Posts Tagged ‘vegan’

Hard to Beat Vegan Food

Wednesday, August 4th, 2021

As you walk around the NYU campus, there are restaurants as far as you could see. For students with dietary issues, there are many restaurants supporting those needs. One of my favorite restaurants that every student should go to no matter if they have dietary restrictions is Le Botaniste. This restaurant is located in Soho, Midtown, and the Upper East Side. I recently discovered this plant-based restaurant. They have hot and cold bowls that are already made, and the best thing is that you could also make your own choice of a bowl with a wealth of ingredients to choose from. My main point regarding this restaurant is that they have endless protein options which are very important when you do not consume meat or even fish.

They have options ranging from breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and even wine. If it is your first time going here are my ratings. You should definitely get the Red Fruit Chia pudding. Chia seeds are full of important nutrients that our body needs. They are full of antioxidants and fiber, along with many other nutrients. Eating them does not only make you feel good, but it also is very good for your health as well. This is the perfect and refreshing meal or breakfast, a snack, or even for dessert. When you scoop it up the consistency is thick and light leaving a coconut, nutty, and fruity flavor left in your mouth. It leaves your taste buds feeling happy and refreshed. The punches of fruit as you eat your way through the jar give punches of berry goodness. I rate this one 9/10.  

“Menu – Le Botaniste: Food and Wine Bar: Plant-based Organic: NYC.” Le Botaniste | Food and Wine Bar | Plant-based Organic | NYC. 22 Apr. 2021. Web. 15 July 2021.



My second and bar far favorite choice for lunch or dinner is their Botanical Salad. A lot of Le Botaniste’s ingredients are vegetables that support your gut health. Their Botanical Salad contains salad mix, quinoa, avocado, root vegetables, Tumeric onion, red sauerkraut, and pea shoots. What is spectacular about this meal is that it contains forms of vegetables, proteins, and fats. My favorite ingredient in this salad has to be the red sauerkraut. I am a sucker for anything that helps improve gut health and digestion, and that is exactly what the sauerkraut does because it is filled with probiotics. This salad is not only filled with multiple nutrients to nourish your body and vibrant colors, but it is fresh, raw, and will keep you feeling energized for the rest of your day. The best aspect of this meal is if you want to add extras they have many other side dishes, beet meatballs, steamed greens, pea shoots, tofu, etc. The options are endless. This one gets a 10/10 rating from me because you can get it how it is, or customize it to fit what you want!!! Definitely check this one out.

“Menu – Le Botaniste: Food and Wine Bar: Plant-based Organic: NYC.” Le Botaniste | Food and Wine Bar | Plant-based Organic | NYC. 22 Apr. 2021. Web. 15 July 2021.


Anyone and everyone should definitely check this spot out. You can eat in or get delivery. This restaurant is the freshest and healthiest spot if you wanna support your gut health. None of the options have ever been bad, everything has always tasted amazing leaving me feeling satisfied and good. The location in Soho is the best option for NYU students. It is only a walking distance away, and trust me it is worth the walk. Take a break from your meal plan, or the NYU cafe’s and take a leap of faith and try Le Botaniste. 

By: Hanna Mandel

Hanna Mandel studies Drama at NYU Tisch in hopes of being on the big screen one day. She hopes to venture into writing, directing, and producing. She loves to travel and explore new places, as well as trying new foods!

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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The Superior Grocery Store

Monday, July 12th, 2021

I became a vegetarian in the 7th grade. The dietary restrictions that accompanied my new lifestyle were not so difficult to navigate since I was still living at home where my parents cooked for me and provided me with other nutritional sources. However, once I ventured into the world of independence and limited college food choices, I had to figure out the best and most affordable ways to nourish myself.  As a freshman at NYU, every student is required to select a meal plan.  Although the meal plan appeals to many, especially since it includes the infamous Chick Fil A restaurant, there are still many other students who struggle with finding vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, or gluten-free options. 

