By Lily Donofrio

Going out for a vegan can be stressful! Being dragged to your redneck uncle’s favorite BBQ place and having the waitress uncertainly declare the salad dressing “vegan” doesn’t always induce trust. I know that I almost always want to follow the waiter back to the kitchen and check for myself. Luckily, there are tons of ways to check ahead when going to popular establishments, but we have to remain skeptical and thorough when choosing our foods.

Who doesn’t love theme parks? They appeal to most types of people, including vegans. The theme park foods are iconic and sell well, because they appeal to the majority. But what about the 1% of the world that is vegan? It is up to us to do our research and get educated on the foods being served at any location we are vacationing.

Disney World

Disney World in Orlando had 18,588,000 attendees in 2013. That staggering amount of people can only mean diversity, and with diversity comes a wide variety of diets and cultures. We can only hope that a park as famous and well ranked as Disney World would be accommodating to all of these groups.

After an unsuccessful attempt to contact a member of the Disney workforce in hopes of getting the scoop on vegan foods served in the parks and restaurants, I resorted to good old-fashioned research. There is literally a website called “vegandisneyworld.com”! Written on the site are reviews from every place in or about Disney World that offer vegan food. Here are just a few examples: Kona Cafe in the Polynesian Resort serves vegan Mickey Mouse shaped waffles and Tonga Toast (if specially asked for), sushi, and noodle stir-fry; Coral Reef (an Epcot restaurant themed around Finding Nemo) is mostly a seafood joint, but they offer a mixed vegetable with Gardein brand Chick’n Breast, and Earth Balance butter in addition to their vegan bread; Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn (located in Magic Kingdom) serves a Gardenburger Malibu patty. The amazing thing about Disney is that they accommodate upon request, keeping tons of vegan options in store for those that ask. So the polite thing to do is to call ahead at reserved places or restaurants you plan on dining with and see what vegan options they have.

Overall, I am quite impressed with Disney’s awareness of the vegan diet and the lengths they take to make their parks enjoyable for all. Their array of delicious and well-thought-out vegan items are appreciated by the vegan culture!

Universal

I was able to get in contact with a member of the Universal Studios Orlando team. I asked about the options provided in parks and restaurants for vegan people, and she responded saying that the chefs in the full service restaurants (a list of only 4) are trained to accommodate to any diet. She also said that those with special diets are allowed to bring soft sided coolers into the park.

After doing a little research on reviews from members in our vegan community, I found that most people are not pleased with Universal Orlando’s food options. They offer the occasional veggie burger, with egg unfortunately, and most associates don’t even know what the vegan diet is!

As a regular attendee of Universal Orlando, I rarely find a vegan option at the places I go. A couple of restaurants in CityWalk have a few dishes, but the park is very limited. I like the yuca fries at Bob Marley’s, the Tree Hugger sushi roll at The Cowfish, the Beef and Blue salad at Finnegans (minus the beef and blue), and the salads at Moe’s. Hopefully Universal will step up their game in the vegan/vegetarian department.

See: http://vegandisneyworld.com/vegan-magic-kingdom/

Interested in visiting Disney? The Vegetarian Resource Group will be including 4-park hoppers to be used at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL in The Vegetarian Resource Group’s 1st Annual Online Charity Auction, starting June 1st. For more information, see: https://www.facebook.com/events/1412672129044692/

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Below are some recent additions. The entire guide can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/restaurants

A-Live and Healthy Café
85 East Merritt Ave.
Merritt Island, FL 32953

A-live and Healthy is rock star! All of their foods are raw, which is impressive due to the large menu. I love their Lively Lemonade (Fresh Lemon Juice, Agave Nectar, Filtered H2O) and their Stuffed Avocado (1/2 an organic avocado filled with our sprouted hummus or one of their freshly made veggie pate’s). They offer options for those transitioning into the raw lifestyle, like the Chick’un Salad Sandwich and Vegetable Soup. The owners are passionate about their food and lifestyle, which makes the meal even better. They sell a lot of their raw vegan ingredients in a cooler at the front of the store which is an awesome idea. The restaurant is located between the Home Depot & Bikram Yoga.

Bean Vegan Cuisine
2145-A Hendersonville Rd.
Asheville, NC 28704

Bean Vegan Cuisine is an excellent place to go for vegan comfort food. This is their second location (the first is in Charlotte, NC). Don’t miss delicious sandwiches like their BBQ Jackfruit, Reuben, and Crabbie Patty. Ask about their daily specials and dessert selection. For classic American favorites made vegan, Bean can’t be beat!

