Vegan at SLE

[VJ.Chinook]

Hi all,
I was accepted into and will be going to SLE at West Point this year. I am a vegan and was wondering what kinds of food I can eat at SLE which wouldn’t conflict with my vegan eating. Last time I asked about this many people questioned my reasoning for being a vegan instead of answering my question, that has nothing to do with this so please don’t ask here. Also, if there is no food at SLE for me to eat, am I allowed to bring my own food like protein bars and other things or am I required to eat the food I get from West Point during the week? Thanks.

 

[MidCakePa]

There will be stuff for you to eat. While the SAs are expanding their menus — especially to include more fruit and veg,
and less fried food — they don’t really cater to specialized diets (beyond kosher and halal). That’s very difficult when you’re feeding 4400 in a very short window. You’ll just need to figure it out once you see the fare.

You can bring your own stuff, but you’ll stick out. That might not be a big thing at SLE. But should you attend USMA, you’ll learn that sticking out is not usually a good thing. And eating your own stuff all the time will be inconvenient.

Consider this: If you do intend to become a commissioned officer, you won’t be able to ask before going into the field or downrange or onboard a ship whether there’ll be vegan fare. Well, you will, but you may not like the answer. You’ll just need to figure it out. The military nourishes its men and women to fight wars, not to satisfy certain eating habits.

 

[Overwhelmed]

DS loved SLE last summer.
However, he said they were perpetually hungry.
So it may not be a problem after all.

 

[NavyHoops]

Bring some protein bars. Hopefully a current Cadet can chime in... usually there is peanut butter and jelly nearly always available in the mess halls as a default fallback option. If you get into USMA you can make your choices on what kind of diet to follow and how to keep your body fueled. And yes it will be more difficult to do than a regular college, but I am sure you will find other Vegan and/or Vegetarians that can help provide recommendations.

 

[prospective2019]

I went to SLE last year; the main dish they serve will typically be meat-based with a few side platters. There was always a salad bar, places to get fruit and veggies, cereal, etc. You may be limited in what you are able to find, but there are alternatives that they typically have out.