March 13, 2023
Let us know if this has ever happened to you…
Your friends decide it sounds like fun to go out to dinner, and you are in! It’s been forever since you’ve seen each other, and you already have an outfit in mind.
The only thing is, you don’t know if there will be solid vegetarian options at the restaurant.
Restaurants have come a long way over the years, and now vegetarians have plenty of options other than salad.
Now, don’t get us wrong, we love a good ol’ salad - but sometimes we want something with a little more oomph! Exactly why we drafted up this list of ten popular vegetarian meal options at VCU.
Saying we love bruschetta is definitely an understatement. We know that most people usually have a couple of pieces as an appetizer before their meal. But we don’t play by that game! We can easily devour an entire plate before the main meal even comes. The bruschetta from The Pit and The Peel is so incredibly flavourful. We can’t say enough great things. The blueberry pomegranate vinaigrette is chef's kiss!
We don’t like pizza… We LOVE it! We have ordered the Shiitake Mushroom Pizza from The Pit and The Peel probably a dozen times. And every single time, it keeps getting better. When it comes to pizza, sometimes less is more. By that, we mean that more toppings don’t always make a pizza better. There is beauty in simplicity. If you like cheese, garlic, mushrooms and cilantro, we have a strong feeling you will dig this pizza.
There is so much to love about sushi. But we don’t always love how messy it can be. When we’re eating lunch on the go, we certainly prefer a poke sushi bowl to traditional sushi. The Tofu Bowl from Poke Sushi Bowl has a little bit of everything, and the flavors complement one another so well. Plus, the quinoa and tofu add some extra fiber and protein, making it a more filling meal.
Who says you’re only allowed to eat waffles for breakfast? We have breakfast for dinner around once a week, and it’s one of our favorite treats. The Capital Waffle Shop has some of the best waffles at VCU. They’re fluffy, filling, sweet and almost taste like cake. We especially dig their Morning Veg Out Waffle. Since it comes with some veggies and a scrambled egg, it feels more like a meal.
If you’re not a morning person, we have two hacks that can help…
Place your alarm clock a few feet away from your bed, AND make a plan to order your favorite breakfast.
Trust us - it really helps. If you like more hearty breakfasts, their breakfast bowl is a great choice. Whenever we order this gem, we’re stuffed for hours. Oh, and if you really want to amp it up, you can drizzle on some hot sauce. Yum!
You are never too old to enjoy a bowl of mac & cheese. The first time we ordered the California mac and cheese from Goatocado we weren’t sure how the beans and avocado would pair with the mac and cheese - but wow! The combo pleasantly surprised us. Long story short, don’t knock a meal until you try it.
…And we’re back with another bowl. But for good reason. Bowls are awesome if you’re the kind of person who regularly picks up meals while out and about. The California bowl from Goatocado is SO GOOD! Goatocado’s avocado never disappoints. We don’t know how they do it. Oh, and the dressing they drizzle on top is top-notch.
We feel like basic cheese pizza is the OG. Sometimes when you’re craving pizza, you don’t want all the extra bells and whistles.
Just basic cheese is all you need. Benny Ventano's has a solid variety of options, so if your friends aren’t feeling basic cheese, you can still enjoy a nice meal together.
The BBQ Tofu Bowl from Ipanema Cafe literally tastes just like a vacation. If we were hanging out on a beach, this is exactly what we’d order. By the way, if you’ve never tried grilled pineapple, you are missing out. It is so good!
When we’re not sure what we want for lunch, we can never go wrong with a hummus + veggie wrap. They are always super satisfying, give us a little protein boost, and we like getting creative with the sides. Whenever we order the hummus wrap from Ipanema Cafe, we usually get mac & cheese on the side. The combo is delish!
So, we were going to stop at ten meal options, but we realized we had even more gems to share! So get ready for a couple of bonus meals!
We LOVE restaurants with solid customizable options. Have you ever wanted to order a salad, but a few of the toppings just weren’t calling your name? We sure have! Asking for meal substitutions can sometimes be a little bit of a hassle and aren’t always worth it.
Customizable bowls or salads totally eliminate that issue. You can literally build your own meal and tailor it to your needs. Whether you are a vegetarian or not, you can never go wrong with a custom veggie bowl.
Pita Pit has been one of our favorite restaurants for years. And for good reason. They have fresh quality ingredients, several different topping options to choose from, and are super easy to eat on the go. Their garden pita comes with all of our favorite veggies and then some. You also have the opportunity to get a cookie and a bag of chips on the side. YUM.
There you have it. We hope our list of vegetarian meal options helped out all of our vegetarian friends at VCU. If you end up giving any of these meals a go, we’d love to hear how you liked them.
To sign up for Elevate and enjoy these meals on your meal plan, go to elevatemealplan.com/vcu
