how paraniod are you?
Okay, so...I'm finding more and more frequently I am getting really stressed about the POSSIBLITY that the staff at the restaurants I sometimes eat at use animal products when I order something. Not like they sit around planning on how to make my life harder or less pleasant. More like, "oops, we used real milk instead of soy in her americano....she'll never know the diff..." I learned pretty quickly after going vegan that most restaurants are out of the question, one of my biggest hangups though, is Starbucks. I get and iced americano with soy (actually two ventis of it) a day ::)
I usually verbally confirm with them, "with soy, right?" when I take my drink but if i sense even the slightest hesitancy I get super paranoid....Do you guys deal with this? What have you found helpful? I really don't want to cut out starbucks all together, but its causing some serious stress. heheh...probally the caffeine doesn't help with stress levels... :P
Starbucks is one place I rarely worry. One, I can easily tell the difference between soy and milk and if it is not right, I hand it back and ask them to fix it, saying I am terribly allergic to milk and I would not want to have an allergic reaction here! This has only happened twice, however.
I have had what you describe at our local dive. I have one cook who is there mornings who understands and goes out of her way to accommodate, but she is the only one. I am allowed to bring in a Boca and a veggie slice for her to do me a patty melt just right. It is nice for a change. I would not eat anyone else's food, period.
I don't get where some people think we don't know the difference. At this point, the very smell of moo juice will turn my stomach. When the grill next door and I am thinking ewww that flesh is rancid, because it smells it. All cheese smells like filthy feet too. I guess they think this sort of thing is a joke. Look at the stupid vegan who can't tell she is eating meat. This is why I tell people I am deathly allergic to animal products and like you don't really want me to be sick here, do you?
So yeah, I am paranoid.
glad to know I'm not the only starbucks junky here...As a rule, they do seem very accommodating. My drink is actually significantly more customized than I make it sound on here but they are usually awesome about it.I just worry about the few times when i taste it and it doesn't seem QUITE right. I switched to starbucks when i went vegan from a local chain. I always like to support local business but they claim they cannot blend my coffee unless they add strange powders to (powders that do not have the ingredients even when you ask for the company email address to ask...)
Ladydragonfly, I can see myself being the way you are about it one day in the not-so-distant future. I thought taco bell was pretty veg friendly but then they put cheese in my taco two visits in a row...I was so mad the second time that i went back (I was int eh drive through with my sister) and told them I was deathly allergic to dairy and that they need to be SURE there is absolutely NO cheese or sour cream in my barrito...then they subbed out the beans with meat...even though I didn't bite into eh meat (which evetone is lucky for that one, cause I was about to flip..) but i realized that even if they RE-RE-did my order I could never trust them again....
I trust subway because I can WATCH them assemble my sandwich...you just gotta watch the meat covered knives they use to slice the bread with...
what was the number one earth friendly restaurant?
I never worry, honestly. I can taste the difference between soy and the real milk. So, as soon as I realize it's not soy, I tell them and they re-make it. This, however, has never happened to me in a chain coffee shop like Starbucks. It has happened to me once in a small, local one though.
I'm also not bothered if they use the same utensils for dairy/meat as they do for my food. I'm not kosher! I'm just vegan. I'm sure in restaurants I eat off plates that had meat on them. And god only knows where they cook my veggies and veggie burger. I can't control it. So, I just don't worry about it.
In terms of restaurants ... I rarely go out to eat, honestly. I'm too much of a health freak to do so! I'd go out to eat if there were quality restaurants in my area. But, beyond fast food, we just have places like Chilis. We have ONE semi-decent Japanese restaurant. But, that's about it.
I'm planning on moving to San Diego in Spring 2008. I am super excited about that, as I've been researching the area (and have been there), and there are SO many vegan/vegetarian restaurants. Quite exciting for me.
i am exspecially for little stuff like chicken broth and butter
i went to a chinese restaurant for the first time and got mai fun with veggies and i (never having tasted it before) had no idea what it was cooked in and i tried to ask the waiter and she couldnt even name the veggies in it (she new in america but I congratulate her for tolerating and being very polite even with her very little english)
ohhhhh well
starbucks does a great job. they mark there cups. and repeat your order back to you.
and you can even watch them make it if you want. i love that beautiful blue box they use. haha.
