WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello » Vegan

Fish Are Friends, Not Food: EPCOT 1-Day Vegan Itinerary

Angie Carriero — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:35:20 +0000

Now, for another addition to the 1-day vegan eating itinerary in the WDW parks! This time I will be featuring some choice vegan options in EPCOT!

(Each restaurant will be labeled CS (counter service) or TS (table service) appropriately. At counter service locations, the ordering process involves waiting in line at a podium, ordering your food with a cast member, waiting for your order at a counter, and bringing the meal to an available table to sit down to eat. A table service location is more similar to a restaurant and involves being seated, and served at your table. You may need to make an advance dining reservation to dine at TS locations and tip your server’s!)

Breakfast

Your best bet here is to eat at your resort the morning of your Epcot day(s), but there is a Princess Storybook Breakfast buffet in Norway at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall which, besides fruit, MIGHT make you some special vegan Mickey Waffles if you call ahead! Chefs are very accommodating and will find something that you can eat!

Lunch

Sunshine Seasons – Future World – CS – Orange Sesame Glazed Vegan Chick’n Chunks with Stir Fry Noodles (this is alsooffered during dinner). They also have salads!
Via Napoli – World Showcase/Italy – TS – Get a pizza minus the cheese and add all the veggie toppings you can!
Tangierine Cafe – World Showcase/Morocco – QS - Vegetarian Platter with couscous, hummus, and tabouleh

Snacks

Fountainview Ice Cream – Future World - Right near Fountain of Nations, head over to this hand-scooped ice cream place and grab a scoop (or 2) or a float!
Nut Cart – Last time I was there, I checked the ingredients they used on the glaze and they were veg-approved!
Yorkshire County Fish Shop – get some “chips” (French Fries), they’re sooooo good here!

Dinner

Rose and Crown – World Showcase/England – TS – Order the Slow-Cooked Chicken Curry without chicken (and asked that the rice not be cooked in chicken broth!)
La Hacienda de San Angel – Mexico/World Showcase – TS – There are a few options here: Ensalada de la Hacienda with spinach salad with queso fresco, tomatoes, pomegranate, pine nuts and avocado, with mustard vinaigrette dressing (check to see if the dressing is okay and get oil and vinegar if it isn’t!). You can also ask for tacos or nachos here with beans, rice, lettuce, guacamole, onions, etc. just no cheese, sour cream, or meat!

Angie has been a WDW addict since her first visit at age 8, and since then her life has never been the same! She lives in southeastern MA with her boyfriend, Kevin (fellow Disney lover), and their 3 dogs, Flip, Josie, and Hildy, where she is currently training to become a professional dog trainer. Please join Angie every week in “Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Eating Vegan in WDW!” Angie believes that WDW is the most magical place for people with special diets, so, should you have any special diet questions (especially about vegan and gluten-free dining) she’d be happy to help! Angie is also an artist, and you can see her work at www.angiecarreiro.com!

Disclaimer: This blog post, and all past and future Fish Are Friends, Not Food blog posts, are written with my most recent knowledge of the food in WDW parks. Please note that things are constantly changing, so this information might not always be up to date. Also note that I do not take into consideration refined sugar, cross contamination, or impure food items. With that said, always ask a chef before ordering if you are unsure about something, because the recipe may have changed or you may have a different way of defining your vegan lifestyle.

The post Fish Are Friends, Not Food: EPCOT 1-Day Vegan Itinerary appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Traveling By Car to WDW, MORE Vegan Fast Food

Angie Carriero — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:21:22 +0000

I got such great responses to my last post on this subject, that I just HAD to include them in a post all their own!

I’ve previously mentioned that “Fast Food in America is pretty heavy on the meat and dairy, so what is there to do for a vegan diet? There is actually a surprising amount of food you can find at popular fast food chains and sometimes those are your only options when you are on the road traveling to WDW.”

My last post left out a couple restaurants I didn’t realize had such great options, so here they are, thanks to Terry Garvey and Teresa!

