A great social life and being vegan can go hand-in-hand!

One important step in your sexy fit vegan journey is discovering how to eat out comfortably and happily… You can’t have a great social life without going out to restaurants with your friends, right?! 

Here’s how I look at it… Truth is, I may not get to be super picky, but there is very rarely a time I go to a restaurant that doesn’t have several menu items that are vegan or can easily be modified to be vegan. In larger markets like Miami, NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc. picking out a vegan option is an easier task, but even in smaller towns it can be done! It’s sometimes good to go online ahead of time to look at menus so you can suggest a restaurant that not only has the atmosphere you and your friends (or date or significant other) are in the mood for, but also has enough vegan-friendly items so that you won’t feel deprived! I actually love going to sushi restaurants because I know I can have edamame, salad, often there is grilled eggplant, mushrooms, &/or shishito peppers (yum!!), and a veggie roll (with brown rice when available)! Even steakhouses can be done (if you are ok with being around all the slabs of red meat on other people’s plates) because they usually have incredible vegetables. Just make sure they are cooked using olive oil instead of butter.

I also want to introduce to you one of the best websites out there for easily finding vegan-friendly restaurants and markets wherever you go… HAPPY COW.NET. It’s easy to use and puts out thorough results. You can filter the results based on the type of restaurant you are looking for, the rating, and price. You can also connect with others on the website and it has a great app for your phone as well. Two other eating out apps that are great for finding vegan-friendly restaurants and menus are VeganXpress and Vegman. All three are worth checking out! 

I also like to look at going out to eat as an opportunity to share my decision to be vegan with others. When I request a vegan meal, people often express interest in why I eat a plant-based diet. I’m given the chance to spread the word about all the benefits of a vegan lifestyle. In turn, others are given the chance to learn something that could improve their own health and allow them to make a difference in the world! A win-win!