Feeling like the only Nashville vegan?

I have found that there are several restaurants in Nashville that have vegan entrees on the menu, have several vegetarian options, or are completely happy to put one together for you. Some people even take pride in the fact that they can accommodate your needs, and the challenge of doing something different is often exciting for a chef.

I've been to many good vegan restaurants in Nashville, and I have a review on their dishes, and on what is available for vegans and vegetarians.

Some of the best vegan options in Nashville can be found at these restaurants:

• Wild Cow in East Nashville
• Grins on Vanderbilt's campus
• Woodlands Indian vegetarian restaurant, near Vanderbilt
• Fiddlecakes, in Cummins Station and on 8th Avenue South
• Gojo Ethiopian Restaurant
• Bongo Java and Fido
• The Smiling Elephant, right across the street from Fiddlecakes on 8th Avenue
• Calypso Cafe
• Taco Mamacita on Villa Place
• And many more!

Recently, I've been pleasantly surprised at new Nashville vegan options that seem to be popping up around the city. It may never be on the lists of the top vegan cities in the United States, but it is manageable, whether you're new to veganism or a veteran.

We also have two Whole Foods grocery stores, which are great for groceries as well as some prepared food. I tend to really like a few items on their salad bars, specifically the raw kale salad with cranberries and cherry tomatoes, the raw spinach with cashew cheese, the tofu with onions, and most of their raw salad bar. In the prepared, behind-the-counter section, the roasted, toasted and baked tofu is awesome, I enjoy their faux crab cakes, and my husband loves the faux chicken salad. They also often have a whole wheat vegan pizza and offer Daiya cheese if you like. For a while they were selling vegan cupcakes from Fiddlecakes, but I haven't seen them recently. And, they always have vegan cookies and muffins in the baked bin.

Another of my favorite grocery stores is the Turnip Truck, which started in East Nashville and has expanded to the Gulch as well. They have an amazing selection and a really tasty salad bar with tons of vegan options that are well-marked. And, we have a Trader Joes and several farmers' markets. So, if you can cook, you can be a Nashville vegan with no problems!

Also, like in many cities, there is a group called the Nashville Vegetarian Meetup where you can go to a meeting with other people in your area who are like-minded about food. Sometimes they have pot-luck style dinners where everyone can share their favorite dish, and other times they all go to vegan friendly restaurants.

For anyone who is local to Nashville, I'd love to help in any way I can. I've had people email me with questions on where to find certain vegan foods in the city, with their travel plans and concerns about eating while here, and even just to chat.

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