On a related note, if you are vegetarian for health reasons, you should also consider eliminating soda from your diet. When my husband found out that he is diabetic, we were forced to look at the carbohydrate content of all of the foods we eat. We were shocked to find out that one serving of most sodas (not diet) contains the equivalent number of carbohydrates as one full meal. I'm sure you know people who drink 2-3 glasses of soda with dinner. That is like eating three meals at once!
Most American restaurants base their menu primarily on meat entrées and American families are not accustomed to eating a meatless dinner. In fact, my husband prepared sautéed vegetables with lemon sauce and couscous for his family this week and they repeatedly commented on the unusualness of the dinner. One of the comments was, "This would be great with chicken." I thought the meal was great as it was, but they are so trained that meat is the staple of well-being that the meal was not complete without flesh.
If you have a say in the type of restaurant your party dines at, try a Middle Eastern or Indian establishment. They often cater to Muslims and others who do not eat meat. If you are not ready to jump into such unfamiliar territory, you probably already know of a Chinese restaurant that offers a wide selection of vegetable dishes. I am an eggplant-lover and I have yet to find a Chinese restaurant that doesn't make a great eggplant with garlic sauce.
I'm sure that everyone who reads this has favorite and least favorite restaurants or even some dinner horror stories. Something you share might encourage another vegetarian to try a new food or eliminate a food that is not really meatless. Feel free to e-mail me or post your stories below. I look forward to hearing from you!
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