This is our story and our philosophy So if you are interested in learning more about how vegsarasota.com came to be, please read on.

This site was and is the brainchild of 2 Sarasota residents who started on the vegetarian path in 1999. By 2000 there was no doubt that we both were on a great and healthy path and would never turn back. After many delicious meals, and several trips to cities which are veg-friendly, in 2004 we moved to a mostly vegan diet.

We truly feel that vegetarianism or veganism is a lifestyle choice first, and a dietary one second. We've had to learn how to utilize uncommon creativity when it comes to food (especially in restaurants), but it has paid off with countless meals worth their weight in gold. A lot of people share a misconception about what it is like to be a vegetarian. I cannot stress enough that we love food, I mean LOVE food. There's literally an endless selection of meals that are out there once you open your eyes and get off of the Standard American Diet (S.A.D). It is hard to think of any meals in the meat-world that can stack up to some of our veg favorites. I truly think that many of our home-cooked meals are gourmet in comparison to what the average family consumes on a daily basis. We've often noted with many of our meals that if you were to add a portion of meat next to it, most people would instantly exclaim what a gourmet meal it is. And trust me, there's nothing that gourmet about meat if you look at it alone.

We would also advise anyone who is on this journey a couple of things. First, eating veg is about inclusion and open mindedness, it is NOT a diet of exclusion (can't have this, cant have that etc..) Also do your homework, it pays off. Continue to learn a little more each week or month about nutrition, spices, new and tasty ingredients, and always be on the look-out for that next good recipe, it will pay off time and time again and you'll be amazed with how delicious food can be.