Today's vegan bites include:
1.) Lime squeezed pineapple and papaya
2.) Fresh-squeezed juice - celery, spinach, apple, beet, ginger and lemon (no kale or collards)
3.) Fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice
4.) A cup of coffee with soy milk and 2 packets of "sugar in the raw"
5.) Basket of french fries with fresh pesto
6.) Champagne (2 glasses) & a Lahaina Lemonade - fris vodka, chambord, fresh lemonade
7.) Guacamole and salsa with chips
8.) Soy mocha espresso coffee crush
9.) Vegetable pasta with olive oil and garlic
10.) (wilted) Salad with passion fruit dressing
(*No scale to weigh or "body fat percent" myself)
Hmmmm...I'm really not digging the myriad of questions and requests that now accompanies any/every food/beverage order I place.
"What's in that drink? Does it have any cream? So by cream do you mean coconut cream or half and half cream? Oh, half and half. I see. Well, what from the breakfast buffet is vegan? Oh, the fruit? And the cereals and granolas? Oh, okay. And that's $35? Oh but the $35 includes the waffles and the sausages and the bacon and the vennoisserie (which, by the way, folks, a basket of which was my absolute favorite way to start a vacation morning - that with butter and jam and a fresh brewed cup of coffee followed by an earl gray tea latte)? Ok, I see...well, then it doesn't make sense for me to do the breakfast buffet, cost-wise. Ya, cereal and fruit for $35 doesn't make much sense. Okay, so I'll just have a plate of fresh fruit, fresh squeezed fruit juice and a green juice blend. Perfect! Thanks. Oh, that comes out to $37, more than the breakfast buffet? Oh, I wasn't expecting that. Okay. I see. Well, all right then. At least, I'm keeping to my vegan pledge."
If money is an issue, and I can't imagine it not being an issue for most people, this can be a very challenging thing. Who in their right mind would pay $37 for a tray of fresh fruit and by "tray," I mean six half-ring slices of pineapple and six slivers of papaya, a 10oz glass of fresh blended vegetable juice and a 6oz cup of grapefruit juice? So yes, you can be a vegan on vacation. But it comes at a hefty price. And it comes with the obnoxious list of questions and requests that now accompany every food order you're going to have to place. Ya, no more of that walking in to a restaurant, sitting yourself down and casually ordering. Nope. Come there alert, equipped and ready. Ordering when dining at a restaurant will always be a very active process. So ya, you'll get what you need, eventually, but don't think it won't require some effort.
Now, I know this is hardly "effort" in the grand scheme of things. There are plenty more things in life that require "effort"- true, real effort - and asking a few questions here and there and throwing out suggestions and seeing which stick, is not effort. And for me to call such a minor inconvenience "effort," runs me the risk of being whiny and a bit of a primadonna. I get that. So please note, when I say effort, I'm simply pointing out what the difference is for one on a vegan diet and one on a non-vegan diet. This questioning, careful review of everything and requirement to offer creative suggestions on your own without much, if any, assistance from the server*, is what I'm calling "effort." This effort wasn't required of me prior to taking on a vegan lifestyle. (*Although some servers may offer up some lovely suggestions, don't show up expecting them to know how to make everything vegan like it's their job. They're not the ones who are vegan, you are!)
So that's one thing, if you love food and you want every bite of food to be pure enjoyment, do your homework. You're responsible. You're the one who's vegan. You're the one who's adopting an approach to food that isn't a motivator in society's culinary culture. So don't get stuck with an inedible, wilted salad like I did. And yes, maybe it'll be worth your while to call a restaurant in advance. It's a little bit of effort, sure, but it'll make the dining experience much more enjoyable and pleasurable for you and your companions...and maybe even for the server and chef too.
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