Healthful Dining at Disney

We're headed to EPCOT in the morning for a field trip, and I've been trying to decide if we should bring a lunch or eat at the park. Before we completely cut out dairy, it was easy to find a good lunch almost anywhere. But a healthy, vegan lunch is harder to come by.

Fortunately, Disney really is on the cutting edge when it comes to accommodating special diets. My friend Jill at Vegan in the Kitchen just wrote a wonderful post about their recent experiences dining veg in the parks. Be sure to check it out if you're looking for healthy, plant-based options in the park.

We spent Big Sprout's birthday at EPCOT this year and were nicely accommodated at the Nine Dragons restaurant in China - right down to the vegan chocolate cake. A more recent visit to Tokyo Dining in Japan served up some delicious vegan sushi - the Sprouts' favorite - and a warning that the miso soup contained fish paste (who would have guessed)?

On an evening that we neglected to make a dining reservation, we ended up at the Sunshine Seasons food court, which offered a surprising number of veg-friendly options. Big Sprout chose a noodle bowl with tofu and veggies, while Little Sprout opted for vegetable soup and soy yogurt. Both enjoyed a Silk soy milk and a vegan chocolate chip cookie for dessert (yes, I went a little overboard!) Although we don't eat gluten-free, I couldn't help noticing a number of GF options, too.

Can you maintain a healthy, plant-based diet while visiting the Disney parks? Absolutely! The only question left to answer is where to eat tomorrow!