The hardest thing about becoming a vegan is not giving up meat or animal products, it is finding a good place to eat out with friends.
None of my friends are vegan so it can be a real struggle at times. A few will try vegan places with me but others are total meat eaters and would freak if I told them I was taking them somewhere where ribs would not be a staple on the menu.
My advice for my fellow vegans who struggle with this is to do your research! A lot of places have vegetarian options on the menu that can be adapted to be vegan for example salads with cheeses or veggie burgers with cheese. And if all else fails, chips are always a winner! Restaurants are usually very accommodating to any changes you make to the menu so don't be afraid to ask, after all if you had a nut allergy or were lactose intolerant, you would make damn sure there was no peanuts or cheese in your food.
Be careful with some menus though as I have noticed quite a few restaurants will say that have veggie/vegan food but then state on the menu they have no designated place in the kitchen to prepare this food. Does that really make it veggie/vegan then?! That is a little bit of a grey area.
In this world we are never going to get away from meat and animal products, all we can hope to do is reduce the amount that is consumed. So if my food is cooked on the same surface as meat does that make it non vegan? I am sure some die hard vegans would say that it doesn't but to be able to still enjoy a social life, I have decided that for me, as long as the actual food I am eating does not contain meat or animal products then that is good enough for me.
I would be so grateful for your thoughts on this and any helpful tips you have for eating out with vegan and non vegan friends.
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