Red Robin (suggestion from Terry)

Original Vegan Boca Burgers with veggie toppings
Whole Grain bun or Yellow Seeded bun
black beans and rice
Steak Fries
Salad with all veggies and Natural Toasted Sesame Dressing
Red Robinetti Spaghetti, if ordered with NO cheese
guacamole
Red’s Rice bowl, ask for NO chicken, please!

and from Teresa:

“We drive from Canada to WDW, and what we usually do is stop at a grocery store rather than a fast food place. Many of them now have salad bars with toppings such as chickpeas that will give us a healthy meal. Some will sell you cooked foods like falafel, french fries, or grilled vegetable sandwiches. We might also buy hummus and some multi-grain crackers, fruit, and easy snacking foods like cherry tomatoes,baby carrots, etc. It’s usually cheaper than eating in a restaurant, we all enjoy walking around and getting a chance to stretch our legs, too.”

I love getting ideas from readers, so keep ‘em coming! Thanks again!

The post Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Traveling By Car to WDW, MORE Vegan Fast Food appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Traveling By Car to WDW, Vegan Fast Food

Angie Carriero — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:47:06 +0000

Fast Food in America is pretty heavy on the meat and dairy, so what is there to do for a vegan diet? There is actually a surprising amount of food you can find at popular fast food chains and sometimes those are your only options when you are on the road traveling to WDW. As of recently (and hopefully these things don’t change any time soon), some of those choices include:

Chipotle:

tacos (soft or hard shell)
burrito
burrito bowl
salads
Get EVERYTHING on any of these options at Chipotle except the meat, cheese, sour cream, and pinto beans and you are all set!

Burger King:

Oatmeal: original and maple- get with water instead of milk
Whopper buns (sesame seed buns), tortillas- make a veggie sandwich with lettuce, onion, pickles, ketchup and tomato or steak sauce. Not very exciting, but it helps in a pinch!
French fries
apple fries

McDonalds:

McDonaldland cookies
Side salad with with low fat vinaigrette or cilantro lime
Oatmeal without cream
Bagel (I’m not 100% sure on this one) and jam
English muffin and jam
Big Mac Bun, regular buns, tortillas, McRib Bun, Premium Bun – Make your own sandwich with lettuce, onion, fried onion, pickles, ketchup, BBQ sauce, McRib sauce etc!

Subway:

Light Wheat English Muffin (breakfast)
Baked Lays and Chips
Breads: Ciabatta, Hearty Italian, Roasted Garlic, Sourdough, wrap
All veggie toppings
Condiments: Brown and yellow Mustard, fat free sweet onion, red wine vinegar, oil

Taco Bell:

Chips and Salsa or Guacamole
Cinnamon twists
Burritos: bean, fresco bean, seven layer, veggie cantina- get them all without cheese and sour cream
Sauces: Hot, Green chili, green tomatillo, mild, pizza sauce, red sauce,
Taco Shells, Tostada Shells, Flour tortillas- get rice, beans, onions, jalapeños, lettuce, salsa, and tomatoes in any of these!
Salsas: fresca and citrus

D’angelos:

Chips
Salad with all the veggies and balsamic vinaigrette
Classic vegetable pocket with no cheese

Denny’s:

Oatmeal
English muffins
Bagels
Grits
Applesauce
Fresh fruit
Vegetable plates
Seasoned French fries
Baked potatoes with several vegetable toppings
Garden salads with light Italian or oil-and-vinegar dressing
Veggie sandwiches

Arby’s:

Baked potato without butter and sour cream
Garden salad or side salad with Italian dressing
Apple or cherry turnover.

Cheeburger Cheeburger:

Grilled portobello mushroom sandwich/wrap
Grilled porobello platter
Boca burger
Cheeburger salad, salad lovers salad, grilled portabella salad-with the vinaigrette or balsamic dressings

Johnny Rockets

Streamliner, a vegan Boca burger with grilled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mustard.
Salad with oil and vinegar
Bagel (breakfast)

At most restaurants, French fries are usually a safe choice, but if you are worried about cross-contamination with them being fried in the same oil as meatier products, just ask how each individual restaurant cooks them! Stay clear of McDonald’s fries though, they are seasoned with beef flavoring, whatever THAT is!

sources: http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/chain-restaurants.aspx

http://www.veganeatingout.com/

and thanks toJosh Taylor for his helpful suggestions!

