One of the most common concerns for new vegetarians is eating out with friends, or finding places to eat in a new city. Fortunately, more and more restaurants are tuning in to America´s health, and are offering lighter entrees and options for those who wish to avoid meat, fish and fowl. In fact, for lacto-ovo vegetarians, dining out will likely be a breeze, whereas vegans may have to take a few extra steps in the planning stages.

Eating out with friends

The kind of company you keep will determine how enjoyable your experiences will be with your newly found diet. It is true that a vegetarian can eat almost anywhere, but unless you´re in the mood for salad and a baked potato, a steak house doesn´t always cut it. It´s important to communicate with your dining companions how flexible you are so you can always bow out if the group isn´t receptive to ethnic cuisine or vegetarian restaurants. This is not to say that you should always be in the driver´s seat concerning where to eat out, but if it matters to you, you should definitely have some input.

Here are some ideas of vegetarian friendly items that will help you keep your social calendar full:

• Steak House: Salad bar, baked potato, macaroni and cheese, side vegetable, dinner roll


• Italian: fried cheese, minestrone, pasta primavera, fettucine alfredo


• Mexican: chips and salsa, bean tacos (make sure the beans do not contain lard), spanish rice (make sure the rice is not cooked in chicken stock), vegetable fajitas


• Chinese: Most tofu dishes (be careful, some dishes include ground pork), sauteed spinach and garlic, vegetable egg rolls, vegetable dumplings


• Japanese: Edamame, seaweed salad, vegetarian sushi (inari, avocado maki, gommae)


• Greek: hummus and pita, baba ghannouj, grape leaves, tabbouleh

In general, vegetarians will have better luck at ethnic restaurants, such as Thai, Indian and Lebanese. There are usually large vegetarian sections on such menus, but if not, most places will make a dish meatless on request.

Eating out while traveling

The more strict your vegetarian diet, the less spontaneous your travel. Before embarking on an adventure in a new city, it is a good idea to check out sites such as citysearch.com to get a heads up on the restaurants at your destination. City sites will normally group restaurants by cuisine or location, which will make meal planning a little easier on your vacation.

Another good resource for eats out of town is the local vegetarian organization. Some groups hold monthly dinner meetings and would be delighted to include out-of-town guests at such events. Local health food stores are also good spots to get the skinny on local vegetarian, or vegetarian-friendly eating establishments.

If you are traveling to a large city, your needs are likely to be accommodated for the greater portion of your trip. On the other hand, if you are visiting a more rural or remote location, you may want to look into booking a hotel room with a kitchenette or microwave oven. In that instance, you can pick up a few staples at a corner grocery store and enjoy home cooking on the road.

In any event, dining out can be just as enjoyable as a vegetarian than it ever was before. Happy Eating!