When I started at NYU, I attempted to use the meal plan and tried to meet my 14 weekly swipe option. However,  I quickly realized there were very limited choices for me. As I walked into the dining hall known for the most options, I was hopefully optimistic. My eyes gazed at all of the different food options. I soon realized that most of the vegetables were cooked with meat. As I took a closer look into each of the tins, I saw that most options that were deemed to be “healthy” were cooked in unhealthy oils and other sauces that were not appealing. I had to eat something, and I already paid for the meal plan, so I had to try to survive off of what I saw. I thought my safest option was to go to the salad bar. I was hoping most salad bars include a multitude of ripe-looking vegetables and various options for protein. As I placed my order, my options included a choice of lettuce, what looked to be spoiled vegetables, mystery cheese, and no protein. None of those options appealed to me. For the first few weeks, I did indeed survive off of lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes. 

As I ate that I tried to survive off of the limited options especially since I am a  college student on a budget, but quickly realized this was not going to work. Besides the limited amount of money that I had, there was also limited space to store various vegetables, fruits, and even snacks since you are typically sharing a mini-fridge with your roommate. I had to find a way to be creative! Luckily, this is when I discovered Trader Joes, a well-known grocery store, located right near my dorm on 14th street between 3rd and 4th avenue. This is a prime location for every NYU college student as it’s a 5-10 minute walk from most dorms. 

“Trader Joe’s Union Square – Grocery Store (540).” Grocery Store on 142 E 14th St in New York, NY. Web. 12 July 2021.


This store is especially known for being super affordable for quality produce and snacks. As a college student surviving in a small dorm with limited cooking options, I found out that Trader Joe’s has a section dedicated to pre-made, pre-packaged food, ranging from veggie wraps to salads and bowls, for meat lovers, vegans,  and vegetarians. The options are endless.

“10 Must Haves Items From Trader Joe’s: Trader Joes Frozen Food, Trader Joes Food, Trader Joes Dinner.” Pinterest. Web. 12 July 2021.

Trader joes also has a bunch of affordable pre-packaged nuts, snacks, and freezer foods that are ready to heat up and be devoured. Their snacks especially were key because they are made with more whole ingredients, and also came in good sizes to store in the tiny dorm room spaces. Since many college students have microwaves along with mini-fridges in their dorms, this is a viable option. Overall, I overcame my journey to find edible meals, and instead found other various delectable meals! Those delicious meals then were options that I told my friends about that soon spread throughout campus for any college student with those dietary needs or not to eat healthy, pre-made, nutritious food at all times.

By: Hanna Mandel

Hanna Mandel studies Drama at NYU Tisch in hopes of being on the big screen one day. She hopes to venture into writing, directing, and producing. She loves to travel and explore new places, as well as trying new foods!

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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Make Your Own Sushi: Sushi on a Picnic

Saturday, March 18th, 2017

Image Credit: https://elitefood.wordpress.com/tag/sushi/

Image Credit: https://elitefood.wordpress.com/tag/sushi/

When most people think of a picnic lunch, the first thing on their minds is not sushi. However, there are a lot of summer vegetables that make for delicious sushi ingredients, and since sushi is generally a small but filling meal, it’s easy to carry with you. This recipe will use ingredients that won’t spoil and are summery and delicious. If you’re still doubtful that your sushi will be fresh, though, you can always pack an icepack along with your sushi lunch!

For this recipe, we’ll be using green beans, zucchini, and dried shiitake mushrooms. There are plenty of other mushrooms that are delicious in the summertime, though, so feel free to substitute another type if you want a fresher sushi. Green beans and zucchini are great in the summer, and especially if you grow your own––green beans are super easy to take care of! These ingredients make a great and light summer meal that’s also filling.

As always, fold and tear a two inch strip off the seaweed. Spread a thinner layer of rice than usual over the seaweed, while leaving a border on both the top and bottom edges. This will make it a lighter meal; few people want a heavy meal in their stomachs during a hot summer! Cut your ingredients into strips—the zucchini in particular should be cooked first; the green beans can be left raw for an added crunch. Fold the bottom edge of seaweed on top of the rice layer, lay the seaweed strip down, then line up your ingredients along the piece of seaweed. Bring the whole layer down to the edge of the bamboo mat, and roll the sushi together. Cut into eighths, and pack in a lunchbox. For a nice snack, cherry tomatoes and snap peas will go along well with your healthy picnic lunch!