The post Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Traveling By Car to WDW, Vegan Fast Food appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Fish Are Friends, Not Food: A Vegan, Pre-Made, Quick Service Meal at Art of Animation Resort

Angie Carriero — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:04:09 +0000

There are so many things I love about Christy Viszoki, so here’s just another reason to add to the long list: she thinks about me and my blog posts while she’s touring WDW! While in the Art of Animation food court, Landscape of Flavors, she found some great, easy, on-the-go, meals and snacks that she shared with me! The great thing about these meals is that they are pre-packaged, already vegan! You don’t even have to order them with a special request!!

Let’s start with some pre-packaged Spicy Tofu! The label on the packaging proves its vegan-ness, and reads:

Spicy Tofu

INGREDIENTS:

Tofu, Spinach, Carrot, Mint, Parsley, Lemon Juice, Strawberry, Edamame, Corn, Red Pepper, Mandarin Orange, Red Onion, Hot Chili Sauce, Olive Oil, Cous Cous, Spanish Onion, Tomato, Salt, Black Pepper, Cilantro, Garlic, Lime Juice, White Vinegar, Distilled Water, Ginger, Sugar, Jalapeño Peppers, Canola Oil, Coriander.

How exciting is that?! The ingredient list is for all 4 trays of food in the container! If you are unfamiliar with identifying the foods in the picture above, I will help: The longer tray on the bottom is the Spicy Tofu. And on the top 3 trays, from left to right are: Cous cous, strawberries, and edamame with corn and red pepper. I can’t wait to try this next time I visit! (Though I will have to skip the cous cous since I am gluten-intolerant!

Next on the list at Landscape of Flavors is a great quick, portable, and healthy snack: Pretzels and Hummus! The hummus is Sabra, Classic Flavor which Ingredients are as follows:Cooked Chickpeas (Chickpeas [Garbanzos], Water), Tahini (Ground Sesame), Soybean Oil, Garlic, Salt, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate added to maintain freshness, Natural Flavors.

And the Pretzel Ingredients: Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Salt, Corn Oil, Malt Syrup.

What a great find, huh? Christy is hot on the trail with this next delight, as well!… For dessert we have Babycakes NYC! Any vegan traveling to Walt Disney World MUST make a note that ALL of Babycakes NYC’s food is completely vegan. It’s no accident, either! They pride themselves on that fact that they are vegan, so I won’t bother listing the ingredients here, but if you are interested, or have any allergen concerns, check out their website! At Landscape of Flavors, you can pick up a pre-packaged container of Babycakes NYC cupcakes! Don’t forget to, they are a MUST!

The post Fish Are Friends, Not Food: A Vegan, Pre-Made, Quick Service Meal at Art of Animation Resort appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Vegan Options at Be Our Guest Restaurant

Angie Carriero — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:23:01 +0000

Be Our Guest restaurant has recently opened its doors in the new Fantasyland expansion area of the Magic Kingdom park in WDW. I haven’t personally eaten there quite yet so I can’t comment on how the following items taste (let me note that for my next research trip!), but I’d like to go over a few menu items I’m happy to report appear vegan!

Lunch Entree

Quinoa salad - Quinoa with Green Beans, Potatoes, Olives,Roasted Bell Peppers, Golden Beets and Tomatoes – $9.99

Dinner Entree

Layered Ratatouille - Oven Baked Zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms,tomatoes, and caramelized onions sliced and layered on Quinoa served with a bell pepper sauce – $15.99

Kids’ Meal

Whole Grain Macaroni - Topped with Marinara sauce and served with Mozzarella (just ask for no cheese when ordering this vegan!) served with Seasonal Vegetables – $5.59

WDW has been on the trend of adding new vegan and veganizable items to established menus (like the new addition to Animal Kingdom’s Tamu Tamu Refreshments menu), introducing vegan options to well known events (like this year’s Flower and Garden Festival and last year’s Food and Wine), and now they are including vegan items to new restaurants’ menu’s like Be Our Guest restuarant! I’ve said before in another post that it’s a big deal to be able to order vegan items right off the menu instead of having to talk with a chef and make a special request! This is a huge step forward for us vegans!

