Adventures of a Meat Scarce Dieteer....

As a new vegetarian, I understand how difficult it can be to dine out with friends while still maintaining a vegetarian lifestyle. Scanning the menu doesn't feel like you are contemplating the choices, but more like a process of elimination, invariably leaving you with one pathetic excuse of a meal (if you are lucky). Last night, I ordered a chicken spinach salad with everything that was listed in the description except the chicken. This doesn't seem like a terribly complex order, but even after restating it to the flummoxed waiter, I was presented with a bacon topped, iceberg lettuce*, ranch soaked terror of a salad.

Stop playing Russian Roulette with your meals.  Here are a few ways to prevent "eating around the murder" while dining out with carnivorous friends. 

 

1.  Try international restaurants. 

Few countries place as much value on meat as the U.S.  Authentic foreign food restaurants are more likely to put meat in it's place by using less meat in dishes, and providing more vegetarian options.  Some good options are: Ethiopian, Indian, and Japanese.  The trick is to find traditional, culturally authentic restaurants.

2. Skip the entree and order several sides.

Restaurants promote meat as the star of the show.  Shake up this vision by ordering a few veggie sides as your meal. A baked sweet potato, steamed broccoli, and corn on the cob would make a delicious and nutritious meal.

3. Ask the waiter for choices.

Some options on the menu can be made to order.  Salads, meat-topped pasta, pizza, and stir fry are some examples of items that can be made vegetarian with a few slight alterations. 

4. Don't arrive famished.

Have a snack before leaving, and still enjoy the company of friends by having an appetizer as a meal. This helps with portion control, and prevents all the menu mania. Bruschetta or salads are excellent when served as a meal. 

5. I pick......PICNIC! 

My personal favorite:  forgo the restaurant and have a picnic using fresh produce from the grocery store.  Friends, food, and nature what could be better?

*Iceberg lettuce is a nemesis of mine, dating all the way back to June 5, 2011, and I have substantial evidence that it could be directly related to the future downfall of mankind. For more information on the ideology of iceberg lettuce and its correspondence to all that is wrong with the world, please stay tuned...

"eating around the murder" is a phrase coined by the humorous Darrin Lee Humphrey on the very night of this occasion. All Rights Reserved. Use of this term will require expensive royalty fees, lengthy contracts, and perhaps bloodshed. Please proceed with caution.