In the not so distant past, vegan options at most restaurants were limited to salads and side dishes. But thanks to the growth of veganism, more vegan-friendly options have started popping off. From fishing and bait stores offering the first-ever vegan fishing lures to restaurants offering vegan-friendly fried ‘chicken’ sandwiches — you now have more choices in both animal cruelty-free products and foods.
Thanks to this, you now have more options when it comes to vegan dining than ever before. No matter where you live or go, the following tips can help you find the best vegan food options when dining out.
Explore Happy Cow
Happy Cow is the go-to website for reviews about vegan restaurants and food in general. You can visit the site and see the closest vegan-friendly establishment in the area you’re at and see the top-rated ones. However, it’s still wise to cross-check the restaurant through different websites to see if they match up. It’s a handy website you can visit from time to time, especially when traveling, helping you ensure you get the best possible recommendations wherever and whenever.
Call Restaurants Beforehand
If you don’t see any obvious vegan options on the menus of nearby restaurants, ask the establishments you’re interested in eating at if they can accommodate a vegan. Don’t hesitate to ask if you think you’re being a nuisance because it saves you from disappointment later on, saving you and the restaurant time. It’s best if you be specific about what you’d like to eat, such as a vegetable pizza or tofu stir-fry, to avoid having to settle for a small plate with vegetables for dinner.
Decide If You Want Your Meal to Mimic Carnivore Food
When looking for restaurants offering vegan options, decide whether you want your meal to mimic meat-based dishes or not. That’s because many newer vegans find comfort in meat alternatives as it gives them a similar taste and texture to the meat products they’ve gotten used to before becoming vegan. After all, who wouldn’t love indulging in cruelty-free comfort foods? These plant-based alternatives typically are as decadent, salty, and delicious as their non-vegan counterparts.
Go Beyond American Cuisine
Some of the best vegan foods you’ll ever taste may not be at a vegan restaurant at all — it will be at establishments offering ‘ethnic cuisine.’ Generally, East and South Asian cuisines provide an array of vegan options since most of their culinary cultures are traditionally plant-based. When scouting for a restaurant, go beyond American cuisine, and try visiting Indian, Ethiopian, or Caribbean spots.
Ask Other Vegans
The best way to find great vegan food no matter the place is by asking other vegans. Whether you’re visiting a bustling city or a quiet country area, you’re likely to come across a passionate vegan community at that particular pace. Plus, you can check online forums that are typically always more than willing to suggest hot vegan-friendly food spots.
Eating out as a vegan in the past proved to be a challenging feat as most people back then didn’t take veganism seriously. But because of the growth of the vegan movement, you now have more options when dining out — and the tips mentioned streamlines the process. All you need to do is sit back, relax, and dig in.