If you want dessert at dinner at Be Our Guest, ask your server for some dairy-free ice cream and they will most likely be able to bring you tofutti, rice dream, or sorbet!

What entree are you looking forward to trying the most at Be Our Guest Restaurant? Please leave your answers in the comments below!

The post Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Vegan Options at Be Our Guest Restaurant appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Fish Are Friends, Not Food: A Vegan Menu at Jiko

Angie Carriero — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:39:45 +0000

Jiko the Cooking Place at Animal Kingdom Lodge has it’s own special vegan menu! I’ve been meaning to do a restaurant review on Jiko, but I will save that for another post and instead focus on the most up-to-date vegan menu items that Disney Dining shares on their website (the menu changes sometimes, for example, it was COMPLETELY different from this when we went in 2011, but it’s always vegan):

____________________________________________________________

Our Jiko Menu

Created Especially for You Our Vegan Guests

Appetizers

Roasted Kuri Squash and Kalamata Olive Flatbread Cipollini Onions and Pumpkin Seed Duqqa 9.00

Taste of Africa African-inspired Dips with Lentil Pappadam 9.00

Jiko Salad Bibb Lettuce, Blueberries, Grapes, Celery, Pine Nut Brittle, and Blueberry Vinaigrette 13.00

Entrées

Chermoula-roasted Tofu English Pea Nage and Saffron Rice with Orange and Olive Salad 28.00

Egyptian Kushari Lentils, Couscous, Chickpeas, Golden Raisins, Roasted Vegetables, and Romesco Sauce with Toasted Pine Nuts 28.00

Dessert

Coconut Milk Panna Cotta Mixed Berries and Blackberry Sauce 9.00 Seasonal Fruit with Sorbet 8.00

Vanilla Tofutti Ice Cream with Mixed Berries 8.00

____________________________________________________________

So, you can see why Jiko is my favorite table service restaurant in WDW! It’s so easy just to sit down, ask for the vegan menu, and order to your heart’s content without any worries!

The post Fish Are Friends, Not Food: A Vegan Menu at Jiko appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Eating Vegan While Traveling to WDW

Angie Carriero — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 14:53:48 +0000

I’d like to introduce a new segment to Fish are Friends, Not Food called, “Traveling to and from WDW.” During this particular post, I’d like to cover some of the vegan options you can find at MCO, the Orlando airport you will most likely be flying to and from to WDW.

Vegan at MCO

Many of the restaurants at MCO are scattered around the different terminals, so not every terminal will have what you are looking for. It’s best to figure out where you want to eat before you settle in, unless you are willing to settle for whatever your particular terminal has to offer (which is what we did).

On the Border- I always get chips and salsa from here while waiting for the plane (and by always, I mean the two times I’ve flown.) Something about the salsa is just absolutely delicious and they give you a family size bag of tortilla chips to go along with it! The chips are fresh and warm as well!

Starbucks- Any drink on the menu that would be made with dairy can be made with soy milk! Kevin and I always get a frozen Frappuccino with soymilk! Oh, and skip the whipped-cream!

Burger King- Because they didn’t have a sub place, Kevin made his own at Burger King. He got a Whopper bun (which is vegan) with tomato, lettuce, onions, and pickles. Yeah, it was kind of weird, but he said it actually tasted pretty good! So, if you’re in a bind, it’s good to know this is an option. Also, the fries here are vegan (unlike McD’s fries which are made with “beef flavor,” whatever that means)

Panda Express- Ask them for a nutrition guide before ordering anything, because it tells you what it has in it! If you are eating vegan, don’t order anything with a check mark under, “Eggs,” “Milk,” “Fish,” “Shellfish.” You can also find a PDF of this list online if you want to know what you can have ahead of time. They offer an Eggplant and Tofu Entree option which is vegan, but the mixed veggie entree and veggie spring rolls contain milk! All sauces they offer appear to be vegan, so it seems many entrees, like chow mein, can be “vegan-ized” by omitting meat. They also have plain rice which is fine.

