My saving grace
My wife and I were in desperate need of some time off to recharge the batteries, have some fun and relax a bit. We decided to take our daughter to Universal Studios in Orlando and meet Amber’s parents there, so they could have some quality grandparent time with Sophia. We had brought the usual snacks with us, modified to fit my new vegan diet, of course, and never gave much thought to my meals beyond that. A large, accommodating resort destination like Universal with it’s army of restaurants and dining options has to have more than a few options for me to choose from… right?
If there was ever a time to be wrong, this was it. Not only did I have the most difficult time finding something I could eat, sans veggie burger, which was some of the worst I have ever had, but most people who worked at these restaurants all reacted the same way by shrugging their shoulders and giving me the “you’re shit out of luck” face. This was usually followed up by their deepest apologies and a laundry list of suggestions, none of which were vegan.
It was then, during my grumpiest moments of hunger, that I realized just how difficult it is to have an alternative diet in main-stream America. If a place like Universal was not able to accomodate, a business who thrives on catering to every whim of American and foreign visitors alike, who would? What hope was there?
But, like all good American films, this trip had a small silver lining to wrap things up, all neat and tidy in a red bow. The last restaurant we went to had a manager who, true to good manager form, went out of his way to insure they catered to my needs. My meal was simple, yet delicious. It was the first meal that I felt was not only filling, but enjoyable. This one meal, this one small gesture of kindness, made all the difference in the world. I was once again a happy man.
Oh, and that meal consisted of a vegan chili and a simple angel hair pasta in garlic and olive oil. Buon Appetito!
Quick lesson in vegan breakfasts on vacation!
Let’s say you’re going to one of those breakfast buffets are the hotel. You could have the following:
Toast with jam
Potatoes (hashed browns or potatoes o’brien)
Fruit
Cold cereal
Hot cereal (if it comes in individual packets)
When it comes to cereal, bring your own soy/rice/almond milk. If you go to a store like Whole Foods, they will sell three-pack milks in those little asceptic packages with the straw like kids bring to school in their lunchbox. Each one is small, so it’s good for a bowl of cereal. And because they are asceptic, you can take them anywhere without the milk spoiling. Bring one down with you to breakfast and you’re good to go. And because it’s so small, you won’t look weird.
As for what cereal you can eat, the choice is endless! Cocoa Krispies, Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops, Rice Chex, Rice Krispies, Golden Grahams, Corn Pops, Mueslix… to name a few. If there are hot cereal packets there that you can put in the microwave, do one of those. Use your milk and add a packet of Quaker Date and Walnut, Apples and Cinnamon, Raisins and Spice, or Cinnamon and Spice.
Feeling like having something sweet and bad for you for breakfast? Find out if they have a Krispie Kreme in the town where you’re staying. Go get one of the Krispie Kreme fruit pies (apple, cherry, or peach). They are VEGAN!!
That is one thing to remember when you’re traveling. There are a ton of things you can buy at the gas station that don’t necessarily say vegan but that ARE vegan. It is called “vegan by accident.” A lot of the Nature Valley granola bars are vegan, Oreo cookies are vegan, and so are Cracker Jacks, original flavor Sun Chips, Licorice, original Wheat Thins, most packages pretzels, Lays potato chips, Fritos (original and BBQ), most Famous Amos sandwich cookies, Luna and Cliff Bars, etc. Granted, this isnt exactly healthy for you, but the non-vegan varieties aren’t either.
For an even bigger list of stuff that is “vegan by accident”, go to: http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/default.asp
Look at this site I found: http://www.wdwinfo.com/universal/universal-studios-florida/Dining-universal-orlando.htm — It tells which restaurants offer vegetarian food (look for the **)
Also: If youre at Universal Studios and they have limited options at the restaurants, you can try a few things. Do they have pizza? Ask for it vegan. Basically it is vegetables and sauce and no cheese. But it can be really good. Just get all the veggies you want and even pineapple and it will be good. I get it when Im at my parents’ house (like from Papa John’s) and they like it. Or have them make you a veggie sandwich. Whole bunch of veggies, avocado if they have it (so it is more substantial), sprouts if they have them, and then mustard or some other sauce if it’s vegan. Mexican food: Have them do a burrito or fajita without the cheese on it. You can get really good veggie fajitas with Spanish rice, beans, guacamole, salsa, etc. The green chili might even be vegan if it doesnt have meat in it. And most tortillas are vegan. What if they have diglycerides or some weird non-vegan thing in them? Dont think so much about that. There is a chance that if you get a sandwich at a restaurant, the bread could have some small amount of diglycerides or milk product in it. But that is the chance you take and it is okay to take it. When you start asking people at restaurants if you can see the bread ingredient list, this leaves people with a bad impression of veganism. Better to just get the bread, show people that yes, vegans can eat bread, and be done with it. It does nothing for the animals to get so technical that you have to call a chemist to see if a certain chemical in the bread at the restaurant is vegan.
Okay, I think Im done!
Hey folks, just a couple comments on the previous comments. Licorice could be vegan but most preparations of it have gelatin. While you can probably have some luck having an alternative vegetarian time whilst at unfamiliar restaurants, the chances of any of your meals being truly vegan are slim. I have only known of one restaurant where a seperate set of pans were kept for preparing vegan foods, all the other pans were subject to having cooked animal products. That being said, while I’m not familiar with Universal’s offerings, Disney has full ingredient lists available to review at their restaurants, you just need to inform the hostess that your diet has special specifications. Good luck finding suitable eats!