Tips for eating at a brunch place without any obvious vegan options as a vegan:

Can you eat brunch at a place without any obvious vegan options as a vegan?! The answer is yes! 🙌🏻 This yes is based on my professional expertise as a dietitian & experience as a vegan since 2018 (& before that I was vegetarian from 2013-2018)!

By using the tips below it is very possible! Check out my top tips for eating brunch at a non-vegan restaurant, inspired by the trip to Sacramento, CA that I just returned from for my twin sister’s wedding. The post features the veggie scramble with potatoes & toast I created from their regular menu at a spot called Jamie’s Cafe that had no obvious vegan options. I dined there with my omnivore brother, omnivore father, & plant-based husband the morning of my sister’s wedding.

So without further ado here are my tips:

1. Order an egg scramble & ask for no eggs + order extra vegetables. I ordered the Whole Lot of Vggie Scramble with country potatoes and toast (pictured above).

2. Be sure to ask if the prepare the vegetables, potatoes, &/or toast using butter & if so, omit the butter. Request that they use oil (oil is vegan) or no oil if possible.

3. If the dish contain dairy cheese omit the cheese or ask if they have vegan cheese as a substitute.

4. To make your dish more filling, ask if they happen to have any tofu or black beans to mix into your scramble. Jamie’s Cafe did not, but it’s always worth an ask!

5. Besides an egg-less veggie scramble, oatmeal prepared with water (or plant-based milk), veggie & bean breakfast tacos (without eggs or dairy), & avocado toast are other possible brunch options at many non-vegan restaurants!

Overall, my meal was tasty & it was nice to be able to eat something there that I actually liked since most of the time my extended family is not interested in the exclusively vegan places I prefer to go to & many non-vegan places only offer salad. 🤣 The only thing that would have made my dish better is if there had been the option to add tofu or beans, so it was a more filling meal. 🥲

Often as a vegan, I have to do the best I can & thankfully I bring snacks everywhere I go to account for situations such as this where I know the meal will not be as filling or there may not be many options for me. Bringing snacks everywhere is also helpful with ARFID & being frequently hungry as a runner! 👌🏻

What other tips would you add for eating a satisfying brunch or other meal at a non-vegan restaurant as a vegan?! 👇🏻