Qdoba Mexican Grill- This restaurant has so many options that rather than tell you what you can have, I’d rather just say don’t order anything with meat or dairy and you will be fine! What I mean by this is Qdoba is sort of a build-your-own type of eatery, so when ordering your taco, nachos, or taco salad (for example), add everything except the meats and dairy! They have tons of veggies, beans, and rice to fill your bowl and belly! They also have a nutrition guide in case you are wary!

Nature’s Table- Most things on the menu can be made vegan by asking the server to take off the cheese or substituting a sauce for an oil and vinegar topping instead! Here they offer “vegan-izable” salads, smoothies, fruit, breakfast potatoes, and rice bowls.

Smoothie King- They have so many choices of smoothie here! You must be careful exactly what smoothie you are ordering because, though some can be ordered without dairy, a lot of the smoothies on the menu come with dairy already! To be safe, ask before ordering!

See how easy it can be to travel to and from WDW from MCO?! If you know what to look for, you can find something to eat just about anywhere! In an upcoming “Traveling to and from WDW” post, I’d like to cover more options you can find at fast food restaurants, so stay tuned!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The post Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Eating Vegan While Traveling to WDW appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Vegan Food to Bring to WDW

Angie Carriero — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:04:47 +0000

Most travelers I know bring snacks and other food items with them when they travel. There are a few reasons to bring food with you to WDW: if you are traveling on a budget, missing your food from home, or consider stopping for snacks too time consuming. For this post to apply to land and air travelers, I will stick to foods which don’t require refrigeration during travel.

Cereal: Some examples of mainstream cereal brands that are vegan include Cheerios (honey is technically an animal-product, but not all vegans feel the need to avoid it, so you can make that decision on your own), most of the Chex cereals, Cap’n Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch (my favorite), Kashi GOLEAN Crisp! Toasted Berry Crumble, and Kashi Strawberry Fields Original, Raisin Bran, just to name a few. Most oatmeal is fine, too.

Soymilk: your resort will have Silk soymilk in stock alongside the dairy-milk and juices, but I usually buy my own soymilk before I leave for vacation for a few reasons; it’s cheaper and I specifically buy the kind that comes in individual servings that don’t need to be refrigerated so I don’t need to rent a fridge! I buy ZenSoy On The Go from Amazon. This is also a great option to bring in your bag into the parks with you in case you want to get a coffee and not pay the extra money to buy a soymilk in the store! (They also offer a chocolate soymilk variety for this brand!)

Peanut Butter, Bread, and Jelly/Jam: We’ve always done this when traveling in the car. You can manage to do it for air travel if you can figure out a way for your bread to not get squished! Make sandwiches at your room and maybe even bring ziplock baggies so you can bring them into the parks with you!

Clif/Luna Bars: All of the bars of these brands are currently vegan, just make sure you aren’t assuming all products made by this brand are safe. Check the label if you aren’t sure! I always bring the chocolate dipped coconut variety of the Luna Bars and get a bulk case to bring with me before I go! Kevin likes the more natural-granola type Clif Bars.

Peanut Butter and Ritz Crackers: If you can find a packaged peanut butter cracker, that would make this even easier, but I’m not sure which brands don’t have milk in them. Otherwise, bring a container of peanut butter and a box of Ritz crackers or Saltines, which are both vegan, and make yourself some peanut butter crackers to take around in a ziplock with you in the parks! (Don’t buy Ritz Bits though, they have milk for some reason!)

Nuts: I personally like to snack on raw almonds, but any type of nut will do. Just grab a handful and put ‘em in a baggie each morning before you head out to the parks and you have the perfect little snack to munch on while you wait in line for an attraction!

So, there you go! It’s nice to be able to have a little something to rely on without spending that extra buck, or taking up too much time in WDW restaurants just for a quick snack!

What are your favorite snacks and food items to bring with you during your WDW vacations? Leave your answers in the comments below!

The post Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Vegan Food to Bring to WDW appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Magic Kingdom 1-Day Vegan Itinerary

Angie Carriero — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:51:15 +0000

The term “Meatless Monday” was part of an international campaign designed to encourage people to start their week off in a way that was healthy for their bodies and the planet. It has a lot of history behind it, but the basic idea is that you don’t eat meat for one day out of the week!