Helio Terra Vegan Café
619 Prospect Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44106

Helio Terra is a fully vegan, half raw restaurant. The owner has been a vegan for over 14 years and knows the challenges of finding a vegan restaurant. He has a passion for making people happy and shows it with his work. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the beautiful Helio Terra insignia (the earth with sun rays encircling it) painted on the wall. The cafe is currently serving smoothies, coffee, and tea. They hope to expand to wraps, flatbreads, sandwiches, and burgers, the latter of which will be raw. I ordered their Chocolate Powder smoothie (chocolate protein powder, almond milk, banana, dates, cashew butter, hemp hearts), and boy did it satiate my chocoholic tendencies.

Juice So Good
733 Marquette Ave. #227
Minneapolis, MN 55402

There are dozens of juice and smoothie options available for you to try at your convenience; if you’re a beginner, maybe test their Sweet Green juice with spinach, celery, green pepper, apple, pear and lemon. If you’re an intermediate, maybe test out The Ginger with the hearty ingredients of carrot, orange, ginger, and lemon. You can also customize your juice to fit your taste!

Muir’s Tea Room
330 South Main St.
Sebastopol, CA 95472

This picturesque Victorian-style cafe is perfect for those wanting to enjoy a great cup of tea as well as tasty food. Located in the quaint town that hosts events like the Apple Blossom Festival and Gravenstein Apple Fair, Muir’s Tea Room offers not only lunch, but a unique High Tea service that features finger sandwiches, petit fours, scones, fairy cakes, and a variety of pastries with a pot of tea. The Field Roast, Avocado, and Garlic Aioli finger sandwiches sound the most delightful to have with a steaming cup of chamomile tea.

Naturajuicery
212 Mont-Royal Ave. Est.
Montreal, Quebec, H2T 1P4 Canada

This trendy juice bar is the place to visit if you’re looking for your daily servings of fruits and vegetables. The fruits and vegetables used to make these juices are mostly locally grown and all organic. The “Chill” juice with pineapple, coconut water, spinach, kiwi, and parsley seems like the perfect mix between sweet and savory!

Shizen Vegan Sushi Bar & Izakaya
370 14th St.
San Francisco, CA 94103

Shizen features a wide variety of traditional Japanese cuisine including soups, sushi, and noodle dishes. Diners can opt to stick with simple dishes like the Avocado Nigiri or Vegetable Gyoza or try one of the many specialty rolls, with options like the Open Invitation or The Candlestick (with live fire). Be sure to check out the dessert menu as well.

Taste of Eden Bistro
1107 Lithia Pincecrest Rd.
Brandon, FL 33511

The Taste of Eden Bistro is an entirely vegan cafe with many raw options. They have a rotating soup menu featuring both hot and raw selections. Menu options include the Avocado Rueben Sandwich and the Japanese Stir-Fry. Note that they open at 9 for grab-and-go items, and the dining area opens at 11:30. Accepts reservations.

The Amazing Kale Burger
741 Howard St.
Evanston, IL 60202

Amazing Kale Burger is a great place to eat if you’re health-conscious, or even just if you’re in the mood to try a new twist on the classic American burger. The burger, which is made of the freshest ingredients, is conveniently soy free, gluten free, and completely vegan. The burger is available with one-of-a-kind tasty sounding sides, including, for example, fresh salsa or beetBQ sauce which sound like they would perfectly accompany the veggie burger!

The Brakes Coffeehouse and Provisions
227 Lark St.
Albany, NY 12210

The Brakes Coffeehouse is a small business that believes in putting the brakes on their carbon foot print, and building a more sustainable future. This coffeehouse serves the purpose to provide people with affordable vegan cuisine using locally grown ingredients. Make sure to try their appetizing Fancy Shmancy PB&J, which is made of locally roasted peanut butter and home-made strawberry jelly, served with home-made chocolate sauce on the side!

Support The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) and get amazing vegan products from your favorite veggie-friendly brands at The VRG’s 1st Annual Online Charity Auction!

The auction will run June 1st through June 15th, 2015, via Ebay Giving Works, where 100% of each item’s final bid price will be donated to The VRG. Funds from this event will be used to help offset the costs of printing and shipping our vegan and vegetarian-based educational materials which we have provided to activists, professionals and organizations around the country, for over 33 years, free of charge!

