What Can I Eat at A Vegan Restaurant?

Wondering what you can eat when joining a vegan friend for dinner? It’s actually pretty easy. If you consider the fact that both True Paleo and a vegan approach to eating share the emphasis on local, fresh, seasonal veggies, good fats like avocado and coconut and olive oils along with some nuts in moderation, the only difference, and it is a big one, of course, is the sources of protein. However, this needn’t be ground for a friend-divorce.    I have a dear friend who’s vegan and we can dine at both vegan eateries as well as those that serve animal proteins and both find a suitable meal. Don’t forget…former vegan myself, here.. While eating a good balance of macro nutrients at each meal is ideal, if, in the big scheme of things, you have a meal that is not high enough in protein but has ample fat with the veggies and / or fruit to keep the glycemic load low (versus eating, say, a big bowl of high glycemic fruit on its own), you’ll be able to stay perfectly Paleo even at a vegan eatery. Just yesterday I popped into the local Cafe Gratitude in Venice and while perusing the menu, saw several very valid options. Yet one more example of a type of cuisine that can be suitable for a meal now and then. Please, however, do not confuse this with the idea that there is some such thing as ‘vegan paleo’. The two, by definition cannot exist simultaneously. That phrase is no different than a vegan steak eater or a Paleo approach with a focus on tempeh, soy and TVP as the protein source. You might be Paleo, or you might be vegan, or you may have found your own balance of eating foods that you’ve tested and have found make you feel fantastic and have omitted those that do not. Find your own approach, indeed, but let’s not go categorizing things erroneously. That’s just too much confusing information in a space already hyper saturated with misinformation.