This concept inspired me with an idea for an interesting recurring segment for “Fish are Friends, Not Food.” So, in upcoming posts I will be developing 1-day meatless-itineraries for those who either already don’t eat meat, but don’t know what to get in the parks, or for those who DO eat meat, but are interested in challenging themselves to one meatless day in the parks! I will give multiple options for each meal, in case your preferences are different. I’m keeping each section limited to 3 options, so that I can make a printable “pocket” itinerary for all of you vegan diners in the parks!

Each restaurant will be labeled CS (counter service) or TS (table service) appropriately. At counter service locations, the ordering process involves waiting in line at a podium, ordering your food with a cast member, waiting for your order at a counter, and bringing the meal to an available table to sit down to eat. A table service location is more similar to a restaurant and involves being seated, and served at your table. You may need to make an advance dining reservation to dine at TS locations and tip your server’s!

So, let’s start with the park that most people start everything with; Magic Kingdom!

Breakfast

Crystal Palace - TS, (to the left off of Main St) & 2. Cinderella’s Royal Table- TS, (in Cinderella’s Castle!) Both restaurants are buffets and will have similar options for vegans. Buffets are good options for picky eaters. A chef will take you around the buffet to show you what options are good for you! You will find cereal, oatmeal, soy milk, rice milk, coffee, breakfast potatoes, fresh fruit, and make sure you talk to a chef who will most definitely prepare you your own vegan, allergy-friendly Mickey Waffles!

Another option may be to eat in your resort cafeteria where you will find the same options listed above.

Lunch

Columbia Harbor House- CS, Liberty Square- CHILI!Please, please, please get a cup chili! It has mushrooms, (but they are big enough to pick out if you don’t like them),olives, beans, peppers, onions, and, well, so much more! Depending on how hungry you are, you can add a side of steamed broccoli and/or french fries (I always do!).
Be Our Guest- CS, New Fantasyland- Try the Quinoa, Shallot, and Chive Salad which has green beans, potatoes, olives, roasted bell peppers, and tomatoes!
Columbia Harbor House (again)! CS, Liberty Square- Try the Lighthouse sandwich, which comes with hummus with tomato and broccoli slaw. The Slaw has dairy, so ask them to substitute it with regular steamed broccoli and an allergy-friendly sandwich bun!

Snack

Just can’t wait until dinner to eat again? Stop by the Fantasyland Pretzel Wagon for a pretzel!
Or head over to The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor at the end of Main St near the castle and ask for a cup of Tofutti or Rice Dream Ice Cream!

Dinner

Tony’s Town Square -TS, Located at the beginning of Main St (on your right if you are facing the castle) Let them know you’re vegan and the chef will cook you up a special pasta dish with vegetables and garlic sauce, or just marinara or tomato sauce! The pasta is served with a house salad on the side, so order Italian dressing, balsamic vinaigrette, or oil and vinegar with this. For dessert you can order tofutti ice cream, sorbet, or rice dream ice cream.
Be Our Guest Restaurant- TS, Located in the New Fantasyland Expansion! Try the vegan Ratatouille! It’s oven-baked Zucchini, Eggplant, Mushrooms, and Caramelized Onions sliced and layered on Quinoa served with Bell Pepper Salsa.
Liberty Tree Tavern- TS, Liberty Square- Apparently they have a delicious veggie burger here that can be made vegan upon request. Get it with the allergy-friendly bun and toppings!

Snack

Stop by the popcorn cart at the end of Main St and stroll towards the castle while you munch away on hot, fresh popcorn!

<<(Here’s a pocket guide of the above information for you to print out and take along with you on your next WDW vacation!)

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave them in the comments below, please!

The post Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Magic Kingdom 1-Day Vegan Itinerary appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Fish Are Friends, Not Food: 2013 Flower and Garden Festival Vegan Items

Angie Carriero — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:24:57 +0000

This year’s Flower and Garden Festival takes place from March 6-May 19, 2013. If you listened to the WDWRadio Newscast show from 1/30/13, you’d already know that this year Disney is introducing something new to the festival:they are adding food and drink around the 12 World Showcase promenade marketplace kiosks!

