What do vegetarians eat?
and What do vegans eat?
A vegetarian food list | Notes at the bottom of the page

Entrees

AMERICAN   Baked Beans   Chili Black Bean, Lentil, Pinto Bean, Soy, Tempeh   Veggie Burgers Burger King BK Veggie, Boca Burger, Gardenburger, Morningstar Farms, Yves Black Bean   Meatless Hot Dogs   Casserole Loaves Lentil, Potato, Red Bean, Rice-Mushroom, Soy   Sloppy Joes Lentil, Tofu CHINESE & ASIAN   Chop Suey   Chow Mein   Dim Sum   Mu Shu Vegetables   Pad Thai   Ramen   Szechuan Eggplant   Spring Rolls   Sushi   Sweet & Sour Vegetables   Won Ton Soup INDIAN   Aloo Gobhi   Aloo Paratha   Bombay Pav Bhaji   Chana Masala   Curried Vegetables   Dahl   Gobhi Muslam   Potato Curry   Tandoori Casserole ITALIAN   Eggplant Casserole   Pasta Linguini, Macaroni, Rigatoni, Spaghetti   Pizza   Lasagna   Manicotti   Ravioli   Stuffed Bell Peppers MEDITERRANEAN   Falafel   Moroccan Vegetables   Spanikopita   Tabouleh MEXICAN   Burritos Bean, Potato, Tofu   Chapatis & Beans   Enchiladas Spinach Mushroom   Seitan Fajitas   Tacos Bean, Potato, Tofu   Tamales   Tamale Pie OTHER   Marinated Tofu   Mushroom Stroganoff   Roasted Vegetables   Sandwiches Hummus, Cashew Butter, Peanut Butter, Meat Substitutes, Roasted Eggplant, Vegetables   Shish Kebabs   Soups   Stews   Stuffed Squash   Vegetable Quiche

Fruits
Apples Golden Delicious Red Delicious Granny Smith McIntosh Pink Lady Apricots Bananas Blackberries Blueberries Canteloupe Cherries Coconuts Cranberries Dates Figs Grapefruit Grapes Honeydew   Melons	Kiwi Fruit Lemons Limes Mangos Nectarines Oranges Papaya Peaches Pears Pineapple Plums Prunes Raisins Raspberries Strawberries Tangerines Watermelon

Dairy Substitutes
MILK Almond Milk Rice Milk Soy Milk Above available in: Nonfat, 2%, Regular, Carob, Chocolate, Vanilla Soy Yogurt	CHEESE Almond Cheese Rice Cheese Soy Cheese American, Cheddar, Mozarella, Swiss

Sandwich Fillings
Apple Butter Cashew Baba Ganouj Butter Guacamole Falafel Hummus	Jams & Jellies Blueberry, Boysenberry, Cranberry, Grape, Raspberry, Strawberry Marmalade Peanut butter Seitan Tofu, Baked Tofu "Egg" Salad Veggie Burger Mix Wheat Roast

Grain Dishes
Couscous Dolmas Falafel Grits Macaroni Oatmeal Pasta Pilaf Polenta	Porridge Ramen Buckwheat, Carrot, Curry, Miso, Mushroom, Onion, SchezhuanSeawood, Spinach Spanish Rice Tabouleh Wild Rice

Breakfast Foods
Bagels Banana Nut, Blueberry, Cinnamon Raisin, Cranberry, Garlic, Onion, Poppy Seed, Pumpernickel, Sesame Seed, Sun-Dried Tomato, Whole Wheat Cereal Cheerios, Cornflakes, Frosted Flakes, Grape Nuts, Kashi, Multigrain Flakes, Nutri-Grain, Puffed Corn, Puffed Millet, Puffed Rice, Puffed Wheat, Raisin Bran, Rice Flakes, Shredded Wheat, Wheetabix	Cinnamon Buns Danish Donuts French Toast Granola Grits Muffins Oatmeal Pancakes Blueberry, Buckwheat, Wheat Pastries Polenta Porridge Potato Patties Scrambled Tofu Toast Waffles

Grains
Amaranth Barley Buckwheat Bulgur Wheat Corn	Millet Oats Rice Rye Quinoa Wheat

Tubers
Red Potatoes Russet Potatoes	Sweet Potatoes Yams

Beans
Adzuki Beans Black Beans Black Eyed Peas Garbanzo Beans Great Northern Beans Green Lentils Green Split Peas	Kidney Beans Mung Beans Navy Beans Pinto Beans Red Beans Red Lentils Soybeans Yellow Split Peas

