sounds like a good idea to start.
I really appreciate the tips!
keep 'em comin'.:)

[peachy_pie]

Hey sweetie, I know about the budget thing because I'm at uni too, renting with my bf, but THANK GOD we have a decent kitchen. otherwise i would cry lots. Sprouting is a great idea, because you don't need any equipment except for a bowl and some water and stuff. If you want a really good snack that I take to the movies, I toss sprouted chickpeas and some raw almonds in spices... most recently curry powder, salt and pepper, but it can be anything... basically your favourite herbs and spices.

With the money thing, it is best to shop at supermarkets as they are closing because of the great deals you can get on produce. last night I picked up two enormous organic beets, so we'll be having red baron salad for a couple of lunches this week!

If you don't have a fridge, shop twice or three times a week for things that are yummy but easy to eat, clean up after etc... like carrots, celery, apples, etc.

Hope this helps!

[catscharm74]

Ask parents, friends, whomever buys you things for the holidays or special occassions to get you gift certificates to your favorite stores, online websites etc. I traded work hours at a farmer's market for food- fruit, vegetables and they even gave me some tea and bread. If you could maybe get a little freezer to store things for down the road. Buy in bulk. I buy discounted bruised fruit for smoothies- who cares it is still fruit right?? I got a whole box the other day for about $4.00. Just ask the produce people. Eat as many green smoothies as you can= they will give you energy and fill you up. Eat seasonally. I will try to think of some more things.

Good luck and congrats on college!!!

[Raw Ani]

Hi Treegirl,
I'm a year out of college. While there I was not raw until the very end when I had my own place, but I always kept a VERY strict diet of organic simple whole food that was not easy to come by (ok, impossible) in the cafeteria. And, I, too, was required to be on a meal plan. ( I assume yours is required, if not beg your parents to give you that money to buy food on your own! :) So I have a few suggestions:

Be Prepared - Keep a mini-kitchen in your dorm: Bring your own blender/processor, knives, cutting boards, even a dehydrator if you can manage. I bet if you're crafty you could even make a neat desk sized one that would be a great conversation piece!

Stock up: This was already mentioned but literally bring as much as will keep in nuts, seeds, beans & bars if you eat them (smartmonkey/larabars). This may be the last time your parents are willing to foot a $300 grocery bill and it will be so worth it when you still have free snack bars at midterms.

Take advantage: Even though there may not be much to eat at your cafeteria, get as much as you can out of it -- in most cases you've already paid for it.

Be Vocal. You many not find many raw foodists, but LOTS of college kids are concerned about healthy diet and organic/local foods. Find common ground and push for Real Food in your campus dining halls. Universities always respond to the momentum of their students. If you want something you can get it, you just have to be persuasive and active.

Ok just one more you should look into-- You might be able to start a raw food club and become entitled to a share of student activity funds. The whole premise of your club could be to use those funds to put together a great raw meal and watch an environmental video or something -- It's a little work but you would get a free raw meal per week out of it!

Good luck. Hope that helped a little. Don't be nervous. You'll fine like-minded and supportive people for sure.

Ani

[Random Violin Guy]

lmao I like the way you think. There's a meat-eaters club at MIT that does something similar to what you mentioned. So yeah, stuff like that is definitely possible, cuz hey, it's already been done before! I'd love to start something like that up... except that I'm moving and taking some time off from schools.

By the way, Ani, welcome to the forum! My name's Eric, and I'm a Random Violin Guy. :)

[treegirl]

Wow, a lot of good suggestions! thanks guys!

[lytlsprout]

If you are "required" to be on the meal plan I would be on the smallest one possible. Or see if they'll let you out of it because they can't provide for you. When I was in school I had to be on the meal plan, but I got out of it because they didn't provide enough vegan options. Then ask your parents to give you the money instead of the school meal plan the money. I also don't buy organic unless it's not too much more. When it's twice as much I pass. But things that would have a lot of chemical on them I try to stay organic, like apples. (there's top 12 lists online for that) also you can have a food processor and a blender in your dorm, which will help you make most of the staples for raw. You don't need a kitchen because you don't need a stove which is what most people think for for a kitchen. Then just wash stuff out in the bathroom. And you just have to such it up that it costs more. It's so stupid that you can live on junk and pay no money but if you want to eat healthy it's expensive. But that's how our country is run right now.

