CHAPTER 9 – The Vegetarian Eats Out – Meals You Can Enjoy, from Fast Food to Fine Dining
When you’re making your own meals at home, it’s easy to have complete control over every aspect of your eating. You stock the pantry, you plan the menus, and you whip up tasty vegetarian entrees for yourself and your family. But unless you’re completely housebound, you have to go out in the world some time—and often, that requires eating in restaurants.
That doesn’t mean you have to toss out all your vegetarian principles. Restaurants are increasingly offering vegetarian options, and even fast- food outlets have food you can eat. Depending on where you are, you can find something to eat. The reason restaurants have become more sensitive to the needs of vegetarians has nothing to do with social consciousness—it is all about money. Vegetarians (and friends of vegetarians) have money to spend, too, and restaurants that don’t cater to vegetarian eaters lose business when those folks want to eat out.
Even if you end up in a restaurant that doesn’t have anything vegetarian on the menu, you can always request something special. Remember, restaurants want your money, and they get that money by selling you food and preparing it in a way you like! Salads can be made without the chicken or salmon that’s listed on the menu. You can even ask your server if the chef can prepare something vegetarian just for you. Chefs often get a little bored making the same things day in and day out, and yours may welcome the opportunity to whip up something new! Just be polite, ask nicely, and your request will be seen as perfectly reasonable.
If you live in a big city, you’ll probably be able to find vegetarian restaurants in your town. If you can’t find any on the Internet or in the phone book, look for a natural foods store in your town; the employees there will be able to point you toward restaurants that are vegetarian-friendly. If both of those searches come up short, think ethnic! Chinese restaurants are great for vegetarians, offering delicious vegetable entrees, rice, and noodles. Just take a moment to quiz your server about how the dishes are prepared— some dishes that sound vegetarian on the menu may contain meat or eggs. Tell your server that you don’t eat meat, and they’ll make sure your meal comes the way you want it.
Indian restaurants are terrific for vegetarians, too, although not all cities have them. The Indian diet has a rich tradition of vegetarianism, and restaurants offer a selection of vegetable curries and dishes made with chickpeas, which are an excellent source of protein (and delicious). If you’re new to Indian cuisine, you have a delightful adventure ahead of you—try dal, a traditional, spicy lentil dish, and samosas, delightful little pastries stuffed with meat, vegetables, and spices (just make sure you don’t order the ones with meat!). If you’re avoiding dairy, be aware that many Indian dishes are prepared using clarified butter, called ghee; just ask that your meal be prepared with vegetable oil instead.
If your co-workers or family announce a trip to the Olive Garden or another Italian restaurant, don’t fret. Italian restaurants are another great option for vegetarians, especially the ovo-lactos. Pasta with meatless marinara sauce is a staple menu item, as is pasta primavera, which is loaded with vegetables. Many Italian soups, such as pasta fagioli, contain protein from rice and beans (just make sure that they use vegetable broth and not beef or chicken). At the big chain restaurants like Olive Garden or the Spaghetti Factory, you’ll find salad bar/bread stick combination meals that are perfect for vegetarians and easy on the wallet. And if the gang heads out for pizza, ovo-lactos have lots of options too. Plain cheese pizza, or even a cheeseless pizza topped with vegetables, is just as tasty as the meat- loaded kind.
Other ethnic options are excellent choices for vegetarians, as well. Hit a Greek restaurant and load up on hummus, dolma (stuffed grape leaves), baba ganoujh (a delicious eggplant spread), Spanikopita (spinach pie), and salad made with a grain called tabouli.
If you like Mexican fare, you can have gazpacho (a cold vegetable soup), chiles rellenos (green peppers stuffed with cheese, then breaded and fried), and
bean-and-cheese versions of all the usual favorites—burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, and tacos.