How to Eat Vegan at Restaurants

A vegan diet can be rich and varied, including many types of fruit, vegetable, grain and protein dishes. Most vegans figure this out within a fairly short time, and begin to replace their old favorite foods with new ones. A frequent challenge, however, is finding vegan foods in unusual situations, such as at popular restaurants.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Choose an appropriate restaurant. You might be surprised at how many places have vegan restaurants (or vegetarian restaurants that also cater to vegans) these days. If this is not an option, or if members of your party prefer more mainstream fare, consider a foreign restaurant. Many cultures have long-standing traditions of vegetarian and vegan cooking as well as meat dishes, so this food can be a good compromise for groups with diverse tastes. In particular, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, Indian and Ethiopian restaurants often have excellent vegetarian and vegan options.

2. Ask for recommendations. When trying a new type of foreign food for the first time, consider going with someone who enjoys that type of cuisine and can offer suggestions. Also consider explaining your dietary restrictions to the wait staff, and asking what they would suggest. Sometimes, especially if menu options are limited, the chef will be able to prepare a special order for you.

3. Be creative with the menu. While the entrees at some restaurants focus heavily on animal products, you may be able to find more vegan options among the appetizers and side dishes, which you can combine to make a significant meal. You could also ask for a larger portion of one of these dishes.

4. If you're having trouble finding anything, consider these often-vegan standbys: garden salad with oil and vinegar, fruit salad, pasta with marinara sauce, vegetable stir fry, french fries or hash browns, baked potato, applesauce, bread or toast with jam and/or peanut butter, steamed vegetables, vegetable sandwich, chips, fruit smoothie, and sorbet.

5. Once you've made your basic meal plan, don't forget to ask about the specifics. Restaurant staff should be willing to check into the ingredients of any dish if they aren't sure, and even if they aren't willing to tell you all the ingredients, they should be able to tell you whether something is vegan or not. In some cases you may also be able to special order vegan versions of things that are often made with hidden animal products.

Tips & Warnings

• Unless you know a lot about food preparation, you may be surprised at the hidden animal products lurking in some dishes. If you are very strict about your veganism, don't skip the step of asking about the ingredients!

[veganeatingout]

on 9/14/2008 You can also look up what to eat out vegan beforehand by using sites such as:

http://www.veganeatingout.com
http://www.happycow.net
http://www.vegdining.com