Starbucks is one place I rarely worry. One, I can easily tell the difference between soy and milk and if it is not right, I hand it back and ask them to fix it, saying I am terribly allergic to milk and I would not want to have an allergic reaction here! This has only happened twice, however.
I have had what you describe at our local dive. I have one cook who is there mornings who understands and goes out of her way to accommodate, but she is the only one. I am allowed to bring in a Boca and a veggie slice for her to do me a patty melt just right. It is nice for a change. I would not eat anyone else's food, period.
I don't get where some people think we don't know the difference. At this point, the very smell of moo juice will turn my stomach. When the grill next door and I am thinking ewww that flesh is rancid, because it smells it. All cheese smells like filthy feet too. I guess they think this sort of thing is a joke. Look at the stupid vegan who can't tell she is eating meat. This is why I tell people I am deathly allergic to animal products and like you don't really want me to be sick here, do you?
So yeah, I am paranoid.
Ha ha ha. I use the "deathly allergic" line everywhere. I find when I tell them this they try a little bit harder to get it right. I still love Starbucks. I stick with an iced coffee, black. It's hard to mess that up. :o
I am ery paranoid. I will only eat in vegan and vegetarian restaurants. My fear that meat was cooked on the same grill or at the same time is so great!! ALso the chicken broth idea worries me, esp in CHinese places. They dont seem to understand that vegans and vegetarians dont eat it!!
i RARELY eat out due to my paranoia (extreme) of this same thing
i mean, even the dinnerware, they're just pushed through a highpressure "water blower" so what if the patron that had the plate before me had a steak...ewwww!!! soooo terrible, so, terrible
I'm just a little confused on why it matters if the plate you're eating on had meat on it previously. You didn't buy the meat, you didn't contribute to the industry. The plate has been washed.
Does this apply to when you're over at someone's house? Do you bring your own plate? Cook your own food on seperate pans?
Is this like a new vegan movement ... like in the Jewish religion there is the whole kosher thing.
Personally, I'd find it really restricting and a hindrance to avoid all this. I'm content as long as my money doesn't go into unethical companies, i.e. the meat and animal byproduct industry.
I'm not trying to put anyone on the spot ... I've just never met any vegans who cared about this. So, it's interesting to me. :)
I'm just a little confused on why it matters if the plate you're eating on had meat on it previously. You didn't buy the meat, you didn't contribute to the industry. The plate has been washed.
Does this apply to when you're over at someone's house? Do you bring your own plate? Cook your own food on seperate pans?
Is this like a new vegan movement ... like in the Jewish religion there is the whole kosher thing.
Personally, I'd find it really restricting and a hindrance to avoid all this. I'm content as long as my money doesn't go into unethical companies, i.e. the meat and animal byproduct industry.
I'm not trying to put anyone on the spot ... I've just never met any vegans who cared about this. So, it's interesting to me. :)
the plates really aren't always "washed" all that well, and,
i rarely eat other's cooking, when i'm at their house--i don't really have any vegans in my "inner circle"
but, other than that, it's just a "hang up" i have
it's not a "new vegan movement"--at least, not that i'm aware of, i'm sure i'm just an extreme person...dunno, but, i guess that's why this is a good topic--to find out!
the plates really aren't always "washed" all that well, and,
i rarely eat other's cooking, when i'm at their house--i don't really have any vegans in my "inner circle"
but, other than that, it's just a "hang up" i have
it's not a "new vegan movement"--at least, not that i'm aware of, i'm sure i'm just an extreme person...dunno, but, i guess that's why this is a good topic--to find out!
I understand. I think we all have our obsessions. Now that I think about it, mine is germs. I'm pretty obsessive about not touching anything in public restrooms. I'm the woman you see touching everything through a paper towel or with her foot.
starbucks does a great job. they mark there cups. and repeat your order back to you.
and you can even watch them make it if you want. i love that beautiful blue box they use. haha.
That must be in the States--here in Spain they cleverly stack all the cakes, cups for sale and other junk on the counter in such a way that NO WAY can you see what's going on back there. And I'm quite sure it's done on purpose.
I dislike paying upwards of $4 for a cup of coffee that is served to me in a cardboard cup with my name scrawled on it! I prefer to go to Cafe de Indias, a local chain with no brushed steel counters, where I can see what they're doing and get a proper coffee in a proper porcelain cup for less than $2, and where I can sit at a comfortable table for as long as I like. Here in the local Starbucks they tend to expect you to take your cardboard mug and go...quickly please. Once they've got your money you're in the way.