[samariah]

I lived in a dorm my first year of college. I was raw for a little while during that period. I was required to get a meal plan so in the dining hall i ate lots of fresh fruit, veggies, salads. I also took loads of fruit from the dining hall. I had a blender in my room so i could make smoothies. In my room i kept nuts, seeds, raw honey, some ezekial bread, cocoa powder, flax oil, herbal tea, raw almond butter, etc. I went to the local grocery store and bought some fruits and veggies i couldnt get at the cafeteria every now and then too. Thankfully I had a health food store near my house. If u want to make it happen, u can do it.

[treegirl]

yeah, I'm on an 'All You can Eat, Whenever you need to eat' meal plan. I don't know what options they have, but I'm sure they have salad and some fruit choices - who doesn't ? My worry about getting off the meal plan is not having enough time to buy myself other foods often enough and giving into cooked food because I don't have any food anywhere else. I'm sure I can stay raw if i try really hard - I'm pretty committed. there is a wholesale fruits and veggies store near the college, and a lot of natural food stores in Spokane. I'll probably eat a lot of salad and fruits from the meal plan and buy 'special' items every so often. I'm looking for a mini fridge too and I have a blender.
Encouragement is SO appreciated - thanks!

[currious]

both my sister and i are in college, but the difference is my sis boards. like my self she has diet restrictions and through the process of trying to figure out how to handle them she discovered that the school would make acomadations in the caffeteria and offer food she could eat, so maybe there is a way you could get the school to offer limited varites of raw food, like whole foods does.

good luck on your journey through school! :D

[dreamrawalwz]

My first two years of college I stayed home, so that was easy. My college now requires meal plans if you're living on campus. I don't know how I would have done it. Apparently our school is ranked number 2 as far as food in the entire united states. Let's say they probably have enough vegan options for me, but not raw! All they have is a huge salad bar and 3 types of fruit, non-oragnic of course. Now I'm living in an apartment with a kitchen and a nice Kroger's 5 minutes away with a huge organic raw selection (and non-raw too). I also have a health food store with some produce 2 minutes away. Sorry I'm not much help! Just offereing my experience! Others above had some great suggestions though.

[valcanoofdesire]

One of the first benefits I discovered from my raw food diet, was the a immediate change in my grocery bills. Now I am in culinary school as I speek..cooking away everyday, food that i would NEVER EAT....it's a true test I struggle with everyday, but I know that in the long run it would be worth it. and it's not really about benefits in the long run, but rather becoming the healthiest person that you are capable of becoming and living a more pure and fantastic life. So now about the food talk. I find that there are three things that always fill me up quickly and don't cost a thing! Half an avocado. yep, thats it half an avocado sprinkled with chopped nuts, is great for you because of the amino acids, and the nuts for protein! The second is a larger tomato cut into slivers and topped with thinly cut basil sprinkled all over, with a little olive oil and sea salt. the third is frozen fruit smoothies! Frozen fruit is so inexpensive and it keeps around forever....they also make a great snack, my favorite are the frozen blackberries...puree the fruit with some freshed squeezed juice of your choice or I even use water...and viola! Instant juice meal. Hoped this helped in anyway, contact me any time if your ever in need of food ideas :-)

-May you, as well as all of mankind find true happiness.

[iamacranberry]

I can sympathize with the difficulties of being raw in college. I lived in college dormitories when I first went raw...this was in Cleveland in the States. After that I ended up living in a house with a few friends, and at the moment I've a lovely cheap flat.

