Great vegetarian and vegan cuisine is more abundant than ever.
You definitely deserve a night off. Maybe you know you’re heading to a veg-friendly restaurant—or maybe you don’t. Either way, a little preparation will go a long way!
There are more vegan and vegetarian establishments in cities, townships, and suburbs today than ever before. Large university campuses even support a few vegan or vegetarian food trucks. Download an app like HappyCow, or visit local vegan Facebook groups, to discover the delights tucked within nearly any neighborhood.
Many international cuisines naturally include multiple vegan and vegetarian selections. Menus at Middle Eastern, Indian, Chinese, and Ethiopian restaurants are among the most friendly to vegans and vegetarians. Mexican and Italian restaurants can also be vegan-friendly, especially when the chef is willing to alter the preparation to your request.
Fast food chains are steadily getting better at offering vegan and vegetarian options. While Chipotle, Taco Bell, Qdoba, and Subway offer the most choices, you can also eat vegan sliders at White Castle, a veggie sub at Quiznos, or a vegan pizza at Pizza Hut. Burger King and other chains are now serving Impossible burgers, and chains like Dunkin’ offer Beyond Meat sausage sandwiches. Of course, there is often also the option of vegan sides like French fries or a baked potato.
Most restaurant menus include vegetarian and vegan options—but even when they don’t, such as in some steakhouses or seafood restaurants, the chef may be willing to accommodate you. Some fast food chains like KFC are exceptions (although even this chicken behemoth is now trialing vegan options!), but they’re usually easily avoided. If you’re stuck, you can often find a competing veg-friendly fast food joint located nearby.
Many grocery stores sport a large salad bar and sometimes even a hot bar with freshly prepared dishes. Whole Foods is among the most vegan-friendly, but most grocery store delis have options for vegan and vegetarian eating. Since salad bars are priced by weight, loading up on dark leafy greens is good for your health and also your wallet.
If you are part of a party going out to eat, and there is no vegan option on the menu, call the restaurant in advance and let them know of your dietary needs. Besides ensuring you can enjoy your meal out, a restaurant responsive to customer choices will eventually add vegan items on its standard menu to not risk losing an entire party the next time.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions of your servers at restaurants when you need to, but use good discretion if waiters can’t answer all your queries about ingredients. It’s best that restaurants think of those who order vegan meals as pleasant and generous customers they want back—so, try to focus on the big picture and be a good ambassador for vegan eating!
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