I’m a meat-eater. I love nothing more than a perfectly grilled medium-rare steak, or roast chicken straight from the rotisserie. But nowadays, I won’t go to a restaurant unless they’ve got at least a few decent vegetarian options. When I scan a menu, it’s the first thing I check. And if it isn’t up to scratch, it’s not going to happen.
This is because my wife’s a vegetarian, as . She’s also allergic to mushrooms, which are one of the most common vego options, especially at burger joints, which tend to grill them instead of patties for the non-meat brigade.
The bottom line is that if there isn’t enough food on offer for her to enjoy, there’s no point going there. Let’s just say that stuffing yourself while your dining companion pokes at something underwhelming doesn’t make for an ideal meal.
A little over 10 per cent of us are vegetarians nowadays, according to Roy Morgan Research – and while we’re at it, please don’t ask a vegetarian whether they eat fish. That’s a pescatarian, or vegaquarian if you must.
‘Vegetarian’ doesn’t mean ‘vegetablarian’.
But even if you aren’t one, most of us should be eating less meat, on both health and environmental sustainability grounds, as the McCartneys have been pointing out for years via their movement.
Nobody’s taking away your right to put meat on your plate, but if you do so less frequently, it’s better for everyone.
talking point
Do we eat too much meat?
If you do start eating more vegetarian food in restaurants – as I do, because I like sharing meals – you’ll quickly discover how few options there are to choose from. As someone who’s used to an overwhelming abundance of choices, it’s quite disconcerting to discover how restricted vegetarian dining can be.
I once visited an LA restaurant called Animal which proudly offered zero meat-free dishes. It had novelty value, and was packed out when we visited – but obviously, that was before I met my wife. Too many restaurants, however, inadvertently come far too close to that menu.
Not only are there too few options, but they can often feel very samey. I’ve lost track of how many restaurants offer zucchini flowers stuffed with some kind of cheese, or a creamy mushroom risotto, or a minestrone soup. Bruschetta and buratta also feature heavily.
And many a waiter trying to gild their restaurant’s obvious lack of thought about vegetarian options has responded to our query by optimistically asking if we’d like some olives? Sure, but not as a substitute for a proper meal.
Then there’s the sides and salad fallacy, where restaurants try to suggest that vegetarians can just have a bunch of leaves or vegetables and consider that a meal. Well, no. As with carnivores, meat skeptics tend to want some protein and carbs along with their servings of vegetables. ‘Vegetarian’ doesn’t mean ‘vegetablarian’.
I’ve lost track of how many restaurants offer zucchini flowers stuffed with some kind of cheese, or a creamy mushroom risotto.
One ‘vegetarian option’ is never enough – I reckon restaurateurs should follow a ratio of at least 2 to 1. Some cuisines, like Lebanese and Chinese, tend to have stacks of vegetarian options as part of the tradition, while others, like French, have a lot of work to do.
Some places improvise their vegetarian modifications, which can be fun. Order the mini-degustation ‘banquet’ at Sydney’s(which generally has plenty of vego options to begin with) and the chef will come up with some terrific options that aren’t on the menu. That makes a vegetarian diner feel valued, just like we carnivores feel wherever we sit down to eat.
Of course, the vegetarian choice can often more delicious than the meat ones. At Melbourne’s hipster burger chain, for instance, the Zelda burger which pairs a chickpea, corn and quinoa patty with beetroot relish, grilled haloumi and avocado might well be yummier than the beef and chicken options, and will definitely leave you feeling more virtuous.
If more vegetarian choices are offered, we’ll all eat more vegetarian food more often. And vegetarians will feel like they’ve actually been thought about, instead of begrudgingly given one token selection.
I’ve definitely eaten more diversely since I first started dating a vegetarian four years ago. I’ve discovered that I don’t need to eat meat as often as I thought I did, and that eating gets more interesting if you mix it up.
Put it this way – if you always choose the chicken kebab, you’ll miss out on the falafel roll. And trust me – nobody wants to miss out on falafel rolls.
