How to Eat Vegan at Almost Any Restaurant

A couple of weeks ago was my cousin's 18th birthday dinner at Morton's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills. Knowing everyone around me would be stuffing their faces with prime rib, I strongly considered eating before. I decided to be brave, however, and challenge myself to find something to eat there. The waiter didn't know what it meant to be vegan, but he was very nice and accommodating. All it took was a quick minute of explaining what I wanted, and I was able to enjoy a nice, healthy, filling meal!

Here's how I did it...

1. First thing's first, find the veggies on the menu. At Morton's, they had many different sides of veggies to choose from.

2. Make sure that your veggies will either be steamed or cooked in oil, not butter.

3. Ask them to make you an entire entree with the veggies, so you actually have a substantial amount of food. I may be vegan but I still eat like an athlete!

4. If the restaurant has any other staple vegan foods, such as rice or tofu, ask for some!

A Delicious Vegan Meal at a Steakhouse!

At Morton's all I had to eat was veggies, but man, were they delicious. I didn't mind at all. I ordered a plain baked potato, steamed broccoli and asparagus and sauteed mushrooms and brussels sprouts. I used salt, pepper and lemon as seasoning. I asked for some hot sauce as well, and they had sriracha! Not too shabby!

If a steakhouse is a bit of a stretch for a vegan, then you're sure to find things to eat at other restaurants! ...With the exception of In N Out. I did have to bring my own food on a road trip once. My family always stops there on the way back from skiing in mammoth, so I was prepared and brought some food in the car with me...I may have snagged a bite or two of fries. :)





What to Order at Different Types of Restaurants:

Mexican: beans (lard-free) and rice, salsa and guacamole (sour cream free), corn tortillas/ flour tortillas (most tortillas are vegan, just double-check with your server), lettuce, fajita peppers. Wrap it all up and have a big rice and bean burrito with veggies, salsa and guac. Yum! Some places might be able to hold the cheese on the enchilladas and make you a veggie one with rice and beans on the side.

Indian: Channa masala (chickpea dish), aloo gobi (cauliflower and potato dish), papadum (crispy/spicy bread cracker) and rice. There's more vegan dishes, I'm sure, but these are my go-to favorites. Just ask your server if you're not sure.

Sushi/Japanese: Miso soup, agedashi tofu (fried tofu, ask for no bonito/fish flakes), avacado roll, cucumber roll, edemame, seaweed salad.

Thai: Massaman curry with tofu and veggies, yellow curry/green curry/red curry with tofu and veggie with rice on the side, spicy green beans, papaya salad. Thai food is great because everything is cooked in coconut milk, but make sure to ask for it to be vegan because sometimes they will use fish sauce.

Chinese: Sauteed veggies in sauce of your choice with rice, veggie dumplings, veggie rolls, etc. There are usually lots of tofu and veggie dishes on the menu, just confirm they are vegan.

Italian: Pasta with marinara sauce (double check the sauce is vegan), steamed veggies, salad with vinaigrette or any other vegan dressing.

Take home message: don't be discouraged if your friends are dying to go to Outback Steakhouse. You can pretty much eat vegan anywhere with a little extra effort. If there's not a vegan dish on the menu, try to see if you can put some sides together and make an entree. And of course, always remember to support your local vegan restaurants, they make it a whole lot easier!