By Jenna Beresheim Staff Writer
No dairy, no eggs, and certainly no meat. Welcome to the diet of a vegan, a concept that can be confounding and confusing – both for non-vegans and even the most seasoned vegan, alike.
Not all vegans are made the same, though. While some are modified vegetarians who merely abstain from meat, others fall on the opposite end of the spectrum: refusing to buy any products that come from animals, such as leather or honey.
Whichever kind of vegan you find yourself to be, one common enemy is the act of eating out in a restaurant.
As you can imagine, being a vegan in college can be difficult with these standards. Healthy options are difficult to find cheap, and often times the most cluttered of menus will hold one to two options.
If you find those options despicable, picking another one from the menu and removing half of the items from it also works—despite the odd looks from your waiter. Pepperoni pizza sans pepperoni and cheese, please.
Since veganism is on the rise, it is becoming more common to see menus that promote veganism. Even in small towns like Monmouth.
For starters, Yeasty Beasty is a vegan-friendly pizza place, minutes away from campus on Monmouth Avenue.
“Our dough is vegan,” said Yeasty’s owner, Tom Jones. “We try our best to accommodate. We can always remove meat or cheese, or even make it gluten free.”
Jones’ personal favorite on the menu is the Greek Veggie Beasty, and he suggests substituting pesto as a great alternative to other sauces. On the menu there are over seven items that are vegetarian, all of which can be altered to accommodate vegan preferences.
Besides pizza is the recently-opened Momiji Sushi Bar and Restaurant.
“I have a girl who’s vegan who comes in here, and every time I make her something personalized,” said Jeff Berneski, the owner of the restaurant.
While the menu sports its own vegetarian section of six different roll choices, this place is open to altering and subbing foods as needed.
“I’m always open to changing it up —I want to cater to you,” Berneski said.
Don’t worry. There’s more. Koyote’s Tacos is a block away and a popular spot for many, including Ruby Tidwell, a Western student who was raised vegetarian.
“The staff is always friendly and more than happy to customize anything on the menu, which lends itself to many veg-friendly or gluten-free choices,” Tidwell said.
Ultimately, altered diets are coming into their own place amidst the restaurant community.
As a vegan myself, I recommend keeping an open mind and always staying educated. Know that some foods are fried in animal oils or cooked with animal fats, and what your range of acceptable foods are.
Fellow vegan and senior, Brittany App, said, “It’s tough being vegan in a small town, but I am glad for the options we have here and that they are willing to work with us.”
