There s no law that says once you become a vegan or vegetarian, you must be 100% pure forevermore. It doesn t have to be all or nothing.

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Meghan Mason
5 years ago
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2 A Personal Message from the Author When I first became vegetarian, I refused to eat anything cooked on the same grill as meat. But sometimes, the only way a restaurant could accommodate my request was to microwave my food. And I also shunned microwave ovens, so it was very hard to accommodate me! Now I do the best I can. But I also realize that I m living in a compromised world. I could stay house-bound for the rest of my life. But I don t want to give up traveling and socializing to be 100% pure. I try to avoid eggs and dairy products at restaurants. But if an Indian restaurant is my best option -- vs. eating French fries and iceberg lettuce -- I won t fret about the ghee that s probably in my food. (Ghee is clarified butter.) And that demonstrates an important point. It s OK to give yourself a little slack There s no law that says once you become a vegan or vegetarian, you must be 100% pure forevermore. It doesn t have to be all or nothing. If you make occasional exceptions, it doesn t mean you ve betrayed your ideals. It doesn t cancel out the good choices you make the rest of the time. You won t be stripped of your identity as a vegan or vegetarian. Don t worry what other vegans or vegetarians might think. You don t have to answer to anyone but yourself. Sometimes, it s better to make a small compromise than to alienate your friends, or eat junk food that s loaded with artificial ingredients, but happens to be 100% veg-friendly. See situations from the server s point of view When I ask for special plates or substitutions (which is normal!), I remind myself that the servers are just trying to do a good job. I know my fussiness seems exorbitant to them. So I make sure to thank them for their extra effort. Prevent challenges ahead of time If a friend invites me to meet at a certain restaurant, I ll look for their menu online to see if they have something I can eat. If there s no menu online, I ll call and ask what they have for vegans. If there s nothing good, I ll suggest another place. Right now I m just scratching the surface of this topic. In The Vegan / Vegetarian Mastery Program, you ll learn to gracefully turn down food in someone s home and get your needs met at social gatherings, without overburdening the host with special requests. 1

3 You ll also learn to disarm and educate people who challenge or criticize your diet. You ll discover these strategies in the lesson called How to Gracefully Overcome Social Challenges. To learn more about the Mastery Program, visit Eating On The Road And At Airports I strongly prefer whole foods to flour products and processed foods. This makes it hard to get fed at airports and on road trips. However, here are strategies I ve come up with MEXICAN RESTAURANTS are my favorite, because they all have beans, guacamole, and romaine lettuce. That s all I need to make a meal. And some have grilled vegetables too! Some healthy burrito places even offer brown rice and whole wheat tortillas. And they use vegetable oil, not lard, in their refried beans. But most Mexican restaurants only serve white rice. And some cook it with chicken stock. Likewise, tortillas are sometimes made with lard. So I tell them to hold the rice and tortilla shell. (Besides, white rice and flour tortillas are both refined foods.) I also request whole beans -- not refried. If they only have refried beans, I make sure they re free of lard before ordering. I also make sure the guacamole is free of sour cream (which sometimes contains gelatin). When I insist that I only want beans, guacamole and romaine lettuce (and grilled veggies, if available), the counter people sometimes look baffled. They can t imagine a Mexican plate without a tortilla and rice! But why should I burden my digestive system with empty calories when I can have a plate of whole foods? Ironically, the counterperson often charges me a very low price. Why? The plate they make me is nowhere on the menu. And without meat, rice, or a tortilla shell, they figure it can t be worth very much! I usually decline the corn chips, because most non-organic corn grown in the U.S. is genetically modified. ASIAN RESTAURANTS (Chinese, Japanese, etc.) are my second choice because they all offer vegetable plates. Some have brown rice. And most have tofu. Unfortunately, most non-organic soy grown in the U.S. is genetically modified. Only you can decide which is more important to you: avoiding GMO food or including tofu on your vegetable plate. 2

