The pressure to eat in unhealthy ways when with other people is one of the biggest reasons people fail to improve their health by eating in healthy ways, but being social does not have to be detrimental to your health and it does not have to include pressure to eat what someone else wants you to eat.


These flexible eating environments enable everyone present to eat in ways that accommodate their own food sensitivities, allergies, and preferences without inconveniencing or offending a restaurant manager or residential host, or having to feel like they are not fitting in with the group.


Places you can meet friends for lunch and still follow the Whole-Food Plant-Based Vegan Diet recommended by Doctors Colin T. Campbell, Neal Barnard, and Michael Greger, and/or Raw Vegan Diet, where your friends can also get whatever kind of food they may like.


Flexibility is the key here because even vegans who want to eat what they consider to be very Healthy food may differ dramatically in what they want to eat, with some wanting to avoid Acrylamides and anything from cans, Agaritine, Lentinan, Oil, Coconut, refined sugar, grains, and/or anything cooked as much as possible, and others being fine with some or all of these things.



Here are some Hot Bars and Salad Bars with with some organic vegan options with all ingredients labeled right there on the bars so you can stay in control of what you eat and still be able to have social meals with your friends where everyone can get what they want.   You can also buy anything from anywhere in the store and prepare and eat it at the tables they have there with your friends.


*These bars do include some animal products, some things that contain oil, and some things that are not organic, but everything is clearly labeled so you can make an informed decision regarding your selection from there and you can choose exactly what you want to eat rather than having to passively accept what someone else wants to serve you.   --Please note that "Chorizo" means pork -- and not "vegan pork," as is a common product now!


Common Market

in Frederick County, Maryland
(2 Locations: One on Route 85 and one on W. 7th Street)

They do have a lot of organic vegan items on their salad and hot bars, but they also have meat and dairy products.   Each item is labeled, which is helpful.   *Please note that "Chorizo" means "pork" or "pig."   This may be an ingredient listed in the middle of many other vegetables in what may look like a vegan dish, so be sure to carefully read all the ingredients before selecting.

*You can also buy anything in the store and then take it to their cafe area to prepare and eat it there.   You can also buy fresh organic smoothies there in the cafe area.


Whole Foods Market

(ones that still have some indoor tables for eating there and convenient parking garages or parking in front of store)
in Annapolis, Baltimore (Central Ave), Chevy Chase, Columbia, Fairfax, Rockville, Towson, and Tysons

*You can buy anything from their salad bar, and anywhere else in the store, and then take it to their eating area to prepare and eat it there.


Stores where you can get organic produce and other things you may use to make a nice lunch for yourself when on the road:


Trader Joe's

--Usually has a nice selection of Organic cut and washed Romaine and Red Butter lettuces, bell peppers, fresh green beans, microgreens, avocados, fresh fruit, and sprouted tofu
Some have tables you can eat at outside


Ocean City Organics

located in between Assateague and Ocean City and is a place you can usually get some organic produce, nuts, and seeds while in that area.   The address is 11944 Ocean Gateway, Suite C, Ocean City, MD 21842.   They usually close at 4:00 pm on Sundays. Call for hours: (410) 213-9818.


Why Many People Do Not Want To Eat Any Food Cooked Above 238 Degrees Fahrenheit --even plant-based foods
(due to research finding that cooking at temperatures above 238 degrees causes Acrylamides and other cancer-causing chemicals to form)



Finding Organic Healthy vegan food in restaurants can be difficult since Organic Healthy food is so much more expensive than the conventional food they often get wholesale, and since the meat and dairy industry continues to be subsidized, those things continue to be relatively very inexpensive.


Even many ethnic restaurants that sell food advertised as "authentic" where the original recipes called for olive oil, often use an oil Blend that is not 100% Olive Oil like the authentic foods from these places used to be, and often even contain GMO Soy oil.   --Their business model is to provide meals that are tasty and convenient, made from the cheapest ingredients possible, to you in a social atmosphere -- not look out for your Health.


They get away with this because most people either assume they are using 100% Extra-Virgin Olive Oil since they claim to be serving "authentic" ethnic food, and that's what they used in the "Old Country" and don't think to ask about this, or they don't know enough to care.


Here are some short videos explaining why many people choose to eat no oil at all, even extra-virgin olive oil:


Video 1

Video 2


Understanding that some people still want to eat organic extra-virgin olive oil for the special properties it has, it is important to understand that many restaurants and products that say "Olive Oil" are really "oil blends" containing other oils, and sometimes they use that oil to heat other things many times before finally putting in something they serve you.   They may do this because Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil is relatively expensive, and using it several times to sautee other food before serving to you is not "lying" about the ingredient.


If you want to eat organic extra-virgin olive oil due to it's special properties, the safest thing for you to do may be to eat it only straight from the bottle you see labled and only with a lot of fiber.


Even some Vegan restaurants use oil that contains GMO soy oil and lots of refined sugar and flour, also catering more to providing convenient tasty food made from the cheapest ingredients possible, that appeals to the vegan philosophy but is not so good for Health.


Even in the "better" restaurants, their business model may still include using the cheapest ingredients possible, so it is often difficult to get food in these restaurants that is Nutritionally Dense, but is instead mostly less expensive fillers such as lots of grain, refined flour, sugar, and oil, and less organic fresh fruit and vegetables, as optimizing your Health is not part of their business model.


Here are some reasons many people do not want to eat flour (even flour made from whole grains) and some good things about Buckwheat


Here are some reasons many people do not want to take Synthetic vitamins not made from whole-foods

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