|
|
EATING
OUT
As
I mentioned
earlier, eating
out limits a
vegans choices
dramatically.
If you live in
a larger city,
such as New
York, Los
Angeles,
etc… you
probably have a
lot more
options than
smaller towns.
The first thing
to do is check
the
phonebook
under
vegetarian
restaurants.
You will most
likely find
some and those
should be the
best bet for a
vegan.
There
are several
cultures that
are
vegetarian,
and although
many have our
Westerners
influence, most
will have a lot
of vegetarian
and vegan
choices: Mid
East, Indian,
Ethiopian,
Indonesian,
they usually
have several
choices.
Thai
food, ask
for tofu
instead of
meat, and
garlic sauce
instead of fish
sauce.
Chinese
restaurants
have several
choices, rice
or noodles with
vegetables…
etc… Just
ask the waiter,
although one
sometimes gets
different
answers from
different
people….
Beware of
broth. It ends
up in Veggie
fried rice a
lot and similar
dishes too.
Italian can be
made vegan
quite
easily…
but watch the
parmesan…
it is
everywhere! And
there are a few
restaurants
that make
homemade pasta
and use eggs,
so don't forget
to ask….
Mexican
too is
easily made
vegan….
Hold the cheese
and sour cream,
whole beans
instead of
refried which
sometimes
contains lard.
Some
restaurants
still fry their
tortillas in
lard too, but
fewer do every
year for health
reasons, yet it
doesn't hurt to
ask. One of the
best choices,
of course is a
salad bar…
lots of variety
and you see
what you are
getting.
Fast
Food
restaurants:
Burger
King has a
Veggie
Burger….
but they just
changed it and
it is NOT
vegan, but
their french
fries are.... (
whereas
McDonalds has a
criminal
history of
using a
meat-based
broth spray on
them, then
telling people
they are
vegetarian....
) But
McDonalds
new veggie
burger IS vegan
if you order it
without the bbq
sauce.
Subway,
Veggie Delight
Sandwich, no
cheese, on most
any bread that
doesn't list a
cheese in it's
name. Taco
Bells 7
layer burrito
hold the cheese
and sour cream
is one of my
standbys.
..
|
|
MORE
INFORMATION
There
are many places
to look for
more
information on
being a vegan
or recipes,
nutrition,
etc…
Book
stores
obviously have
cookbooks, and
nutrition
sections but
also check out
the
Internet,
type in "vegan"
in a search
engine….
And go from
there. I
shouldn't have
to mention
that, as in any
topic, there is
a lot of false
information in
the web so be
smart, know
your
sources….
If you are
looking for a
particular
recipe, try
typing in
"vegan whatever
recipe" you
will be amazed
at the options.
And just like
any other
recipe or
product….
There are many,
many different
types. If you
don't like the
first one you
found, try
another. Taste
is everything
and people like
different
things.
|
CONTACT
VEGAN WOLF
|
Being
VEGAN is a lot easier
than most people
think. It is usually
the non vegan family or
friends that make the
biggest fuss over it,
thinking that serving a
vegan is so difficult,
when it actually isn't,
but your right, they
won't eat just
anything.
A
lot of people ask..
"What DO you eat
then???" If you
aren't vegan, look at
your own meals.... do
you only eat
meat??? I didn't think
so. What else is on your
plate?? Potatoes,
spaghetti, refried
beans, rice, vegetables,
salad, fruit, peanut
butter.........
(Check the menu page for
a lot more ideas, and
the substitutions page
for what else to use.
There is also a page
that lists prepared
vegan foods you already
might buy. Check the
nutrition page for more
information on nutrition
myths and concerns. )but
putting it simply, for
most people, just give
up the meat and you will
get enough protein, from
the rest of your food.
(Besides being healthier
for it!)
The
easiest way for a
non-vegan to cook for a
vegan is to just
serve your vegan guest
bigger portions of
these "side dishes",
and they will be happy!
Or check out the recipes
and other food and meal
ideas for easy vegan
cooking and your vegan
guest will be thrilled!
As you should be
too!
If
you want to go beyond
the basics, fruits,
vegetables, rice, etc...
start looking, you will
be amazed at all the
vegan foods out there!
