Today my husband and I did a quick trip into midtown, armed only with a banana and an apple. While he met with a client, I decided to see just what sorts of options there were for a vegan pressed for time.
Whilst running around near Radio City, I was pleased to find that some of the pushcarts were offering healthy options, like salads, juices and fresh fruit. I would totally have hit up the fresh fruit guy had I not just scarfed down my fruit breakfast. Nearby there was a deli/bodega that had dried fruit and nut cups as well as some fresh fruit. So snacks were a snap to find. It was a bit cold and windy to sit outdoors and eat a salad today, though on a nicer day that might have been an option, depending on what dressings they offered.
For lunch I really went the desperate traveler route and decided to see what I could find in that beacon of bad fast food, Penn Station. Littered with Auntie Anne's, Krispy Kreme, pizza joints and fast food chains, Penn Station leaves little for the health-conscious...or so one might think. I found a few options for the on-the-go veg that surprised me.
SUBWAY. Subway is one of my favorite reliable, predictable fast food choices. Their Italian and 9 Grain Wheat breads are both vegan, though the wheat does have HFCS. I usually choose the Veggie Delite and hold the cheese, with Italian bread. I also skip the dressings, choosing instead to get fresh avocado. Since I hardly ever eat bread or any sort of baked goods, I don't worry too much about that. My favorite sandwich includes lettuce, tomato, fresh spinach, sweet peppers, pickles, olives and avocado.
CHICKPEA. Chickpea is a Middle Eastern chain that does a lot of pre-made sandwiches and has a yogurt bar. They do have vegan choices like dilled tofu dumplings and udon noodles in little plastic containers, but being pre-packaged you don't know what you're getting until you try it. None of it looked super-appetizing, though, and I skipped out of there without sampling anything. What looked really good at Chickpea were the fresh fruits you could get put into yogurt; if you're vegetarian, that might be an option for you. Had I been less hungry and pressed for time, I might have tried a few things.
PENN SUSHI. I know, Penn Station is the last place one would think 'sushi'. Personally, I can't stand sushi. It's the seaweed thing; I can't eat something that tastes and smells like low tide. My husband loves it, though, and we peeked in to see what they had. Penn Sushi had California and cucumber rolls as well as edamame and fruit cups, so lots of choices for the vegan there. Everything was fresh-made that day and looked pretty good.
ZARO'S BAKERY. I wanted to like Zaro's. They did have a California Wrap that was loaded with interesting veggies but unfortunately had ranch dressing on it. When I asked if I could have one made fresh without that due to dietary restrictions, they said no. They did suggest a salad, but considering they have no seating that would be difficult to eat and also defeat my on-the-go concept.
In conclusion, I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to find ANYTHING to eat in Penn Station, though with an extra fifteen minutes I'd certainly have gone to street level and hit up Pret a Manger for a veggie sandwich or some soup. There were far more vegetarian options than vegan, to be sure, but the choices were there. Ten years ago I don't think that would have been the case, not at all. So here's to veg becoming more mainstream, and hopefully more delicious!
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