Moving toward a complete plant based diet is not easy when you go out to dine. There are temptations (like Pizza and Eggplant Parmesan) and many restaurants sneak in dairy ingredients or throw cheese onto everything. Even vegetarian Indian restaurants (which I love) often use clarified butter (ghee) in a good amount of cooking. There is usually something for me to eat, but there are times when I had fries and a salad and had to make sure that the salad did not come with cheese or croutons. It is good that many restaurants now mark things as vegetarian and vegan but it would be nice for every restaurant to offer one plant based meal.
When I am out with a friend tasting beers, the thought of just eating a salad sometimes just does not cut it and I indulge in some pizza. These transgressions are pretty rare but they do happen. Perhaps one day I will have enough will power to just say no. This has been the biggest challenge for me and something I will just have to work through.
Family gatherings are another mine field. My dear mother has a unshakable belief that anything can be improved by butter. With the upcoming Thanksgiving coming up, I have to negotiate with her to make sure that some of the vegetables are not living in a butter sea. I know that I will have a limited choice of what to eat (and no protein unless I bring some). No pie for me either.
Explaining a plant based diet choice to people is interesting. I of course get the usual where do you get your protein question but many people really do not understand my choice. I am always shy about explaining this to dates, and I think that it can be an issue. I am sure it is not easy to go out with someone who has chosen to limit a basic part of their life.
Can anyone say "Tofu Turkey"
Namaste..