You obviously won't be able to prepare your meals at home with ease...unless you've a way of transforming your desk temporarily into a kitchen via some sort of plastic mat you can roll up, take to the bathroom, and rinse off when finished. In fact, if you keep your desk clean enough to do this, it's an excellent investment.

Also, if you're on the school's meal plan, get what you can out of it...because if you can eat salads and fruit there, that means less grocery-buying for you. And if the salad bar is missing a few things you like, why not just put them in your backpack and smuggle them into the cafeteria? Buying part of your meal out of pocket is cheaper than buying the whole thing...not to mention less time-consuming.

Also remember why the raw lifestyle is important to you...this will be your motivation as well as your reason to keep going.

[Helena]

Hi,im also studying,im 4th year on colledge 23 years old
It gets difficult sometimes,i totally agree...sometimes if im all day at classes n for exaple got home late the night before n got up too early in the morning to make smthing for myself the only thing i can eat is fruit that i find in the nearby store or maybe some nuts (if they even sell some) to keep me full.
At other times i make green smoothies for myself that i bring to school,some fruit n juices n sometjing more comlicated only when i have time (then smthing like pate,dip raw sandwich or deserts.
Unfortunately i dont have money to buy organic foods,i just do what i can at the moment.
But with what im doing right now,n metter how far from right it gets sometimes i still feel better,n this is what im saying to myself everytime i have doubts n think oh my god what a big freak i am

Greeting for everyone from Croatia !

[iamacranberry]

Oh, and invest in a blender. It's relatively easy to clean, and not so expensive. I did 4 years of undergrad with the same cheap blender...none of that Vitamix stuff for me!

[Helena]

Exactly,theres nothing like a good blender...smoothies are the best student raw meal,fast,cheap n you can just add what you want in them,i add flax or sesame sometimes nuts
I make green smoothies n them put them in little 0.5l bottles n bring them to school,so simple n so energetic

[Elouet]

::high five::
I'm entering college this coming august, so we're in the same boat. I'm really nervous, because I want to be healthy and there will be plenty of temptations, but from my campus visits it seems that the cafeterias have lots of options. There are always salads and fresh fruit. If you get a meal plan that allows you to by most of your food outside of school you can go to specific places that sell the foods you want (unfortunately more expensive). You can probably order bulk bags of raw nuts/seed online for a reduced price.

[dread head vegan]

i am SO glad i found this thread!!!!!!lots of good ideas. i just started college this month. i live off of campus (about 1 1/2 hr drive from school.) good luck to all of you out there going 2 school :D

[beckx]

most cafeterias will have salads and fruit. make your own raw dressing to bring with you to meals or just use lemon juice/olive oil.

the alternative to a hfs job would be to see if the school has a student run general store and if they do, try to get involved with ordering or put in some special requests with them for things like raw nuts/nut butters, crackers, raw bars, etc. that way you can get some of your staples/treats supplied right on campus.

in college my friends and i had multiple meetings with food services to get vegan options and were very successful, worst case scenario you'll find some allies and give it a try.

[rawstrength]

Has anyone brought their juicer to college?
I'm thinking of bringing my juicer and vitamix to college, but I don't want to travel too heavy or to be thought of as completely nutty.

But I love my juices and smoothies!

[Green_Woman]

Who cares what the other college kids think?

You bring your vitamix and juicer because they are essentials of your Raw Lifestyle, and whether or not the other college kids think you're crazy for living HEALTHY, who cares??

I mean, really, just think of how healthy you are compared to the "cool college kids" who are drinking all weekend long and eating crappy cafeteria meals!

In ten years, you'll still look young and vibrant and your eye will have that amazing RAW GLOW to them, while your old college buddies will be spending huge loads of money on health insurance plans and doctor visits for their yearly month-long bouts with the flu!!!

[iamacranberry]

Has anyone brought their juicer to college?
I'm thinking of bringing my juicer and vitamix to college, but I don't want to travel too heavy or to be thought of as completely nutty.

But I love my juices and smoothies!

