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If you are a single person dating, eating out can be a challenge.

Add some food sensitivities and intolerances to the mix and you are in for some interesting experiences. We, the vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free souls, are often the brunt of many jokes. Most of us do not choose this diet to be trendy or difficult, we do it out of necessity. If you have food intolerances and choose not to follow your diet, the ramifications are not pretty.

This past Friday night, I tried a local new diner with a young colleague. The diner is kitty-corner to our hospital and it was filled with old and young all enjoying the vibe and the food. I thought I was hip by picking the spot and eager to test out the menu. I have to admit, I was digging the vibe and looking forward to some healthy pub food that didn’t leave me in agony.

After some serious debate, we opted for vegan nachos which had everything but cheese, and a generous sprinkling of lentils. Apparently, you can put lentils on everything. I loved the vegan dish, however, my younger friend was not impressed. She was not sold on yam for cheese or the seasoned fake meat bits and was shocked that I was in heaven. She stared in disbelief as I relished the dish, eating with my hands and scooping up the mounds of veggies and yam mixture like I had died and gone to vegan heaven.

This was an awesome segue to an unusual conversation on traditional food versus vegan and vegetarian dishes. According to Pinterest, you can add lentils to everything. Want to make brownies healthy? Add lentils. Craving a new stew or soup? Add lentils. Now, nachos are the newest to come around, and this, my friends, is the pinnacle of vegan dining.

As I write this, I am researching this very recipe with the goal to recreate it at home.

The truth is, it takes a brave soul to try new things—it takes someone with a sense of adventure. It takes an even braver soul to open up a vegan restaurant at the height of a global pandemic.

Dining should be about exploration and having fun—and what better way to make it fun than to dive into a dish that you wouldn’t normally make at home? If we stick to the routine and staples of our dietary regimes, life can get pretty boring. So I say hell yeah, let’s add some lentils to everything. Why not?

Lentils are a rainbow of colors and textures and all are inexpensive and simple to prepare. They are a mainstay of vegetarian dishes, so why not vegan? Adding lentils to a salad, dip, and as a mainstay is possibly the greatest delight.

Want to get your healthy groove on? Try something vegan tonight.

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