My first real "challenge," however, comes tomorrow. The BF and I are meeting his friend for brunch in a different city, and we have to decide where to go. The friend is a meat-eater, The BF is vegetarian, and then there's me -- the one who doesn't want unsuspecting dairy products to touch her plate.
I looked up breakfast/brunch restaurants in the area that cater to vegetarians/vegans and non-vegetarians alike. I was pleased to find a few. A couple of the well-reviewed restaurants didn't have websites on which I could view their menus -- gr. The reviews mentioned veg-friendly items and tofu scrambles, so that's good I guess.
For a short while, this will be part of veganism that I won't really enjoy. I am not one to impose my beliefs, practices, or opinions on anyone, and I don't feel comfortable making people eat (or do anything, really) only where I want to. I personally get annoyed when people are like that, so I don't want to be annoying. I try to be all-inclusive, and I find that it usually works the other way around, too, with my friends.
I know this will get better over time as I am more aware of restaurants, and as my friends are more aware of my veganism. But yeah, the first few gatherings will just require a bit of research on my part, and that's ok.
I hate to be a naysayer here, but I think researching places to eat, menus etc. is pretty much a constant part of being vegan in a nonvegan world. Like reading ingredient lists, however, it becomes automatic/ second nature, and with supportive people in your life it's a total non-issue. And for those times when research isn't an option, there's always muesli bars/ trail mix! I carry a snack supply and it's come in quite handy.
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