Hello Veggie Lovers, welcome back to another new blog post.

Today we will be going over some of the many things you could do while going out to eat at restaurants.

This is a struggle many of us plant based eaters may have to face sooner or later.

Down below I will be giving you some cool tips and tricks on things you may want to do before going out to eat. Happy reading!

The first tip on the list is to plan ahead and look up the restaurant menu online.

Of course, it’s not always possible to eat somewhere that’s veg-friendly.

Whether it’s a family gathering or a friend’s birthday.

Before going out to a new restaurant always scope out the menu online to see if there are any obvious vegan menu items.

Hopefully, you can find a couple vegetarian menu items that can be veganized, but vegan options are often non-existent on many restaurant menus.

If there are a couple vegetarian options or dishes that might easily modify to be vegan (such as removing chicken from a noodle stir fry), you should make a note of them.

Call restaurant for options

If there aren’t any obvious meal options on the menu, you should call the restaurant and ask whether
they can accommodate a vegan.

Don’t feel like you are being a pain or annoyance because restaurants actually like to get a heads up whenever possible.

You will most likely never be turned away.

It helps to be specific about what you would like.

If there is a dish you have in mind (for example, a pizza or tofu stir-fry) don’t be afraid to ask if they can make it happen.

Get creative with sides

Sometimes vegetarian menu items can be made vegan quite easily by just replacing the butter for oil or
leaving off the cheese.

If options are limited it is always a good idea to ask if swaps can be made.

One thing I’ve done in the past is to order a few side dishes (asking them to hold the butter) to create a meal.

A few sides of brown rice, beans, and veggies easily adds up to a balanced meal.

Seek out ethnic cuisines

Many cuisines have a lot of “naturally” vegan options or they can easily be modified.

I absolutely love dining at Indian, Mexican, and Thai restaurants because they have so many options for me.

Even dishes with cream can easily be made without impacting the overall flavor too much.

Don’t sweat it

I generally have low expectations when it comes to dining out at restaurants that aren’t veg-friendly, so I don’t let a less than stellar experience get me down.

Instead,  focus on the experience itself – the great company – and know that in the grand scheme of things it’s really not a big deal.