For a full list of participating sponsors see: goo.gl/4YdZ9C

The link to the auction will be posted when the site goes live at 10am on Monday, June 1st. Until then, RSVP to this event because we will be updating this page with sneak peaks of all of the amazing items that will be featured! Trust me, you don’t want to miss out on these incredible vegan goodies!

If you have any questions about this event, please contact our Outreach Coordinator, Nina, at [email protected].

We thank you in advance for your support!

The Vegetarian Resource Group

Review of Ethos Vegan Kitchen in Winter Park, Florida
By Lily Donofrio

“Being a vegan would be fantastic if all I did was come here for my meals” says my meat loving father over a “What’s the Dilly Philly” (a vegan version of a philly cheesesteak, filled with marinated seitan, onions, red and green bell peppers, vegan mozzarella cheese and Veganaise, all on a French deli roll). My mother (a former shellfish lover, spoiled by allergies) agrees through a mouthful of Bay Cakes (“crab cakes” made from chickpeas, chopped celery, and fresh herbs). It took a bit of coaxing before my parents finally consented to visiting Ethos, but they left satisfied and and doe eyed, promising to return in the future.

The decor is swanky and chic, and the atmosphere gives off a fun and comfy vibe. The staff is always accommodating and yields cool characters. The restaurant houses a warm, inviting bar; serving only vegan beers, wines, and spirits. Towards the entrance is a bakery, selling vegan baked goods, either for those popping in for a quick dozen of double chocolate and macadamia nut cookies, or for those leaving so happy and looking for more to munch on until their next return.

My boyfriend and I frequent Ethos often. Every visit, we get the Healthy Trio appetizer (tray of veggies, naan pieces, and blue corn chips; and hummus, olive tapenade, and mango salsa for dipping). On special occasions, we get an additional appetizer of Garlic Knots. For our main course, we split the lasagna (Five layers of lasagna noodles, vegan mozzarella, marinara sauce, and vegetables: zucchini, squash, spinach, and onions). We have never left disappointed, and each visit solidifies our love for Ethos.

For more info, see: http://www.ethosvegankitchen.com

Sunday, May 17, 2015, 1:00pm-4:00pm
$15/person, $10 age 60+, Free for kids 10 and under

Capital Memorial Church
3150 Chesapeake Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
www.capitalmemorial.org

It’s our 23rd International Vegetarian Food Fair, featuring food from Asia/Pacific, Caribbean, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and, of course, the U.S. Only $15/person, $10/age 60+, and free for kids 10 and under. A perfect way to introduce kids to ethnic food: just let them take a bite of each dish and see what they like! Learn how delicious healthy food can be. All vegetarian, a lot of vegan items, too (all are labeled). All you can eat, a bite at a time. Please join us and spread the word!

Following are the comments submitted by The Vegetarian Resource Group on the Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. This report will be the basis for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines.

We commend the Dietary Guidelines Advisory committee on the thoroughness of the Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. We strongly support the recommendations included in this report to consume generous amounts of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes and nuts and to reduce consumption of red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, and refined grains. These recommendations are evidence-based and, if followed, will result in substantial health benefits. Many studies have found strong associations between the amount of red and processed meat consumed and risk of death from cancer or cardiovascular disease.^1,2 Researchers from the National Cancer Institute estimated that 11% of deaths in men and 16% of deaths in women could be prevented by people decreasing their red meat consumption.¹ For women, a marked decrease in red meat or processed meat consumption was estimated to prevent about 1 in 5 deaths from cardiovascular disease.¹ Results such as these, as well as results of other studies finding that high intakes of red meat and processed meat have been linked to type 2 diabetes,³ colorectal cancer ^4-6 and breast cancer,^7.8 lend support to the benefits of limiting consumption of red and processed meats.

Substantial health benefits are associated with plant-based diets and with components of plant-based diets including vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.^9-11

Based on the health benefits associated with a plant-based diet and the risks associated with red and processed meats, we strongly support having the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans include a recommendation to limit red and processed meat intake. These products should be replaced with non-animal foods such as legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

We strongly support the inclusion in Dietary Guidelines of a Healthy Vegetarian Pattern as a dietary pattern associated with health benefits. A body of research consistently indicates that a vegetarian dietary pattern is beneficial in the prevention of a number of chronic diseases.¹² Specific information about vegan and lacto-ovo vegetarian diets should be included in the Dietary Guidelines to meet the needs of consumers.

In addition, we applaud the inclusion of information about food sustainability. We agree with the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s statement that “a diet higher in plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and lower in calories and animal based foods is more health promoting and is associated with less environmental impact than is the current U.S. diet.” We support the inclusion of this message in Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015.

