So much food, so little to eat

Tuesday, October 22, 1996

LIFESTYLES:

Jewish and Muslim Bruins search for religiously-correct, healthy
and substantial

food on and off campusBy Lena Hicks

Daily Bruin Contributor

Various eateries exists on campus. However, the food
availability does not meet the dietary needs of all
students,particularly those with religious dietary
restrictions.

"Except for junk food, there’s nothing … to buy food of
substance is near impossible," third-year sociology student Lauren
Karp said, as she finished her bag of Fritos, a product that meets
Kosher food standards.

Dietary rules pose as important factors in the daily lives of
many religious students at UCLA. However, a limited amount of
choices are available on campus to fit their needs.

"Because of the lack of Kosher food on campus, students are
forced to compromise," said Rachel Miller, a third-year political
science student and the editor in chief of the campus’ Jewish
publication Ha’Am. Miller finds it difficult to eat on campus
because of the lack of food choices that pertain to her Kosher
diet.

The compromise gives Kosher students no other choice but to
select vending machine items that meet Kosher food standards,
indicated with a capital "K" on the food’s package.

"Some foods are under rabbinical supervision, and unfortunately
there are very few foods on this campus that are under that
supervision, although ASUCLA has recently started stocking vending
machines with (Kosher) food …" Miller said.

Kosher is a Hebrew term that signifies the dietary laws of the
Jewish faith, Miller said.

"It’s one of our most important laws … If someone’s going to
follow Jewish law, that’s something that they must do," she said.
"I’ve never eaten a cheeseburger or a pepperoni pizza, and I have
no desire to."

A Kosher diet requires that meat markets kill the animal without
pain, Miller said. The diet also restricts pork and shellfish, and
does not allow a mixture of meat and dairy products within the same
meal.

" … That lowers your cholesterol level like crazy," Miller
said.

Muslim students also face difficulty in finding food on campus.
"Halal" meat, or meat slaughtered in the name of God, is the only
meat allowed in their diet. Since they do not know the origin of
the meat on campus, Muslim students frequently turn to other
alternatives such as beans, vegetables and pasta.

"Most of us try to stay away from meat," said first-year biology
student Ayaz Khan. His meal choices in the dorm dining hall are
greatly reduced. "It’s hard. You just go for the side orders
…"

Options on campus often fall short of their dietary rules,
forcing many Muslim students to be less stringent with their eating
habits, said Ahmed Shama, a second-year computer science
student.

"The majority of Muslims on campus are not strict with their
diets," he said. "If you don’t think the food’s been sacrificed in
the name of God, you just basically say, ‘In the name of God, most
gracious, most merciful’, before you eat."

Besides meat sacrificed in the name of God, Muslim dietary rules
allow the consumption of seafood. Yet the faith forbids the
consumption of pork or carnivorous animals.

"That’s what we’re all strict on … not eating pork," Shama
said."Other than meat, anything else is basically cool."

Many Muslims follow dietary rules that restrict pork because
they believe the pig symbolizes filth. However, other Muslims
choose to follow the dietary rules regardless of a definitive
reason.

"It’s not upon us to try and analyze the reason why it’s
forbidden … It’s a commandment from God, so we follow it," said
Omar Mahmood, a third-year psychobiology student.

Westwood Village also lacks options for Kosher and "Halal"
diets, providing no salvation for students looking for better
choices.

"We have to go long distances to Halal food restaurants or Halal
food markets … there’s nothing close by," Shama said.

The Falafel King, located in Westwood Village, specializes in
the falafel, a stuffed pita bread meal popular in the Jewish
community. However, it does not serve Kosher meat.

"Because (Falafel King) sells un-Kosher meat, they’re not OK,"
Miller said.

Concerned students want to see changes in food options such as
more Kosher brands or more non-pork products.

Karp feels that catering to the needs of Jewish students with
restricted diets lies in a simple switch to more Kosher brand
names.

"To everybody else, the specific brand doesn’t matter, so it
wouldn’t be a problem to change the brands to accommodate the needs
of the Jewish students on campus," Karp said.

Until their alternatives become reality, students with
restricted diets continue to turn to vending machines or bring food
from home.

"I bring home-cooked food," Karp said. "If I don’t bring food,
I’m screwed."

"I bring home-cooked food. If I don’t bring food, I’m
screwed."

Lauren Karp

Third-year Sociology Student