You Can Do It!
Eating vegan at restaurants is doable. I know it can be daunting as a new vegan to eat vegan at a restaurant. You’re not sure what to order or if there even are any vegan options. It can even be daunting for someone who’s been vegan for weeks, months, or years. Don’t worry though, restaurants have vegan options. If they really don’t, you can bring your own food, eat before you go, or request that the chef prepare you something vegan. Either way, most restaurants do have vegan options or at least one vegan option.
Vegan Options at Restaurants
Some restaurants have more vegan options than others. A good idea is to create a meal out of sides. Most sides happen to be vegan consisting of vegetables and grains, but not all are prepared vegan. To ensure that they are prepared vegan, make sure to ask for no butter, cheese, milk, lard, animal broth, eggs, or honey. Some vegetables, grains, and soups are prepared in butter or beef or chicken broth and contain eggs or milk. Some desserts and salad dressings contain honey. Vegan options at restaurants may be potatoes, rice, beans, lentils, green beans, certain soups, certain salads, pasta, asparagus, broccoli, corn, fruit, nuts, seeds, etc.
Menus
Look over the menu. A lot of menus label which options are vegan. For example, they may indicate that it’s vegan by having the letter “V” next to it on the menu or the word “Vegan” next to it on the menu. If there literally are no vegan options on the menu, you can ask to speak to the chef and request something vegan. There most likely is an allergen menu, but if you don’t see one, ask for one. The allergen menu will list the ingredients in each item offered.
Allergies
To really ensure that no animal ingredients are cross-contaminated with what you order, you can say that you are allergic to all animal ingredients and animal products. This is my trick at restaurants to make sure what I order is vegan. A more thorough and strict process is abided by if someone says they are allergic to certain ingredients. They have to take you seriously. It’s best not to say “vegan” because the truth is that not everyone knows what vegan is. Describe and explain to them what to exclude and how you want things prepared. This will be clearer to them than hearing a word they may not even know the entirety of. You can educate them on what “vegan” means.
Plan Ahead
There’s an app for that! There are apps that show you what restaurants near you have vegan options. Some apps that will help you with this are Happy Cow and Food Tripping. There are probably many other apps like these, too. Look around! Before going to the restaurant you are going to, check out their menu online. Find their allergen menu online to see what vegan options they have before you go. If there are no vegan options at all whatsoever, eat before you get there or bring your own food (if you can). It sounds bizarre to do so at first, but if you truly believe in veganism and are committed to it, you won’t ever compromise your stance or beliefs. What matters to you more? What people think of you or your values? Criticism and judgment are both going to happen sometimes. You control how you respond.
Lead By Example
Asking the chef to prepare something for you that’s vegan lets them know that you want them to carry more vegan options. Let them know how appreciative you are that they accommodate you. The majority of restaurants will be happy to accommodate you. If they don’t, you can walk out or sit there with the person or people you’re with and not eat anything. Whatever the situation is, you have the power to choose to lead by example. Show people that eating vegan is easy and delicious!
Ending Thoughts
Don’t ever compromise your values, standards, and beliefs for anything or anyone! Most restaurants have vegan options. They may not be on the menu, but they can be made. If there are no vegan options at all, I will just sit there (if I’m with others who are eating) or I will simply leave. Don’t ever feel bad or that you’re asking for too much to have a vegan meal prepared for you at a restaurant. By eating at a restaurant, you are supporting that restaurant. They should accommodate you. If they don’t, you owe it to yourself to walk out of there.
The best way to have vegan food prepared for you at a restaurant is to let them know that you are allergic to all animal products and ingredients. That is something they have to take seriously. Planning before you go by looking over the menu online (and the allergen menu) will help, too. If you get frustrated at the lack of vegan options at the restaurant your family, friends, or colleagues choose, take that frustration and turn it into positivity. You can choose to lead by example and show people that healthy vegan living is worth it, doable, and beautiful.
