The Vegan Dilemma When Eating Out

Today, many people find themselves removing meat from their diet. It is a popular trend across the country, causing others to drop milk, eggs, and even cheese as well. Before long, the use of honey gets rejected from their acceptable foods to consume list also. Step by step, these individuals work their way into a vegan lifestyle. Everything seems to be going great, until they get invited out to a restaurant. Placing their order proves to be challenging, as they quickly learn that there are no truly edible or appetizing vegan foods on the menu. It is here that a lot of aspiring vegans learn that social outings will sometimes require a little creative forethought. Even though many restaurants attempt to be more aware and open to vegans than in the past, it is still difficult for a vegan to find things to eat that suit their dietary needs. The world is, however, still quite predominantly bent towards meat and dairy consumption. When restaurants refuse to provide adequate options for vegans on the menu, this inevitably makes social engagements at restaurants awkward for members of the vegan community.

Vegans Eat More Than Salad

What many people imagine is that vegans eat nothing but green leafy vegetables. Contrary to established stereotypes, vegans actually eat a wider variety of foods than most meat eaters. Once that realization is brought into the light, it will potentially help more restaurant meal planning committees to better accommodate vegans as members of their customer base. If ever in doubt as to what options would be fit for vegans to eat, one work around is to actually hire a vegan or two to sit on a restaurant’s meal planning committee. This is a far better idea than simply hazarding to guess what vegans find appetizing. In fact, there are many vegan meal ideas that are also appealing to meat eaters as well, which work as adequate meal choices. A nutrient dense humus sandwich or a rice and vegetable bowl, with a side of black bean soup, for example, might appeal to more than just a vegan crowd.

Whole Food Fast Foods

Another idea that will appeal to vegans and health conscious meat eaters alike is the idea of more whole food based fast foods. Not everything people enjoy eating has to be overly processed. Even beyond the vegan crowd, many meat eaters are starting to question the damaging health effects of constantly dining out on processed foods. In an article by Doctor Joseph Mercola, he covers how too many processed foods in the modern diet only serves to contribute to weight gain and chronic disease.

Even though a lot of doctors will argue against going vegan long term, the dangers of processed foods consumed when dining out are one area where many health professionals and vegans agree needs serious reform. As more vegans and doctors start to agree on the health problems associated with processed foods, it begs the question of how this emerging collaborative awareness will impact the way restaurants cater to vegans in the future.