Restaurants not keeping up with growing vegan demand

[Guest guest]

From :

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/147/story/97605.html

 

Published: Tuesday, March 04, 2008

 

 

Every time my friends and I pile into a booth at a local restaurant, I am faced with the same dilemma: Will I be able to eat anything on the menu or will I be forced to eat the granola bar in my purse I carry for this specific situation? I'm vegan, which simply means I do not eat any animal products. While thousands of people around the country are switching over to a vegan or vegetarian diet, I believe our restaurants are reluctant to cater to this lifestyle. High school and college students are a dynamic part of this vegan population. The National Restaurant Association reported that on any given day, 15 percent of the college students will opt for the vegetarian choices in their cafeteria. According to the Vegan Research Panel, 86 percent of vegans are unsatisfied with the choices at restaurants, and believe they are poorly catered to. Heath awareness is rising at an incredible rate, yet restaurants and cafes are sluggish to keep up the pace.

As Atlantic City continues to transform its reputation, I believe changes must be made to accommodate this younger generation of health-minded eaters. And maybe sometime in the future I won't be forced to ask the waitress for a chicken salad without the chicken or cheese. DEBORAH D'ANASTASIO Ocean City

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I'm really surprised at all the berating comments. It just goes to show you the attitude that us vegans still have to put up with. I feel restaurants are reluctant to putting vegan dishes on the menu because many chefs are of the same mindset as some of these ignorant comment-posters. Oh well, I'll keep saving my money by eating in. Nice article, keep 'em coming. Posted by: Veganimal on Tue Mar 4, 2008, 3:20 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go sit in a cornfield and eat till your heart and stomach are content. Posted by: getreal on Tue Mar 4, 2008, 3:11 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

my vegan nephew gave it up and went back to red meat when he realized he was always tired from lack of protein. if vegan was so great, it would be firmly entrenched by now in the national diet. but it's not, because it's just a fad. Posted by: medium rare, yummy on Tue Mar 4, 2008, 12:08 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tend to agree with Carnivore. I find myself eating fewer animal products for a host of reasons and that is by choice. A restaurant's menu is based on providing what customers want. If you go out to eat and see few things of interest, you have options. You may walk out or select something and place a request for a certain item. Restaurants will, by and large, cater to the desires of their clientele. Posted by: Googootz on Tue Mar 4, 2008, 11:39 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why should a restaurant cater to you, Deb? What makes you so special? When the law of supply and demand is met, restaurants will start offering what you want.Every restaurant I've ever been in offers multiple salads. I'm sure it pains you terribly to ask for a salad with no chicken on or cheese. Perhaps you should order just a plain old salad then you won't have to expend the energy those few extra words expend.You keep on eating that super healthy diet of your because I'm sure those veggies have never been sprayed with pesticides. Posted by: Carnivore on Tue Mar 4, 2008, 9:14 AM

Peter H

 

 

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A Smarter Inbox.

[Guest guest]

Strange how people make silly comments - anyone would think that a

vegan shouldn't be able to say what he/she thinks!

 

Jo

 

, Peter VV <swpgh01 wrote:

>

> From :

> http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/147/story/97605.html

> Published: Tuesday, March 04, 2008

> Every time my friends and I pile into a booth at a local

restaurant, I am faced with the same dilemma: Will I be able to eat

anything on the menu or will I be forced to eat the granola bar in my

purse I carry for this specific situation?

> I'm vegan, which simply means I do not eat any animal products.

> While thousands of people around the country are switching over to

a vegan or vegetarian diet, I believe our restaurants are reluctant

to cater to this lifestyle.

> High school and college students are a dynamic part of this vegan

population. The National Restaurant Association reported that on any

given day, 15 percent of the college students will opt for the

vegetarian choices in their cafeteria.

> According to the Vegan Research Panel, 86 percent of vegans are

unsatisfied with the choices at restaurants, and believe they are

poorly catered to. Heath awareness is rising at an incredible rate,

yet restaurants and cafes are sluggish to keep up the pace.

> As Atlantic City continues to transform its reputation, I believe

changes must be made to accommodate this younger generation of health-

minded eaters.

> And maybe sometime in the future I won't be forced to ask the

waitress for a chicken salad without the chicken or cheese.

> DEBORAH D'ANASTASIO

> Ocean City

> Post a Comment View All Comments On This Story

>

> Most recent comments posted: (To view all comments click on VIEW

ALL link above)

>

>

>

> I'm really surprised at all the berating comments. It just goes to

show you the attitude that us vegans still have to put up with. I

feel restaurants are reluctant to putting vegan dishes on the menu

because many chefs are of the same mindset as some of these ignorant

comment-posters. Oh well, I'll keep saving my money by eating in.

Nice article, keep 'em coming.

>

> Posted by: Veganimal on Tue Mar 4, 2008, 3:20 PM

>

>

>

> Go sit in a cornfield and eat till your heart and stomach are

content.

>

> Posted by: getreal on Tue Mar 4, 2008, 3:11 PM

>

>

>

> my vegan nephew gave it up and went back to red meat when he

realized he was always tired from lack of protein. if vegan was so

great, it would be firmly entrenched by now in the national diet. but

it's not, because it's just a fad.

>

> Posted by: medium rare, yummy on Tue Mar 4, 2008, 12:08 PM

>

>

>

> I tend to agree with Carnivore. I find myself eating fewer animal

products for a host of reasons and that is by choice. A restaurant's

menu is based on providing what customers want. If you go out to eat

and see few things of interest, you have options. You may walk out or

select something and place a request for a certain item. Restaurants

will, by and large, cater to the desires of their clientele.

>

> Posted by: Googootz on Tue Mar 4, 2008, 11:39 AM

>

>

>

> Why should a restaurant cater to you, Deb? What makes you so

special? When the law of supply and demand is met, restaurants will

start offering what you want.

>

> Every restaurant I've ever been in offers multiple salads. I'm sure

it pains you terribly to ask for a salad with no chicken on or

cheese. Perhaps you should order just a plain old salad then you

won't have to expend the energy those few extra words expend.

>

> You keep on eating that super healthy diet of your because I'm sure

those veggies have never been sprayed with pesticides.

>

> Posted by: Carnivore on Tue Mar 4, 2008, 9:14 AM

>

>

>

> Peter H

>

>

> ________

> Sent from Mail.

> A Smarter Inbox. http://uk.docs./nowyoucan.html

>