Students can experiment with different dietary lifestyles, but some feel that the campus fails to accommodate students following religious and vegetarian diets.
According to the University Center and Associated Facilities Student Fees Advisory Committee 2009 Program Questionnaire, UH Dining Services intends to add kosher and halal products in all campus convenience stores.’ A date has not yet been posted as to when this will occur.
‘It is difficult to offer food services to students with religious restrictions. For instance, food restrictions for Muslims are much more rigid than just avoiding pork. They must know all the ingredients in their food, and that is hard for any campus to provide,’ Dr. Lynn Mitchell, Director of Religious Studies, said.
For vegetarian students, the University also offers sushi, salads and yogurt with granola at campus convenience stores. Subway, Chili’s Too and Extreme Pita offers vegetarian-friendly choices on their menus.
‘The university offers a great selection at the Moody Towers and Quadrangle cafeterias; they have salad bars with lots of vegetables,’ communication production junior Yin-Hsuan Chiu said.
Some vegetarian students feel limited in the food choices on campus.
Arohai Desai, biology junior, said vegetarian students should pay lower fees than students with regular diets due to the lack of vegetarian-friendly options on campus.
‘Vegetarians end up paying the same as other students who eat meat. Lowering the price for vegetarians would make pricing more fair,’ Desai said.’
‘ ‘You definitely feel like a minority when you look at the menu and there are only two things to pick from,’ Blair Ault, political science junior, said. ‘I am technically saving the campus money by not eating meat. I am paying the same price, and I am not getting the same amount of food or options.’