Meat Substitutes
Seitan Soy Ground Beef Soy Hot Dogs Soy Pepperoni Tempeh	Tofu TVP Veggie Burgers Mix, Packaged Veggie BBQ Wheat Roast

Bean Dishes

Baked Beans Bean Burgers Black Bean, Kidney Bean, Pinto Bean, Lentil, Red Bean, Tofu Bean Casserole Black Bean, Kidney Bean, Pinto Bean, Lentil, Red Bean, Tofu Black Bean Dip Chili Black Bean, Kidney Bean, Pinto Bean, Red Bean, Tofu Dahl Hummus Lentil Sloppy Joes Marinated Tofu Refried Beans Tofu Sloppy Joes

Vegetable Dishes

Baked Potatoes Butternut Squash Carrots & Parsley Coleslaw Corn on the Cob Curried Vegetables Eggplant Casserole Grilled Vegetables Hash Browns Mashed Potatoes Mixed Vegetables Moroccan Vegetables Mushroom Gravy Potato Burgers Potato Curry Roasted Vegetables Soups Alphabet, Asparagus, Black Bean, Borscht, Corn Chowder, Cream of Broccoli, Cream of Celery, Curry Lentil, Gazpacho, Lentil-Tomato, Minestrone, Miso, Mushroom, Okra Gumbo, Onion, Potato-Leek, Red Bean, Split Pea, Sweet Squash, Tomato, Vegetable Stews Black-Eyed Pea, Garbanzo, Potato, Ratatouille, Squash & Tomato, Yam Steamed Artichokes Steamed Greens Stir-Fried Vegetables Stuffed Bell Peppers Sweet & Sour Vegetables

Leafy Vegetables
Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Celery Collard Greens Dandelion Greens	Green Chard Green Leaf Lettuce Iceberg Lettuce Kale Mustard Greens Red Chard Red Leaf Lettuce Spinach

Nuts
Almonds Brazil Nuts Cashews Chestnuts Filberts	Peanuts Peanut Butter Pecans Pistachios Walnuts

Snacks
Applesauce Carrot Sticks Crackers Brown Rice, Matzo,Saltines, Whole Wheat Thins Fruit Cocktail Fruit Leather Fruit Salad Nuts Pickles Popcorn	Pretzels Rice Cakes Apple, Caramel, Millet, Buckwheat, Italian Spice, Mochi Sweet, Teriyaki Smoothies Sunflower Seeds Tortilla Chips

Desserts

Bread Pudding Brownies Cakes Angelfood, Boston Cream Pie, Chocolate, Coffee Cake, Cupcakes, Flan, Fruitcake, Gingerbread, Pound Cake, Sponge Cake, Tofu Cheesecake Candy Bars Cobbler Apple, Apricot, Peach, Plum Cookies Animal Crackers, Apple Spice, Chocolate, Coconut Bars, Fig Bars, Gingersnaps, Graham Crackers, Ladyfingers, Macaroons, Oatmeal, Peanut Butter, Raisin, Shortbread, Sugar, Vanilla Crepes Eclairs Frozen Fruit Bars

Canteloupe, Cherry, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Pineapple, Raspberry, Strawberry Nondairy Ice Cream Almond Pecan, Chai, Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Espresso, Green Tea, Peppermint, Pistachio Almond, Raspberry, Vanilla Pies Apple, Banana Custard, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Chocolate Chiffon, Coconut Cream, Fried, Lemon, Pecan, Pumpkin, Rhubarb, Sweet Potato Puddings Chocolate, Rice, Tapioca, Vanilla Sorbets

Baking
Arrowroot Baking Powder Baking Soda	Corn Starch Egg Replacer Yeast

Sweeteners
Barley Malt Brown Rice Syrup Brown Sugar Maple Syrup	Molasses Sugar Turbinado Sugar

Other Vegetables
Artichokes Asparagus Avocados Bamboo Shoots Beets Bell Peppers Green, Red, Yellow Butternut Squash Carrots Corn Cucumbers Eggplant Garlic Ginger	Green Onions Leeks Mushrooms Shiitake, White Button Okra Olives Onions Peas Pumpkin Radishes Sprouts Squash Tomatoes Turnips Zucchini

