Food is one of the most overlooked parts of staying well in vet school — and one of the easiest to get right with a little help. This page covers where to find support if money or time is tight, and shares the recipes your fellow students actually cook between exams.
Nutrition & Food Security
If groceries, meals, or basic nutrition are ever a source of stress, you are far from alone — and there is real, confidential support available through USU. Reaching out early is a sign of good self-management, not a last resort.
Student Nutrition Access Center (SNAC)
SNAC is USU's on-campus food pantry, open to all USU students — including CVM students — experiencing food insecurity or a temporary financial pinch. It offers free groceries, fresh and shelf-stable items, and basic nutrition support in a confidential, no-questions-judged setting. There is no enrollment threshold of "bad enough" to qualify; SNAC is built for exactly the kind of unpredictable budget stress that vet school can create.
Location
Glen L. Taggart Student Center, TSC 332B · 650 N 800 E, Logan, UT 84322
How to use it
Drop in during posted hours — no referral or appointment required. Confidential by design.
Additional Support
OSS Food & Financial Resources
The Office of Student Services can connect you to emergency funding and food resources specific to CVM students, including options not widely advertised.
SNAP / Federal Food Assistance
Many graduate and professional students qualify for SNAP benefits. Eligibility and application info to be confirmed/linked here.
Campus & Community Resources
Additional regional food assistance programs — to be populated from the source document.
The Aggie Vet Cookbook
A growing collection of quick, affordable, tried-and-tested recipes submitted by your fellow DVM students — for the nights when you've got 20 minutes, $8, and one working burner before clinical skills lab. Browse what's been added, or submit your own once it's been kitchen-tested.
Quick Recipes
Budget Friendly Recipes
Vegetarian Recipes
Comfort Food Recipes
One-Pan Garlic Butter Pasta
— submitted by a 2nd-year, Block 4 survivor
: 4/Serving
One pot, one strainer, zero dishes you'll regret at 11pm. Tested through three exam weeks and counting.
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti
- 3 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 cups reserved pasta water
Steps
- Boil pasta in salted water until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
- Melt butter in the same pot, add garlic and red pepper flakes, cook 1 minute until fragrant — don't let it brown.
- Add pasta back in with a splash of pasta water, toss until the sauce clings.
- Stir in parmesan off heat, adding more pasta water if it looks dry.
- Serve immediately. Reheats fine but loses some of the silkiness.
Submitter's note: doubles easily for study group dinners — just use a bigger pot.
Crockpot Cache Valley Chili
— submitted by a 3rd-year, clinics-bound
: 3/Serving
Throw it in before your 8am lecture block, come home to dinner. Freezes well for the weeks you don't have time to think.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey
- 2 cans kidney beans, drained
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- Salt to taste
Steps
- Brown the meat in a pan, drain excess fat.
- Add everything to the crockpot. Stir to combine.
- Cook on low 6–7 hours or high 3–4 hours.
- Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Submitter's note: portions into 5 containers — freezer-stable for a month.
Five-Minute Egg & Spinach Wrap
— submitted by a 1st-year, between labs
: 2.50/Serving
Built for the gap between Clinical Skills and Form & Function. Eats well standing up at the counter.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 large tortilla
- Handful of spinach
- 2 tbsp shredded cheese
- Hot sauce, optional
Steps
- Scramble eggs in a hot pan, 90 seconds.
- Add spinach, wilt for 30 seconds.
- Top with cheese, fold into the tortilla.
- Sear wrap seam-side down 30 seconds to seal.
Submitter's note: works just as well with leftover rice instead of a wrap.
Submit a Recipe
Have a recipe that's gotten you through a tough block? Email it to: vetmed@usu.edu. All recipes are reviewed by OSS before they're added to the cookbook — we're looking for quick, affordable, genuinely-tested dishes, not Pinterest perfection. Think:
- Quick: Under 30 minutes of active preparation. You don't have time for complicated.
- Affordable: Ingredients that work on a student budget. Most recipes cost $3-6 per serving.
- Scalable: Portion sizes adjust intentionally; make extra for the week or scale down for one meal. Strategic meal prep, not just cooking.