This is the eighth chapter from an e-book by one of the Campus Clipper’s former publishing interns, who wrote about how to make sushi. Follow our blog for more chapters from this e-book. We have the most talented interns ever and we’re so proud of them! For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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A Healthy Way of Living at Lifethyme

Tuesday, November 26th, 2013

I grew up around nature, farms and gardens, farmers’ markets, and signs that read “local” or “all-natural.” When I moved to New York City, I assumed that part of my life would come to a halt; you can’t exactly fit a dairy farm in Manhattan.

And then I found Lifethyme. Three blocks away from my college, stocked with products hailing from my hometown of Ithaca, NY, and sensibly priced for the broke college student that I am, Life Thyme was a win-win…win.

 

Organic, local veggies! Yum!

Opened in 1995, Lifethyme has made it their mission to create a complete, natural market, equipped with a juice bar, bakery, supplement counter, body care section, kitchen, and grocery store that delivers. “We wanted it to be entirely complete. We were one of the first; there are other health stores, but none just like us,” says Jason, owner of Lifethyme. And he isn’t kidding, the store has everything. Walk a few blocks and get all natural groceries, toiletries, dinner, and dessert all in one trip. They even have all natural chocolate, a fan favorite!

So much deliciousness!

 

The local organic movement was a big motivation. Products like veggies and dairy come from farms upstate and are brought down to this quaint, natural shop in Manhattan’s West Village. No wonder I felt a wave of nostalgia as I walked inside, greeted by organic sweet potatoes, organic Ithaca milk, and that unmistakable scent of fresh food, poorly replicated by the more expensive Whole Foods. I was hooked and I hadn’t even been upstairs yet.

 

Gotta love organic veggies!

Being in between two major colleges, The New School and NYU, Jason understands how hard it is to maintain a healthy, organic lifestyle on a budget, so he has one philosophy: “a store needs to be affordable for everyone, meeting the wants and needs of all economic classes.” That’s why the store is always trying to improve both product and price-wise. Each month promotional fliers are distributed with new deals and discounts, the salad bar is 50% off after 9PM, and everyday prices stay at an affordable rate.

Great already made food!

 

I explored, in awe of the quantity and variety of products. Upon walking in, I was met with the freshest of fruits and vegetables (organic apples happen to be my favorite), then I made it to some dairy products from my home sweet home, then to the prepared foods, stocked with raw-vegan, vegan, vegetarian, and even omnivorous food. Next I stared longingly at the baked goods: chocolate vegan cakes that made me want to forget about dinner. Making the full circle, I saw the grocery section and realized that I would never have to go anywhere else, as they had it all: cereal, bread, pasta, canned soup, canned vegetables, you name it. I was even able to try free samples from Garden of Life, a company that promotes raw and natural energizers and vitamins. Upstairs they had even more! Soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, candles, incense, yoga mats, make-up AND a seating area where you could eat your prepared food and rest your feet. Like I said, I was hooked.

Free samples and friendly faces!

 

Nothing is better than an organic apple!

 

Even better, Lifethyme is always looking for ways to get more involved with the community, to do more, and to improve themselves. For all of you interested students out there, Lifethyme wants you to be involved. Whether it’s through events or collaborations, the shop wants to improve their student base by including our generation in their mission for healthier living. Sounds pretty awesome if you ask me. Lifethyme cares about health in every sense of the word and when it’s only a short walk away, it seems pretty worth it.

 

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Daniela Bizzell, Eugene Lang College, The New School University.

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Cheap Eats Vegan

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

written by Christina Roylance

Think being a vegetarian means expensive specialty restaurants, and lots of drama when you go out to dinner with friends? Do you feel that you’ll have to be the most finicky customer of all time and waiters will hate you? This could not be further from the truth.  Living in NYC is getting easier and more enjoyable every day to be a vegetarian or vegan.  There’s tons of options, and you don’t need to drag everyone to your all-veg restaurants; there are simple ways to get cheap awesome vegetarian food by being knowledgeable about good places and keeping a few things in mind.
NYC is a mecca of different cultures and backgrounds. Ethnic foods abound in the city, and there’s often cheap, local places for whatever foreign flavor you want–Indian, Thai, Japanese, Italian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, whatever.  Many of these cuisines are sensitive to vegetarians, and can easily be requested vegan, as long as you know what to ask for.

