In search of plant-based restaurant meals

Colorado Springs is a city that seems to offer everything, whether your passion is for outdoor sports, world-class art or endless sunny weather. But the one thing the Springs doesn’t offer is a variety of restaurants serving plant-based menu items.

This is perplexing to me and makes me wonder if restaurant owners fail to realize that offering plant-based options isn’t just about catering to a particular diet. It’s about offering an ethical meal option, and a choice that combats global poverty. The United Nations has stated that animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gases worldwide than all transportation combined and that a global shift toward plant-based diets is necessary to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change and world hunger.

I’ve been practicing a vegan diet for more than 20 years, and it’s wonderful to see more and more people opening their eyes (and hearts) to the environmental and ethical crimes of the meat and dairy industry. It would be equally wonderful to see more Colorado Springs restaurant owners stepping up and doing the same.

Jenny Rice, Colorado Springs

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