Think going vegan is tough? Well, you’re not wrong. It can be tough sometimes, but if you do your research, and plan ahead of time, you’ll get into the swing of things. Soon enough, you’ll be able to scope out which foods are good for you and which are not, and finding the right choices will be easier than ever.
Going vegan the same year I started to live in Boston was something I was definitely hesitant about. The good thing, though, was that I began my research about “veganism” just a few months before school started. So, I was not only able to understand what a vegan lifestyle was all about, but I was also able to pinpoint which food resources were near me so I would have access to healthy, wholesome food.
Even though I have a meal plan that gives me access to dining halls with vegan food, I wasn’t planning on eating at the dining hall too often. Considering that some days sitting down to have a meal seems to take up more time than a lecture, I just know that grabbing food on the go is a better option. So, knowing that there are places like Sweetgreen, WholeHeart Provisions, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Dig Inn just minutes away from campus was definitely a plus.
Boston and brunch just go hand-in-hand, so I also just wanted to know where the vegan restaurant options, or at least places serving vegan food, were. And ordering vegan is so much easier than you’d think. Just ask the waiter or waitress if the chef can cook a meal in a slightly alternative way, and there’s a high chance they’ll be willing to do so since you, the customer, are in fact always right.
At first, you might feel a little shy or awkward asking how a meal is prepared, but if you’re serious about being vegan, it’ll be worth the questions. It definitely helps, though, if you do some research about the restaurant beforehand to save yourself and others some time. So, for the times you’re at a non-vegan restaurant, make sure to check the menu for some meals that have “vegan potential.”
So let’s say you see a vegan salad, but it has cheese, just ask to have it without. Or if a sandwich has meat in it, see if they can take it out and replace it with some veggies or tofu. And a pro-tip, most pasta and pizza doughs are vegan, so just add or take out whatever ingredients you’d like, and make it your own little vegan meal.
And considering that vegans are still somewhat rare to find in a group of friends, you don’t want to miss out on a brunch trip just because of your diet and have a bad case of FOMO. So trust me when I say this, anything can be made vegan, as long as you’re willing to go the extra mile and ask the employees what sort of accommodations they will make for you.
This also helps when you and your friends are stuck trying to find a new brunch place since you can always offer the options you found online. And if you go to school in Boston, finding a new brunch spot is the simplest it’s ever been.
If you’re looking for any suggestions from a fellow vegan, here are some of my favorite places (in no particular order):
1. Crema Café in Harvard Square
From @cremacambridge on Instagram
2. Sweetgreen in Fenway, Boylston St., Summer St., etc.
From @sweetgreen on Instagram
3. Dig Inn on Boylston St.
4. WholeHeart Provisions in Allston
5. Clover in Harvard Square, Cambridge, etc.
From @cloverfoodlab_boston on Instagram
6. FOMU in Allston, Jamaica Plain, South End, etc.
7. By CHLOE in Fenway, Boston Harbor, etc.
From @bonnyrebecca on Instagram
8. Veggie Galaxy in Cambridge
9. Flour Bakery + Café in Cambridge, Harvard Square, etc.
With Harvard Square, Cambridge, Newbury, Boylston St., Allston, and so forth right near you, you will never go wrong being vegan.
All photos were taken by the author.