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Why Every Restaurant Should be Offering Vegan Options to the Pittsburgh Vegan Community in 2024

Why Every Restaurant Should be Offering Vegan Options in 2024

Being a vegan nutritionist in Pittsburgh, I’m on a mission to help Pittsburgh become one of the most vegan-friendly cities in America.  After 12 years of being vegan, I have learned that silence doesn’t change a thing. When I started to speak up, and let people know that I would like a vegan option, I am frequently greeted with gratitude for sharing my feedback and a willingness to accommodate. Many people don’t even realize they are not inclusive of vegans, until they meet one who says something. I find that if we simply ask for something vegan, we are much more likely to get a vegan option added to the menu.

My Initiative as a Vegan Nutritionist in Pittsburgh

After years and years of feeling limited in my options when dining out, I finally decided to take action. My mission in 2024 is to speak up on behalf of the vegan community, and ask for more restaurants to offer vegan options. Not only do vegans wish that they could dine at more restaurants, but we all want to feel welcome and understood when we dine out. It is far too common that vegans find animal products in their food at restaurants, and mislabeling menu items as vegan is a constant issue I come across.

If you are a restaurant owner who wants to offer something vegan, it is important to know the basics. Vegans don't eat any animal-based ingredients including beef, pork, fish, fish sauce, chicken, eggs, cow's milk, butter, cheese, cream, yogurt, gelatin, bone broth, chicken broth, nor any other meat or dairy products. Many vegans also avoid byproducts of insects, including shellac, honey, confectioner's glaze, and cochineal extract. If you are uncertain if an ingredient is vegan, just ask me or check out vrg.org/ingredients to find out.

What Do Vegans in Pittsburgh Eat?

It might sound restrictive, but vegans have a much longer list of foods they DO eat vs foods they don't. In general, the food groups that we can eat include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Vegans also can eat foods derived from plant-based ingredients, that can look and taste very similar to non-vegan foods, including burgers, pizzas, tacos, and pastries. For some inspiration, check out what other restaurants are offering and try some vegan recipes!

To be honest, going vegan and transitioning from the standard American diet is not an easy feat, so I understand the confusion. It takes knowledge, trial and error, commitment, time and compassion to fully understand the ins and outs of being vegan. A vegan diet may sound restrictive to someone who is unfamiliar, but grocery stores have everything we need to nourish our bodies.

The biggest struggle for vegans today, is finding restaurants whose staff is knowledgeable about our dietary needs and willing to accommodate us.  It’s a lot of work to have to prep every meal from scratch, and just like everyone else, vegans like to dine out, too! However, most restaurants fail to understand what we eat when creating a menu. There could be many reasons for this, such as a lack of knowledge, a lack of interest, and even a lack of demand.

The Demand for Vegan Menus is On the Rise

When vegans in Pittsburgh are not asking for vegan menus and when they don’t know which restaurants offer vegan options, then the demand appears to be low.  The truth is, creating demand for vegan options will take more effort from the Pittsburgh vegan community and marketing a new vegan menu item will take more effort from Pittsburgh restaurants. Unfortunately, when restaurants offer something vegan but don’t clearly label it on the menu, most vegans don’t buy it.

We really want to support your restaurant, but we also want to dine in with confidence and absolute certainty that what we are getting is, in fact, vegan. Believe it or not, we don’t enjoy asking a million questions, but when the menu isn't labeled properly, we tend to find cheese or meat in our food. That is why we have the obligatory annoying vegan question, of “Is this vegan?” Trust me, it’s equally annoying for us to feel we must ask!

Plus, it can take time for a vegan meal to become popular, so be patient and wait for word to get around. If you’re a Pittsburgh restaurant, you should be talking about your newest vegan option before it becomes available, to increase the hype in our vegan community. In fact, many vegans wait to hear feedback and read reviews from the brave souls who test it out first. I say brave because not every vegan dish is a winner.

Why 2024 is the year to Go Vegan

In today’s day and age, with the increased demand for vegan meats and dairy-free milks, and the rise of flexitarian diets, it’s honestly concerning that so many places still haven’t caught up with the times. I can’t express enough how important it is for Pittsburgh restaurants to offer vegan options in 2024!

If you’re vegan too, please stand with me and speak up for what you want. Restaurant owners need to know that we are here and that we want their menu to be inclusive of our dietary needs. If you’re a restaurant in Pittsburgh, please consider being more vegan-friendly, so that we can add you to the HappyCow directory to increase your visibility to the vegan community and beyond. Let’s all work together to make Pittsburgh the most vegan-friendly city in the U.S.!

My first Petition for Nationwide Vegan Options

While my main focus is in Pittsburgh, some of the chains that exist here in Pittsburgh are also available nationwide. One of those restaurants, Dave and Busters, is a perfect example of a chain that I'd like to see become vegan-friendly around the U.S. I started a petition on March 3rd 2024 for this to happen. Please sign the petition here and share it on social media to help us bring more attention to this matter.

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Vegan nutritionist in Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh Vegan Restaurant Outreach
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The Journey to Overall Wellness, a Plant-Based Diet

Adopt a Plant-Based Diet

Eating a plant-based diet is one of the best ways to improve your well-being both physically and mentally. A plant-based diet can reduce inflammation and help you feel more energized throughout the day while also decreasing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Plus, it’s good for the environment!

Consistent Exercise

Regular exercise has been proven to help with overall physical and mental health. Not only does it help you stay in shape, but it also releases endorphins which can make you feel happier during the day. Even just 30 minutes of activity a day can make a huge difference in your mood and energy levels.