4 Also be aware that some Asian restaurants use oyster sauce and fish sauce in their vegetarian dishes. For complete details, refer to the pages that follow. INDIAN RESTAURANTS always have vegetarian food. However, if you re vegan, be sure to ask which dishes are made with ghee (clarified butter). Some Indian food is spicy, so it s natural to cut the spiciness by eating it with rice. However, the buffets at many Indian restaurants include raws lettuce and cucumbers. In these cases, I combine spicy food with cucumbers instead of rice. For the reasons mentioned above, I tell them to hold the nan (a fried bread made from white flour). ITALIAN RESTAURANTS. Pasta is a refined food -- just like white rice. So I personally avoid Italian restaurants. However, if eating pasta is the only option, spaghetti and tomato sauce is a safe meal for both vegans and vegetarians. To their credit, Italian restaurants usually have romaine lettuce for their Cesar salads. The last time I bought food from an Italian restaurant was at an airport. I asked for a plate of plain romaine lettuce -- without the croutons or dressing. (Cesar dressing sometimes contains anchovies.) Then I bought guacamole from a nearby Mexican restaurant and used it as dressing. GROCERY STORES are a good option when you re on a road trip. I ll sometimes stop at a grocery store, and buy a container of hummus along with a cucumber or a bag of pre-washed salad greens. I can slice up the cucumber and dip it in the hummus. Plus, more and more conventional grocery stores have a small Natural section where you can find packaged foods without the artificial ingredients. For example, you can buy a natural cereal and soy milk. Or you can buy natural peanut butter and then eat it on whole wheat bread or apples. What about eating at hotels and conferences? That s beyond the scope of this booklet. But in The Vegan / Vegetarian Mastery Program, you ll learn to eat well while traveling -- even with no refrigeration. You ll discover our techniques and strategies in the lesson called How to Eat Well While Traveling. Restaurant Foods That May Not Be Vegetarian ASIAN STIR FRY DISHES are often made with oyster sauce. It s a viscous dark brown sauce commonly used in Chinese, Filipino, Thai, Khmer, and Cantonese restaurants. Tip: ask your server if the food you want is made with oyster sauce. If so, get them to leave it out or order something else. BAKED GOODS may contain any of the ingredients below. Tip: buy them at a grocery store, where you can read the ingredients. 1) Capric acid (aka decanoic acid), stearic acid (aka octadecenoic acid), or palmatic acid, all of which come from animal fat. 2) Lecithin, which can come from animal tissue or egg yolks. 3) Glucose (dextrose) which is sometimes derived from animal tissues and fluids. 3

5 4) Myristic acid (tetradecanoic acid) which is sometimes derived from animal fats. 5) Sodium stearoyl lactylate, which may be derived from cows, hogs or milk. 6) Oleic acid (oleinic acid) which is sometimes derived from animal tallow. BEER is sometimes filtered using a clarifying agent derived from any number of animal sources. Common sources are egg whites, gelatin, milk, casein, and isinglass (a gelatin made from fish). Tip: order water, tea, or fresh squeezed juice. BEVERAGES may contain oleic acid (oleinic acid) which is sometimes derived from animal tallow. Tip: order water, tea, or fresh squeezed juice. BUTTER (SYNTHETIC) may contain oleic acid (oleinic acid) which is sometimes derived from animal tallow. Tip: ask for olive oil instead. CAESAR SALAD DRESSING contains anchovies and sometimes bacon. Tip: ask for olive oil and vinegar, or olive oil and some lemon wedges that you can squeeze over your salad. CEREAL may contain lecithin, which is sometimes derived from phospholipids from animal tissues or egg yolks. Tip: order oatmeal, which is just rolled oats with no additives. CHEESE often contains three animal ingredients: 1) rennet (aka rennin), which comes from an animal s stomach, 2) pepsin, an enzyme from a pig s stomach, and 3) oleic acid, which comes from animal fat. Tip: ask for avocado or hummus instead. CHOCOLATE may contain myristic acid (tetradecanoic acid) which is sometimes derived from animal fats. Tip: buy chocolate in grocery stores (where you can read the ingredients). COLORED PASTA AND BOTTLED JUICES sometimes contains carmine (aka carminic acid or cochineal), a red coloring made from insects. Tip: order plain pasta that s not colored, and order water, tea, or fresh squeezed juice. CONDIMENTS may contain oleic acid (oleinic acid) which is sometimes derived from animal tallow. Tip: if using ketchup or mustard, read the ingredient label first. If the condiment is in the kitchen (such as BBQ or Teriyaki sauce), ask to read the ingredients label before ordering. FROSTING may contain glucose (dextrose) which is sometimes derived from animal tissues and fluids. Tip: if the frosting is made from scratch, find out what it contains from the chef. If not, ask to read the ingredient label. Or just wait and buy dessert at a grocery store, where you can read the label. FRUIT JUICE is sometimes filtered using a clarifying agent derived from any number of animal sources. Common sources are egg whites, gelatin, milk, casein, and isinglass (a gelatin made from fish). Tip: order water, tea, or fresh squeezed juice. 4