Middle Eastern food is a great resource for vegetarians.  Falafels are cheap, vegetarian fast food sandwiches: deep fried tahini balls with hummus and veggies!  It’s a great, simple, yet filling option.  Aldiwan Lebanese restaurant is located on A if you want a sit-down Middle Eastern dinner.  It also has a great selection of vegetarian appetizers, as well as a tasty vegetarian Mousaka entrée that’s big enough for two.

At lunchtime, there’s always Indian food all-you-can-eat buffets for cheap.  Indian Taj on Bleeker has a $10 deal that’s even cheaper with a Campus Clipper Coupon.  Indian food is hearty and flavorful, and you can just ask the servers which dishes do not have any meat or cheese.  These buffets are usually huge, so there’s bound to be a selection of vegetarian things to eat.

Thai food is a personal favorite of mine.  Entrées tend to be large so you can cut the cost by splitting dishes.  There are always a great deal of vegetarian options, but just ask if there are any eggs in the dish and it’s easy enough for you to be accommodated.  Boyd Thai on Thompson has great vegetarian options, and vegan treats and desserts available as well!

Mexican cuisine is great because if that’s what you’re craving, you can either get fast and cheap take-out style places or sit down to dinner.  Vegetarian and vegan burritos are easy since you often custom order them.  With rice, beans, veggies, and guacamole, (and cheese and sour cream if you’re not a vegan) a vegetarian burrito is filling and quick.  Try grabbing one from Burritoville, and use your Campus Clipper Coupon to save $1.

Surprisingly, lots of sushi restaurants can accommodate vegetarians as well, with veggie filled sushi rolls. It is important to make sure the restaurant doesn’t use fish sauces or oils in the preparation though if you’re a strict vegetarian.  Sushi Yawa on 8th street has tons of vegetable rolls (cucumber, avocado, sweet potato, spinach, and more!), and a bunch of vegetarian appetizers as well.  Plus, everyone I know loves sushi, so non-veg friends will be happy to accompany you.

Italian food is everyone’s favorite–who doesn’t love pasta?  It just takes a few easy questions when ordering your pasta dish to know if it’s vegetarian or vegan.  Just ask if there’s meat in the sauce, request no parmesan, and ask for your food cooked with olive oil instead of butter.  Most dishes are prepared that way already, but if you just check it should be easy to make any changes.  Grotta Azzurra in Little Italy has an affordable $10 prix fixe for lunch, as well as a Thursday night ladies night, with free appetizers and half-off on drinks!

So just because you’re vegetarian or vegan doesn’t mean eating out has to be boring or expensive!  You can still eat your favorite things; just be a little conscientious and ask the right questions.  You don’t have to miss out on any great deals or fun nights out just because you have different dietary needs.  So remember to use Campus Clipper coupons to get the best deals, and be sure to experiment and have fun.

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VegEats! A Rationale

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

The poster for the wonderful documentary by Robert Kenner - a must-see!

VegEats is a Campus Clipper column where we discuss the benefits of vegan/vegetarian-friendly eating in New York City and find ways for students to eat healthy and be environmentally friendly with their food while still saving money.

I want to share with you why I went veg. I am not trying to tell you to make the same choice. But most students who move to New York City encounter a much larger number of vegetarians and vegans than they have before, and I want to offer an idea of why someone might have chosen this diet/lifestyle. And for those of you who might be considering going veg, I hope to give you some things to consider and some advice. I went veg because I researched and educated myself about how eating animals and animal byproducts affected my health, the health of the planet, and the life of the animals. What I learned upset me and made me not want to use my money to support a system that has so many negative consequences. (If you would like to educate yourself, there are a abundance of resources online. I would personally recommend the site goveg.com, as well as other resources like Robert Kenner’s excellent 2008 documentary Food, Inc.)

But I think the reason I was successful in going veg and have felt so good about the decision is I didn’t make any changes too quickly and allowed myself to work at my own timeline. There’s a term in psychology, cognitive dissonance, which means the uncomfortable feeling you get by trying to maintain two contradictory ideas simultaneously. I was brought up, like many others, believing it’s okay to eat animals. But as I learned more about the consequences of this action, I increasingly found reasons why it wasn’t. Over time, months and months, my discomfort grew so that when I ate meat or cheese or eggs, I didn’t feel good about it. The food didn’t seem satisfying anymore.

