We have valuable resources to help you go vegetarian, including books, classes, events, and even great places to shop!
Vegetarians of Washington is here to help:
To try some delicious vegetarian food, and meet lots of interesting people, come to one of our Monthly Dining Events, a great way for beginners to dip their toes.
Buffet at a Monthly Dining Event
To learn about the many health and other benefits of vegetarian food, and to learn how to cook some foods which may be new to you, such as tofu, tempeh and quinoa, come to one of our free classes.
To discover lots of new foods to buy, to learn from doctors and chefs, and to gain the confidence that you can be a vegetarian, come to Vegfest, our annual vegetarian food festival, held in the Spring each year.
To learn more about how to shop for healthy food, including how to select produce, read ingredient labels, and so much more, buy our new shopping guide In Pursuit of Great Food.
For many more recipes and lots of helpful advice, join Vegetarians of Washington and receive a free cookbook. You’ll also receive our free emailed newsletter, The Vegetarian Page.
Printed Brochures from Vegetarians of Washington:
Print Resources (brochures and flyers)
Other useful resources:
Recipe Resources
Recipes from Vegetarians of Washington
www.vegetariantimes.com – Vegetarian Times has a huge resource of recipes where you can specify to search for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free etc.
Shopping Resources
All major grocery stores these days offer all the basics needed for a healthy vegetarian diet – fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes (both dried and canned), nuts and seeds. Many also offer complete vegetarian frozen meals, and specific products such as non-dairy milks, yogurts and cheeses; meat alternatives such as tofu, tempeh, seitan, and meat analogues (veggie burgers, veggie chicken nuggets etc); plus specialist products such as nutritional yeast and egg replacer, which can be useful in replacing dairy and eggs in recipes.
For the best selection of natural foods in Washington state, try stores such as:
www.central-market.com – Central Market – stores in Mill Creek, Poulsbo, & Shoreline
www.metropolitan-market.com – Metropolitan Market – 7 stores in Seattle & Tacoma
www.pccnaturalmarkets.com – PCC Community Markets – 12 stores in or near Seattle
www.townandcountrymarkets.com – Town & Country Markets – Bainbridge Island, Lakemont (Bellevue) & Ballard
www.wholefoodsmarket.com – Whole Foods Markets – 9 stores from Bellingham to Vancouver WA.
The following more conventional stores also have a good selection of natural foods:
www.fredmeyer.com – Fred Meyer has a good natural section in all its stores
www.QFC.com – QFC stores have natural products in every section of the store
www.safeway.com – Many Safeway branches now have a natural foods section
Locally owned co-ops and farmers markets also provide very good selections:
Central Co-op (aka Madison Market) Seattle
Community Food Co-op (Washington) Bellingham
Ferry County Co-op Republic
Main Market Co-op Spokane
Mountain Community Co-op Eatonville
Okanogan River Natural Foods Co-op Tonasket
Olympia Food Co-op Olympia
PCC Natural Markets Seattle
Port Townsend Food Co-op Port Townsend
San Juan Island Food Co-op Friday Harbor
Skagit Valley Food Co-op Mount Vernon
Sno-Isle Natural Foods Co-op Everett
Tacoma Food Co-op Tacoma
The Food Co-op Port Townsend
Yelm Food Co-op Yelm
www.wafarmersmarkets.com – for fresh produce from a Farmers’ Market near you.
www.naturalchoice.net – Natural Choice directory, for other natural health and wellness resources.
If you can’t find the products you want in a grocery store near you, another alternative is to shop online, and have foods delivered to your home. Here are some possible options for vegetarian and vegan foods:
http://www.veganstore.com/
http://www.veganessentials.com/
Veg-Friendly Healthcare
Dietitians and Nutritionists
Cathy Hains RD (Lighthouse Nutrition) – Gig Harbor
Medical Doctors
- Chan Hwang MD – pain and rehabilitation, Puyallup
- Uma Krishnan – cardiology, Multicare, Tacoma
- George Lee MD – family medicine, Bellevue
- Esther Park-Hwang MD – Obstetrics & Gynecology, Tacoma
- Rachel Wyman – Cardiology, Kaiser Permanente, Seattle
See also our list of supporting physicians.
Naturopaths
Diane Lee, ND Lac, Seattle Naturopathic Center, www.seattlenaturopathiccenter.com
Connie Sanchez, ND. Lake Meridian Healing Arts, Kent. vegan-medicine.com
Veg-Friendly Chiropractors
Jill Goldberg DCh – South Lake Union, Seattle www.southlakeunionchiro.com
National & International vegetarian organizations
There are many vegetarian societies around the world. If you’re looking for general support outside of the Washington State area, the following organizations may have the information you need:
www.americanvegan.org – American Vegan society – The American Vegan Society is a nonprofit educational membership organization teaching a compassionate way of living that includes veganism. They produce a quarterly magazine, The American Vegan, which discusses the philosophy of compassionate living, and the practical aspects of the vegan lifestyle.
www.ivu.org – International Vegetarian Union – Hundreds of Vegetarian groups and societies are affiliated to the International Vegetarian Union. This site lists them all, and provides in depth articles on every aspect of vegetarian lifestyles from around the world.
www.vrg.org – Vegetarian Resource Group – This group has a fantastic range of information on vegetarian and vegan recipes, vegetarian and vegan nutrition information, vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, Vegetarian Journal excerpts, vegetarian travel information, vegetarian and vegan brochures, and even a Vegetarian Game. Enjoy!
Other Helpful Links
www.veggiedate.com – Vegetarian Dating Site – If you’re looking for a vegetarian date or a roommate, this is the largest and most popular vegetarian and vegan dating service. One couple who met through VeggieDate, held their first date at a Vegetarians of Washington Monthly Dining Event, and a year later, they were married!