By Callie Showalter, The Vegetarian Resource Group Intern

Non-vegans eat vegan food every day—sometimes even without realizing it. Many non-vegetarian friends of VRG interns are, of course, eating foods like hummus, nuts, and fruit—which aren’t marketed as vegan, but are definitely vegan staples. Many non-vegans also enjoy typical American foods, just without the meat. For example, Rachel Eldering stated that her non-vegan friends enjoy meat substitutes like Impossible foods or vegan chicken, which is most typically available in her area under brands like Gardein and LightLife. Similarly, intern Lucia Rivera said that she has friends who enjoy vegetarian foods such as the Impossible Burger and veggie pizza. She also added that, for teenagers, a typical daily diet may depend on what their parents serve them.

     Branching out from items such as pizza and burgers, there are also many vegetarian-friendly dishes from cultures across the globe. For example, intern Shantika Bhat stated that her friends like vegan japchae, a noodle dish originating in Korea. They also enjoy puliyogare, which is a south Indian rice dish.

     Intern Julia Comino said that many of her friends will eat vegan and vegetarian meals because she offers them leftovers when she makes large pasta or curry dishes. Cooking meals and sharing them with others is a fantastic way to encourage non-vegetarian friends and family to try meat-free or vegan meals. Julia also added that although vegan foods aren’t very accessible where she lives, she and her friends will visit Taco Bell and order the vegetarian Black Bean Crunch Wrap. You can even order it fresco style, without the dairy. Taco Bell has hundreds of locations across North America, and might be a great option if someone you know wants to go vegan, but they don’t otherwise have a lot of access to veg-friendly meals where they live.

     Simon Brown, like Julia, stated that his non-vegan friends will eat vegan meals when someone cooks the meal for them. He also added that many of his friends don’t tend to choose vegan substitutes like the Impossible Burger. Rather, they more typically eat vegan food unintentionally when eating at Indian, Mediterranean, or Ethiopian restaurants—all of which serve many vegetarian meals.

     So, non-vegetarian people of all ages and cultures can find vegan foods to enjoy. There are tons of vegan meals, spanning across many cultures. Whether it’s from a fast food restaurant, or is homemade, vegan food is delicious and diverse. More and more young people are choosing diets that contain little to no meat. Non-vegans are getting increased exposure to vegetarian food because meat-free options are now popping up everywhere, and the options will only keep increasing. 

For some ideas about what to serve vegetarian friends, see https://www.vrg.org/teen/#friends