Enjoy Vegan Festivals Around The Country

By Larry Allen


Many people never eat animal products of any kind. Following a stricter diet than vegetarians do, these folks eat only products of the vegetable kingdom. It's hard to avoid most American food; eating at home is often the best policy. However, as this eating style becomes more popular and prevalent, vegan festivals are occurring across the country.

To be vegan is to strictly avoid any animal foods. This means that, unlike many 'vegetarians', vegans eat no eggs, butter, fish, seafood, or dairy like yogurt or sour cream. It takes real dedication to adhere to such a restrictive diet, especially since many products contain minute amounts of substances of animal origin in flavorings or colors. It also means careful meal planning to get adequate nutrients like protein or vitamin B-12 that are most easily found in meat and dairy.

People who are 'vegan' may just not like the taste of meat. Often, however, they feel that is wrong to eat animals or consume an unfair proportion of the food of the world. They may feel so strongly that they only want to eat vegetables that they refuse anything with even a trace of animal foods. This is a very strict dietary plan, but it does not have to mean that allowed foods won't be good.

The very worst is going to a festival and not being able to eat most of what is offered. You can feel left out as all your friends partake, and you also suffer temptation the whole time. There's no need to experience this at a food fair designed especially for vegans. Every single thing will be edible. It will also be delicious, since vendors are there to entice new customers.

No matter how you eat, festivals like this are great ways to learn about foods you may be unfamiliar with, to try before you buy, and to sample new recipes. Most of us are looking for a few new ideas to tempt our families, make dinnertime fun again, or impress our friends. It's a great and inexpensive way to see what new products are coming to the market.

There's a lot of good food that has no animal products. Think of the great bread made from flour, water, yeast, and salt. Different kinds of loaves depend mostly on how they are mixed, risen, and baked. Crackers, cookies, and cakes can be made without eggs or milk and still be delicious. Find out what's available and get some tips on how to cook at home.

New York City, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Portland, and Austin have these popular festivals. Now, many other places are hosting these specialty food fairs, so check to see if your area is getting on board. If not, suggest to the city fathers that now is the time to cater to this way of eating.

There's no doubt that festivals organized around great food are very popular. People like that they can sample before they buy, so vendors make it easy to try new things, and visitors can take favorites home or find out where to get them. It's a great way to spend an afternoon while broadening the horizons of your culinary experience.




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