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Eating Out for a vegetarian.

I've been vegetarian for nearly 40 years now and although things have improved over the years it still is a result to find something vegetarian on a menu let alone low carb and vegetarian. My heart sinks when I have to pay way over the odds for an omelette, it depresses me even more when I'm told there are no facilities ( presumably a frying pan) to even cook an omelette because the food is pre prepared and warmed up.

Who needs to be spoiled for choice with a vegetarian menu when you can have a bag of nuts? ;). Good luck on your vegetarian low carb quest :)
 
What is "pinged" food? :confused: Also, is it "ping" rhymes with bing, or does it rhyme with singe?
 
I have just had a look at the Wetherspoons menu online and there are a couple of things I quite fancy. 5 bean chilli with sides of salad and cheese. Or Mexican veggie burger with cheese, guacamole etc, with a salad, without the bun. Feeling hungry now. No pudding obviously, but even the omnivores don't get a pudding. Perhaps the range of foods varies from branch to branch.
 
Not easy eating out , do a few times ...me veggie , parents when I visit both have diets that need planning , no gluten , for one , ..so it's not easy..some make it easy ..and do cater for the odd meal ...I just adapt what I can ...but I don't go out often to eat ....
I do like to spend the money on nice food I enjoy and cooking something nice at home ...but sometimes nice to,go,out ....it just makes a change ...
It can be done ....but I often complain afterwards ...about the lack of choice ....:eek:

I must say calverys are the best because I can have all the veggies and often a cauliflower cheese ....
Veggies don't often think of those ....
:rolleyes:
 
janeliz said:
I have issues with the Wetherspoons menu so I rarely go there as they are also inflexible as regards changing items on the menu. Marstons chain of eateries are very accommodating and will cook up a meal to suit you request. I have also found a very good independent small bar in Lichfield that cooks whatever I want.(provided they have it) ie delicious omelette and salad,. It is difficult everything as you say is pasta or bread or chips.
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Hubby and I visit Wetherspoons most weeks for either dinner or brekkie sometime over the weekend. There are several in our area and we look out for them when visiting other parts of the country as we find them reasonably priced, the food's ok and I find it easy to adapt the menu with my t2. I always change items on my order - taking off beans and adding egg for example on my brekkie or swapping chips for a salad bowl to main meal without having any problems. I stood behind someone last week who practically rewrote the menu with his changes lol! I have also seen folk eating off menu items, such as scrambled egg or omelettes instead of fried so I suppose the message is, as previously stated - ask and see what happens
 
Try being a low carb vegetarian coeliac ! :D

It's a royal pain if you let it be, but now I organise my disorganised self because I assume there will be nowt available for me to eat when out and about . So I prepare and pack in advance on that assumption. There are always a couple of 9 bars about my person and I am shameless about ordering just tea, and munching on one in an emergency . I've only been challenged a couple of times, about this, but it clears up quickly once I point out that they do not make provision for my needs, which admittedly, are not mainstream . They get my money for the overpriced tea, so they can't really complain about me without giving a poor impression of themselves :rolleyes:

People who know me know better than to arrange a social event that includes food, I'd much rather cook for them as as an alternative to meeting in a place where I am uncomfortable, and even those who have no dietry restrictions don't enjoy the food that much .


Signy

Edited to say that I meant that they don't enjoy the food that much when eating out, not that they don't enjoy what I cook for them! :D I'm not quite that cruel to my friends:eek::D
 
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The Carvery style restaurants and pubs are ideal for anyone who is following a particular diet as you can load your plate up with the food of your choice, so would be great for someone like you Kate.
 
Hi Kate, Im a vegetarian (apart from my meds but thats another story!!), on a low carb, no sugar AND low fat diet so I really sympathise with your problems with eating out!! I always ask, just saying Im on a special diet & can they help - only once been turned down and often have been served some amazing 'off the menu' meals!!! My back up is that there is always a salad!! Good luck Sue xxxxx
 
Not veggie related, but having left over fish pie, from yesterday, but not pinging it, going to show it the oven door :p
 
Avocado Sevenfold said:
I shouldn't laugh!

Seriously though, the way I see it - it is my disease, my way of eating, my health. It is niche so I don't expect other people to cater for me. I own a lot of tupperware. I don't have high expectations so am not disappointed.

Re the Nandos menu, I have managed to replicate at home their avocado and green bean salad with seeds, grilled haloumi and tamarind dressing. Absolutely amazing. If their restaurant version is as good, I recommend it! :D
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That does sound very tasty
 
I share your pain- veggie for 35 years, diabetic for one year and seriously trying to reduce carbs for the last few months. I'm praying for the warmer weather so I won't mind having a salad but I find most places offer pasta, pizza or potato. I'm also suffering from food boredom, the same old recipes over and over. I have previously complained in writing to the chains about their vegetarian choices (I was told by Harvesters that their parsnip & carrot burger was apparently very popular- probably due to the totally dire lack of alternatives..) but to be fair unless they're vegetarian themselves they probably don't realise how gross or tasteless most of their offerings are. A kind friend once provided veggie burgers of the breaded regurgitated vegetable kind at a party and was surprised when I declined.... until the meat eaters did a 'taste test challenge' and pronounced them inedible.
Sooooo.... it;s usually an all day breakfast without the hash browns, salad or veggie chilli when it''s on the current rotation. And I talk to restaurants about their veggie menus because if we don't tell them they won't know.
 
LozMcC said:
I share your pain- veggie for 35 years, diabetic for one year and seriously trying to reduce carbs for the last few months. I'm praying for the warmer weather so I won't mind having a salad but I find most places offer pasta, pizza or potato. I'm also suffering from food boredom, the same old recipes over and over. I have previously complained in writing to the chains about their vegetarian choices (I was told by Harvesters that their parsnip & carrot burger was apparently very popular- probably due to the totally dire lack of alternatives..) but to be fair unless they're vegetarian themselves they probably don't realise how gross or tasteless most of their offerings are. A kind friend once provided veggie burgers of the breaded regurgitated vegetable kind at a party and was surprised when I declined.... until the meat eaters did a 'taste test challenge' and pronounced them inedible.
Sooooo.... it;s usually an all day breakfast without the hash browns, salad or veggie chilli when it''s on the current rotation. And I talk to restaurants about their veggie menus because if we don't tell them they won't know.
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Ooh Crystal Tipps and Alistair! Cool :D

Have a look around the low carb section of this forum. There are lots of meal ideas including a thread filled with vegetarian and vegan recipes.
 
Instead of complaining to large chains, why not visit independent restaurants? Support small businesses that can be more flexible with their menus.

I used this site to look for vegetarian and vegan restaurants in my city. It returned 23 results.

http://www.happycow.net/browse.html
 
Avocado Sevenfold said:
Instead of complaining to large chains, why not visit independent restaurants? Support small businesses that can be more flexible with their menus.

I used this site to look for vegetarian and vegan restaurants in my city. It returned 23 results.

http://www.happycow.net/browse.html
Click to expand...
And it even works where I am!! Actually, it has a place we fairly regularly eat ; we're omnivores, and a few places that sound super interesting, including one run allegedly by Rastafarians. That'll be interesting.
 
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