The latest edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans represents an opportunity to promote dietary changes that will have a substantial impact on the nation’s health and health care costs and on the global environment. We support the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee that Americans consume less meat and more plant-based foods.

Thank you for your consideration of our comments.

Sincerely,

Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, LDN, FADA

Charles Stahler

Debra Wasserman

The Vegetarian Resource Group

References:

1. Sinha R, Cross AJ, Graubard BI, et al. Meat intake and mortality. A prospective study of over half a million people. Arch intern Med. 2009;169:562-571.

2. Pan A, Sun Q, Bernstein AM, et al. Red meat consumption and mortality: results from 2 prospective cohort studies. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172:555-63.

3. Pan A, Sun Q, Bernstein AM, Manson JE, Willett WC, Hu FB. Changes in red meat consumption and subsequent risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: three cohorts of US men and women. JAMA Intern Med. 2013;173:1328-35.

4. Ferrucci LM, Sinha R, Huang WY, et al. Meat consumption and the risk of incident distal colon and rectal adenoma. Br J Cancer. 2012 Jan 31;106(3):608-16.

5. Ruder EH, Thiébaut AC, Thompson FE, et al. Adolescent and mid-life diet: risk of colorectal cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Dec;94(6):1607-19.

6. Magalhães B, Peleteiro B, Lunet N. Dietary patterns and colorectal cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2012 Jan;21(1):15-23.

7. Cho E, Chen WY, Hunter DJ, et al. Red meat intake and risk of breast cancer among premenopausal women. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:2253-9.

8. Linos E, Willett WC, Cho E, et al. Red meat consumption during adolescence among premenopausal women and risk of breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 Aug;17(8):2146-51.

9. Liu RH. Health-promoting components of fruits and vegetables in the diet. Adv Nutr. 2013;4(3):384S-9.

10. Sabaté J, Ang Y. Nuts and health outcomes: new epidemiologic evidence. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;89(5):1643S-1648S.

11. Messina V. Nutritional and health benefits of dried beans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;100 Suppl 1:437S-42S.

12. Craig WJ, Mangels AR. Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109:1266-1282.

By Lily Donofrio

I met my boyfriend through a mutual friend around 8 months ago. He’s one of those “perfect at everything” kind of fellows, with a wicked GPA and insane athletic abilities. He does a lot of right, and so I take his frequently dished-out opinions seriously. I’m what some people would call a firecracker, so I shoot my opinions right back. What’s great about us is that we challenge each other, which makes life fun and interesting.

Austin has been a sugar-free pescatarian for about 4 years. He is part of the Seventh-day Adventist religion, so he does not take part in the consumption of bottom feeders like pork or shellfish to begin with. Most of his peers are vegetarian, but he decided to keep fish in his life. Our mutual friend influenced him to become sugar free, and eventually he shared the convincing doctrine with me.

Growing up in my redneck town, I was the only vegetarian that anyone knew. It was lonely, but it was worth it. When I met Austin, he wasn’t surprised to learn that I was a vegetarian, because it was such a common occurrence in his religion. Once he learned about my living situation, he understood what a “weird” decision I made about my diet. I loved that he was so accepting of my beliefs and habits. Right around the time we started dating, I decided to step it up and become the type of person I wanted to be, a free thinking vegan.

Austin wasn’t thrilled. He has the mind of an athlete, constantly worried about protein intake and proper nutrition. He knew that I took all of that into consideration when beginning my changes. I did all of my research and I sat him down and explained to him my options and my reasons, describing that I had tons of variety in my diet. He reluctantly gave me his support, declaring an open mind.

A few months into our relationship, Austin signed up for an online health class provided through a college closely associated with his high school. One of the major projects in the course required changing one of your habits in a drastic way for a two week long period, in hopes of improving your health. Participants had to keep a detailed journal for the full 2 weeks. Austin decided to go vegan for the full two weeks. I’m not going to lie; I was so excited. I gave him lists of my favorite vegan foods and essentials to stock up on. With his favorite food being cheese pizza, he was quite nervous. The two weeks began amazingly! His transition to almond milk was hard for him at first, but he developed a taste for it as the diet progressed. He learned that meal planning is helpful. He missed his pizza, but the diet interested him, so he pursued. It was quite successful, he had tons of energy and access to all kinds of foods provided by the health store right down the street from his house.

