Vegetarian Ventures

By Sam D’Amico

Food makes the world go ‘round. Every day, everywhere, you will find someone snacking or eating a full meal. It’s the universal language everyone speaks. So when you find yourself with a craving or hunger pains, what is your go-to meal? Chicken fingers, hamburgers, perhaps steak, if you’re feeling fancy. For me, it’s not as simple to find a bite to eat. And dinner can be a full-on challenge for me.

Hello, I’m Sam, a vegetarian college student who struggles to find viable options for nourishment due to a medical condition where I cannot process meat or poultry. It was a tough day when I discovered this problem, and I recognized that I needed to make a change. I know I’m not alone being a vegetarian in the 21st century who struggles to find food that I can eat and actually enjoy in a college setting. So join me on my Vegetarian Ventures as I travel around Long Island, trying to discover the best vegetarian options under 20 dollars.

But before I hit the road to eat and write, I am going to answer three questions that people always ask me (and you are probably thinking) when I tell them I’m a vegetarian.

Question 1: How long have you been a vegetarian?

For too damn long, to be honest. In actuality, it will be five years this coming January. Crazy, right? I still can’t believe I’ve been eating this way for this long.

Question 2: Do you eat chicken? It’s not meat.

There are many different types of diets that humans follow. For instance, a pescatarian is an individual who can eat fish products but not meat products. There are also pollotarians, who can eat chicken products but not meat products. Then there’s me, a vegetarian whose diet consists of plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, beans, soy, and nuts, eliminating any type of meat supplement. The short answer is, I do not eat chicken.

Question 3: Is a vegetarian the same as a