How to Eat Plant-Based at a Restaurant Without Just Eating Salad

Hey earth muffins! Last month was Veganuary, where you were challenged to try a plant-based diet. Did anyone successfully complete the challenge?? As a vegetarian myself, it can sometimes be daunting to go out for dinner. Most menus still contain a majority of meat products, which limits plant-based options. However, I have learned that it is actually quite simple to eat plant-based when you go out to dinner. And you don’t just have to eat salads either! 😊 Here are my tips for eating at any restaurant if you are following some sort of plant-based diet.

Set yourself up for success.

If possible, do your research before you go out to eat! It is much better to know what you are getting yourself into instead of just showing up at a random restaurant and expecting it to be easy to find something to eat. A great tip for starting a plant-based diet is to try out the app Happy Cow. This app shows how “plant friendly” a place is, which can be helpful when deciding where to go out to eat. Once you do your research, select a restaurant that has more plant-based options than others!

Don’t be afraid to be “high maintenance”!

You eat plant-based for a reason, so don’t be scared to adjust menu items to fit your diet. When reading the menu, look for items that sound good to you. If there are items in that meal that don’t fit your diet (ex. meat, dairy), see if substitutions can be made. Usually it is pretty simple to just not include the meat in a dish. But, this can get more difficult if an ingredient is baked in and can’t really be removed. For situations like that, it is better to just select another dish on the menu. I’m sure you know people who always customize what they order, so don’t be afraid to modify a menu item to match your plant-based ideals.

Embrace the sides menu.

Regardless of what restaurant you end up in, the sides menu can be your saving grace! 😍 Instead of getting a single dish off the menu, try building a bigger meal from sides. Most restaurants have everything from extra bread and rice to an assortment of vegetables and fruit. Soups, vegetables, fries, and mac n’ cheese are some of my favorite things to order off the sides menu. Don’t forget about the appetizer menu too! There are typically a couple items that are meatless… Another great bonus to this tip is that ordering a bunch of sides is often cheaper than a full meal as well.

Don’t be afraid to just eat a salad!

While most plant-based people don’t want to eat salad at every place they eat at, it is still a great option. Sometimes a salad is exactly what I am craving at a restaurant! But, hopefully this post showed you that there are plenty of other ways to eat plant-based when you are eating out. If you don’t want to just eat salad, maybe order some sides as well. My boyfriend and I like to go out for dinner, so I’ll be writing a post about the best chain restaurants for plant-based people in the future – keep an eye out for that! 😁

Final Thoughts

Don’t stress if you are plant-based; you can still find things to eat at restaurants! And, you don’t have to eat salad for every meal. To set yourself up for success, do your research before you go out. I personally love to look through menus before I go, so get in the habit of this as well! Stand up for your values and modify menu items to fit your diet. Or, combine a bunch of sides to create your own meal. Don’t knock salads completely though – you might want one from time to time! What is your favorite restaurant that has good plant-based options? Comment below and let me know what menu items I should try there!

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