I did, and I brought it into the dorm. And I still had less stuff than my roommate--I didn't bring the usual college things such as bulky tvs, etc.

[veganathlete]

Hey Everyone!!!

Man coping with Raw while in college. Well i have been 100% raw since September so I transitioned while in college. I'm a sophomore. I live in the dorms and man my college has nothing in walking distance that has raw foods and I have no car.

Well the first semester the school barely offered any fresh fruit...well at breakfast they did. I had no fridge. It was pretty difficult. I basically lived off of that crispy salad mix that has no dark greens (major lack of nutrients), tomatoes, and apples. It was quite difficult to get all the nutrients i needed and the calories required with me playing collegiate soccer and tennis...actually I know I didnt. Towards the end of the semester my mom visited and brought me a fridge and juicer from home....I was so EXCITED :) After that I was able to get friends to drive me to the grocery store or I rode my bikes sometimes depending on how much i was getting.

Now this semester was a lot better. We got a new cafeteria and they offered a much better selection of fruit. The cafeteria workers also realized my diet change and started to make sure that I got fruit throughout the entire day not just breakfast. So what I do now is get my fruit from the cafe and buy my veggies from the grocery store. I buy my veggies from the store so that I make sure I am getting all my nutrients like dark leafy greens (the cafe doesnt offer). Then every once in a while i will get one of my friends to drive me to the health food store (40 minutes away) to get my kelp (under active thyroid) , nuts, and seeds.

Money wise I had to take out an extra loan and I chose the smallest meal plan possible. I do not eat organic at all except for my juicing carrots. I tend to buy sunflower seeds because they are the cheapest. Also, I soak my nuts and seeds....I can eat a lot more un-soaked seeds/nuts than soaked. Also, I order some things on the internet like spirulina and chia seeds.

Oh and far as making stuff in your dorm - I turned my desk into my table...lol. Wash my veggie and fruit off in the bathroom. Clean dishes in the bathroom.

And far as socially, it has been fine. Almost everyone is fine with how I eat (I dont push my diet on anyone). A lot people were concerned that I was not getting the proper nutrients....so they asked lots of questions. Once they saw how healthy I was on the diet they all seemed not to worry as much. Actually its kind of cool a whole bunch of my friends started eating a lot healthier since they have seen the change in me.

Now I am pretty use to it - its normal routine :)

Well I hope this helps and good luck to you all :)

[iamacranberry]

That sounds about right...college days were not the easiest! Luckily, though, I was not required to purchase a meal plan. Seems universities these days are just out to make money...they'll accept any idiot that applies, spend loads on advertising, let people buy their way into uni, force them to live in overpriced student housing, etc. And it makes life quite difficult for those of us whose needs are really not covered by that system.

[DreamSeeker]

Well, I'm in college, though I'm married. However, it would be really difficult to do the raw thing in a dorm....I lived in a dorm my first year, and though I wasn't on Raw, I found it really hard to eat healthy in general. The only fruits that were available were apples and bananas, and the salad bar consisted of lettuce, sometimes spinach, and lots of dressings and other salad condiments. All the advice I can give you is, take what you can get from your meal plan, and try supplementing that with your own provisions. Best of luck to you!

[Hearst]

if you are going to be living in the dorms, you will most likely have to buy the meal plan. And although there are "vegan options" they are not going to be high quality. As many of us know, maintaining a diet on raw foods means getting high quality produce and in the commons, it can be very tough. Only a few companies bid to bring food to students and its usually never organic.

Try to get out of the meal plan if you can. Bring lots of sprouting seed and find some good grocery stores around campus. Good luck.

[iamacranberry]

Every college is different. The deal with mine was that you had a certain amount of credit that you were required to put on your card for the meal plan...and if you never used it, it just carried over to the next year, and at the end of all that time, if it was still there, they just refunded it to you. But you're right; others may not be so lucky.

