Adapting a Plant-Based Diet

Here in Los Angeles, healthy vegan eating is becoming mainstream.

There are many things that I enjoy about my neighborhood here on the east side of Los Angeles… the palm trees, the constant sunshine, the city energy, and the diversity of cultures.  One of the things I love most about my neighborhood (and my city in general) is the accessibility of healthy plant-based foods.  Off the top of my head, I can think of six restaurants within walking distance of me that cater specifically to vegan food-lovers.  I can also walk to several other convenience stores, restaurants, and bakeries where I can pop in for a freshly-blended organic juice or a home-brewed kombucha.  I’m surrounded by others who share similar culinary tastes as me, and who are genuinely looking for healthy eats.

The fact that organic, local, and vegetarian food is so prevalent where I live makes eating for me much more enjoyable and easy.  In other places I’ve traveled to, I feel end up feeling stressed at meal time, as I search to find something other than a bowl of lettuce that I can eat.  I don’t feel this stress in Los Angeles, as there are so many gluten-free, vegan options available to me.  I was recently reading an article in The New York Times, called “Making Vegan a New Normal“.  The article describes exactly my point: vegan and vegetarian food in Los Angeles has become mainstream.  Not only do people here enjoy vegan food, they demand it.  New restaurants popping up in the city tend to fail unless they offer vegan and vegetarian items on the menu.  And, thankfully, eating vegan doesn’t mean going home hungry after eating a plate of lettuce and steamed broccoli.  A variety of hearty, flavorful dishes are now available to vegans.  Some of my local favorites include tempeh bacon with squash, quinoa tabouli, zucchini lasagna, and vegetable green curry.  I love that I have access to such delicious vegan-friendly entrees.

So as I continue to adapt and adjust to eating a plant-based diet, I look around me and realize how I lucky I am to live in a place where people routinely dine on fruits and veggies.  I am reminded to take advantage of the so-called “California cuisine” that is at my doorstep, and to continue to keep exploring all of the vegan treasures of the city.  And if you don’t live in an area where healthy, vegetarian options are readily available, maybe you could help get your community on board with healthy eating.  Speak to a manager at your local grocery store or favorite restaurant about your diet (whether it be gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, etc.) and suggest they begin carrying a wider variety of options.  It can’t hurt to ask, and to become an advocate for your own healthy eating.

And if you live in Los Angeles, do take some time to check out a few of my favorite local vegan restaurants: Cru, Cafe Gratitude, Sage, Real Food Daily, Shojin