Unfortunately, after the two week term ended, Austin did not decide to stay fully vegan, as I had hoped. He did stick to almond milk though, and he cut down on his cheese intake, which I find to be a great feat! The project gave him a better understanding of the vegan diet, which made life easier on me (alleviating a good bit of his monitoring). He is now fully supportive of my vegan diet. He says that one of the things he likes best about me is that I stand strong for things I am passionate about, like veganism.

By Lily Donofrio

A Montessori is an alternative schooling system that practices the beliefs and teachings of Maria Montessori. Their main principle is to have students learn at their own pace, creating a willing and excited student. Based off this environment, free thinkers are born.

My area of expertise at the Montessori is in the Nest program. Students in the Nest range from ages 1-2. In this stage of development, human brains are at their most absorbent, much like a sponge. It is crucial to be very cautious of your words and actions around children at this time.

Everyday at 9:30 am, the class convenes for a snack at their kiddie tables with their kiddie chairs and kiddie silverware. The adults in the classroom sit at the ends of the tables, in the same size equipment. Before every meal, we sing a song, reminding us to be thankful:

“Oh, the Earth is good to me,
so I thank the Earth.
For giving me, the things I need
The sun and the rain and the appleseed.
The Earth is good to me.”

The presence of the adults plays a major role in influencing children. It is crucial for the adults to behave how the children are expected to behave, with exceptional table manners and polite table talk.

Many of the children at the Montessori are raised with a vegetarian lifestyle. With its numerous health benefits, who wouldn’t want to raise their children that way? With this knowledge in mind, teachers plan the snacks to be organic, vegetarian, and allergen friendly. Together we’ve made rosemary potatoes, hummus and crackers, quesadillas, yeast rolls with avocado, assorted trail mix, etc.

Every morning, the teachers set out the tools for making the food eaten at snack time. Children may choose to prep the food for themselves and their classmates. This creates a sense of accomplishment for the child, and a knowledge of the ingredients in the food they’re eating. These principles are bound to have an influence on their future diets.

Education on our food and it’s origin will help to reduce obesity and other diet related diseases. Children at Montessori age are a perfect target for nutrition education, and hopefully what we teach them will carry them through life and influence others.

Here are some of the recipes we use with the children:

ROSEMARY POTATOES
– 3 cups of russet potatoes (cut to preference)
– 1/2 cup melted vegan Earth Balance buttery spread
– 5 sprigs of fresh rosemary (chopped)
– Pepper and salt to taste
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, toss, and spread on cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and bake for 25 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and Rosemary is fragrant.

VEGAN QUESADILLAS
– Whole grain tortillas (2 per quesadilla)
– Veganaise or any vegan mayonnaise (2 Tablespoons per quesadilla; one Tablespoon on each tortilla)
– Daiya Cheddar Cheese (or any vegan Cheddar cheese) (1/2 cup per quesadilla)
– Sprinkle of smoked paprika
Spread Veganaise onto each tortilla and place in an olive oil coated pan over medium heat. Sprinkle cheese onto heating tortilla. Place another tortilla on top of cheese. Flip for even cooking. Once the cheese has melted, take the quesadilla off the stove and sprinkle paprika on top. Cut and serve with optional guacamole or salsa.

WILD BERRY TRAIL MIX
(big batch)
– 1 cup shelled walnuts
– 1 cup almonds
– 1 cup cashews
– 1 cup peanuts
– 1/2 cup dehydrated blueberries
– 1/2 cup craisins
Combine and serve!

YEAST ROLLS
– 1 packet active dry yeast
– 4-1/2 cups flour
– 2/3 cup water
– 1 Tablespoon organic sugar
– 2 teaspoons baking powder
– 1 Tablespoon oil

Combine ingredients. Let sit for 30 minutes in a towel covered bowl, allowing the yeast to rise. Place in a greased mini muffin bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Optional toppings or fillings: avocado, Earth Balance vegan buttery spread, cinnamon and sugar, hummus, vegan chocolate hazelnut spread, or whatever your imagination creates.

Lily is a high school student in Florida writing for The Vegetarian Resource Group.

Vegan Microwave Cookbook, by Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD and published by The Vegetarian Resource Group is now available in Kindle format. Just about everyone would like to come home to a pot of soup that’s been slowly simmering on the stave all day. Or wake up to hot muffins in the morning. Unfortunately, unless you have an enchanted kitchen, these dream dishes are probably not going to materialize until you become acquainted with your microwave.