6 GARLIC SALT sometimes contains calcium stearate, derived from cows or hogs. Tip: ask the server if the cook can add minced garlic to your meal while preparing it. GUACAMOLE sometimes contains sour cream, which sometimes contains gelatin. Tip: ask your server if the guacamole is made from scratch. If so, does it contain sour cream? And if so, ask to see the ingredient label on the sour cream. If the guacamole comes from a package, ask to read the ingredient label. ICE CREAM sometimes contains capric acid (aka decanoic acid) and oleic acid, both of which come from animal fat. May also contain myristic acid (tetradecanoic acid) which is sometimes derived from animal fats. May also contain oleic acid (oleinic acid) which is sometimes derived from animal tallow. Tip: ask your sweet tooth to be patient, then buy your ice cream at a grocery store where you can read the ingredient label. JELLO, MARSHMALLOWS, and some FROSTED CEREALS contain gelatin (the protein from bones, cartilage, tendons, and skin of pigs or other animals). Tip: avoid these products. MARGARINE sometimes contains the animal fats suet and tallow, as well as gelatin, whey powder, and lecithin -- which can come from animal tissue or egg yolks. Tip: ask for olive oil instead. MEXICAN SAUCES sometimes contain meat stock. Tip: ask the server if the food you want has a sauce made with meat stock. If so, either get them to leave it out, or order something else. PANCAKE MIXES sometimes contain sodium stearoyl lactylate which may be derived from cows, hogs or animal milk. Tip: order oatmeal, which is just rolled oats with no additives. PASTRIES sometimes contain suet, an animal fat. Tip: if the pastries are made from scratch, find out what they contain from the chef. If not, ask to read the ingredient label. Or order a bowl of fruit for dessert. Or wait and buy pastries at a grocery store, where you can read the label. PIE CRUSTS sometimes contain lard. Tip: ask your server if the pie crust is made from scratch. If so, find out if it was made with lard. If not, ask to read the ingredient label. Or order a bowl of fruit for dessert. Or wait and buy pie at a grocery store, where you can read the label. PUDDING sometimes contains sodium stearoyl lactylate which may be derived from cows, hogs or animal milk. Tip: ask your server if the pudding is made from scratch. If so, find out what it was made with. If not, ask to read the ingredient label. Or order a bowl of fruit for dessert. Or wait and buy pudding at a grocery store, where you can read the label. PROCESSED OR PACKAGED FOODS may contain glycerides (mono-, di-, and triglycerides) which are sometimes derived from animal fats. May also contain natural 5

7 flavorings which could be from meat or other animal products. Tip: find out which menu items are prepared fresh, and are free of processed/packaged ingredients. REFRIED BEANS and FLOUR TORTILLAS sometimes contain lard. However, this is most common at traditional Mexican restaurants. Modern eateries like Rubio s, Baja Fresh, and High Tech Burrito use vegetable oil. Tip: ask for whole beans, not refried. If whole beans aren t available, find out what type of fat the refried beans are made with. You can also request the fillings you want on a plate, not in a tortilla shell. SALAD DRESSING sometimes contains calcium stearate, derived from cows or hogs. Tip: ask for olive oil and vinegar, or olive oil and some lemon wedges that you can squeeze over your salad. SOFT DRINKS are sometimes filtered using a clarifying agent derived from any number of animal sources. Common sources are egg whites, gelatin, milk, casein, and isinglass (a gelatin made from fish). Soft drinks may also contain glucose (dextrose) which is sometimes derived from animal tissues and fluids. Tip: order water, tea, or fresh squeezed juice. SOUPS that appear vegetarian sometimes contain beef or chicken stock. Tip: if the soup is made from scratch, find out from the chef if it s made with chicken stock or beef stock. If not, ask to read the ingredient label. SOUR CREAM AND YOGURT sometimes contain gelatin. Tip: ask to read the ingredient labels. VEGETABLE FATS AND OILS may contain oleic acid (oleinic acid) which is sometimes derived from animal tallow. Tip: before ordering, ask what kind of oil is used to prepare the food you want, then ask to see the ingredient label. VEGETABLE OIL SPRAYS sometimes contain lecithin, which can come from animal tissue or egg yolks. Tip: before ordering, ask what kind of oil is used to prepare the food you want, then ask to see the ingredient label. VINEGAR is sometimes filtered using a clarifying agent derived from any number of animal sources. Common sources are egg whites, gelatin, milk, casein, and isinglass (a gelatin made from fish). Tip: ask for lemon juice or lemon wedges instead. WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE contains anchovies. Tip: avoid it. WINE is sometimes filtered using a clarifying agent derived from any number of animal sources. Common sources are egg whites, gelatin, milk, casein, and isinglass (a gelatin made from fish). Tip: order water, tea, or fresh squeezed juice. 6

8 Foods That Are Vegetarian, But Not Always Vegan CAKES, CRACKERS, and BREADS sometimes contain whey, a milk protein. They may also contain sodium stearoyl lactylate which may be derived from cows, hogs or animal milk. Tip: if they re made from scratch, find out if whey is used from the chef. If not, ask to see the ingredient label. FOOD COLORING may contain lutein, a deep yellow coloring sometimes derived from egg yolks. Tip: before ordering, find out if the food you re ordering contains food coloring. GUACAMOLE - sometimes contains sour cream, which sometimes contains gelatin. Tip: if it s made from scratch, find out from the chef if it contains sour cream. If not, ask to see the ingredient label. SOY CHEESE usually contains casein a milk protein. Tip: ask to see the ingredient label. 7

A Personal Message from the Author

A Personal Message from the Author When I first became vegetarian, I refused to eat anything cooked on the same grill as meat. But sometimes, the only way a restaurant could accommodate my request was