You must already be
aware that virtually ALL
grocery stores have a
"health food
section" with
several vegan and
vegetarian items, plus
you have seen
non-cholesterol options
in the freezer section.
Plus most cities have
several specialty
"health food
stores" that carry
primarily organic,
local, and vegetarian
foods. Visit one of
these and you will see
you have almost
infinite options,
such as TV dinners,
several types of
burgers, hot-dogs, spicy
jerky, fancy side
dishes, soups, chocolate
cake, etc
etc....
Besides
having lots of vegan
foods ready made on the
market, simple
substitutions can be
made to virtually any
recipe to convert it to
a vegan
one.
Of
course, it is
difficult sometimes
when locating
restaurants with a
lot of choices for
vegans, (most
restaurants still don't
cater to people for
health reasons, albeit
moral ones) but you will
find that most do have
something, and/or a chef
or option to make it
vegan…. It might be
as simple as served
without Mayo, or
cheese…. Or a salad
served with oil and
vinegar.
EATING
or TRYING VEGAN
FOOD
Like
all recipes and items
there are many
different styles and
tastes and
finding the "best"
for your taste buds
sometimes takes
time. There are so
many different choices
now in stores than just
a few years ago, and
more appear every year
that you will be amazed
at what actually can be
done with a soybean or
wheat gluten.
Some
people expect or want a
meat substitute
to taste exactly like
that meat. Often this
can be done since
every single meat
product is altered by
cooking and spices.
No one eats plain
unadulterated meat. It
is how it is cooked and
what is put in with it
that gives it the most
flavor.
It should be noted
though, that not all
meat substitutes are
made to be exactly like
their meat counterpart.
Most meat analogs on
the market are made so
they can be USED in
place of the meat
product most people
are familiar to, not
as an exact copy.
For example, you will
find several varieties
of burgers, some you
will like some
not…. Some, like an
original "Boca burger,"
when topped with all the
fixings: ketchup,
mustard, onions,
pickles, etc… you
will have a hard time
telling it from, say, a
"Burger King" burger,
where as a "Garden
Burger" is made to be
very different, with
mushrooms, and peppers
and intends to be
nothing like a "Burger
King" burger. There are
substitutions for pretty
much any style of meat,
and unless served side
by side with meat, they
are very difficult to
tell apart.
A
lot of vegans actually
don't like meat
substitutes, whereas
they are too reminiscent
of meat and what "meat"
actually entails.
Dairy
substitutes are a
bit harder to copy and
must be looked at as
their own product and
flavor completely.
Things like soy milk,
rice milk, almond milk
etc. and each brand have
unique flavors, but can
easily be used in
place of milk.
People often have to
"get used" to going from
whole milk to skim milk,
and it will probably
take time to get used to
a different flavor here
too. There are sweetened
and unsweetened options,
vanilla, plain,
chocolate, etc... so
depending on what you
are doing with it,
putting it on cereal or
making a cream sauce,
will initiate you to
try different
ones.
For ice cream
altrnatives, there are
some wonderful flavors
of Soy Delicious brand
that are incredible!
Cheese seems to be the
most difficult item to
give up when becoming
vegan for a lot of
people. As far as I know
there is no "perfect"
cheese substitute out
there yet, but the best
one I have found is the
Vegan gourmet, Follow
your heart brand.
Companies are coming up
with new products all
the time too, so keep up
with the new brands and
give them a try.
 It
is interesting to
note, though, that
most people are, in
fact, some how
allergic to, are
lactos intolerant or
do react to milk
products in some
negative way, Causing
eczema, asthma, and
gastro-intestinal
problems yet they
simply ignore it.
People also know it
is healthier to not
eat meat, and that
smoking is terrible,
but they do it
anyway, and hope for
a pill to cure them
of the disease, or
problem. That is hard
for me to understand.
Shouldn't we all take
a personal
responsibility for
our health and the
health of the planet
too? and not force
animals to suffer on
farms and in
laboratories just
because we choose to,
say, keep smoking, or
to be glutens at the
the table?
MEAT EATER OPTION:
|
