The University of Northwestern–St. Paul’s Heritage Café announced that they will now serve vegetable-flavored drinks, ice cream and pastries beginning on April 1, 2021. The Students for Veggies club pushed for this change, wanting every Northwestern student to consume a specific number of vegetables every day. While the café plans to keep some student favorites, the updated menu reflects Students for Veggies’ vegetable quota demands.
The café shared three new drinks they began selling on April 1.
- Collard Greens Coffee: This allows students to get a caffeine kick and enjoy veggies at the same time. The unique blend of coffee and greens gets students to eat the way many moms would want them to without having to get a salad at lunch. The café blends the greens into a paste. Then, they pour it into the coffee. It is almost like a creamer, only healthier.
- Mushroom Latte: This latte mixes a variety of mushrooms with coffee and frothy cream. The mushrooms create earthy tones, and taste testers said it made them feel like returning to nature.
- Sweet Potato Tea: Similar to chai tea, this new tea blends potent spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves with the creamy, smooth flavor of sweet potatoes. The beautiful dark orange color could be the perfect addition to many students’ Instagram aesthetics.
In addition to drinks, the café will now offer three vegetable-based pastry alternatives.
- Celery Muffins: Many see celery as a boring vegetable with little to offer the world. However, the café reinvented celery, making it the star of breakfast. This light green muffin stands out against chocolate or blueberry muffins.
- Artichoke Danish: Mix the buttery flakes of a danish with the rich taste of artichokes, and breakfast is made. The café is thrilled to offer students a healthy alternative to this traditional breakfast treat. It is also made with vegan butter and almond flour.
- Cauliflower Cookies: These cookies come in several different flavors, including chocolate, strawberry and matcha. Each is made with cauliflower, a little flour and a lot of flavor.
Often, many students grab a cup of ice cream for a little afternoon pick-me-up. The café will now offer three new veggie options for this treat too.
- Beet and Carrot Ice Cream: This delectable combination of root vegetables, cream and sugar is a vibrant addition to dinner. The bold purple and orange colors will hopefully look just as good as they taste.
- Cucumber and Tomato Ice Cream: A staple summer salad becomes a year-round treat in this new flavor. Students can enjoy cool cucumber with the tang of tomatoes in this ice cream from the café. It may even transport students to favorite summer memories with their families.
- Asparagus Ice Cream: This bright green ice cream encourages students to try something out of the ordinary. Made from ethically harvested asparagus, fresh cream and sugar from Spain, this new treat will hopefully brighten many students’ days.
Students for Veggies is thrilled that the Northwestern dining services adopted their goals so quickly.
Maggie Noble, a junior English major, says that she would “like to sample a vegetable muffin, since Northwestern’s muffins are so good,” but she is unsure if she would try the other options.
Jenna Herman, a junior Spanish major, says that this new change would make her feel healthier and believes that these would be more nutritious options “because we all need more vegetables in our diet.”
The café hopes students will enjoy these treats and discover new, delicious ways to eat vegetables.
