Great Places to Find Vegan Food

Being a vegan has many benefits, but convenience has not traditionally been one of them. Over the years, vegans have often had to either eat raw food or make their own fruit and veggie creations. Packaged snacks and convenience foods for vegans were few and far between.

But today, it’s not so difficult to find vegan foods. In fact, most grocery stores carry a respectable selection of vegan foods, including some meat and dairy substitutes. Many of these items aren’t marketed as vegan, so you may have to do some detective work to find them. But there is help available online. PETA has a handy guide to vegan groceries on their website at http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/default.asp.

Another good place to find vegan food is your local farmer’s market or produce stand. There you’ll find fresh, locally grown produce that hasn’t been touched by preservatives. Farmer’s market vendors also often carry sauces, dressings and other locally made items that do not contain animal products.

Health food stores usually have vast selections of vegan items. They feature veggie burgers and hot dogs, soy cheeses, non-dairy frozen treats, and much more. And these stores are no longer just found in major metropolitan areas. Most smaller cities have at least one or two health food stores these days.

You can also order vegan foods online. A growing number of grocery stores are now offering online ordering and will either ship your order or deliver it to your door. There are even some vegan grocery stores that sell online, such as Food Fight Grocery.

Dining Out as a Vegan

It wasn’t long ago that eating out as a vegan was next to impossible. Few restaurants had any vegan choices besides salad, and fast food chains rarely had that. While there still aren’t as many choices for vegans as there are for meat eaters, prospects have improved significantly.

Most restaurants have at least one or two menu items that are suitable for the vegan diet. And an increasing number have entire menu sections of vegan choices. Most fast food restaurants have salads, and some have other items that vegans can eat.

There are also restaurants that specialize in vegan fare. These are most often found in larger cities, but as the popularity of veganism grows, so does the number of areas where vegan restaurants can be found. You can easily locate vegan restaurants in your area online.

Finding vegan food is much easier than it once was. A trip to any grocery store will yield many options, and if you want more, chances are there’s a store nearby that has what you’re looking for. There has never been a better time to go vegan.