While 7.3 million Americans are vegetarians and an additional 22.8 million follow a vegetarian-inclined diet, approximately 1 million of them are vegans. This may sound like a small number of people, but it’s growing.

In 2015, 3.4% of the American population were vegetarian and 0.4% were vegan. But, according to The Economist, 2019 is the year of the vegan. Even Google searches for veganism shows an increase of 550% in the last five years, according to WTVOX. A quarter of American 25- to 34-year olds say they’re vegans or vegetarians.

What’s the difference between vegetarianism and veganism?

Okay, so neither vegetarians nor vegans eat meat. We know that much. This choice is often for dietary concerns, religious beliefs, the health of our environment, individual morals and/or animal welfare.

The difference between vegetarians and vegans is that vegans eat absolutely no animal products, such as dairy, eggs and honey, for example. Something like chocolate, as an example, may have dairy products in them, so vegans wouldn’t eat it—unless it’s vegan-friendly (without dairy and honey etc.).

Some vegetarians and, more likely, vegans also don’t wear animal products such as leather, fur (most obviously) and suede, but also fabrics such as wool and silk because they’re animal byproducts.

There are many different types of vegetarians as well, such as pescatarians, ovo-vegetarians, lacto-vegetarians and ovo-lacto-vegetarians, depending on what they eat and their individual belief systems.

Vegan lunch catering ideas from Foodee

This begs the question now, if you’re ordering vegan lunch catering for your team, yourself or for specific individuals, what should you order? What do vegans eat?

Vegans eat a wide variety of plant-based foods when prepared correctly. For example, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, grains and legumes or beans are great for vegan lunch catering. There are also many vegan substitutions for all of the foods that non-vegans enjoy every day.

The key to a healthy vegan diet is variety. Rotate through various fruits and vegetables, grains, proteins, fats and legumes. For example, try rotating through dishes that have lentils, tofu, nut butter, soy and nut milk, whole wheat grains, potatoes, rice, spinach, chickpeas, and leafy greens in them.

Check out vegan options in your city:

• Vegan corporate catering in Austin, TX
• Vegan corporate catering in San Francisco, CA
• Vegan corporate catering in Silicon Valley, CA
• Vegan corporate catering in Boston, MA
• Vegan corporate catering in Boulder, CO
• Vegan corporate catering in Chicago, IL
• Vegan corporate catering in Denver, CO
• Vegan corporate catering in Minneapolis, MN
• Vegan corporate catering in Vancouver, BC
• Vegan corporate catering in Toronto, ON

Here are a few vegan lunch catering ideas:

Salads

Salads are the most obvious and easiest choice for vegan lunch catering, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be hearty, filling and full of plant-based protein. Choose something with nuts, seeds, beans and dark leafy greens for extra protein and iron. Add avocado for extra fat.

Juices and smoothies

Unless the juice and smoothie have dairy products or honey in it as a sweetener, there’s a good chance that it’s vegan-friendly. Order a juice on the side of a vegan salad or sandwich for an extra boost of daily vitamins and minerals. Add nut milk or nut butter to help you stay full longer.

Healthy bowls

Grain and vegetable bowls—or salads with added grains in it—are a delicious vegan lunch catering idea. Order quinoa, rice, couscous, really any grain is great, add fresh vegetables, roasted cauliflower or beets, half an avocado, tofu, and sprinkle with seeds and a vegan dressing.

Sandwiches

There are many types of vegan cheese and dressings that can spruce up any vegetarian sandwich. Plus, for the most part, bread (at its core) is vegan as it made from flour, water, salt and yeast—as long as the recipe didn’t call for any eggs or dairy. Go for an avocado, tomato, vegan cheese and lettuce sandwich, add a side of fruit and salad, and you have yourself a delicious vegan lunch at the office.

How to find vegan lunch catering in Foodee

Go to food.ee, find your city in the list on the top left of the browser, and select dietary and cuisine filters. In the drop-down menu, select VEGAN. Scroll down to view all of the restaurants and a variety of cuisines that have vegan options.

Once you’ve selected a restaurant, any vegan-friendly menu items will have a VG under it in a dark blue circle. Any VG with a dotted blue circle around it means that it can be made vegan upon request. Just be sure to add a dietary note upon ordering.

Happy ordering!