#caldining

Bio: Maya is a second year here at Cal. She identifies as a straight cisgender Mexican American and chooses to eat a vegan diet. She lives off campus and usually takes the bus to get around.

N: Alright Maya, I wanted to talk about your experience with the food system here at Cal, I know you’re vegan and i wanted to see how Cal has catered to those needs and what you typically eat in a week

M: Like when last year when i was completely dependent on the dining hall or like now?

N: I guess both, and talk about the differences between the two.

M: Crossroads is terrible for everybody, I mean it’s nasty right. But like there was not any vegan options and they were gross, low key, and most the time it was like a patty and bread, and if i wanted some type of vegetable it was often cooked in butter, and I was like come on guys, ya gonna do that to me.

N: So like not nutritious options?

M: No not really, it's mostly junk food . I mean, freshmen year especially, ya binge eat,  and with the dining halls being a buffet it was hard. And seven like meal points translates to eight real world dollars so like It's a great deal, but then you're disgustingly full afterwards and you don’t feel good about yourself. I will say they had vegan desserts and soy milk so they tried, at least  i could always have some cereal. Cafe 3 was a little better and they have meatless mondays now.

Living on my own and cooking for myself i usually eat most meals out.breakfast is at home and i pack lunch for the most part i get dinners out and I don’t have time and bring it to work or microwave it. And as a freshmen you really don’t want to go the the store and and buy food because it’s too far and you have no place to cook it”

Now with a full kitchen I do, I don’t cook that much, don’t know how or time or energy to do so.

I wish i had better options so i could eat on campus. I do get GBC burritos which are okay because they are just vegetables and rice and whatever

Sometimes, they put cheese on it, i tell the guy every time and they put it on.

Im frustrated with it and i dont expect people to understand but i feel bad cuz they have to make it again and i don’t want to feel like a burden .

N: As far as cultural availability of food do you feel like the foods on campus are similar and available to what you ate growing up?

M: Yeah i mean no one competes with what my grandma makes, and i can’t get vegan enchiladas.

They have them at student food collective, but they don’t have vegan cheese. Burritos are everywhere in cali and I’m Mexican american, so we don’t have a lot of traditional food without meat. I don’t think i could get pozole here.

I have a weird relationship with my cultural food too cuz u have to adapt in everything as there's a lot of meat and cheese. And i know other mexican vegans, like it's a thing. You can do that , there's even soyrizo which is soy chorizo.  

N: What made u wanna go vegan?

M: Well I was 13 and I don’t want to eat animals cuz they are creatures. There's a disconnect. There's an animal clucking or mooing and then meat on your plate.  I don’t want to do that.

I learned about environmental problems of raising chickens and cows and how veganism combats that and just not being vegetarian. Im vegan for moral reasons, environmental and health.  My family has a history of heart disease and diabetes. I don’t eat any cholesterol really, and i can eat as much sugar as i want. Although I don’t eat as much vegetables as i should cuz I’m like a college student.

N: How accessible are vegetables for you?

M: I live near TJS. They are stores, Berkeley isn’t a food desert. The Student food collective is close, they are expensive but they are close.

N: What would u like to see / should Cal do anything about what students eat?

M: Greater diversity of products, Vegan quesadillas. Most of it is Junk food low key, i wish there was more tasty good healthy food. I like cooked spinach with garlic and spices. I wish they used more spices. The people in their kitchens are brown, so i don’t know why the food has no flavor. More variety and diversity of flavor, Easier accessible healthy options. They are trying and making an attempt. It’s a struggle. 

N: Any other comments?

M: The workers that do the services are undervalued. they had to go on strike and should get paid a fair wage to serve your children. My mom works with food service workers and they are really devalued and underpaid and doing an important job, like wow many people are ungrateful and rude, i go out of my way to stay thank you. They aren’t robots, like eatsa, they are humans.

Cal undervalues its workers due to administration and cultural issues cuz academia can get snobby.