Even once I decided to actually change my diet, I did it in baby steps: I gave up red meat, then waited a few months, then gave up turkey, then waited; and when I began to consider veganism, I went on “practice runs” every few months for over a year, adopting a complete vegan diet for longer and longer periods of time. During both of these process’, I was careful to note what cravings I had and what foods assuaged them. For example, when I went vegetarian, I kept a jar of crunchy peanut butter within reach at all times – I even had one under my bed with a spoon! Whenever I was feeling sluggish or craving a cheeseburger, I ate a big scoop of crunchy PB. Almost immediately I trained my body to crave peanuts when it needed protein instead of meat; it’s amazing how quickly and easily the body will adapt to changes we make as long as we are attentive to it and make sure it gets what it needs.

I paid attention to how hungry or not hungry I felt, my energy levels, how well I was sleeping, my mood, everything. Diet is probably one of the easiest ways to change your whole life, for better or worse; making huge sudden changes and expecting your body to immediately adjust is a recipe for disaster. By the time I was fully vegetarian and fully vegan, I no longer had any craving for those foods – I knew what my body could use to replace them, and I liked being able to eat food that was not only delicious but good for me, animals, and the planet.

If you are interested in going vegetarian or vegan, that’s great – I’ll have more advice about that in future posts. But even if you’re not, college is an important time for your diet. For many of us, this is the first time we’re deciding what’s for dinner, and that’s actually a really important decision. The quality and quantity of food you put into your body affects you physically and in a multitude of other ways – underestimating the importance of a healthy diet is a huge mistake too many students make. Please research your food – where does it come from, how is it prepared, what nutrients, fats, and calories does it contain, and how will these properties affect you. Knowledge is power, so do what you came to college to do: learn.

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VegEats! An Introduction

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Veggies: delicious, nutritious, and cheap!

Hi everyone! My name is Jon, and I’m going to be offering some guidance into the wonderful world of vegan/vegetarian-friendly eating in New York City. For those who aren’t sure, a vegetarian is a person who restricts consumption of meat and animal byproducts. There are several types of vegetarians: pesco-vegetarians, who include fish in their diets; pollo-vegetarians, who include poultry; ovo-vegetarians, who include eggs; and lacto-vegetarians, who include dairy products. These prefixes can be combined. For example, when I officially started identifying myself as a vegetarian three years ago, I was a ovo-lacto-vegetarian.

About two months ago, I began identifying myself as a vegan, which is a strict vegetarian (absolutely no meat or animal byproducts) who extends this philosophy beyond diet into other parts of life. This means vegans don’t use products made from materials like leather, silk, or wool, because these materials rely on animals and animal captivity to be made. Vegans also only use man-made sponges and avoid substances like gelatin, an ingredient in most marshmallows and derived from collagen found in animal bones, or beeswax, commonly used to make candles and produced over a long period of time by bees as an essential part of their home. This lifestyle may sound a little extreme to those who have not encountered veganism before, but when adopted mindfully for the right reasons, it can be a wonderful positive change for many people.

So you may be saying to yourself, well, now I know what they don’t eat; what DO they eat? I eat primarily fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains, as well as artificial animal-free products such as tofu. When eating out, I often go for Indian, Chinese, Israeli, Thai, or Mexican, as these cuisines offer lots of delicious vegan options, or I go to one of the multitude of vegan/vegetarian-friendly restaurants in New York City. Many people when hearing about this diet have concerns about health, primarily about protein and iron deficiency. Vegetarianism and veganism are actually very healthy as long as the practitioner eats a variety of foods, pays attention to intake of nutrients, fats, and calories, and stays active, (which is true of any lifestyle.) In fact, studies have shown that limiting meat and animal byproducts can significantly lower your chances of major health problems, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, obesity, diabetes, even Alzheimer’s! The average American eats nearly double the amount of protein they need per day, and veg-eaters have numerous alternative to meat and animal byproducts to find protein, iron, and all other essential nutrients.

I’m so excited to help you find ways to eat healthy on a student’s budget. New York can be expensive, but there are lots of tricks to up your nutrients, help the environment, and keep your wallet (and belly) full. To get you started, Campus Clipper has wonderful coupons for great veg-friendly restaurants like Atlas Café, Indian Taj, Monster Sushi, Tahini, Wild Ginger, and many more! Check them out on the coupons page! Happy Eating!

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