How To Eat Vegan In Orlando Florida
Last year I visited Orlando (Summer 2018) and very quickly realised that it can be a little tricky eating in the local restaurants. I've written this in the hope that it’ll help y’all out resulting in a more enjoyable experience.
I recommend that you do some research in addition to reading this prior to your trip to avoid any disappointment. That’s what I done and I'm glad I did! You’d think somewhere like Orlando would be catching onto a movement like veganism pretty quickly but it seems they’re still very much running on the meat and dairy industries’ money hungry, health ruining antics. All you gotta do is visit the area to see the state of obesity levels. Such a shame really but things are changing for the better – it’s only a matter of time!
Some places are great, especially if you’re choosing vegan friendly restaurants. That said, even the steakhouses are accommodating but your choices will be very limited! We’re talking baked potatoes and maybe a side salad… The thing is, with veganism growing so rapidly, more and more eateries are catching onto the potential loss of money from us hungry herbivores! This can only be a good thing and although the ‘manly’ steak n rib houses may be the last to cater with tasty plant-based alternatives, it’s only a matter of time ‘til they catch on too!
WARNING!!! – They put dairy in a LOT of food here! Check the ingredients or speak to staff in restaurants to ensure you don’t end up accidentally consuming dairy (or even meat! Yep, for example, they use meat seasoning in the hash browns at Cracker Barrel! They also sauté some of the veggies in milk at the buffet restaurants! Fools…).
Restaurants will provide allergen menus if requested, however a lot of the food is cross-contaminated in fryers etc. This means that even though something may be fine if you’re happy to eat from the same grill, fryer, etc. they’ll mark it as unsuitable due to potential allergy risk. This can make the allergen menus pretty useless for vegans!
It’s an individual choice whether cross-contamination is an issue for you – for me personally, so long as I’m not creating a demand for animal products or encouraging others to consume them, I’m happy. The potential for adverse health effects from slight cross contamination will be minimal; however, everyone has their own line. You gotta remember though, by limiting your own options further, you may create further roadblocks or excuses for non-vegans too. We want people around us to see us enjoy tasty vegan food in the hope they will follow suit – not because we’re some crazy cult but because we want to end unnecessary suffering (for humans too, not just animals – the adverse health effects from eating a traditional meat and dairy filled diet are numerous and cause a substantial amount of suffering to humans too!) Again, this one’s down to individual choice.
As I said, research is vital so here are some great resources that I would have struggled without! Be sure to check out the following;
https://vegandisneyworld.com/ – both Instagram and their website are excellent resources to use when visiting the Disney parks. They will provide all the latest vegan options at the Disney parks! For this reason I won’t go into detail here but there are loads of options with more and more coming out all the time! From Vegan Mickey Waffles at The Polynesian to Dole Whips to Tofutti Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Sauce to Crispy Tofu and Black Beans – there’s something for every vegan! In fact, I’ve even heard that there is vegan egg coming to the parks soon if not already!
The vegan options in Florida are improving rapidly and by the time you read this, there’ll probably be loads more options! For now, here’s some of the tasty stuff I ate whilst on holiday in Sep 2018 that you should try;
TGI Fridays (192) – Beyond Burger no cheese!
Cracker Barrel (192) – Apple and Cinnamon Oats no milk
Dennys (192) – Oatmeal (add fruits, maple syrup, etc.) request no milk. Hash browns with peppers, onions, mushrooms, avocado, etc.
Perkins (192) - Oatmeal (add fruits, maple syrup, etc.) no milk. Spinach and mushroom skillet no eggs add avocado
Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food (Universal Blvd) – This place is amazing! Great mexican vegan food, great staff, live Mariachi bands and awesome cocktails!
Voodoo Donuts (Universal Blvd) – Glazed, chocolate ring, ODB, School Daze PB&J and more – check out https://www.voodoodoughnut.com/doughnuts/ (just ensure you ask for the vegan versions!)
Erin McKennas Bakery (Disney Springs) – everything here is vegan, gluten free, etc. Awesome place!!
Maoz Vegetarian (Mall at Millenia) – amazing falafel pitas with unlimited amazing toppings!!! This was one of my personal favourites so make sure you get down here if you get the chance!
Ugrean (The Florida Mall) – super healthy organic salad bowls with the option of added tofu and falafel! Another one of my faves #healthfreak
Natures Table (The Florida Mall) – the acai bowl is epic but remember to ask for no honey!
Bahama Breeze (192, Orlando Intl Airport) – tortillas with guacamole and salsa, jackfruit tacos, black bean burgers – this place has a great vibe and you don’t wanna miss out!
Taco Bell (192) – this is a great option for fast food after a long day at the parks. Check out this https://www.tacobell.com/stories/how-to-eat-vegan
Sweet Tomatoes – I never got the chance to try this place out which is a shame because it looks good! Let me know how it is if you try it out.
The Epcot Food and Wine Festival – if this is on when you go to Florida (Aug-Nov) then you must go with a prepared belly and plenty of $5 bills! They have little stalls where they give you a wee plate of food for a fiver and they have vegan options at most of them! Indian currys, Morrocan lentil stews, Impossible Burger Sliders, the list goes on!!! I had such a great time… The word epic does not do this festival justice!
Top tip: If you’re unfortunate enough to end up at a steakhouse or somewhere of a similar nature, don’t fret! You can eat something! Maybe it’ll be a baked potato, no butter and some asparagus but you can still go if your omni friends insist. I went to Logan’s Roadhouse and ate loads of peanuts (already on the table) followed by some zucchini fries (which were delish!) but I pre-fed and ate a delicious tofu and bean dinner from Animal Kingdom!
A note about pre-feeding – this is a good idea if you can manage it. If you plan where you’ll be eating and do a bit of research first, you can avoid disappointment by ensuring you eat first. For example, if your family and friends want to go to a steakhouse at night and you know you’re gonna get a plain ass potato, nip into one of the many options at the theme parks and grab something to go. Or nip into the supermarket for some snacks. You can also eat afterwards if you know there will be options. This just takes a bit of planning but it’s worthwhile to avoid hunger/disappointment.
So that’s it – I hope you have a great time in Florida! It’s such a great place and although they’re a little bit behind on the vegan lifestyle, they’ll get there, just like everywhere else will too in time.
I’d love to know how you get on out there! Let me know how you get on and please share your experiences with me because I’ll be going back again soon! Is there anything I missed or something new? I would love to hear about! I'm sure others would too! Let's help each other out!
Have a great time! Peace out, Chris.
