Katey Woodruff, Features Editor–

One in 10 college students follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, which is more than twice the percent of the general population, according to a 2019 survey conducted by The Harris Poll.

A number of students at Denison are vegetarian as well, and Denison has an array of specialty options for students who don’t eat meat. The Rooted station at Curtis Dining Hall and select options with stations in Slayter Student Union are some of the locations that serve some of these options. 

Some students have noticed changes to their food options in the recent weeks. While students claim that options at Denison are typically better than at other schools, they have noticed a decline in both the non-meat options and the availability of the remaining options. One of the biggest complaints was the removal of the Impossible Burger, a plant-based burger patty, that was offered at the Broad Street station of Slayter Market. There is still a chipotle black bean burger available, but some students prefer a non-spicy option.

According to Rachel Barich, the health and wellbeing manager, all dietary concerns are taken into consideration when Denison Hospitality and Harvest Table Culinary Group decide on the menu and what stations to offer in Slayter Union. 

“Like any menu on campus, I think there are always ways to grow and improve. Everyone has a different palate, food experience, food relationship, and dietary preferences.”

There are guidelines that the campus dining facilities’ menus follow, where 1 to 2 appropriate plant-based options must be available. This includes foods like beans, legumes, pulses, tofu, tempeh, peas or other options. They also have a tagging system that tags vegetarian and vegan options available on a daily basis across both dining locations. This tagging system is displayed on the menus on screens around the dining hall and on online menus, making it easier for students who have diet preferences to find what’s available.

“Compared to a lot of other places you’ll go, it’s pretty good, there are options, and you can find stuff, but I think it still sometimes falls a little short of what it could be,” said Amelia Christopher ‘28, who has been vegan for eight years. “It feels like there are a lot of other people that are also eating vegan and having options for everybody is important, but I do think they are trying.”

The other main issue students have indicated is inconsistency with options. Erica Elefson ‘26, who has followed a vegetarian diet since starting her freshman year, said that the availability of protein options in the dining halls has been worse this year than last year. She remembers eating in Huffman Dining Hall one day since the start of the semester and having only cottage cheese as a protein option other than meat.

“I basically don’t eat in the dining halls, because there is a lack of consistency, or reliability, rather,” Elefson said. “Each year it has gotten progressively less… there has been progressively fewer options.”

She wishes there were more protein options so her meals weren’t as carbohydrate heavy. Both Christopher and Elefson also wish that the Impossible Burger would be brought back so that there would be one more plant-based protein option in the Slayter Market station.

While studying abroad during the Spring semester ‘25 in Costa Rica and Guatemala, Avery Sellers ‘26, who has been vegetarian for 12 years, found it very easy to find fruits and vegetable based foods. Now, back on Denison’s campus, she has found that the vegetarian options tend to be more carbohydrate and sugar heavy. Her proposed solution to this is to have healthier non-meat options that aren’t just the salad bar in the dining halls.

“Overall, I do like the food that we have and I think that we have a good system and everything but it is just a little bit difficult sometimes,” Sellers said.

According to Sellers, it is easiest to find good vegetarian options with the senior plan, rather than the other dining plans, because of the ability to buy food off campus and cook her own meals. She claims that she wasn’t able to try food from the La Sabrosa station at Slayter because they were sold out of the only vegetarian protein option whenever she tried to order.

Even still, Barich assures that Denison Hospitality and Harvest Table hope to offer menus for any student preference. On their website, students can also submit feedback as well as on their feedback boards which are set up in each dining hall. 

“We aim to look at every dietary need and keep fresh, diverse, and nutritious options open for everyone,” Rachel Barich said. “Denison has an incredibly diverse food population and ensuring everyone gets something that they enjoy continues to be where we focus efforts.”