A college athlete's dining hall routine is drawing attention online after he shared how he eats at school: by texting the head chef before meals and having custom dishes made.
What's happening?
The clip was posted by Plant Strong founder Rip Esselstyn (@ripesselstyn), who introduced his 19-year-old son, Kole, and asked how he ate Plant Strong in college.
Kole explained that he reached out directly to the head chef at his school, and together they created a system. After emailing and exchanging phone numbers, Kole said, the chef told him to "just text him whenever I would come into the dining hall and he would whip something up real nice for me."
When his dad teased him about a "Kole's dinner" nameplate and red carpet, the student-athlete laughed and replied, "Sometimes it feels like that," adding, "Some of the meals they bring me are pretty extravagant."
Why does it matter?
For students trying to eat more plant-based meals, whether for health, personal values, or environmental reasons, reliable dining hall options can make a major difference.
The arrangement also points to a broader challenge for colleges: convenience. Students, especially athletes, often juggle packed schedules, training sessions, and tight meal windows. Having nourishing plant-based options readily available — rather than requiring advance planning — can make campus dining more realistic and inclusive.
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Beyond convenience, expanding plant-based offerings can also help schools meet changing student preferences while lowering the environmental impact associated with food service.
What are people saying?
Commenters were largely supportive, though many also pressed for better systems that work for everyone.
"The chef should just add a vegan option to the regularly scheduled menu or even just some vegan sides so that every plant-based student has access to it," one person wrote.
Another shared: "My son went Plant Strong his last year in the Marines. … He ate a lot of beans and potatoes that year from the chow hall."
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Others saw the video as encouragement.
"My sons did the same thing! They were both Plant Strong through college," one commenter wrote, while another said their plant-based twins will begin college soon and that they were grateful their school already offers "a vegan meal of the day and a plant-based section of the dining hall."
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