This is day 3 of Vegan Week. So far, so good. . . .

I wanted to make sure the Vegan Week participants were equipped with information on what type of restaurants are good for vegan options and how to customize a traditional meal to make it vegan. We did a crash course. The basic rule is this:
By Linda Howard

The participants of Vegan Week: turncoaching 001 received a vegan shopping list Saturday morning.  On Sunday night we had our first Vegan Week telephone conference and they shared their shopping experiences.  I must say, they all did well.

This is day 3 of Vegan Week.  So far, so good.  We will have our formal check-in call tonight, but I have gotten some preliminary reports that they are enjoying the taste of vegan food.  I have even heard about some creativity happening in the kitchen.

As a vegan I try to travel with my goodies to avoid “grabbing” food on the go.  But being vegan requires knowing where to eat, when you are caught out without your goodies.  There are a few vegan restaurant guides online.  If you can get online tap into PETA’s Restaurant Guide or Happy Cow Compassionate Eating Guide for vegan and vegan friendly restaurants in the neighborhood.   A vegan restaurant however may not be near, or you may be hanging out with someone who is not inclined to eat vegan.

I wanted to make sure the Vegan Week participants were equipped with information on what type of restaurants are good for vegan options and how to customize a traditional meal to make it vegan.  We did a crash course.    

The basic rule is this: if you do not have a vegan restaurant guide handy and you are looking for vegan options you can go ethnic or go mainstream.  There are many ethnic groups that specialize in vegan cuisines.  More and more mainstream restaurants have vegan items on the menu or are willing to customize something for you.  If you have to ask about ingredients, ask someone that is likely to know the answer.  In other words, don’t ask the kid working the cash register of a fast food joint whether the buns have eggs in them.  Some restaurants will gladly show you the ingredients.  Panera Bread for instance will happy bring out the ingredient book.

Go Ethnic

Here is a list of ethnic cuisines that usually have vegan options.  Look for these types of restaurants and you have a pretty good chance of having a tasty vegan dining experience.

• Chinese
• Ethiopian
• Indian
• Jamaican
• Japanese
• Mediterranean
• Mexican
• Mid-Eastern
• Thai

Go Mainstream

Sit Down Restaurants

Bennigan’s - Bennigan’s has a vegan Boca Burger.  You can order the Boca Burger with a fresh garden salad for a vegan meal.

Cheers – Cheers offers a vegan veggie burger. You can load it up with all the fixings to jazz it up a bit.

California Pizza Kitchen - California Pizza Kitchen has a lot of vegan options including salads, pastas, veggie pizzas (order it without cheese), soups and stir fries.  For the complete list of options at CPK click here.

Macaroni Grill - You can order any pasta with garlic and oil.   Its Capellini Pomodoro is vegan. The house salad or garden salad without the cheese are vegan.  Vegan salad dressing options are balsamic vinaigrette, Italian dressing, or roasted-garlic vinaigrette.

P.F. Chang's - P.F. Chang's has lots of vegan-friendly options. It has a vegetarian menu and almost anything can be made vegan.  Plus they have brown rice!

Rainforest Café – At Rainforest Café for vegan options order the Natural Burger without the Safari Sauce.  The Morningstar Garden Grill is also vegan.

T.G.I. Friday's - T.G.I vegan items are Friday's House Salad and the Fresh Vegetable Medley, when ordered with a plain baked potato instead of the brown rice pilaf. The brown rice pilaf has chicken base in it.

Mexican

Baja Fresh – Baja has a lot of vegan options.  Just hold the cheese and sour cream. The rice and beans are vegan.   The side salad without cheese is vegan.  The chips and salsa and corn tortillas is also vegan.  The flour tortillas are not vegan, so stay away from the Burritos.

Chilli’s - At Chili's, you can have the tostada chips and salsa as appetizers.  The veggie quesadilla, is also an option, just replace the cheese and sour cream with extra vegetables.  The other option is the Cadillac Fajitas without the meat.

Chipotle - Chipotle has a vegetarian fajita burrito that can be made vegan.  The black beans are vegan, but the pinto beans are cooked with bacon.

Pizza Shops

Most pizza can be made vegan by holding the cheese.  You just need to make sure the crust and sauce is vegan.  The only bad thing about this option is very few pizza places have whole grain crust. So although the crust might be vegan it may be made with processed flour.

Here is what I found out about the chain pizza shops.

Chuck E. Cheese's – At Check E. Cheese the pizza is made with vegan sauce and dough. You can ask them to hold the cheese and add vegan toppings (green peppers, mushrooms, onions, black olives, and tomatoes.)  Plus Check E. Cheese has a salad bar. The Italian and fat-free Catalina dressing both are vegan.

Little Caesars – Little Caesars’ dough and tomato sauce are vegan. Other vegan items include the Crazy Sauce and Crazy Bread without Parmesan cheese. The pizza vegan toppings available include mushrooms, onions, green peppers, tomato slices, black olives, pineapple, and hot peppers.

Papa John's - Papa John's pizza sauce and dough are vegan.  Add veggies to spice it up.

Pizza Hut - Pizza Hut uses some vegan sauces.  You should ask questions.  It’s Thin 'n Crispy and dessert crusts are vegan. The pan crust contains whey and enzymes (not vegan), and the stuffed crust contains enzymes and mozzarella cheese.  All of the pastas however are vegan.   Hold the cheese and add vegan toppings.

Subway and Lunch Shops

Boston Market - Boston Market has several vegan options.  You can choose from steamed vegetables, zucchini marinara, tossed salad (without the croutons and dressing), walnut relish, and fruit salad. You can also customize sandwiches.

Panera Bread – Panera’s bagel with roasted garlic hummus is one vegan possibility. Some bagels have eggs.  Fortunately Panera’s bagel are made without eggs.  Some of the soups are vegan, such as the Black Bean and one of the vegetable soups.  They will gladly show you the ingredient book.  Check the ingredients to be sure.  The Classic salad is vegan. Try the Greek salad and substitute avocado for the feta and you have a vegan Greek salad.

Subway - Subway's Veggie Delite on Italian bread without cheese and mayo is a vegan option.  You can add your own vegan lunch meat to it, which is available at most grocery stores. Pick up a sub and swing by the grocery store and pick up vegan lunch meat or hummus!

Quiznos Subs - Quiznos has a veggie sub that's filled with guacamole, black olives, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and mushroom.  Order it without the cheese and with balsamic vinaigrette. A side garden salad is also an option. Again supermarket vegan lunch meat or hummus will give it a punch.

Ice Cream and Yogurt Shops

Baskin-Robbins - Baskin-Robbins has dairy-free and gelatin-free Ices and Sorbets.

Dairy Queen - Dairy Queen has a vegan "ice cream" bar, Star Kiss. Dairy Queen also has vegan slushes.

Coffee Shops

Starbuck – Starbuck has soy milk that can be added to coffees and lattes’.  Some of the Starbucks carry gluten-free vegan cookies and energy bars.   Starbucks oatmeal is also vegan.

Many coffee shops carry soy milk now.  Ask, they may have it even if it is not on the menu.

If you have discovered any other options, share them by leaving a comment.  I will add to the list and post the final list as a pdf.

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