Vegan Nutrition with Marty Davey

Marty Davey is a Registered Dietitian and has a Masters degree in Food and Nutrition from Marywood University. She became a vegetarian in 1980 when she discovered that the chemicals in American meat made them unsellable to Europeans. She and her husband have raised their son as a vegan. She teaches nutrition and has a private practice specializing in assisting clients transitioning to a plant-based regime step by step. Her website is martydavey.com

Allergies and Food

Hi, I am considering becoming a vegan, but I have severe allergies to nuts, chocolate, a few types of fruit, and worst of all - lettuce and tomatoes. The thing is, whenever I go out to eat, I find it impossible to find something that I can eat that is vegan due to not being able to order salads in the majority of restaurants. What kinds of foods would I be able to eat when I went out or to a friend's house?

Article continues below

I have very few allergies, however, when I was a actor on tour through the South, in the 1980's, the only foods to eat for six months were oatmeal, iceberg salads and baked potatoes. When we swung out West and were in Colorado, the potatoes were green. For years afterward I never ordered a salad. So I empathize with your dining issues. Here are somethings I do when at restaurants. [It also helps that I worked in a number of them and know menus].

First, just to explain the social challenges of being a vegan and keeping food from being an issue for you and your friends. Eat before going out if you know the restaurant doesn't have anything, or you are unsure and will be hungry. I hate doing this because I think it dumbs down chefs. Already there are so few vegan choices in restaurants that the restaurant business has no idea how many of us are out here or what our buying power could actually be. We either don't go, or don't order. I have a friend who went to restaurants all the time. Money was not an issue. She became a vegan and can't find any choices in her very upscale town. She is a great patron of the arts in her area, but at galas the food pickings are extremely slim. She now makes soups at home.

Because I am tired of being treated as a second class citizen when I go to a 5-star restaurant, I ask a lot of questions and have a disappointed look when I am told I can have a pasta dish. How boring! Ooh, I get to pay $8 for a Boca Burgers. Be still my beating heart. My 11 year old son can make that. In my mind that Chef has gone from master of the kitchen to salad prep. That is why I write reviews for restaurants on veg food websites and send them to the restaurant. You can do the same. As in most things veg, we have to educate.

Second, scour the menu and look for appetizers and side dishes. Many meat items will come with great veggies, wild rice or potatoes. Check to see if the rice was cooked with a meat bouillon. There may be an appetizer that is has beans in it. I have looked for what the kitchen has by the menu. Often I'll ask if these ingredients can be put together. If there is a real chef behind the stove, your ideas can prompt them to look at their kitchen in a new light.

Get thee to ethnic restaurants. If you steer clear of the crappy sports bar food, or chain restaurants you should be able to find all kinds of dishes. Indian, Ethiopian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Thai, Chinese, Japanese foods all have delicious vegan choices. Almost everything can be made with tofu instead.

When you go to your friend's home grains, veggies and sauce is a really easy fix. There are fruit salads, slaws and crudités galore instead of the lettuce salad. You can have your greens steamed instead of a cold salad. Sweet potatoes can become a soup, salad, main dish or a dessert ingredient.

Beans are highly concentrated protein sources and work in a myriad dishes - soups, sandwich spreads, as well as Italian, Mexican, French, etc. main dishes. You can search the web with one ingredient and come up with a host of vegan recipes. My latest research is in Moroccan Tagines.

Grains can be quick to make [10-20 minutes] such as quinoa, bulgar, millet and cous cous. Or they can take a while [45-90 minutes] such as rice, kasha, barley, kamut. They are also a great protein source as well as B vitamins. I just look at what is in the frig, or what my mood is to create a savory, sweet or spicy sauce.

Dessert is a joke being a vegan. I say this because they are so easy. I have had the most awful, inedible food served pretending to be a dessert served to me by supposed "well-known" chefs. Even when I give them the recipe. I have a dessert video on my website that was made by 9 year olds. What is great about many types vegan desserts is that I can taste batter before it cooks- no raw eggs. The same holds for when it is served.

Now I am not saying leave your vegan cupcake on the counter 3 days, but there isn't the same fear of eggs and dairy that conventional desserts have. Plus, the leavenings are either shelf stable, such as baking powder and baking soda or add to the moistness, such as flax meal.

I would get a really great cookbook or DVD. I have a DVD and starter recipe book. Jill Nussino, RD, MS, who also writes for VegFamily, has a DVD on pressure cooking [fantastic]. There are some seminal vegan cookbook authors: Jo Stepaniak, Robin Robertson, and Fran Costigan [dessert queen].

Being vegan in a omnivore world can be a challenge, but that just means we need to understand the ingredients they have while trying to hold the cook in the back to a higher standard. We can help them get there with thought-provoking questions and a good dose of grace.

Get your own personal nutrition consultation with Marty here.

Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

See full index of questions

Sponsors: