When I inform someone that I am a vegetarian and have been for most of my life, I get a look of dismay, followed by the question (and one of my biggest pet peeves), “Well, what do you eat then? Steamed vegetables?” No, I do not eat steamed vegetables..who in their right mind would?
It is possible to be a vegetarian and eat good food. For instance, when I go out for Thai food, I substitute tofu for any sort of meat. In Mexican food, I order with black beans as those are most likely not cooked in lard. I even eat fast food..Subway has a veggie delight sandwich, Burger King has the veggie whopper, Taco Bell has the seven layer (you can also substitute meat with beans for any other item) and In N Out has a grilled cheese animal style. And of course we are forgetting the delicious sides that come with these kinds of meals: egg rolls, guacamole, salsa, chips, fries, and onion rings. The list can go on..
And don’t even get me started on the yummy desserts! (The number one reason I could never be a vegan. That, and cheese.)
I have also discovered that vegetarian sushi is possible, and pretty tasty to boot! (I don’t eat fish. Another one of my pet peeves is people thinking I do, despite knowing I am a vegetarian!) My first experience with sushi was a year and a half ago, on a girls’ weekend in San Francisco. I had always wanted to try it, but never knew what to order. Luckily my friend, who is a vegetarian herself and a huge sushi fan, was with me. Since then I was hooked.
This week I went again to a local sushi place and they were very accommodating! My friend and I were able to make our own roll with cucumbers and avocado, with bits of tempura inside. It was delicious. A side benefit: most of the rolls on the menu were $10..ours was only $5.50!
This is the roll we ordered:
Vegetarians do not survive on steamed vegetables alone–there are plenty of wonderful options out there!
Oh, the dreaded “What do you eat?” question. Its right up there with “Where do you get your protein?”
Believe it or not, I have never tried sushi myself! But, for some reason, I’ve recently been craving it. I’ll have to bring along a vegetarian friend like you did 🙂
It’s definitely one of those places you need to go with someone who knows what they are doing and what’s a good place for vegetarian sushi. I know a lot of places that aren’t accommodating at all!
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