Eating Out Tips

Spiral Diner & Bakery (1101 N. Beckley Avenue - Dallas, Texas)

Here’s a few tips we've learned from eating out to eat on a plant-based diet. It’s not always ideal, but most of the time we still eat really well and always make it work.

Option 1: go to a vegetarian or vegan restaurant.
- Do a victory dance, because you hit the jackpot! You’re likely in a big city or a progressive small town, and more often than not you’ll meet some really cool people here.

- You can likely order everything or almost everything on the menu, but be weary that while the food may be vegan, that doesn't automatically make it healthy.

- Try to avoid dishes with excess oil, fat and sugar. Avoid fried foods or foods that are just the vegan version of foods you know are unhealthy…don’t fool yourself. 

- If they use meat substitutes, don’t be afraid to ask what they are actually made of. If they’re not sure, you may not want to be eating it.

Option 2: go to a vegan friendly restaurant.
- We define a vegan friendly restaurant as a omnivore establishment with two or more vegan dishes on their menu.

- These places are great too, because you can order something right off the menu, without modifying anything and these options are likely the healthiest options on the menu as the restaurant is going to try to cater to “healthy eaters” and not just plant strong folks like us.

- Take a look at the rest of the menu though and see what interesting veggies and plant based purees or sauces are used with other dishes. At a high quality restaurant it’s common to find fantastic seasonal vegetables used as sides or as the base for some of their premier non-vegan dishes. Don’t be afraid to ask if you could get a side of just those veggies or puree.

- Fun fact, almost all Asian and Indian restaurants have plant based, vegan items all over their menu in disguise. If you’re not sure about something, ask first.

Option 3: go to a restaurant that can be easily veganified
- Any Mexican or Italian restaurants can easily have some vegan options, even if they don't know it. The emphasis on integrating vegetables into their dishes makes it easy to deconstruct and reconstruct a dish into a delightful vegan one. At Mexican restaurants you can get “veggie fajitas” with the fajita vegetables without the meat, or rice and beans if they are vegetarian. More and more places have veggie rice and beans. At Italian places, vegetable pastas are common, or can be created easily as are steamed vegetables like broccoli and spinach. Most Italian places also have a wide range of salads to choose from that can be made vegan.

- At your typical fast casual or sit down American restaurant the key is to get creative. These are actually some of the most difficult places to eat at, but fear not, they can be conquered too. The problem with American food is it’s not that common to integrate vegetables with dishes besides “on the side.” So you have two options, just order a bunch of side vegetables: plain baked potato, or sweet potato fries, roasted carrots, steamed broccoli or grilled squash…etc. Or you can try to construct a dish based on other things on the menu. It’s tougher as the chefs at these places are not usually as comfortable working outside the “Standard American Diet” box and the “Gluten Free” box, but you can always ask.

- Again, be weary of ordering something vegan you shouldn't be eating anyway. Many times a server has commented “oh we have a great fried mushroom appetizer that is vegan.” You don’t want those mushrooms fried, but that’s good to know that they have them in the kitchen.

Option 4: you are stuck at a very non-vegan friendly establishment, think fancy steakhouse, modern American fare or seafood restaurant for a business meeting or engagement party. If you’re on a first date, you really screwed the pooch on this once, best run out the back door now.
- Take a breath and prepare for things to get a little awkward. Don’t worry though, it’s actually not as bad as you might think.

- Lots of chefs, especially at nicer restaurants take pride in being creative and accommodating all dietary and flavor palates. The chefs at these places are usually highly trained with vegetables and capable of making great vegan dishes if they don’t get fussy about it. Don’t be afraid to ask them to make you a vegan surprise as long as they understand the plant based concept.

- If the staff/chef is not willing to do something special for you, that’s OK too. These types of places also have very nice, sophisticated salads. Just make sure to mention you want them vegan.

- Back to the side attack. Most places have side dishes you can order off the menu, just confirm they aren't cooked in butter or cream or anything. I've had really good meals composed of just potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, squash and a salad.

Overall, eating out isn't as difficult as most people think. You just need to stay true to yourself, stick to your vegan guns, use your vegan powers to convince them to serve you something plant based and voilà! Remember to carefully read the menu, ask questions, be kind, courteous and patient and you should have a great time out! You might even make some new friends that are curious about your lifestyle.