Eating Out

A lot of people wonder how my friends and I can eat decently at restaurants. Ever since my friends and I have been eating more plant based, I've noticed how easy it is to make simple changes to make it fit specific dietary needs. Now, I don't eat out very often at all. Maybe a dozen times per YEAR. I know that seems crazy when I hear my friends going out to eat at least 3 times per week.
Just today, I went to get coffee with a friend. I normally never go to starbucks but since it's Friday, I offered to buy us a special treat. Plus triple shot espressos help me make it through my 13 hour days. I usually had bought a triple shot nonfat latte made with skim milk, which wasn't a good idea because I'm lactose intolerant anyways. Today I switched it up to help fit my plant based "needs". I switched to coconut milk instead of skim. They also offer soymilk but since there are health concerns with soymilk, I opted for coconut. I couldn't really taste it at all, even with absolutely no flavoring. Starbucks charges and extra $.60 for milk substitution. I personally think somebody who's vegan or has milk allergies shouldn't have to pay extra just to get coconut or soy milk instead of regular. That seems dumb to me.
At restaurants that mainly serve meat and dairy based dishes, it can be a bit more difficult to avoid consumption of these products. A few good places to eat out with friends are places like Chipotle, Hu Hot, etc. At chipotle, I'd order a burrito bowl with beans, rice, corn and salsa. Completely plant based and a healthier option than being weighed down by a floury tortilla and mounds of meat. At Hu Hot, the same rice based dish applies. I have actually never been there but I know that they offer a wide variety of vegetables. It would be pretty easy to get a bowl of rice with string beans, peppers, etc. I personally don't worry too much about sauces and things like that. I would definitely avoid buttermilk ranches and soy based sauces but other than that, I wouldn't really worry about dairy making it's way into it. If you order sauces and dressings on the side of dishes, you can control the amount that you're having.
I do like the fact that a lot of restaurant chains do offer a lot of options these days. You couldn't get them 10 years ago, which is a nice improvement to see. (431)