6 Simple Ways to Avoid Unhappy Surprises in Restaurants "I just wanted asparagus!"
You go to a restaurant. It probably wasn’t your top choice, but you agreed to go there to spend time with your friends, family or even coworkers. While it is not a plant-based restaurant, you figure every restaurant offers salads or sides of vegetables, right? Finding something that suits you won’t be too hard. Wrong! Once at the restaurant you realize that the salads come with cheese or bacon bits, or that they are as plain and boring as they can be. Think iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and, of course, ranch. Okay, you tell yourself. You can do this. You’ll order a side of vegetables instead. The asparagus sound good. But when your order arrives you are shocked to discover that they were sautéed in butter and topped with sour cream!
We’ve all been there. The truth is that restaurants typically don’t cater for the vegan community, and when they do, they rarely ever offer whole-foods, plant-based (WFPB) options. You know, for those of us trying to avoid oils, excessive salt, and sugar. So, is it even possible to enjoy a dinner out now that you’re paying close attention to what you eat?
Yes, it is, but it does require some planning, some research, and at times some flexibility.
Easy tips to avoid frustrating situations:
1. Check out the online menu before you go
Getting familiar with their food options before you get to the restaurant will help you plan ahead. Simply look up the restaurant online and take a look at their menu. Does it have any options marked as vegan? Do they list their ingredients? Does anything look like it can be easily adapted to suit your dietary preferences?
2. Call ahead of time
If you have any questions after identifying some good options on their menu, hit them up. Ask any questions you may have about their ingredients or about adaptations you’d like to request.
3. Never assume
Sometimes it’s not possible to check out a restaurant online or to simply call in advance. The restaurant may not have a website or maybe going there was spur of the moment. It’s okay, but take your time inspecting the menu and, most importantly, never assume. In a culture that for generations has normalized the use of animal products for everything, it’s not unusual to discover that a restaurant’s vegetable soup was made with chicken broth, that vegetables are sautéed with butter, or that pastries typically include eggs. So, when ordering, always ask about the non-listed ingredients. If your waiter doesn’t know, kindly ask them to check with the chef.
4. Ask for modifications
Just because something is typically cooked with animal products or a lot of oil or salt, that doesn’t mean the chef can’t make an adjustment for you. Ask if they can use olive oil instead of butter, or better yet, water. Ask them to reduce or eliminate the salt. In other words, don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. Again, if the waiter doesn’t know, kindly ask them to check with the chef or the manager.
5. Bring your own seasonings
When we follow a WFPB diet, we understand the many sources of flavors that we have at our disposal: herbs, seasonings, nutritional yeast (nooch), vinegars, vinaigrettes, miso… Basically, we know that we can add plenty of flavor to our foods without dairy, oil, sugar, or even salt. Sadly, most non-vegan restaurants are not so aware of this. So, carry some spices with you, some nooch, a small bottle of vinaigrette… anything that can turn a plain salad or plain steamed vegetable into something you’ll enjoy.
6. If necessary, bring your own meal or eat beforehand
We often go to restaurants to be part of social events. If you know that the restaurant can’t accommodate you, ask if you can bring your own packed meal. If this isn’t allowed and you don’t have the option of going to a more accommodating restaurant, you can always eat before you join your party.
Plant dishes that could have non-plant-based ingredients:
More often than not the staff at a restaurant will try to accommodate us. However, they may not be fully familiar with what it means to be vegan or follow a WFPB diet. For this reason, pay special attention to foods that may appear to be plant-based but could in fact have non-vegan ingredients. The following are some typical examples:
Mexican rice
You know that rice made with tomato sauce, diced carrots and peas? Delicious, right? Unfortunately, it is often made with chicken broth! So, whenever you go to a Mexican restaurant, ask the staff to confirm if the rice is vegan and if it isn’t, try going for white rice which is usually just boiled with water.
Refried beans
When we’re on a WFPB diet, beans are pretty much a staple food for us. So it might seem reasonable to just get the beans and rice and skip the meat. Careful! Refried beans are sometimes made with lard! So, verify the ingredients before ordering. Also, remind them not to sprinkle any crumbled cheese on top.
Sautéed vegetables
Always, always ask what they use for sautéing. Is it oil or butter? Can they dry-sautée or use water? Also, make sure to remind them not to add any dairy toppings or garnishing.
Pizza dough
Pizza dough should be vegan, just dough, yeast, water, and it usually contains olive oil, salt, and sometimes herbs. However, every restaurant has its own recipe and at times they do include eggs. If you order gluten-free pizza, it is often made with cauliflower and eggs.
Salads
One would think that at least the salads should be vegan, but not necessarily. Non-vegan restaurants often add cheese, meats, bacon, dressings with dairy, etc. Verify non of these ingredients are included when you place your order.
Chowders and soups
Sometimes a bowl of corn chowder or split pea soup sounds delicious! But, yet again, non-vegan restaurants are probably using dairy and other animal-based products to make it.
Asian food in general
Double-check that your dish doesn’t include fish sauce or eggs.
Indian food
Some of their dishes may be labeled as vegetarian and not vegan. This is because many of their most popular sauces, like korma or masala, are made with dairy cream.
Baking goods
If you’re not in a vegan restaurant or bakery, most likely their baking goods will include eggs and dairy. Be sure to only get them if they are clearly labeled as vegan.
Coffee drinks
This may seem obvious, but when we’re used to drinking our coffee with plant-based milks, sometimes it’s easy to forget that most people still use dairy. However, most restaurants and coffee shops do offer plant-based alternatives.
If you’ve recently become vegan or WFPB, going to regular restaurants might seem a bit overwhelming. Don’t worry, soon all of this will become second nature to you. Plus, you’ll identify the restaurants that are the most accommodating and you’ll soon have your go-to dishes at each place. Practice makes perfect, so keep going out and exploring. Bon appétit!
