Friday, August 17, 2012

Welcome back to a new school year!

If you're a vegetarian or vegan, it is a normal experience to feel a little nervous about eating in a new town.  You don't know what places have food items that you can eat or which restaurants cook their fries in the same oil as the fish and chicken nuggets. Even worse is when the employees are new, so they can't answer your questions about what is and isn't vegetarian on their menu.

Sometimes being a vegetarian can be an isolating experience. You may have problems going out to eat with your friends, because they're tired of having to avoid certain restaurants because there are no options for you, or maybe you're tired of ordering salads every time you go out together.

That's where VegIU comes in! We have compiled a list of vegetarian and vegan options at the Indiana University Bloomington dining facilities as well as some food items to avoid that you would assume were vegetarian. We also have a list of restaurants in Bloomington that have vegan and vegetarian options. There are more than 50 restaurants that have at least one vegan menu item and 80+ restaurants that have vegetarian menu items. Check out our Bloomington Restaurant Guide or Vegetarian Guide to Eating on IU Campus.

We also have several events per month where we get together to share vegan food at a potluck, learn how to make new veg recipes, and also visit restaurants where we can try and share a few vegetarian entrees. Our events are a great way to try new food and experiment with new recipes without having to commit to a full serving size if you don't enjoy it. One of my favorite events last year was a Vegan Superbowl Party. Several of us had noticed that there usually isn't anything for vegetarians to eat at a Superbowl Party besides chips, so it was nice to have a full menu of appetizers, BBQ, dips, and entrees to try. Most of us weren't really interested in the game, but we had one of the most impressive menus of any Superbowl Party.

If you are into it, the group has also had a "vegetarian book club" sub-group. More than a dozen members read and discussed The Omnivore's Dilemma at our February VegIU Book Club event.

Make sure to join our VegIU Facebook group, so you can hear about upcoming events, share vegetarian resources, and get recommendations on vegetarian recipes and restaurants. If you have a question about whether a food item is or isn't vegetarian or looking for a meat-free substitute for a recipe, the Facebook group is the place to ask.

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