Breads
Bagels Biscuits Cornbread Dinner Rolls Focaccia French Bread Muffins Apple, Banana, Carrot, Corn, Oat	Loaves Banana, Multigrain, Raisin, Rye, Wheat, Zucchini Pita Tortillas Wheat Loaf

Condiments
Catsup Chutney Corn Butter Eggless Mayonnaise Horseradish Mushroom Gravy Mustard Nutritional Yeast Pasta Sauces Pepper Pesto Pico de Gallo	Salad Dressings Cucumber, French, Honey Mustard, Italian, Thousand Island, Tomato, Vinaigrette Salsa Salt Sesame Seeds Soy Sauce Tahini Tamari

Herbs & Spices
Allspice Cinnamon Basil Bay Leaves Celery Seed Chili Powder Cilantro Coriander Cumin Curry Powder Dill Dry Mustard Garlic Ginger Lemon Juice	Mace Marjoram Nutmeg Oregano Paprika Parsley Pepper, Black Pepper, Red Rosemary Sage Salt Soy Sauce Spike Tarragon Thyme Turmeric

Beverages
Beer Cocoa Coffee Fruit Juices   Apple, Grape, Grapefruit, Orange Lemonade Limeade Root Beer	Soft Drinks Sports Drinks Teas Tomato Juice Wine

Probably one of the most annoying questions a vegetarian or vegan gets is, "So what do you eat?", often followed by, "Don't you get tired of eating nothing but salad?" I usually answer that one with, "Yes, and it's so terrible I cry myself to sleep every night."

But anyway, if you're a vegetarian, now you can refer people to this page to see that you subsist on more than carrots and lettuce. If you're not a vegetarian, now you can see that we're not starving ourselves after all.

Hyper-critical meat-eaters may complain that I'm exaggerating the number of foods available by listing a few items twice (e.g., under both "Entrees" and "Vegetable Dishes", but that's only because it made the most sense to do so. That's more that balanced by the fact that the list above is woefully incomplete -- I didn't come close to listing all the foods available to vegetarians. I could easily come up with another few hundred sandwiches, soups, stews, casseroles, chilis, ethnic dishes, tortilla chip flavors, nondairy ice cream flavors, etc. You'll also notice that I don't list salads at all. This is intentional.

I think my new strategy, when someone asks me what vegetarians eat, will be to ask them to first list everything they've eaten in the past week. Likely it won't be very diverse, or very long, or even very interesting. I'l then start my answer by identifying the probably 50% of their items that are vegan or could be, then mentioning the vegan alternatives to the other 50%, then adding about 20-30 of my favorite items. Below is a canned response I wrote and committed to memory and use in such situations.

If the list above inspires you to cook, see some recommended cookbooks at right.

How to answer "But what do you eat?"