The Vegan Microwave Cookbook is your key to terrific vegan meals. Many of the recipes will take under 10 minutes to cook. Others may be more appropriate for entertaining. Helpful advice includes:

• Converting Traditional Recipes to the Microwave
• If You Can Boil Water, You Can Cook with a Microwave
  
• Microwave Baking and Desserts

• Curries and Casseroles
• Microwave Breakfasts
• Suggestions and Recipes for Holidays, Parties, and Entertaining

Enjoy vegan meals by preparing dishes from Basic “Meat” Balls and Individual Pizzas to Microwave Lasagna or Cilantro-Marinated Tofu. Spice up your day with Curried Greens, Toasted Nachos, or German Potato Salad.

Have a sweet tooth? Try Chocolate Fudge, Graham Cracker Molasses Bread, Chocolate Covered Bananas, and Apple Pie.
You can also purchase this book in print format here: http://www.vrg.org/catalog

By Myrial Holbrook

When you think of Ohio, you probably think of football, elections, and cows, in that order. Here in Columbus, we are passionate about our Ohio State Buckeyes and politics, but we’re also home to a thriving food community that has expanded to include a diverse array of vegan and vegetarian options. So where are these veg hotspots?

The answer: everywhere. From farmers markets to the Short North to closet bistros to burgeoning chains, Columbus is a hotbed of culinary diversity, and vegan/vegetarian options are in no short supply. I’ll give you a taste of the best C-BUS veg eats, but know that you have been warned: these treats are too scrumptious to resist.

My first recommendation for you is the Whole World Natural Bakery and Restaurant in Clintonville. As the first vegetarian restaurant in Columbus, Whole World has achieved near-perfection in crafting both the savory and the sweet. The food is surprisingly affordable, the restaurant itself is small yet intimate, the food is one hundred percent vegetarian, and nearly every menu item has a corresponding vegan option. Customers especially love the vegan burger, tofu sloppy joe, black bean nachos, eggplant meatball sub, and seitan gyro, but you really can’t go wrong with any of the options. Because the restaurant is also a bakery, you simply have to try a dessert. I personally love their pie bars, which come in a variety of flavors, including chocolate coconut, blueberry, chocolate pecan, and lemon. Their cookies and cakes are also divine.

Another must-visit for vegans and vegetarians alike is Portia’s Café. It’s completely vegan, gluten-free, mostly organic, and mostly raw. The café features phenomenal dips: hummus, guacamole, spinach-artichoke (A.K.A. “Spanako), seven-layer, and walnut pâté. For entrées, I love Portia’s Pad Thai, which includes raw kelp noodles tossed in a delicious sauce made from almonds, miso, coconut, lime, lemon juice, Bragg’s aminos, dates, and crushed red pepper. I also like their Spanako Quesadilla, filled with their famous spinach-artichoke dip, brown rice, and Daiya Cheeze. Portia’s desserts are on the lighter side, with options such as raw chocolate or blondie macaroons or fruit and chocolate Cheezecakes. This café is great for a wholesome, no-guilt meal that just might inspire your own cooking. If you visit on a Sunday morning, be sure to try the vegan and gluten-free waffles.

As a final stop in Columbus, visit Northstar Café at one of its three locations. Northstar is not completely vegan or vegetarian, but it merits mention because of its superb veg options and flavors. The service is quick, making it a convenient option for a weeknight or a sit-down dinner destination. The café has great fresh smoothies (my favorite is the blueberry) and cookies (they’re massive), but the savory food is what really gets people excited. The Northstar Burger is a classic favorite, with a homemade patty crafted from a delicious trinity of black beans, brown rice, and beets. The thin crust, whole-wheat, fire-roasted flatbreads are also amazing. The local ingredients and attention to detail make Northstar a crowd-pleasure for both omnivores and herbivores.

The veggie takeover isn’t only happening in the food industry here in Columbus; it’s also thriving in home kitchens. We have farmers markets everywhere that supplement, and even in some cases, supplant, the standard grocery store. My favorite farmers markets are in Worthington and Clintonville, but there are other popular ones in Upper Arlington, Bexley, and just about every suburb in Columbus. Farmers markets are a great place for ingredients and conversations here in Columbus. Every weekend in the summer, I visit my local farmers markets and stock up on leafy greens, peaches, berries, and cooking and growing tips for my own home kitchen and garden.

As you can see, Columbus isn’t just a college town or the epicenter of a swing-state. We’re home to a bustling healthy-living community too. So the next time you’re in Columbus, stop by and try some of these fabulous veg eats. You won’t be disappointed.

Myrial wrote this article while doing an internship with The Vegetarian Resource Group.