Try not to be so paranoid. All you can do is try your best. Being vegan is about making a difference. It's not about being perfect. Besides the more we request special stuff at restaurants, the more people will realize that there is actually a demand for vegan food. They may even consider changing up their menu a bit if enough people ask question and make special requests.
Look, if we all hide out at our safe little restaurants, we're not going to make as big of an impact as if we communicate to others about veganism. Now, this in mind, I'm not saying we should all go to the Cracker Barrel and demand something vegan. But if you go to places that seem somewhat veg/service/custom order friendly then you're making a difference!
Now, this in mind, I'm not saying we should all go to the Cracker Barrel and demand something vegan.
I've done this, it wasn't pretty. I was forced to go to Cracker Barrel with my boyfriend's family after I was forced to go to church.. not a good day for me. I think I got a nice packet of saltines!
So I'll put in my 2 cents here... I only go to vegetarian restaurants for eating out purposes. After a long time of being vegan, I've concluded that for me there's not much of a difference between supporting the meat industry and supporting the people who buy from them in vast quantities. I guess I'm one of those militant types. Usually when I go to a non-veg restaurant I'll get maybe a drink. And steal pieces of lettuce from people.
Paranoid? Not so much. Just a little irritated sometimes. An ovo-lacto-vege speaking here, with strong appreciation for veganics.
What really grates my cheese ;) is how afraid of vegetables and vege products some people are. They just won't think outside the box. Take for example the following... Surely it'd be logical to use vege stock, rather than chicken stock, in vege-based soups served in cafes/restaurants? This would allow more types of customers to eat it happily. But no; carnivorous omnivores are so used to having meat in every meal. And yeah, we can taste the difference, and my digestion knows it too.
And perhaps I'm one of a small group of herbivorous omnivores who would think this way, but I have to say... isn't it weird how many vegan substitute products try to be like dairy or meat? Personally I don't want my food to look/smell/taste like meat, since I've chosen a diet that excludes it. I also like soy milk (because I'm not an infant or a cow), and I've recently had to switch brands, since the old one changed its formula and coined the slogan "Fresh milky taste!" Pardon me, but if I wanted a fresh milky taste, I'd buy milk. It sure makes it hard to tell the difference between a regular or soy latte at some cafes. Grr.
If only they could make a good latte with rice milk, then I'd be happy as a clam. It's what I use at home and it is, pleasantly, quite unlike milk. I wonder why I rarely, if ever, see rice milk used in other people's recipes...?
i would try not to eat out because when i get home im "parinoid" but last night my mom wanted to bring me to this restaurant she heard about that actually served brown rice instead of that Asian sticky white stuff so it sounded safe until i got inside and couldnt understand the waiter (she had the chef come out and he didnt understand either)
anyone know of any restaurants around Massachusetts and connecticut
oh and cape cod too (im sure this year vacation is going to be a blast at all those fried fish places blech)
I am and have always been one of those crazy people who won't eat something if it's been stirred with the same spoon as the beef stew. I grew up with omnis, so I had no choice but to eat off of plates and silverware that had meat served on them, so that doesn't bother me terribly. But if you're going to stir the beef stew and then stir my veggie soup, that's just as good as adding a big spoonful of beef to my soup. Now that I live in a veg house, we keep our silverware and plates completely veg, which I know is not a huge thing with the dishwasher technology (sani-rinse and whatnot) that exists, but it makes me happy.
If I accidentally drink a sip of milk, I'm usually okay (mentally), although I did freak out on my husband the other day because he gave me a sip of a smoothie he made with dairy yogurt. If I accidentally eat eggs or mayo, it freaks me out a little but I'm usually okay. If I accidentally eat meat (like the bit of chicken that fell into my pasta dish a few years back), it makes me want to puke immediately. I am getting nauseated just thinking about it, ugh. I know that I am doing the best I can and changing the world for the better and that if I accidentally eat a piece of meat that I'm not going to vegan-hell, but just the thought... Yech. I haven't eaten meat intentionally in like 18 years, and it is just wrong for me! I liken it to if my sister accidentally ate a piece of cat-- how would she feel then?