Vegetarian people who want the same taste as a burger or some kind of meat will often find themselves trying alternatives to meat made of vegetables and seasonings that emulate a similar taste, also known as “meatless meat.”
They argue meatless meat is a healthier alternative to actual meat, but it’s much less popular, and restaurant options for meatless meat are limited, especially beyond a veggie burger.
Same thing with those who suffer from celiac disease; there’s barely any support for gluten-free options around, outside of general chain restaurants such as 99s and Applebee’s.
Gluten-free bread is an option not designed to be the same taste with different ingredients, rather than taking gluten out of bread, because people can have celiac disease, which causes them to be allergic to gluten. Going to a restaurant with a vegetarian who wants meatless meat or someone with celiac disease greatly limits what restaurants they’re willing to go to, and if there’s nothing for them on the menu, they have to sit and watch or not go.
I think that it’s unfair that you’re suddenly limited on places to eat if you don’t eat a certain way. Smaller restaurants, unable to afford a special gluten-free oven or vegetarian meatless meat, are also at a disadvantage; they lose potential customers because they either reject or cannot support those menu options.
It could be a lack of room for separate kitchenware for people with allergies, or it could be a lack of funds to buy meatless meat and keep it for the small portion of people who might order it when they come. Restaurants could also specialize in one thing, like seafood or noodles; there aren’t any widely available alternatives for those places.
It’s unfortunate that these limitations exist, and I think restaurants should work towards accessibility since that brings more customers, but oftentimes they weigh the effort with the reward, and people with limited palates, like vegetarians and those who suffer from celiac disease, often don’t outweigh the effort of changing the kitchen up unless the restaurant plans to support them from the start.
I hope we can address this issue gradually, one step and one location at a time.
