Seattle offers a variety of options for grabbing a bite to eat that might not be conveniently available in the suburbs or a small town, so it’s no wonder the U-District has a healthy vegan community.

Anyone interested in becoming a vegan should first understand what defines a vegan.

“A vegan is someone who doesn’t consume or use any animal products or byproducts,” said Jennifer Hendrickson of Fremont. “Including stuff like wool, silk, [or] leather.” Hendrickson has been a vegan for five years.

Those vegans who consider only the food they eat are called “dietary vegans.”

“A lot of people will determine themselves vegan but still wear a leather jacket,” said Anthony D’Atri, who heads a Seattle vegan group on meetup.com. The Web site coordinates social bonding between vegans in the Seattle area.

“Any change I can encourage in somebody is a good thing,” said D’Atari. “For the same reason, I don’t get dogmatic about people who eat honey.” Honey being a product that depends heavily upon insects.

UW senior Kaylan Richman said that living vegan means going beyond animal rights. It also encompasses environmentalism, human rights and social justice.

“A lot of factory farms pollute groundwater and air and cause soil erosion,” said Richman, who has been vegan for seven years.

Though the criteria for being vegan can be strict, D’Atari said vegans aren’t generally self-righteous or militant.

“I can encourage anyone to use less animal products and that’s the goal,” said D’Atari. “Being militant will only discourage that goal.”

D’Atari hasn’t consumed meat since 1994. He was vegetarian until 2003, when he decided to commit to being fully vegan.

When it comes to making the conversion to veganism, it’s recommended that it be done gradually. Going vegetarian first is a good way to start.

“Just cutting meat out is a huge step,” Hendrickson said.

After meat is out of the diet, Hendrickson recommends cutting food items out one at a time, starting with the least favorite item.

Going vegetarian first worked for Richman.

“I was vegetarian for seven years before I became vegan,” said Richman. “I tried before but I had a hard time giving up milk and cheese.”

The same went for D’Atari.

“I was eating milk and eggs thinking it didn’t hurt animals, but I was wrong,” said D’Atari. “One day in 2003 I picked up a flyer and found out that wasn’t the case and changed on the spot.”

The flyer explained how many farm animals are mistreated.

D’Atari shared some anecdotes about people he knows who became instant vegans.

“I’ve known people who eat McDonalds one day and are a raw vegan the next day and it stuck,” said D’atari, but ultimately he thinks the gradual process is best. “I’d rather have someone go over the course of two years and have it stick instead of have someone go cold turkey and not know what to eat.”

Lots of options available

Ask any vegan and they’ll tell you that finding the right food isn’t a problem. Richman will go as far as to argue that there is no reason to eat meat with all the meat substitute options available.

“It’s not like you’re missing out on anything,” said Richman. “There’s always a way to make something vegan.”

Among the options are vegan hot dogs, sausages and chicken.

“You don’t have to give up barbecuing,” D’Atari said.

Hendrickson admitted not every taste and texture of meat can be replicated.

“If you go into eating a vegan hot dog as a regular hot dog, you might be disappointed,” said Hendrickson. “But if you go into it not expecting a hot dog, you should be fine.”

Having meat substitutes can definitely help curb cravings for those who have eaten meat their whole life.

“There are very authentic faux meat subs,” said D’Atari. “Unless it’s a hunk of prime rib.”

Many vegans run into trouble trying to determine what to eat. There are core foods vegans need to consume in order to get the proper nutrients.

“As long as you eat a balanced diet with greens, rice, and fruit, it can work,” Hendrickson said. “Vitamin D, which you can get in fortified soy milk or from the sun, is also important. As long as you stay away from processed foods, you shouldn’t have a problem getting everything you need.”

Richman doesn’t give the UW campus high marks for vegan options.

“It’s hard being vegan at the school because the school isn’t very vegan-friendly,” said Richman. “Outside of the school is very vegan-friendly.”

