Vegan Shopping List

My husband and I run a computer training company and it's located in the building where we live. (We live 'above the shop'.) Part of the course is to provide lunches, and since we are not a full-blown, huge training company, we do not have staff, nor separate kitchen facilities, nor lunchroom staff, to go through the process of having periodic health & saftey inspections. Therefore, we do not prepare the lunches ourselves.

We have, on occasion, requirements to provide lunches for people who are vegan. This can either be presented in a form of takeaways, or groceries bought at a store (but they have to be edible-out-of-the-pack). We just basically serve it up.

We're fortunate in that we have a great relationship with some of the local takeaways and they specially prepare meals for us. But, these are Indian and Chinese resturants, and for a week-long course, people (and the other students) want another option/variety.

I have looked online for a "Shopping list" of items that are clear-cut yes (or no) for vegans, and I come up short. I'm also faced with the fact that philosophies vary within the vegan community. Some won't eat honey. Some will eat things with yeast, etc. Even these variances cause great heated debates within.

Since there are some on here who are vegetarian, have you run across a list of dos and don'ts for vegans? Have you seen a book for this? An article in a magazine? I'm pretty much looking for a complete shopping list, and one that defines the grey areas as well. I'm surprised I haven't seen this online. Some come close, but they are more suggestions, rather than full lists.

I can check my back issues of Vegetarian Times for you.  I know they designated a lot of their recipies as Vegetarian, Vegan, Lacto-Ovo.  You're right - there are varying applications of being a vegetarian/vegan.  I didn't eat "meat" - not even fish, which I know of a few vegetarians who do eat fish.  But I didn't get so picky that I gave up worchestshire sauce because it has pureed anchovies in it!!  That was a bit much...

The honey thing is kind of recent, I think, though.  Like I said, I'll browse through my mags and see if I can lend a helping hand!

Actually, by definition, a true vegetarian doesn't eat any animal, not even fish ("nothing with a face").  A person who eats no meat but does eat fish is called a piscatorian, but it's not a word you hear very often.  I have even encountered a few people who don't eat red meat but do eat chicken and call themselves vegetarian.  Ludicrous.  

I can understand that varying degrees of conviction would make it quite difficult to cater to people's dietary needs.  Unfortunately, LisaE, I can't help very much.  I discarded all of my vegetarian magazines when I moved, and not being a vegan myself I, like you, am not acquainted with their requirements.  

The other day i stopped at a little deli & asked if the "spaghetti hot lunch" was vegetarian.  the lady said it was, so i ordered it.  i walked my "vegetarian" spaghetti dish all over town until i found a suitable park.  when i sat down to eat it, i discovered it had *loads* of chicken in it.  

what's the deal?

one time sean told a server at a restaurant that he "doesn't eat meat", and so the server said "oh, well we do have some chicken this and that blah blah blah".  

yep, some ppl just don't get it.

there are apparently some "vegetarians" who won't eat red meat or chicken, but they will eat pork.  piggies are ppl too, aren't they?

anyway i am of the "nothing with a face" persuasion myself.  that does just about sum it up.  

however i'm not vegan.. i like cheese *way* too much even to consider being vegan.  i do know some vegans, and all i can say is they spend a lot of time on food preparation.  providing for a vegan fast-food style while maintaining a semblance of variety & nutrition is a huge task.

one suggestion that sean just mentioned: lebanese/egyptian places or any old kebab shop would have a falafal.  (they give you gas  , but they are very handy little meals you can pretty readily come across.)  then there is the veggie burger option as well (as long as there is no egg in them).  and nut-cutlets yum! - (except they have bready bits in them, so yeast could be a problem there...)

but, yes, when i think vegan, i think "recipe".. meaning the food-preparation bit is somewhat unavoidable.   :-/

Scrumpy, thank you for my new word for the day - piscatorian!  I can use it on one of the attorneys I work for, seeing as he is one!!  Will much impress, I'm sure!

I had the same probs eating vegetarian in Chinese places.  You can't assume that all spring rolls are veggie - some have shrimp and stuff in them, and some are just veggies.  You have to ask, and mostly they don't know (which is kind of frightening in itself...).

Just let the vegans know that they are now "raw foodists" and lay out uncooked fruits and veggies!!

Piscatorian -- same root as the word Pisces (i.e. the astrological sign).  If you really want to impress someone, tell them you live a piscatorial existence (implies that you live by a river or other body of water).  

Will definitely fit, as I'm moving to Gravesend, which is on/close to the Thames...

im sorry if i sound like a smart ass...but why dont you ask them for a food list of what they will and wont eat....at least your trying....

i know catering to peoples food requirement can be quite hard at time...but if a person chooses to eat 'outside the norm' then they shoudlnt have a problem telling what they will eat.... other then that...i like the raw veg and fruit idea...