Learning to Keep a Healthier Home

A clean home is essential for optimal health! Vacuuming daily helps to remove dirt, dust and other allergens that can trigger asthma or allergies. Using nontoxic cleaners ensures a safe and healthy environment when cleaning countertops and floors. Paying close attention to the air filters in your home can also reduce pollutants in the air – leading to improved air quality indoors. This is especially important if you or a family member suffers from respiratory problems. Keeping up with these types of tasks can give you peace of mind so you can enjoy a clean home, free from potential hazards.

Meditation

Meditation is one of the best ways to achieve optimal health and well-being. It has scientifically proven benefits such as improving concentration, reducing stress levels, and enhancing physical and mental well-being. Meditation helps build resilience against fatigue and anxiety, which can help improve overall physical health. In addition to providing restful sleep, it boosts our immunity by helping to regulate hormones. Regular meditation also allows us to experience a sense of inner calmness and awareness that can lead to improved self-esteem and emotional balance.

Embracing Self-Acceptance

Learning to accept yourself is one of the most important things you can do for yourself when it comes to improving your well-being. Recognizing that no one is perfect means that we can all strive for better while still loving ourselves exactly as we are right now!

Practicing Gratitude

Practicing gratitude every day has been proven to improve mental health by reducing stress levels, increasing happiness, and boosting self-esteem. Taking the time each day to think about what you’re grateful for helps put things into perspective so that we don’t take anything for granted.

Assessing Your Career Goals

Assessing where you want your career path to go is essential for achieving whole-body wellness through self-improvement. Setting realistic goals will help keep you motivated while also helping you recognize where you want to go in life with regard to education or career advancement opportunities.

Achieve Your Full Potential

Achieving whole-body wellness through self-improvement doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated; sometimes small changes like adopting a plant-based diet or taking 10 minutes out of each day for meditation are all it takes! Ultimately, learning how to accept yourself unconditionally while setting realistic goals will help make sure that everything falls into place in order for you to achieve your full potential whether you want to start your own business or just live healthier!

Hi, I’m Kelly Gibson! I am a Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Health Coach with a focus in overall wellness. I help women adopt a plant-based diet for weight loss and wellness.  If you’re looking for a vegan wellness coach or vegan nutritionist in Pittsburgh PA or an online nutritionist, definitely reach out! I bring the nutrition and wellness to YOU!

Join my free Health Esteem Challenge to get fit with me on a plant-based diet here.

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Four Fun Fitness Ideas

Four Fun Fitness Ideas

Get Fit and Have Fun with these Four Fitness Ideas

Written by Paige Johnson from LearnFit.org on how to have fun with fitness

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Fun Fitness Ideas. Photo Credit: stefanrodgall, Pixabay

If you really want to get fit, but the thought of going to a gym doesn’t exactly motivate you, then you need to modify your definition of what constitutes a workout. All you need to do is find an activity that pushes your body outside its comfort zone. That means walking your dog counts as exercise! Here are a few fun fitness ideas:

  1. Jump Rope

Kids aren’t the only ones who can jump rope. Not only is jumping rope fun, but it also provides an intense, full-body workout. Jump ropes are also inexpensive and easy to take with you wherever you go. Vacation is no longer an excuse for skipping your workout.

According to Shape, “Jumping rope burns more than 10 calories a minute while strengthening your legs, butt, shoulders, and arms.” Their 20-minute routine will burn more than 200 calories. You can repeat it two or three times (or switch it up each repetition) to burn more calories. You can also add jump rope before or after more fun fitness ideas: dog walking.

  1. Dog Walking

If you own a dog, you know how much dogs love to go for walks and how exercise is important for your dog. But did you ever consider that exercising your dog also means you get exercise? Not only do you get in a workout, you’re more likely to put in the extra mile with your four-legged friend. A study showed participants who started consistently walking their dogs walked more often and for longer distances than those without dogs. If you do not own a dog, you can still benefit from dog walking. For example, you could work weekends as a dog walker or volunteer to walk the dogs at a local animal shelter. If you don’t live near a shelter, consider volunteering to walk your neighbor’s dog or going on a walk with a friend who owns a dog.

  1. Racquetball

Looking for an intense cardio workout besides running? Try your hand at racquetball. One hour of play is equivalent to running two miles, according to Health Fitness Revolution (HFR). In just 20 short minutes, you will run roughly 3,650 feet, and after one hour of play, you will burn up to 800 calories. Racquetball requires you to use every muscle group. Running works your lower body, balancing as you swing works your core, and hitting the ball works your upper body. In addition, it improves flexibility, balance, and coordination. As your game improves, you will become better at making quick and strategic decisions, thus working your brain as well.

HFR adds, “It helps with neural adaptation by stimulating a faster connection between brain and muscle movements, which improves a player’s reflexes even off the racquetball court.”

  1. Drumming

Have you ever been to a concert and noticed how sweaty drummers get? Drumming is an intense cardio workout. Researchers found that during a 90-minute concert, the drummer from the band Blondie was working as hard a 10K runner or professional soccer player, according to the Chicago Tribune. He was burning 600 calories during the concerts. Through drumming the sticks, you work your shoulders, arms, and core. You work your lower body when you play the bass drum. Drumming requires strength and endurance as well. If you don’t know how to play drums, and you don’t feel up to learning, you can always try an exercise program modeled after drumming, such as POUND. POUND uses lightly weighted drumsticks and provides a “full-body workout that combines cardio, conditioning, and strength training with yoga and pilates-inspired movements.”

Just rethink what exercise means to you, and it is easy to enjoy your workout. You are more likely to make exercise a part of your weekly routine if you are enjoying yourself. Whether it is jumping rope or taking your dog for a walk, just remember to have fun! Fun fitness ideas.

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