How to Keep Kosher As a University Student With a Meal Plan
Keeping kosher on a meal plan at university isn't easy. You will need to be creative and probably supplement your diet with food bought out-of-pocket.
[edit] Steps
- Read the terms and conditions of your meal plan carefully. Learn exactly what and where you can spend your meal money on.
- Visit the cafeterias and food shops on campus, and pay attention to what they are serving. Ask the chefs (or the managers) about ingredients and methods of preparation.
- Ask for menus of what will be served in the next week or the next month.
- If you are keeping strictly kosher, prepackaged foods marked with a kosher stamp are your best bet. Most campuses have "convenience stores" with a small selection of boxed snacks which can be purchased from your meal plan.
- Even if the food is kosher, the dishes probably won't be. You can try asking for your food to be served in disposable dishes and silverware.
- Understand that it is almost impossible to keep strictly kosher while using the school meal plan at a secular university. You should plan to do some grocery shopping and prepare a lot of your own meals, or else you will be eating a lot of breakfast cereal.
[edit] Tips
- Sometimes requesting vegetarian food is easier than getting it kosher.
- If you can find someone with allergies (such as dairy), ask them how they get foods that suit them. They will know a lot about which foods are free of their allergen and they'll also know who to ask for special requests.
- Contact on-campus Jewish organizations such as Hillel and Chabad. They should be able to advise you, and they will have social events where there may be kosher food available.
- Make friends with Muslims and see how they keep halal on campus. Kosher is stricter than halal, but you will learn from them how to avoid eating things that contain pigs, etc.
- Connect with vegans and vegetarians on campus. They will tell you all you need to know about meat-free and dairy-free foods.
- Be friendly to the kitchen staff, and they will be more likely to help you.
- If the first person you ask is not helpful, get the name of a manager or an office to whom you can direct your questions.
[edit] Warnings
- Don't be pushy or demanding, especially at rush times when the kitchen is very busy. Go when things are slow, so you can talk to them in a relaxed setting.










