Mindful moments: a quick guide to being a vegetarian student

When I decided to become vegetarian before I came to university, there were mixed opinions from those around me. My parents believed I would not last a week, and my friends thought that I was joking. I had always been the meat eater of the family, and my go-to meal was a cheeseburger, so it was certainly a surprise to myself and others. However, being a vegetarian was something I wanted and needed to try for myself, and the independence that came with university offered me the best opportunity to give it a go. According to a study in the UK, there are 3.1 million vegetarians in 2024, making up 5.8% of the population. This increasing figure has led to higher accessibility for vegetarian and vegan options, meaning that upholding a vegetarian diet is no longer such a struggle. In this article, I will share some recipes and tips I have accumulated over the past 16 months as a vegetarian university student, as they can actually be simple yet nourishing.

Being vegetarian can be easy and healthy if you just switch out a few ingredients or use nutritious recipes

A vegetarian diet often comes with the stigma of being too difficult to implement or having potential health risks. However, there are many benefits to this diet, given studies suggest that a vegetarian diet can lead to a 35% to 53% lower risk of diabetes. There are also significant environmental benefits, considering a meat-based diet has a significantly larger carbon footprint. As well as these benefits, being vegetarian can be easy and healthy if you just switch out a few ingredients or use nutritious recipes.

A go-to recipe that is cheap and easy for me at university is ‘Tuscan halloumi’. This something I adapted from an Instagram account called @mybossbuysmelunch. Although the main ingredient was salmon, this is easily interchangeable with halloumi, making this recipe a perfect example of how quickly a meal can become vegetarian. Initially, you melt one tablespoon of butter with three cloves of garlic, finely diced. Then, add ½ a diced onion until it is softened, combining it with 75g of jarred sun-dried tomatoes. At this point, in a separate pan, you should begin frying your halloumi on a medium heat. Following this, pour 75ml of vegetable stock cube in with the onions and tomatoes. Bringing the pan to a low heat, add 150 ml of double cream before adding in a handful of spinach. You may then add the halloumi to your delicious sauce, before seasoning with salt and pepper, and adding extra cheese to your preference. This can be served with rice on the side. This dish, given it only takes 20 minutes and is an easy process, is my current go-to meal at university.

Once these dishes have been separated into tubs to freeze, you will have done your future self a favour by having meals prepared for inevitable busy nights

Another recipe that has been crucial to my vegetarian diet is ‘KerryAnn’s chilli con veggie’  which I found on Jamie Oliver’s website. At the beginning of each term, I prepare around 10 to 12 servings of this dish to freeze. This eases my stress throughout the term as I already have at least one meal sorted each week that does not need to be cooked from scratch. To begin, peel and finely chop two medium onions and four cloves of garlic, as well as trimming and finely chopping one medium leek and one red chilli. This should be fried for approximately five minutes in a large, medium-heat pan with oil. Then, add two tablespoons of ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and one teaspoon of ground cinnamon. After this has been fried for two minutes, add in two tablespoons of tomato purée and cook for two more minutes. Finally, stir in 250g of dried green lentils and 250g of dried red lentils, as well as 800g of red kidney beans and 800g of black kidney beans (both drained). After all this, stir in 800g of chopped tomatoes and 1.2 litres of vegetable stock. Once this has been brought to a boil, reduce to a low heat to simmer for at least one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Although this process is lengthy, once these dishes have been separated into tubs to freeze, you will have done your future self a favour by having meals prepared for inevitable busy nights. I find this chilli goes well with ‘spicy Mexican rice’, as well as being rolled into a wrap with cheese to make a burrito.

Sometimes, however, you do not need to create a whole new meal to implement a vegetarian diet. For example, a lovely, heart-warming meal such as sausages and mash does not have to be given up. Instead, you can replace meat sausages with vegan or vegetarian sausages, a particular favourite of mine being ‘Richmond meat-free sausages’. These vegan sausages taste delicious, are affordable, and can also be chopped up for a pasta or used to make a vegan sausage sandwich. As well as this, there is an array of vegetarian and vegan replacements in shops, such as Plant Menu’s ‘no ham’ slices being perfect for a sandwich at lunch.

Vegetarian options are not as boring or daunting as they can be made out to be

I hope that my favourite vegetarian recipes and ‘easy switch-ups’ have provided an insight into how simple and delicious vegetarian meals can be. Whether you are simply trying ‘meatless Mondays’ or thinking of changing your diet to become less meat-dense, it is important to know that vegetarian options are not as boring or daunting as they can be made out to be. Take it from me, whose favourite meal was a cheeseburger up until 2023, that being vegetarian as a university student can be fun and interesting, not stressful.