[rawforthesoul]

Hey sweetie, I know about the budget thing because I'm at uni too, renting with my bf, but THANK GOD we have a decent kitchen. otherwise i would cry lots. Sprouting is a great idea, because you don't need any equipment except for a bowl and some water and stuff. If you want a really good snack that I take to the movies, I toss sprouted chickpeas and some raw almonds in spices... most recently curry powder, salt and pepper, but it can be anything... basically your favourite herbs and spices.

With the money thing, it is best to shop at supermarkets as they are closing because of the great deals you can get on produce. last night I picked up two enormous organic beets, so we'll be having red baron salad for a couple of lunches this week!

If you don't have a fridge, shop twice or three times a week for things that are yummy but easy to eat, clean up after etc... like carrots, celery, apples, etc.

Hope this helps!



Ooooo I didn't know you could sprout in just a bowl! I always thought you had to have those sprouting bags (which I can't find anywhere). How much water do you use per amount of nuts/seeds?

[trulylaura]

I live in the dorms and am on a meal plan as well. It is really hard to eat raw, and not everyone is supportive of the raw food lifestyle. I have a blender and food processor in my dorm room, and a mini-fridge. When I go to the meal hall, I get a salad to-go or put it all in a tupperware container and take it back to my room (on meal plan our salads are unlimited, so I can stock up on some things this way). I try to do all my food preperation at once - both because of the noise, the cleaning, and the fact that I need my desk :) As long as you are determined, you can do and not draw attention to your diet (if that is what you want). Good luck!

[rain_or_shine]

wow, thanks for asking that question. i got a lot out of the responses as well. college student as well here. i remember my first year of college i lived in a dorm and had a crappy meal plan cause it was required. if you have the same type of cafeteria as we did - which is go and get whatever you like and as much as you want. i would suggest bringing a small bag with you and stealing some fruit. just sneakily stuff your bag with as many apples, oranges, bananas etc. as possible. the staff usually doesn't like this, so you have to hide what you're doing, but it's a great way to save money. you can stock your room with fruit. and then get a part-time job if possible to stock your dorm fridge with whatever else you need like veggies, sprouting supplies, and whatever other raw treats you like.
but i highly reccomend sneaking bags of fruit back to your dorm!;)

[rawstrength]

wow, thanks for asking that question. i got a lot out of the responses as well. college student as well here. i remember my first year of college i lived in a dorm and had a crappy meal plan cause it was required. if you have the same type of cafeteria as we did - which is go and get whatever you like and as much as you want. i would suggest bringing a small bag with you and stealing some fruit. just sneakily stuff your bag with as many apples, oranges, bananas etc. as possible. the staff usually doesn't like this, so you have to hide what you're doing, but it's a great way to save money. you can stock your room with fruit. and then get a part-time job if possible to stock your dorm fridge with whatever else you need like veggies, sprouting supplies, and whatever other raw treats you like.
but i highly reccomend sneaking bags of fruit back to your dorm!;)

This is exactly what I do! Dining hall fruits + part time job :D

[rain_or_shine]

yeah, and as others were saying don't make a habit out of telling people about your way of eating as many will have some kind of critical or negative comment to make. unless you're very confident in your raw eating at this point ;) it just makes it easier when you don't have to deal with other people's judgements of what you're doing. if they ask why you're just eating a salad or something just say because it tastes delicious or because it makes you feel good lol. if they persist with the questions, just persist with your answers and after awhile they'll just accept that that's the way you eat.

and yeah definitely try and start a raw meet-up group that holds pot-lucks!! they're are always other rawies out there. i've met people randomly around my campus that are raw, so if that can happen, i'm sure if you post some kind of sign around campus for a raw pot-luck you'll get at least a few people to come!:)

anyway, as you can see by all these responses, it can be done! all you need is a great outlook! and, well, raw will definitely give you that outlook naturally if you keep it up!

[rain_or_shine]

This is exactly what I do! Dining hall fruits + part time job :D

LOL i know it's GREAT! isn't it?! okay lol that's my last post here for now - too many posts in a row :p