What I Eat In A Day Restaurant Edition!
It seems like everyone I meet just assumes I cannot go out to restaurants because I am vegan. For me, this is certainly not the case! I love going out to eat with friends and family, I think it is a great time to bond and enjoy a delicious meal. While I really do like cooking, its often nice to let someone else do the work for once!
I am lucky enough to live in a place right now where vegan options are common, but I know that almost any restaurant will have some way to veganize one of their options. If there is pasta, ask the waiter to see if the pasta noodles contain any eggs or dairy. Usually they do not! Then you can order a pasta with marinara sauce. For pizza, ask if the crust has eggs or dairy and then, if not, order pizza with all the vegetable toppings and no cheese. Asian restaurants are great because they usually have tofu. But, do not assume any dish with tofu is vegan, many still have eggs or dairy. If it is not obvious what is vegan on the menu, you should never be afraid to ask. If there is not a main dish that you want, order a side of rice and a side of vegetables and ask for some soy sauce! At Japanese places, order a sushi roll with only veggies such as cucumber, carrot, and avocado. Mexican restaurants would be a good third option because, as long as their beans are cooked in animal fat, you can order something such as a burrito containing rice, beans, avocado, and salsa! If their rice and beans are not vegan, you can at least munch on some chips and salsa.
Without further ado, here is what I ate on a day that I decided to treat myself and eat out!
I am lucky enough to live in a place right now where vegan options are common, but I know that almost any restaurant will have some way to veganize one of their options. If there is pasta, ask the waiter to see if the pasta noodles contain any eggs or dairy. Usually they do not! Then you can order a pasta with marinara sauce. For pizza, ask if the crust has eggs or dairy and then, if not, order pizza with all the vegetable toppings and no cheese. Asian restaurants are great because they usually have tofu. But, do not assume any dish with tofu is vegan, many still have eggs or dairy. If it is not obvious what is vegan on the menu, you should never be afraid to ask. If there is not a main dish that you want, order a side of rice and a side of vegetables and ask for some soy sauce! At Japanese places, order a sushi roll with only veggies such as cucumber, carrot, and avocado. Mexican restaurants would be a good third option because, as long as their beans are cooked in animal fat, you can order something such as a burrito containing rice, beans, avocado, and salsa! If their rice and beans are not vegan, you can at least munch on some chips and salsa.
Without further ado, here is what I ate on a day that I decided to treat myself and eat out!
For breakfast, I wanted something fresh and hydrating so I went out for acai bowls with my friends at a café called Delicious Raw. I love their bowls because they have the sweetest granola topping and are the perfect portion for me. They always leave me feeling energized and ready for the day!
As for lunch, I was lucky enough to talk a friend into taking me to the best vegan restaurant in my area. It is called Clovermint Café and everything is free of refined sugar, gluten free, and vegan! On weekends, they always have special brunch options. I ordered pumpkin spice waffles and my friend ordered pumpkin spice pancakes and we split them! They came with maple syrup and coconut whipped cream and they were even more delicious than they sound!
For dinner time, I was craving my favorite pizza from Blaze Pizza. It is a common chain restaurant so if you have not tried them yet I highly recommend you see if there is one near you! All of the crust options are vegan and they have a vegan cheese option. My three favorite toppings are the pineapple, zucchini, Kalamata olives, but I usually get nearly every single vegetable. It is the same price no matter how many toppings you get so LOAD UP!
This day was filled with some amazing food and it is making me crave those waffles while I write this ;)
Let me know in the comments what your favorite restaurants are! Do you have good vegan places near you? Or do you veganize the menus at other restaurants? Share your tricks!
Your article was so interesting. I am not vegan but want to try, at least partially, to eat vegan when I am out to eat. Your article offered some good advice and some great ideas. Thank you!
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