Enjoy Going Out to Eat: Before You Go

Going out to eat with friends can be stressful if you're the only vegetarian/vegan in the group. But it doesn't have to be the uncomfortable situation many veg*ans often feel we just have to get used to. There are a few simple things you can do to make going out to eat the enjoyable activity it should be.

First and most importantly, you should really take a couple minutes to look up the restaurant's menu online before going out, if you're able. This step is especially crucial for strict vegans, as there are hidden dairy ingredients everywhere today in places you'd never expect. It's a step vegetarians really should take too, though. Most menu items are pretty clear-cut - there's either a hamburger on your plate or there isn't. But there are still hidden meat ingredients out there, such as anchovies and bacon bits in dressings, and beef, fish and chicken flavoring in soups (including vegetable soups).

Once you look up a few restaurants and try a few out, you'll quickly come to find which ones have the best options for you and which you can order from with the least amount of confusion. Don't stop when you find one or two good restaurants. Try to experiment a little bit so you know what you can eat at several places, even it they might not be your favorite restaurants.

If you're new to Statesboro, check out Yellowbook online to find restaurants you might like to try out in the area. If you already know which restaurants you'd like to check out, visit their individual Web sites for menu information (you can find them easily enough through Google) or try the Online Vegetarian Restaurants Guide, which lists a lot of the popular restaurant chains that we have in the 'Boro.

If you're unable to find what you're looking for online for a particular restaurant (some don't list their specific ingredients online) don't feel weird about e-mailing them. E-mailing a company is pretty much guaranteed to get you the credible information you need. First, try simply asking the company if they can send you a pamphlet or menu that lists all of their meals' ingredients. If they don't have something already written up that they can mail or message you, you'll need to ask them some more detailed questions. Don't go overboard, though - You don't need to explain that you can't eat any of the hamburgers or chicken entrees. Keep it simple by asking about only the ingredients you really aren't sure about, like the bread rolls, pasta, dressings, etc.

This isn't as confusing as it might sound. I've never had to spend much time in the past figuring out which restaurants offer which kinds of veg*an-friendly or easily-substitutable meals. But if you're not too thrilled about having to spend a few minutes searching for restaurants' Web sites, check out a vegetarian or vegan message board and ask others who have already done the research. My favorite message board for finding out about menu options is Veggieboards. There are so many people on the boards constantly, you'll never have to wait long for a response, and many of the people who respond will send you great new links where they found their information.