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When you’re doing the cooking, being a vegan isn’t so difficult. There are many items you can make at home that do not require meat or animal products. You can make substitutions to mixes you buy at the store, and you can find delicious recipes in vegan cookbooks. But when you walk out your front door, it gets a little more complicated.

It’s true that vegans have fewer options when dining out than most people. But don’t despair. Veganism does not doom you to a life of never going out to eat with friends and family. There are few restaurants where a vegan can’t find anything at all to eat.

Fast Food

Eating at a fast food restaurant is usually rather tricky when you’re avoiding animal products. Most chains feature hamburgers or chicken as the main menu item. One might wonder if there is anything at a fast food restaurant you can eat other than the French fries. Luckily, many fast food restaurants have items that can be made vegan with a few small adjustments.

Most fast food establishments now offer salads, something that was nearly unheard of in years past. Some only have side salads, but others offer a variety of options. These salads often include pieces of chicken, bacon bits, cheese, or other animal products, but most restaurants will leave off these items if you ask.

If you’re not in the mood for salad, you could always request a bun with veggies and no meat. Add some condiments, and it could actually be quite tasty.

Casual and Fine Dining

Most sit-down restaurants offer at least a few options for vegans. Virtually all of them serve salad, but you’re rarely limited to that these days. An increasing number of restaurants are adding vegan items to their menus, and some have an entire section dedicated to foods that do not include animal products.

Even restaurants that do not consciously cater to vegans usually have items that can be modified to meet your needs. Vegetables could be prepared without butter or using non-dairy butter substitutes, pasta could be served with meat-free sauce, and breakfast plates could be served with fresh fruit instead of eggs and meat.

There are some restaurants that serve only vegan cuisine. They’re not on every corner, but many areas have them. Such restaurants offer lots of variety in their menus, making them favorites of vegans who are tired of going through menus with a fine-toothed comb just to find something they can eat. Check the Yellow Pages or a travel guide, or search online to find vegan restaurants in your area or the area you’re visiting.

Eating out as a vegan might seem like an impossible task, but it’s not. While it’s unfortunate that many vegans do not have access to exclusively vegan restaurants, there are items at most restaurants that satisfy their requirements. And remember, if you’re in doubt, you can always call ahead.