Before I became a vegan, I always pictured vegans as spaced-out hippies who only ate wheatgrass and other weird shit straight from the ground. But after choosing to live on this diet for health reasons, I found out that I was far from the truth.
Via: nanayblogger.wordpress.com
The real definition of veganism can be easily confused. Most people joke around about it and bash it altogether, but in reality they really don’t know all the facts. So it’s time to put some accusations and myths to rest.
True veganism is simply eating a diet that doesn’t include meat or dairy products; that means no eggs, cheese or steaks—the list goes on and on.
And sorry, bacon lovers, you’re out on this one.
Eating vegan may appear to be a daunting task, but it can be done. With an enormous hipster population and melting pot of students and locals, vegan eateries and stores have recently popped up everywhere in Gainesville. Eating on campus may present a challenge, but there are ways to work around vegan-less options.
Campus
As you’ve probably discovered, there aren’t many vegan options on campus….besides eating handfuls of grass from the Plaza of the Americas. Kidding, don’t do that. However, there are a few that will satisfy your hunger and keep to your meatless and dairy-less diet: you can order a salad at Croutons, veggie sub or salad at Subway or take a short walk over to Chipotle on West University and order a vegan rice bowl. You can always pack a snack or lunch, but if that’s not your style then you do have some options to choose from on campus.
Restaurants
If you head downtown, into the heart of hipsterdom, you will be overwhelmed by the plethora of vegan-friendly restaurants and eateries. A few of my favorite vegan restaurants include:
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The Top (which has the best vegan pesto pasta)
The Jones
Boca Fiesta
Leonardo’s
East End Eatery
Reggae Shack
And to top off the night, Karma Cream is always a great place to get vegan dessert. There are other vegan eateries scattered around Gainesville, but downtown has your best options to pick from.
Although eating a vegan diet comes with certain complications, it still doesn’t mean that you should have a difficult time finding places to chow down. There are also a ton of stores, such as Earth Origins and Ward’s Supermarket, where you can buy vegan foods and other organic supplements, so you can cook healthy and delicious meals at home**.
When you look at all these options, Gainesville actually turns out to be a pretty good place for vegan eatery. And it just goes to show how amazing and easy it is to live vegan, even in a crazy college town with crazy, hectic schedules.
**One of my favorite vegan dishes to make is is zucchini pasta paired with quinoa and brown rice. Simply julienne the zucchini, sautéed it with olive oil, and drizzle pesto sauce over the finished zucchini, quinoa and brown rice. This dish is super easy to make and allows you to enjoy a guilty-free meal.
Photo courtesy of: Harper’s Bazaar
