Being a Creative Vegan

People seem to always think that eating vegan must be difficult.  My number one answer to the question "isn't being vegan hard?" is that it is super easy for me since I mostly make my own food.  However, when it comes to eating out it is never all that difficult.  If I am going to someones house I try to verify that there will be a salad or some roasted veggies and then offer to bring or ask if they'll have some hummus and pita bread or veggies.  Going to my boyfriend's family's house this is almost never a problem.  They usually have a salad and are pretty good at providing some hummus.  I can make quite a dinner of veggies (raw or roasted) with hummus and some bread.  If you add an avocado in there somewhere I might feel like I am eating better than everyone else is.

When it comes to restaurants it gets a little more complicated.  I do frequent a few vegetarian restaurants with many vegan options but that is usually just my boyfriend and I.  If we are joining family members for a meal of their choosing it is time for me to get creative.

Today was my boyfriend's sisters birthday and her breakfast choice was Ihop.  My first reaction was "What the heck am I going to be able to eat there?". Then I checked out their menu and continued along that line of thinking.  Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, omelets....oh dear.  Then I saw that they had a fruit bowl.  And hash browns.  And toast.  And I knew I was set.  I ended up getting all three and adding omelet toppings to my hash browns.  They had spinach, tomatoes, onions and green peppers.  I also got coffee and orange juice.

I kid you not when I say that this was the best breakfast at the table and I was so excited to get to eat such a yummy, creative breakfast.  Proof that, being creative, a vegan can eat just about anywhere in this meat and potatoes world we live in.