10 Blueprint
ENTERTAINMENT
Feb. 24, 2017
The dirty 630 provides the cleanest vegan food options By Kim Nothdurft, Social Media Director There are a lot of health and environmental benefits to eating vegan, but it’s not always easy. You’ll find yourself craving ANYTHING but a salad or fruits. Sometimes you’ve got to treat yourself to the foods you actually like but can still eat while being true to your vegan diet. When you’re in a rush or out with friends, it can be hard to find something to eat. Here is a list of good vegan alternatives to the foods you get at your average places:
Panera:
Steel cut oatmeal with fruits Vegetarian black bean soup Mediterranean veggie sandwich Soba noodle salad with peanut sauce (no chicken) My favorite from Panera is the steel cut oatmeal because you can make it your own by adding any fruit. Plus, breakfast food is good for any meal. Noodles: Penne rosa (no cream or cheese) Japanese pan noodles Tomato cucumber salad Chinese chopped salad (no wontons) You haven’t lived until you’ve had
the penne rosa from Noodles (vegan or not). Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.
Starbucks:
Soy latte Green tea frappuccino with no whipped cream Peppermint mocha soy latte Iced vanilla soy latte The best part of “drinking” vegan at Starbucks is that everything tastes exactly the same, and soy milk is so much better for you.
Chipotle:
Sofritas (bowl or burrito) Beans (bowl or burrito) Fajita vegetables Chips and guacamole Since there are so many things to chose from at Chipotle, eating vegan there is so simple. Chipotle is one of my favorite fast food places when it comes to eating vegan.
Taco Bell:
Crunchwrap (beans instead of beef) Bean burritos Veggie power burrito (no cheese, sour cream or avocado ranch sauce) Cinnamon twists Although I don’t personally eat at Taco Bell often, many vegans I know love eating at Taco Bell when they are
Graphic by Gina DeCarlis
on the run.
Ice Cream:
Ben & Jerry’s non-dairy ice cream So Delicious (specifically chocolate, caramel cluster) Tofutti Coconut bliss “Vegan” ice cream was originally made for people who are lactose intolerant or allergic to lactose, but So Delicious is better than real ice cream. And that’s saying a lot coming from an ice cream fanatic.
Wendy’s:
Asian cashew salad (no chicken) Veggie sandwich (add fries) Baked potato or fries Black bean burger (some locations) Although I’ve never had any vegan meal at Wendy’s, you can’t go wrong with their french fries. Being vegan isn’t that hard if you know what to order. You can still eat what you enjoy and have all the benefits of eating vegan while you do it. Give it a try even if it’s just for a day!
Altar’d State invades Oakbrook and satisfies customers By Michelle Hroma, Online Editor-in-Chief Altar’d State is a store new to Oakbrook Shopping Center. This store has clothing, shoes, accessories and home accessories. What makes this store different, though, is its tasteful yet subtle Christian vibe laced throughout the store. The Oakbrook store is huge and decorated really nicely, especially for a clothing store -- even the dressing rooms have fancy mirrors and sophisticated decor. Walking in, I immediately smelled spices, but not so much that it was overwhelming. The store does a nice job of making it an enjoyable shopping experience. There are a ton of clothing options, and since the store is so huge, you could probably spend an hour in there and still not see every individual item. The store is mostly organized by clothing color or theme, which I also really like because it gives me a sense of the
variety they have and lets me choose which side of the store I want to explore first. It also helps those who know what colors they look good in – since the store is so big, it is easy for them to go to the section they know they can pull off rather than searching around for possibilities. Their clothes, in general, are really cute. Obviously there is no shop that has 100% cute things, but this one has enough variety that there are pieces for everyone. I’d describe the style as simple, moderately conservative, with a touch of Southern-belle type style to them. The clothes are also similar to Francesca’s -- mature, but still a sense of playfulness and youth to them. The biggest difference between Altar’d State and Francesca’s, or even other stores, are the prices. It fits well in Oakbrook because the prices are moderately high for the young adult customers. It’s a bit more than Francesca’s, and definitely costlier than Forever 21 or H&M.
The quality of the clothing, though, makes the high prices worth it. Another quality that sets this store apart from others is its Christian tone. Catchy Christian pop music plays throughout the store. They also sell those cute signs moms like to put around the house with quotes on them -- some of which are Bible quotes. Then, there is a section of the store with little doo-dads, including prayer boxes, car coasters, Boho Bandeaus, and more. The store has a lot of soul in it and really cute things -- clothing and otherwise. Although the prices are a bit high, the quality and simplicity of the clothing ensures that they will last a long time.
Senior Michlle Hroma shopped at the new store at Okabrook Mall Atltar’d State. The store sells multiple styles of clothes and accessories while playing catchy Christian pop music as customers shop. Photos by Michelle Hroma