So I Married A Flesh-Eater

On The Road
by Kira Sampson

he kids want to go to McDonald's, your partner wants to go to a steak house -- what do you do?? Well, don't be so quick to reject that steak house -- I recently ate at a steak house in the heart of Oklahoma cattle country (near the Texas state line), and they offered a vegetable plate as one of their entrees. True, the carrots were so overdone they melted in your mouth (not something you want carrots to do!), and I have a sneaking suspicion the green beans may have been cooked with bacon or pork, but at least they were trying.

The point is, most restaurants can be veg-friendly if you know what to ask for -- even fast food restaurants. Wendy's usually has a salad bar; even KFC has a variety of vegetables to choose from. No, it's not what you would cook at home, and it may not be a particularly balanced meal, but for those times when you either can't find a vegetarian restaurant or your family wants some "normal" food, you can find alternatives (although since they discontinued salads in most locations, McDonald's may not be one of them).

What do you look for? Think Mexican: guacamole, bean burritos, tostadas. Or think Chinese: stir-fried vegetables, tofu, spring rolls (check with you waiter, though -- even dishes which are all-vegetable may have meat-based sauces). Most "American-style" restaurants are very health conscious these days, and offer "lite" or "heart-smart" alternatives, some of which are vegetarian or can be easily modified to make them vegetarian. Don't hesitate to speak up and ask for what you want. The more of us that do that, the more likely restaurants are to start including vegetarian choices.

If you're a purist, and don't want to consume animal products of any kind in even the most minute amounts, you may have a more difficult time. Those Mexican restaurants may use lard in their refried beans, desserts may contain gelatin, soups may be made with meat or chicken stock, and casein and whey are everywhere! You have to be willing to question the waiters closely and even talk to the chef if necessary. And be prepared for the fact that many of the dishes served come pre-packaged from food suppliers, so the restaurant personnel may not be aware of their ingredients. If that is the case, though, there should be an ingredients list somewhere -- you just have to persuade them to find it.

Of course, by this time your family may be crawling under the table in embarrassment, and many of us would be tempted at this point to smile sheepishly and say, "Never mind." Don't do it! Stand up for your beliefs, and let your family know that this is something that is important to you. Maybe now they will be a little more understanding when you cook meals at home -- and maybe they'll be a little more willing to go to a vegetarian restaurant next time!

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Kira Sampson is a writer, homeschool mother, news editor, and editor/publisher of two newsletters, one for her local homeschool group and the other for a local writer's group.

She is also one of the Founders of People for Children & Animals, Inc. Her column, One Woman's Perspective, is a regular feature of VegSource On-Line Magazine.