Going ‘plant forward’
Diners, restaurants see lifestyle shift as path to saving planet, animals
Vegan only before 6 p.m., and omnivore in the evening? No problem. Going gluten-free? Fine Both fit under a plantbased umbrella.
It’s less didactic and more about embracing a “cleaner” life. And as many Bay Area restaurants, bars and bakeries focus on plant-based ingredients, this style of eating has gone mainstream.
It’s seen as a crucial step in helping the well being of both the planet and the individual, not to mention the positive image it conveys.
If the term vegan has historically been characterized by muted earth tones, passionate animal rights activists, and the unmistakable odor of patchouli, plant-based is clean white and vivid green, fit women in yoga pants, and the scent of freshly cut grass.
“This has been coming for a long time,” says Mo Clancy, who opened the plant-based Seed + Salt in San Francisco’s Marina district last year. “It’s just the next evolution of
Laurie Beijen calls herself a first-generation vegan.
She was 13 when she realized there was a word to describe the diet she had been following by accident, just because she didn’t like the taste of meat.
“I wasn’t depriving myself because of some philosophical belief system,” says the now 40-year-old Beijen, who started out as primarily vegetarian. But as she learned more about her choice — especially by reading books like John Robbins’ “Diet for a New America” — Beijen, a San Francisco native, went all the way to vegan.
In a city already so defined by mindful eating, she found herself somewhere in the middle of a Bay Area “hierarchy” — nestled between the preachy and the sanctimonious, the hippies and the health nuts.
Now the mother of two, she’s raising her children the same way. But these days that fits more generally inside what is being called “plant-based.”
It’s not so much a “diet” as it is a lifestyle; one that is, in many cases, looser and less stringent — and doesn’t carry the same stigma — as Beijen’s vegan regimen.
Re-branded as plant-based, the concept is a little more fluid.
healthy, mindful eating.”
Seed + Salt and its Richmond District competitor, Nourish Cafe, are fully vegan and glutenfree. Both flaunt their “clean” and wholesome organic savories and sweets.
Eating at these restaurants takes the guesswork out of ordering, a refreshing phenomenon for those who have, in the past, had to thoroughly vet a menu before taking the plunge.
Of course, it’s always been easier in the Bay Area. Over the past four decades, we’ve learned from the likes of Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, the farmers who populate our bountiful markets, authors like Michael Pollan who have challenged us to examine our culinary choices, and a large — and often outspoken — population of vegans who have always argued that thoughtful eating goes well beyond knowing where our food comes from.
In recent years, juicing and smoothies — what Clancy calls “the gateway drug” to plantbased eating — have convinced a growing number of non-vegans that a liquid “produce only” lunch can leave them feeling healthier, lighter and in many cases, more clear-headed.
Plus, there’s that whole “what it says about you” element.
Charlotte Biltekoff, an associate professor at UC Davis who studies the cultural politics of dietary health, says that this correlation between virtuous eating and image goes back centuries.
“Good food and dietary ideals in general have always been layered with social concerns and social values,” says Biltekoff, who argues that the choices we make reflect who we are as citizens. “There are implications about what it means to be a consumer of a green smoothie vs. what it means to fill up on a big gulp from 7/11.”
The decision, she says, “shows how disciplined they are, that they’re making informed choices and that they’re being responsi- ble. These are qualities that we understand to be really important.”
Arlin Wasserman, who founded a consulting company called Changing Tastes, works with restaurants and food service businesses that want to shift toward plant-based menus. He agrees with Biltekoff, saying that “people who are Boomers will eat this way because it helps their health. Younger generations will do it because it helps the planet.”
For them, he says, “it’s about
living your personal values. Some might even call it a deep fashion statement.”
But while Clancy says her average customer is what one might expect on the north side of San Francisco — an educated, self-aware woman in her mid-30s who’s just spun over from Soul Cycle seeking a heaping plate of virtue for dinner — many others come purely because the food tastes good. She says she’s been surprised by the number of men, teenagers and octogenarians who have become plant-based converts.
“Once you start eating this way, it’s hard to go back,” she says.
Seed + Salt and Nourish are the extremes, but many restaurants are beginning to take a “plant-forward” approach by de-emphasizing meat and offering more interesting options for plant eaters.
“Plant forward means that you can still eat everything, but you can get most of your food from fruits and vegetables,” says Wasserman. “It seems like a wild idea for the U.S., but it’s how most people across the world eat.”
In the Bay Area, restaurants like Coi, Manresa and Gather have been doing this for years; spots like the newly opened Al’s Place — where meat could most certainly be considered a side dish — are following suit. They’re models for places where both carnivores and vegans can share a meal effortlessly, without judgment or stress.
Wasserman says more restaurants are moving in this direction, not just because of the abundance and variety of highquality produce in the Bay Area — though that certainly is a factor — but because of the waves of immigrants who are bringing their own cultural dishes and techniques into local kitchens as they rise up the culinary ranks.
Cost also enters the picture. As the drought and the ecological footprint of raising animals con- tinues to drive up the price of meat, chefs and owners are being forced to rethink the bottom line.
“In the restaurant industry, this trend (of less meat) is already in full bloom, even if diners aren’t always clued in,” says Wasserman. The best new restaurants, he says, are the ones in which protein has become a condiment and the focus is on vegetables, sauces and interesting flavors.
The trend leads to wider menu choices, since plant-based dishes now go well beyond the seitan, lentils and seeds of a vegan past.
But this isn’t a battle between old guard and new — people in general are paying more attention to the long-term sustainability of their diets.
As an early vegan adopter, Beijen says the fact that this lifestyle choice has gone mainstream is good. Although being vegan is a very personal thing for her, she says, “More vegetables in your diet is better for you, it’s better for the environment and it’s better for animals. It would be better if more people were vegan.”
If changing the wording makes more people gravitate toward it, she says, “It’s all a step in the right direction.”