An Update on Gelatin Top Restaurant Chains for Vegetarians

Vegetable Medley, Ginger Soy Long Noodle, ItalianTomato & Cucumber (Fat-Free), Italian VegetableMedley (Low-Fat), Jicama Citrus (Low-Fat), Jumpin’Beans (Low-Fat), Lemon Garlic Pasta (Low-Fat),Madras Curried Rice (Low-Fat), Marinated Cucumber(Fat-Free), Marinated Sesame Cucumber (Low-Fat),Moroccan Lentil, No Fry Stir-Fry Rice, RoastedGarlic Basil Potato, Roasted Vegetable, Salsa Fresca(Fat-Free), Summer Garden Pasta (Fat-Free),Tabbouleh, Thai Shredded Slaw (Low-Fat), ToastedCouscous w/Garden Vegetables, Wild Rice &Cranberry, Zesty Cucumber & Tomato• Prepared Seasonal Vegetables: Balsamic Oven-Roasted Vegetables, Corn (Low-Fat), Fresh SummerItalian Bruschetta, Ginger Roasted Sesame Carrots,Pineapple Papaya Salsa (Fat-Free), Roasted YukonGold Potato, Squash Ratatouille (Fat-Free)• Soups: Black Beans Sante Fe (Low-Fat), CarrotGinger (Fat-Free), Confetti Bean Chili (Low-Fat),Garden Bean Stew (Low-Fat), Greek Artichoke &Lemon Rice (Low-Fat), Harvest Vegetable (Fat-Free),Hearty Garden Vegetable Barley (Low-Fat), HeartyVegetable (Fat-Free), Mushroom Bean & Barley(Low-Fat), Pho Noodle Bowl (Low-Fat), RatatouilleStew (Fat-Free), Red Bean Chili (Low-Fat), RoastedVegetable & Butternut Squash Medley (Low-Fat),Rustic Country Vegetable (Low-Fat), Savory Bean(Low-Fat), Southern Lentil (Low-Fat), Spicy VegetableGumbo (Low-Fat), Summer Squash (Fat-Free),Thai Coconut Ginger, Tomato Basil Florentine (Fat-Free), Tuscan White Bean & Vegetable (Low-Fat),Vegetable Barley (Fat-Free), Vegetable Minestrone(Low-Fat), Vegetarian Vegetable (Fat-Free)• Pasta & Rice: Asian Vegetable Medley (Fat-Free),Baked Potato (Fat-Free), Pomodoro Sauce (Fat-Free),Spicy Thai Noodles w/Marinated Tofu (Low-Fat),Peking Rice, Vegetarian Jambalaya (Low-Fat), WhiteRice (Fat-Free)More About Fresh Choice: Fresh Choice said itdoesn’t claim to be a vegetarian restaurant, but its 50-foot salad bar and soup arcade is conducive to offeringmany vegetarian items, including tofu. They use theterm ‘vegetarian’ since it’s commonly understood bythe general population. The word appears on signageabove the dishes. The ingredient statements are alsoposted above the dishes.There is no meat in vegetarian items, but therecould be eggs and dairy. Vegan items do not containmeat, eggs, or dairy. There is animal rennet in cheeses(especially cheddar, Jack, and mozzarella), and that’swhy there is no vegetarian pizza. A spokesperson forthe company said, if their cheeses contain animalrennet, they will not label the item as vegetarian.A representative said the word ‘vegetarian’ hasbeen used since the company’s beginning almost 20years ago. At that time, they had tabbouleh and couscoussalads, but they weren’t very popular. Now, sinceconventional stores have made them popular and haveeducated the public about them, Fresh Choice is offeringthem more and more.The term ‘vegan’ was introduced maybe 15 yearsago. Fresh Choice said, “Vegans are the most vocal”to the company about what they want in a restaurant,and they have tried to meet their requests and expectations.Fresh Choice is exploring adding more veganitems. Since we started looking at their list, we noticedseveral “new” vegan dishes with quinoa and couscouson the menu.The company is selling more locally grown andlocal organic produce as fresh and in prepared salads.However, because organic laws are so strict as to howorganic foods must be displayed—especially when soldnext to non-organic foods—it would be difficult tomarket the foods as ‘organic,’ and it would be costprohibitiveto convert every offering on their entiremenu to organic.Every item won’t be available at every location.All store locations have their own listing on the website,and those are the most current menus. Texas andWashington have their own menus, which differ fromthe menus at California locations.There is no designated place in the kitchen justfor vegetarian/vegan preparation apart from meatproducts, but there is proper sanitation between uses.MOE’S SOUTHWEST GRILL(www.moes.com)Locations: Scattered through approximately 34 statesbut not in California or the NorthwestMenu Items at Moe’s That the Chain Notes asVegetarian: Art Vandalay Burrito, Instant FriendQuesadilla, Personal Trainer Salad, Ruprict Nachos,Super Kingpin Quesadilla, Unanimous Decision TacoMore About Moe’s Southwest Grill: This report isbased on information from the Research & DevelopmentDepartment at Moe’s. All foods at Moe’s that arelabeled vegetarian are customizable. This means thatthe menu items can be ordered without one or moreVEGETARIAN JOURNAL Issue Four 2008 15