{"id":701,"date":"2012-10-05T18:00:18","date_gmt":"2012-10-05T22:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/~travelwriting\/?page_id=701"},"modified":"2012-10-07T19:09:34","modified_gmt":"2012-10-07T23:09:34","slug":"vegetarian-dining-can-be-a-major-challenge-for-travelers-far-from-familiar-restaurants-of-home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/?page_id=701","title":{"rendered":"Vegetarian dining can be big challenge for travelers far from familiar restaurants"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted Oct. 5, 2012<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By CHELSEA PILLSBURY<\/p>\n

A waiter places a steaming blue plate of cheese ravioli on the table; the customer inhales the wonderful aromas wafting from the food with a smile on his face and then\u2026 grimaces.<\/p>\n

\"Chickpeas<\/a>

Chickpeas create the “tuna” on this sandwich and soy cheese makes it vegan friendly as well (Photo by Chelsea Pillsbury).<\/p><\/div>\n

The pained look on his face comes from the faint smell of meat and the little pieces of ground beef he see in the sauce. He and his dining partner swear they had made it clear that they were vegetarians, but are forced to motion the waiter over and explain again.<\/p>\n

According to a study by Vegetarian Times,<\/em> there are 7.3 million vegetarians in America, with an additional 22.8 million people who follow a vegetarian-inclined diet.<\/p>\n

Vegetarianism has become increasingly popular in the past decade and while most restaurants will offer at least one sans-meat option, vegetarians still encounter difficulties in adhering to their diet.<\/p>\n

While at home, vegetarians most likely know exactly which restaurants and grocery stores cater to them, but when traveling finding these places can pose a problem if vegetarians do not plan ahead. Researching a destination is the most important step in having a worry free, vegetarian vacation.<\/p>\n

Some of the best resources are:<\/p>\n