Unless you were raised in a hippie commune, it’s safe to say that most of us grew up with meat and dairy on the dinner table. Spaghetti and meatballs, hamburgers, and macaroni and cheese are all staples in the American diet – but a new movement continues to gain traction. . In recent years, veganism has transformed from a fringe fad for tie-dye wearing, patchouli-scented farmers’ market volunteers into a popular lifestyle choice for an increasing number of people: from college students to professional athletes.
“The young generation is all about healthy eating,” says Pankaj Pradhan, chef at vegan restaurant Wild Rice Café in Watertown, Massachusetts. He says the image of the crunchy hippie is gone, and that awareness through social media has helped propel veganism into the mainstream.
Why has veganism become so popular?
A vegan diet definitely isn’t for everyone, but the number of people cutting back on meat and dairy is growing rapidly. In fact, an estimated 36 percent of U.S. consumers prefer dairy or meat alternatives to the real thing. 35 percent of these individuals associate veganism with healthy food, 13 percent with cleaner ingredients, and 12 percent with weight loss. In addition to those who cite health reasons for the switch, there are also ethical vegans, who have a moral aversion to harming animals for consumption, as well as environmental vegans, who are concerned about the impact of factory farming on the planet and its resources.
Luckily, with veganism infiltrating popular foodie culture, those inspired to adapt a plant-based diet have a lot of delicious dining options across the U.S. and beyond.
Wild Rice Café offers vegan cuisine to Fooda customers in Boston
“I always had a desire to open a restaurant,” says Pradhan who, having grown up in India, has been vegetarian all his life. “While traveling the world working on cruise lines and learning about different flavors and spices, I made up my mind that I would open a vegan and vegetarian restaurant.”
And that he did. Pradhan opened the award-winning Red Lentil Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurant in 2009, when there were only three vegetarian restaurants in the area. Since then, Pradhan says there has been a huge revolution. He opened Wild Rice Café in 2015 with a completely vegan menu boasting super-food packed entrees, cold-pressed fresh juices, smoothies, and coffee.
Pradhan adds that the growing popularity of vegan cuisine extends beyond the U.S. “I was shocked to see how many 
vegan and vegetarian restaurants are in Europe.” People all over the world are opening up to this new, healthy way of eating, and the options are tempting. 42 Degrés, the first raw vegan restaurant in Paris, boasts a vibrant menu of plant-based items that maintain all of their vitamins, enzymes and nutrients. Gentle Gourmet Café, on the other hand, offers a meat-free twist on the fine cuisine France is famous for, served with stunning presentation. “The vegan restaurants opening up in Paris and Italy aren’t just little cafés; they’re gourmet cooking,” says Pradhan.
Purple Sprout offers Chicagoans artisan dishes made from organic ingredients
Unlike Pradhan, Irina Kuznetsova and her husband Karim Raimbekov of Purple Sprout Café in Wheeling, Illinois haven’t always been herbivores. It was only after the birth of her first child that Irina was inspired to switch to plant-based diet.
“I suffered from postpartum depression, headaches, ulcers, and panic attacks,” says Irina. “I went to every doctor I could find, and they all told me my health issues were non-life threatening. I knew I had to find a natural way to deal with [these problems] and get better. Plant-based food was my salvation.”
It took a few years, but all of Irina’s ailments have healed – and 
she credits her health entirely to a vegan diet. Realizing that they could help others through high-quality plant-based food, Irina and Karim quit their jobs in the corporate world, followed their passion, and opened Purple Sprout in 2015.
Today, Purple Sprout serves an eclectic menu of plant-based dishes ranging from a Chickpea Veggie Scramble Crepe to a Hemp Burger, both of which Irina names as the café’s most popular menu items, depending on the day.
The Veggie Stir Fry is another customer favorite, and we snagged the recipe for it below:
Veggie Stir Fry (gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free)
Yield: 4 portions
Nutrients
- ½ – 1 Tbsp. avocado oil
- 1 inch piece ginger, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 medium carrot, cut into pieces on the diagonal
- Broccoli, a few florets
- ¼ head cauliflower, chopped into florets
- Chard, cut or torn into pieces and de-stemmed
- Bok choy, cut into halves or quarters
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- ½ zucchini, cut into half moons
- ½ yellow squash, cut into half moons
- Handful of green beans
- 1 Tbsp. tamari or coconut aminos (soy-free)
- Sea salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Other spices like hing, coriander, cumin, etc. (optional)
Instructions
- Heat up the oil in a stir-fry pan.
- Add the grated garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute.
- Add the hard vegetables and stalks, sprinkle some water over the veggies, and sauté for a few minutes
- Add the soft vegetables and greens, add your plant-based protein of choice, mix, cover with lid and cook for a few minutes.
- Serve over cooked grains if desired.
- Enjoy!
Where will veganism go from here?
With veganism having come such a long way in the last few years, experts anticipate it will only continue to grow in popularity from health, ethical, and environmental standpoints. “[Purple Sprout] is only 15 months old, and we are so happy to be getting support from the community. More and more people are going vegan every day.” The husband and wife team hosts plant-based cooking classes, lectures, and workshops to spread awareness. “A lot of people are surprised at how delicious plant-based food can be,” Irina says.
Pradhan is also optimistic about the future of plant-based cuisine. “I think it’s just getting started,” he says. “It will keep moving forward. Even fast food places are coming out with vegan burgers because they know [plant-based food] is in demand.” Pradhan also anticipates that, over the next two to three years, we will see completely vegan fast food restaurants. However, he cautions that the only way veganism will see progress is by promoting an inclusive environment and accepting that change takes time.
“We all have our choices. If we want to introduce vegan cuisine, we have to expose it in the right way.”
Fooda is proud to partner with vegan-friendly restaurants from coast to coast
In addition to Wild Rice Café in Boston and Purple Sprout in the Chicago suburbs, Fooda has formed relationships with numerous vegan and vegan-friendly restaurant partners nationwide. Whether you’re intrigued by a vegan diet or are just looking to explore a new realm of gastronomic pleasures, you can’t go wrong with a plant-based meal from a restaurant branded with the Fooda stamp of approval.
