The Subtle Vegetarian

I won’t complain when the world doesn’t cater to my dietary choices, but I’m always happy when a new option appears. And it especially galls me when I have to pay for meat I won’t eat – the old $11.95 pasta with chicken without the chicken issue.

Although I still think it’s ridiculous to have to pay for in-flight snacks, I am pleased that United Airlines now offers a vegetarian “snackbox” on their flights. Called “Smartpack”, the orange box contains a nice variety of healthy snacks, including pears, bagel chips, and granola and lacks the jerky, sausage, or tuna included with the other choices. Most of the items are even vegan, with the obvious exception of the Copper Cowbell cheese spread and Cashew Roca candy.

I’m not quite as happy as United’s umbrella-toting cartoon mascot (see below), who brings color to a drab world in an in-flight ad, however. My flight out of San Francisco was delayed by over an hour, and I thought I would miss my connection and be stranded overnight in Chicago. Luckily, I got home.

I already waxed enthusiastic about the eggs at Dunkin’ Donuts, but one of my readers asked about eating vegan there, so I did some research. They have a nice site with detailed nutrition and ingredient information, and it turns out that there are lots of vegan options there, including some you might not expect.

If you’re a vegan, go for a bagel (but not a multigrain or blueberry) without cream cheese, or maybe an english muffin. Add a hash brown on the side, and drink a flavored coffee (but not pumpkin or vanilla). For lunch, get a fruit coolatta and the oriental salad. But vegans have to skip all of the eponymous donuts and munchkins, as well as all coffee coolattas.

Read on for the details…

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