Vegan College Students Should Check Out PETA's Vegan College Cookbook

College is a time for trying new things. You could do something extreme, like taking up skydiving as a hobby, or maybe something a little less extreme, like adopting a vegan lifestyle.
It doesn’t matter if you have never “gone vegan” before or if you are a life-long vegan, if you are a college vegan, then you should give this cookbook a look. From PETA comes The Vegan College Cookbook: 275 Easy, Cheap, and Delicious Recipes to Keep You Vegan at School.
The Vegan College Cookbook teaches you the basics of being vegan, including how to transform your favorite non-vegan dishes into meatless wonders. For example, did you know that you can make a vegan cake with only two ingredients: cake mix and a can of soda. That’s it: simple, cheap, and vegan. Not bad, huh?

Some people claim the cookbook is too simplified and includes “common sense recipes,” such as peanut butter and banana sandwiches or vegan grilled cheese. However, for college students, ease and convenience are of utmost importance. Being a vegan in college can be very difficult, so I think that having a cookbook full of easy-to-make recipes sounds like a great thing to have in your dorm room.
One other complaint about this book is that most of the recipes call for expensive meat-alternatives, such as soy cheese, tofu, vegan meats, and egg replacer. These products can be quite expensive and difficult to find unless you have a health food store nearby.
The Vegan College Cookbook is cute, cleverly written, and does offer some unique recipe ideas. Some of the recipes are common sense; however, when I’m hungry, I don’t automatically think of simple meals, so it would be nice to have a book remind me that I can make a PB&J for lunch and still be following a vegan diet. Plus, the majority of the recipes are “dorm friendly,” meaning that they only require microwaves or hotplates to prepare. Overall, this is a good cookbook for students who want to live a vegan lifestyle, but probably not the best option for life-long vegans who might want more challenging and creative recipes.