This is a vegan food blog, not a flower one, so I’m here to tell you about details of a new vegan item being introduced to the festival’s menu! It’s called “frushi” and it’s basically the idea of sushi, but instead it’s sweet, because it’s made with fresh fruits and coconut rice and it’s being served at Hanami in the Japan Pavilion. Of course, in traditional Japanese restaurants there are sushi rolls which are already vegan, or “accidentally vegan,” like cucumber rolls, avocado rolls, and sweet potato rolls. (Tokyo Dining in the Japan Pavilion in Epcot’s World showcase actually offers both sweet potato rolls and cucumber rolls!) It’s great to see this option, in addition to the other vegan sushi options, menu-ready available for us during the upcoming festival! Just make sure you ask for no whipped cream!!

It is tough to know what exactly is and isn’t vegan because of hidden ingredients you may not expect to find in a seemingly innocent food item. For example, sometimes things are cooked in butter, or milk is added as some minute ingredient. I tried contacting Disney Special Diets, but they are unable to provide allergen information since with these food carts there is a possibility for cross-contamination.With that said, here are some other options that seem as though they might be made vegan, but please note that these are just guesses on my part. Since I can’t get any real information on it, you still will have to ask the chef at the kiosk to be sure!:

Bauernmarkt: Farmer’s Market- Germany- Potato Pancakes with Housemade Applesauce

Florida Fresh- Watermelon Salad with pickled Red Onions, BW Baby Arugula, and Balsamic Reduction (ask for no Feta Cheese if they can do that)

Lotus House- China- Pan Fried Vegetable bun (there isn’t much of a description on this, so I’m not sure what it is. Make sure you check with the chef before ordering)

Lotus House- China- Beijing style candied Strawberries

L’Orangerie- France- Verrine charlotte au péches- Caramalized peaches and rosemary (ask for no creme if they can do that)

Pineapple Promenade- Canada- Dole Pineapple Fruit Cup

Hanami- Japan- YakiSoba Pan - Fresh grilled carrots, onions and cabbage with Japanese noodles and teriyaki sauce served on a bun with Beni (ask for no Mayonnaise if they can do that)

and, of course-

Hanami- Japan- Frushi - fresh strawberries, pineapple and cantaloupe, rolled with coconut rice, atop a raspberry sauce sprinkled with toasted coconut (ask for no whipped cream)

<< Here’s a printable pocket guide for you to bring along! The guide is an abbreviated version of the above information, so make sure you read the disclaimer above, which is: “here are some other options that seem as though they might be made vegan, but please note that these are just guesses on my part, since I can’t get any real information on it, so you will have to ask the chef at the kiosk to be sure!:”

If you read my post about the exciting addition to Tamu Tamu Refreshments in Animal Kingdom, you would know how excited I am to hear the news about a vegan-izable items being added to a menu, ready to order, during the Flower and Garden Festival. This is a big deal. As readers of this weekly blog would know, most of my instructions on how to order vegan meals at WDW involve special request items and working with a chef to make a meal that fits your taste preferences or modifying a meal that is already on the menu. Disney is really making sure they are catering to guests’ needs, which seem to be trending towards the vegetarian and vegan meal choices. It’s easier to order these options when they are featured on the menu, ready to order, instead of per special request only. You’d agree that this might be a trend, especially if you read my post this past fall about the vegan kiosk, Terra Marketplace, during the Food and Wine Festival of 2012. If you haven’t seen the post, it’s worth checking out even if it’s just to see Lou affectionately spoon feeding Tony!

The great thing about these new vegan options, and really about all vegan options, is that everyone can eat it, it’s not just for vegans!

Are you excited about trying the “frushi” and other vegan options this year at Flower and Garden? Please leave your answers in the comments below!

Disclaimer: This blog post, and all past and future Fish Are Friends, Not Food blog posts, are written with my most recent knowledge of the food in WDW parks. Please note that things are constantly changing, so this information might not always be up to date. Also note that I do not take into consideration refined sugar, cross contamination, or impure food items. With that said, always ask a chef before ordering if you are unsure about something, because the recipe may have changed or you may have a different way of defining your vegan lifestyle.

The post Fish Are Friends, Not Food: 2013 Flower and Garden Festival Vegan Items appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.