Contrary to popular belief, a vegetarian or vegan diet is not synonymous with the words “healthy” and “expensive”. In fact, some of the most important staples in the average diet—beans, rice, pasta, grains—are the cheapest. People may believe that it’s impossible to maintain a plant based diet while attending college, especially in east Texas. East Texas is not notable for being vegan friendly but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any options for us! Here’s a breakdown of multiple restaurants in Nacogdoches that serve plant based options:
FAST FOOD:
It’s surprisingly easy to eat plant based at fast food restaurants, if you do a little research beforehand. Luckily, I did that for you.
Taco Bell:
Everyone’s favorite stop after a long night at Banita Creek Hall. Taco Bell has an extremely versatile menu—everything can be made vegetarian or vegan with a few simple swaps. Unlike a many cultural food places, Taco Bell’s beans do not contain animal fats and their rice is cooked in water instead of chicken broth. Substitute beans instead of meat in all the dishes, if you don’t eat dairy simply ask for no cheese. Also on their website, there is an entire vegetarian menu! My go-to order is the seven-layer burrito, which comes with beans, seasoned rice, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole and cheese. In some locations, there is gelatin in the sour cream so always ask just in case! To make this burrito vegan, ask for no cheese or sour cream and add (optional) potatoes.
Burger King:
This fast food chain surprised me when I checked out their menu because they’re the first place that I saw a veggie burger on the menu. Yes, BK has a veggie burger! It’s from Morning Star Farms so it is not vegan friendly as it contains eggs, but have at it vegetarians! Fries are vegan friendly as they do not cook their potatoes in the same oil as they cook the meat. Lastly, if you are craving something sweet for breakfast, their French toast sticks don’t contain any eggs, which makes them, as well as the hash browns, completely vegan friendly!
Whataburger:
Unfortunately, there is not a veggie burger at Texas’s favorite fast food place. But at least the fries aren’t cooked in animal fat so you can enjoy all the fries your little Texan heart desires. And the gravy? It’s made from soy, not milk or animal products! Lastly, to the vegetarians wanting breakfast: the potato and egg taquito is totally safe and delicious with picante sauce.
Chipotle:
At last, Nacogdoches has a Chipotle. No more driving to Lufkin for that pre-mid-term burrito craving. The menu is very customizable, everything is made to order right in front of you. And hey vegetarians: Chipotle has queso now.
Subway:
Another great option for those looking for a lighter and completely customizable meal. Order a Veggie Delight and go town on the toppings! But beware, only the white, Italian and sourdough bread is vegan friendly. As for sauces, the buffalo, sweet onion, BBQ sauce, both yellow and brown mustard, red wine vinegar and oil are all suitable for vegans. All the others contain milk.
PIZZA
Pizza Hut:
My personal favorite. At Pizza Hut, the hand tossed, thin crust and salted pretzel crust do not contain animal products. They also have a gluten free crust which happens to be vegan friendly. If you’re vegan, skip the cheese—if you want to go buy some vegan cheese shreds to melt on top when you get home, go for it! And from there you can pile on the veggies. Pizza Hut has also recently added fries to their menu, the Cajun and Lemon Pepper flavors are vegan friendly, but the ranch seasoning has milk products in it. And most importantly, yes, the Cinnasticks are vegan as well as the icing! Treat yourself!
Papa John’s:
The Original hand tossed is vegan, and the same rules apply: go to town on the veggie toppings. The regular breadsticks are also vegan friendly, and the cheese sticks and garlic parmesan breadsticks are a great side for the vegetarians. Unfortunately, all the desserts contain milk and eggs so they aren’t suitable for vegans.
My go-to pizza order: Hand-tossed crust (salted pretzel crust if I’m at Pizza Hut) with BBQ sauce, topped with mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and pineapple.
DINE-IN RESTAURANTS:
After a long day of studying, maybe you don’t want to eat pizza or eat cheap fast food, and you just want to sit down and eat a meal or have a low maintenance date night with your significant other. Here are some spots that everyone can find something to enjoy.
Pepper Jack’s Serious Burritos and Greek Cuisine:
Pepper Jack’s is a perfect spot for vegetarians, vegans and meat eaters alike. The menu is versatile and everything is made to order. There are lots of options for the burritos, tacos and bowls because like Chipotle, you create your own meal. Load on the veggies and spend an extra dollar on the guacamole. The salsa, BBQ and guacamole are the only vegan friendly sauces, all the others contain milk. For the Greek Cuisine, the falafel sandwich is a great option. You can have it fried or baked and piled high with vegetables. However, the tzatziki sauce has Greek yogurt in it so it is not suitable for vegans.
Nijaya Sushi Bar and Grill:
Thought sushi couldn’t be plant based? Nijaya proves this wrong with their very vegan friendly menu. They offer avocado rolls, cucumber rolls, asparagus rolls, sweet potato rolls and vegetable tempura rolls. The best part? The veggie sushi is the cheapest!
Auntie Pasta’s:
Auntie Pasta’s has a variety of food on the menu but the easiest thing to make plant based is the pasta. There is a build your own pasta section of the menu. The marinara and the tomato sauce is vegan friendly and everything else is vegetarian—aside from the meat sauce of course. For more fillings, add vegetables. They also have a vegetarian pizza and stuffed manicotti. Vinny’s Skinny Pasta is a vegetarian dish that could easily be made vegan without the parmesan cheese.
Maklemore’s Ale House and Bistro:
Mak’s has a green leaf by the vegan options on their menu and their vegetarian options can be made vegan by removing some of the sauces. For an appetizer, Mak Balls are a specialty and a delight for vegetarians. There are also fried pickles, fried mushrooms, fried jalapenos, and wonton cheese sticks. Appetizers for vegans include chips and salsa or guacamole. For an entrée, they have a completely vegan veggie sandwich stuffed with vegetables and a spiced guacamole spread. On Taco Tuesday, come into Mak’s and eat an avocado taco, which is vegetarian, or a mellow mushroom taco—which can be made vegan by removing the queso fresco and creamy tomatillo salsa. They also serve brunch on the weekends, which unfortunately isn’t vegan friendly, however, they serve a vegetarian omelet and huevos rancheros.
Being vegetarian or vegan doesn’t have to be a life sentence of only cooking at home or eating salads everywhere you go. You can eat what you want in lots of different places and never have to feel like you’re missing out!