Memorize your own personalized version of what's below. It ought to be a funny way to counter pre-conceived notions. I'm glad you asked, because I like to eat, and I love talking about food. Probably the first thing that people think of when they think of being vegetarian is giving up hamburgers, but there are actually a lot of commercial veggie burgers you can get in grocery stores by companies like Morningstar Farms, Yves, Boca Burger, and Garden Burger, and most of them come in about five different flavors. You know with meat pretty much the only flavor you get is, hamburger. Even Burger King has a veggie burger on their menu now, and so do lots of restaurants. Now personally I don't really buy veggie burgers unless I'm eating out, but sometimes I make them myself from scratch with things like lentils, rice, and oats. A meat alternative I like better is the veggie barbecue that they have in the regular grocery stores now. Of course there are also a gazillion varieties of meatless hot dogs but I never really missed hot dogs very much. For ethnic food my favorite variety is Indian, dishes like aloo gobhi, allo paratha, bombay pav bhaji, chana masala, dahl, gobhi muslam, and tandoori casserole. Those are things like spiced cauliflower and potatoes, potato-filled flat bread, curried vegetables, spiced chickpeas, and thick stews made from yellow split peas. After that I'd go for Mexican food -- enchiladas, tacos, and burritos, filled with potatoes, onions, and beans like black beans, red beans, and kidney beans. There's also tamales, tamale pie, and fajitas made with a wheat roast called seitan. I also like Mediterranean food, things like spanikopita which is a spinach pie, tabouleh which is a grain dish made from bulgur wheat, and falafel, which is a sandwich made from fried chickpeas, though I don't eat that too much because I try to avoid fried foods. And I guess everyone likes Chinese food -- chop suey, chow mein, dim sum, mu shu vegetables, stir-fried eggplant, spring rolls, won ton soup, and other Asian foods like Pad Thai and sushi without fish. I don't eat just exotic stuff, though. I also like traditional foods like baked beans, chili without meat, casseroles, mashed potatoes, and sloppy joes made from lentils or tofu. Oh, I almost forgot Italian -- eggplant casserole, lasagna with meat & dairy substitutes, pasta like linguini, fettucine, and spaghetti, and of course pizza. I like making my own pizza because nothing impresses someone like making pizza from scratch, including the crust. It's also fun to be creative -- once I made pizza at a hostel and they didn't have a rolling pin, so I used a tomato sauce can to roll out the dough. When I'm cooking for myself I also make thick stews based on whatever vegetables and beans I have lying around, usually potatoes, onions, eggplant, carrots, garlic, and greens like spinach or chard. This goes really well with brown rice, which I usually make separately but sometimes I cook it right along in the stew. Sometimes I'll just make a pot of nothing but potatoes, spiced wih soy sauce or spike. I especially like boiling a whole bunch of sweet potatoes. If I'm cooking for someone else I'll generally make pizza, veggie burgers, Chinese stir-fry, or a casserole like baked lentils or eggplant. For the holidays I make a fake turkey out of brown rice and pecans. When I'm running low on food I usually have some rice or oatmeal lying around that I can make in a pinch. I tend to eat a lot of fruit just by itself, especially for breakfast or lunch -- apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, canteloupe, dates, figs, grapefruit, kiwis, oranges, pears, nectarines, mangos, peaches, pears, plums, pineapple, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines watermelon, and apples. I prefer golden delicious and red delicious apples, I don't like granny smith because they're too tart, or McIntosh because they're too soft. For snacks besides ruit I like popcorn and rice cakes. I guess other vegans are more likely to eat cookies, crackers, pretzels, chips, pickles, or nuts like almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, filberts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, or walnuts, but I try to keep away from junk food and high-fat foods. I eat too many bagels since I get them for free when the bakery throws them away at the end of the day, but otherwise I make whole wheat bread with my bread machine. I could buy it, but it's cheaper to make it and there's nothing like fresh-baked bread. I don't eat a lot of sandwiches any more but my favorite fillings are hummus, black bean spread, homemade veggie burgers, and peanut butter. What do you like to eat?

Vegan Handbook: Over 200 Delicious Recipes, Meal Plans, and Vegetarian Resources for All Ages by Debra Wasserman $19.95 new $5.95 used	150 Vegan Favorites: Fresh, Easy and Incredibly Delicious Recipes You Can Enjoy Every Day by Jay Solomon $11.00 new $9.95 used
Easy Vegan Cooking: Over 350 Delicious Recipes for Every Occasion by Leah Leneman $20.00 new	Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook by the editors of Veg. Times $5.95 used
20 Minutes to Dinner: Quick, Low-Fat Vegetarian Meals, by Bryanna Clark Grogan. Get in and out of the kitchen FAST with tempting and nutritious dishes from vegetarian innovator, Bryanna Clark Grogan. Most of the recipes are based on the Mediterranean/Asian model using lots of grains, fruits and vegetables. Nutritional analyses accompany each recipe. $7.00 used
The McDougall Program. Not only contains 130 lowfat vegan recipes, but also provides the wisdom of Dr. McDougall. McDougall ran an amazingly successful 12-day in-patient vegetarian program at the St. Helena Hospital in Deer Park, California. Participants were able to eliminate or drastically reduce insulin and high blood pressure medicines almost immediately. This book shows how to do it without going to the clinic. Convincingly presents the case for the health benefits of a vegetarian diet from the viewpoint of a trained medical professional. Probably the best of all the McDougall books. Read excerpt or $20.00 new, $6.95 used
May All Be Fed: Diet for a New World, by John Robbins & Jia Patton. An abbreviated, updated version of Diet for a New America, which remedies the main complaint against that book: a lack of recipes. Now you'll be able to take action after being inspired by Robbins' convincing thesis. Contains nearly 200 vegan recipes. Read excerpt or

Related info:

• Nutritional stats about every food (protein, fat, carbs, vitamins, minerals, etc.) from the USDA database