Friday, December 8, 2023 3 Brooklin Town Crier Brooklin's Community Newspaper Proud to be a Brooklinite Since 2000. Published 24 times per year. Editor, Richard Bercuson 613-769-8629 • editorofbtc@gmail.com • Circulation 8000 • Delivery via Canada Post Locally owned and operated. A publication of Appletree Graphic Design Inc. We accept advertising in good faith but do not endorse advertisers nor advertisements. All editorial submissions are subject to editing. For advertising information, contact: Email: mulcahy42@rogers.com Next Issue: Friday, December 22, 2023 Deadline: Friday, December 15, 2023 Brooklin TOWN CRIER.com Bob Dylan's song "The times they are a-changin'" can be easily applied to plant-based options for dining out. It used to be that when I went to a restaurant and asked what on the menu was vegan, I'd get one of three responses: 1 - The server didn't know what it meant and suggested the fish, or 2 - They said the salad is vegan if you take the cheese out, or 3 - They'd head to the kitchen to ask someone then return, saying nothing was. These days, I'm handed a menu on which vegan items are clearly marked so I get excited when I see the multiple choices. Gone are the days when I had to order a veggie burger, fries or a salad. Great choices Last month, I met my mother for lunch in Markham and had the most delicious meal: lettuce wraps with crispy tofu in a lovely szechuan sauce. Then last week, I had dinner at The Keg with my husband. He loves their steak while I had a vegan shepherd's pie. Another great meal was a lovely Buddha Bowl with crispy tofu and cauliflower at the Oshawa Centre. If I'm eating out alone, I only go to vegan restaurants. But to socialize with non-vegans, I sometimes end up in larger chain restaurants where I've been pleasantly surprised by the number of choices. After all, when I go to a restaurant, I want to choose what I feel like eating, not order the only vegan item on the menu. It's not only restaurants offering more vegan items. I'm also seeing more vegan products in grocery stores. Farm Boy has its store brand of vegan items, including plant-based cheese, soups, and more. One thing I like about its brand is that they clearly label what is vegan with a logo. I don't have to read the ingredients. Growing market All of this tells me that the vegan "market" is growing. Companies don't add or create products if they think they will lose money. As the market expands, I look forward to having even more choices. Last week, one of my yoga clients gifted me a vegan milk chocolate bar made by Cadbury in which cow's milk was replaced by almond milk. Then, just when I thought the world was indeed a-changin', I watched an Instagram video on which a personal trainer kept calling meat protein. While meat is a source of protein, the two are not interchangeable. She was adding chicken, beef and pork to recipes. You could have just as easily added tofu, legumes or seeds to the recipes and gotten protein. Meat is not the only source of protein. Sheree's hack: Always check an online menu before trying a new restaurant to ensure it has plant-based options. It ain't what it used to be Plant-Based Eating by Sheree Nicholson