Restaurant Chains and Stomach Pains

On the road again. Just can't wait to get on the road again ~Willie Nelson

If you are a veggie, vegan, have allergies, healthy eater, etc. then you know traveling can be scary stomach pain kind of times. Once, in the middle of Tennessee, dinner consisted of shopping at Kroger and using the microwave in our hotel. Sometimes you gotta do what ya gotta do.

But don't think eating on the road is impossible! It's not, but it does take a little effort to eat healthy or veggie on the road. So what can help you? Well technology of course! (said the tech geek)

First up, one of the best apps that I frequently use on the road:

Happy Cow has a free version and a paid version (actually looks like iTunes only has paid version). There isn't much difference. I did buy the paid version after using it for a few months just to help support the developers. Happy Cow is my go to app for finding vegan, and veggie friendly restaurants. It is how we found Sluggo's in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

I don't have any pictures of the food... I was too busy devouring every bite!

I would seriously drive to Chattanooga just to eat here again. The craziest thing is I would never have found it without the help of Happy Cow. So I highly recommend trying out this app. You may even discover new places in your town.

Happy Cow is great for finding veggie friendly restaurants, and for even finding veggie friendly restaurant chains, but what do I eat when I enter one of these chains so I don't get stomach pains?

Enter the website, Vegan Eating Out. This website will give you the list of vegan approved foods at various restaurants. Even if you are a vegetarian, I recommend looking at this site. Several restaurants cook with pork fat, beef/chicken broth, etc. So it doesn't hurt to do a little research before you go, or else you may run the risk of paying dues to the porcelain king later on.

There is also a mobile site for Vegan Eating Out, but not an app. You can try VeganXpress, but I have not used it. I get most of what I need from Happy Cow and Vegan Eating Out so I haven't bought VeganXpress.

Of course, I prefer to eat at local places if possible, but I know not all areas have veggie friendly local restaurants.

So what about restaurant chains in the Columbus and Macon area?

Name	Macon	Columbus	Alisha's Comments
Atlanta Bread	X	X
Burger King	X	X	I don't eat here often, but there options if you cannot find anything else. Plus they offer a veggie burger now!
Carrabbas Italian Grill	X	X
Chipotle Mexican Grill		X	Wish there was one in Macon!
Cici's Pizza Buffet	X	X
Dominos	X	X
Dunkin Donuts	X	X
Firehouse Subs	X	X
Five Guys Burgers & Fries	X	X	Fries... you can order fries...
Jason's Deli		X	I really like eating here! The salad bar has hummus, couscous, and granola.
Jimmy Johns	X	X
McAlister's Deli	X	X
Mellow Mushroom	X	X	Mellow Mushroom carries tofu and vegan cheese! I love the one in Macon. The one in Columbus messed my order up, but we only wen there once.
Moe's Southwest Grill	X	X	Moe's is great for carrying tofu, and their pinto beans are veggie.
Olive Garden	X	X	I use to eat here often but now that I'm vegan... I don't eat here that often
Panera Bread	X	X	Frequent visitor tip... they keep soy milk in the little fridge. You can ask for this for your coffee.
Papa John's Pizza	X	X	The original crust is vegan. The thin crust contains milk.
Quiznos	X	X
Starbucks	X	X	Sub soy milk. Check the ingredients in Frapps and other special drinks. Some use whey in the powder.
Subway	X	X	Easy to grab a sandwich.
Taco Bell Menu	X	X	Guilty pleasure. I really enjoy Taco Bell, and you can order most items sub beans for beef, and sub guacamole for cheese/sour cream.
Zoe's Kitchen		X	Tons of options clearly labeled.
*not inclusive list, does not include local restaurants.

A few others apps to mention:

• Vegman
• Heart of Vegan

Have a favorite chain in the middle Georgia area that I missed? Please leave a comment below so I can add it to the list.

~Alisha