Huden Dining Hall might soon be stepping up its vegan and vegetarian options and students say they’re ready for the change.

“There’s not a lot of options at Huden. It’s mostly just rice and quinoa,” said sophomore Rylea Tetreault, a vegetarian and an environmental studies major.

Ashley Cassarino, a vegan and a Multidisciplinary study major here at Castleton University is also eager to see increased options.

“I feel that there is not enough variety in the vegan section at Huden. They usually only give two options: quinoa and brown rice, neither of these are particularly appetizing in my opinion,” she said

But Huden officials say they are aware of the vegetarian and vegan shortcomings and are working to improve options including plans to offer “meatless Mondays” that will feature different vegetarian and vegan options.

“We’ll try it and see how is goes here!” said Rob MacFarlane, Sodexo’s general manager at Huden.

“I eat vegetarian here 60 percent of the time and close to 15 percent of the students here will get something from the vegetarian section,” MacFarlane said, adding that this section is open to everyone at the college and not just the vegans and vegetarians.

Student say they’re hopeful for new options.

“We need a better variety of different things, like the food that is normally served for accepted students’ day,” Tetreault said.

She explained how good the food was the first day she came to Castleton and how she feels tricked because the food hasn’t been up to that par since.

“I would like to see more vegan proteins served, such as tofu or beans, also something with a little more flavor, since vegans, just like everyone else, enjoy eating food that taste good,” Cassarino said.

MacFarlane, however, suggests that students are eating the vegetarian and vegan options.

“We have to increase what we are producing because it runs out,” MacFarlane said. “Rice and quinoa are a good base to build on with vegetables and other vegan and vegetarian options to ensure you have a filling healthy lunch,” McFarlane said.

He also said that “Huden staff takes pride in their work and tries to make students happy.”

“We like to make things from scratch rather than buying them,” MacFarlane said. “We like doing different things from our usual options, things like grain bowls are a good way to add more to what is already offered.”