Vegan-friendly restaurants in the U-District include Araya’s, a Thai restaurant that has no meat on the menu. If you order a Thai ice tea, the waitress will ask you if you want it vegan or regular. The vegan option utilizes coconut milk instead of cow’s milk.

Located one block west from the Neptune Theater on 45th Street, Araya’s has a popular and inexpensive lunch buffet.

Another option is Flowers on Northeast 42nd Street and the Ave. It also has an inexpensive vegetarian/vegan lunch buffet.

Further north, on Northeast 55th Street and the Ave, is Pizza Pi, a completely vegan pizzeria. It obviously has veggie pizzas, but it also has fun with faux meats. For example, it offers a pizza called “The Ex-Meat Lovers,” which has vegan sausage, pepperoni and Canadian bacon. Or there’s the “Phoni-Pepperoni” which has vegan pepperoni, olives, bell peppers and mushrooms.

Another option for vegan pizza is Hillside Quickie, located on Brooklyn Avenue and Northeast 41st Street, which offers pizza and a lot more. Its breakfast menu offers classics such as pancakes, biscuits, vegan french toast and a tofu scramble. Throughout the day, burgers, sandwiches, soups and subs are available.

For cooking at home, there’s an all-vegan grocery store on Northeast 55th Street and the Ave called Sidecar Pigs for Peace. It’s a hole-in-the-wall place with more than 1,200 different selections, including the popular soy cheese called “Sheese,” vegan desserts, beer, wine and frozen dinners.

Aside from vegan specialty places, going out with non-vegan friends usually isn’t a problem.

“Mongolian grill places, Mexican, places like that are usually good,” said Hendrickson. “For Italian, call ahead and make sure there are no eggs in the pasta.”

Many regular grocery stores have good options too, she said.

“Fred Meyer has a really good selection,” she said. “The newer Safeways have a lot of options.”

Don’t forget vegan clothing

Aside from dietary considerations, there is the apparel side of being vegan.

“It’s hard because I see a lot of clothing I would like to buy, so I have to find alternatives,” said Hendrickson. “Usually you can find cheap knock-off versions.”

Bags and shoes can be a challenge, but are also available in vegan form.

“Matt and Nat bags are really fashionable and completely vegan,” said Richman. “Alternativeoutfitters.com has tons of girl’s shoes that are non-leather.”

Macbethfootwear.com has vegan shoes for men. Also, professional skater Geoff Rowley has his own line of vegan Vans shoes.

“American Apparel is just cotton,” said Richman. “Paul Frank makes vegan watches, hand bags, belts and other random stuff.”

D’Atari and his wife, Suzanne, who is also vegan, were married last summer.

“She didn’t have much trouble finding a wedding dress made from synthetic material,” he said. “I went to Brooks Brothers and found a cotton suit.”

Vegan music is also not out of the question.

On Earth Crisis’ album “Gomorrah’s Season Ends,” the song “Morality Dictates” is about as pro-vegan as it gets.

A snippet of the lyrics reads, “The carnage of the slaughterhouse is all completely unnecessary for sustenance of technologically advanced mankind. Constantly brainwashed from the beginning to believe the opposite of this truth. The brutality is inacceptable. I strive to end the exploitation. Morality dictates … I live vegan.”

Dennis Kucinich, a Democratic congressman from Ohio and former presidential candidate, is a practicing vegan. He says a vegan diet isn’t for everyone, but it works for him and gives him the energy to keep a fast-paced schedule.

And for the record, fictional Kwik-E-Mart operator Apu Nahasapeemapetilon from The Simpsons is a vegan.

It’s nice to see celebrities in the media who are vegan, but to get started, D’Atari recommends getting support close to home when making the conversion.

“For a lot of people, it really really helps to get tied in with others,” said D’Atari, “so it doesn’t feel like they’re oddballs doing something alone.”

He recommends message boards and blogs, as well as community groups.

Most vegans are happy when a non-vegan consumes anything that’s not made from animals.

“If people eat one meal that’s vegan, that’s a step,” said Richman. “That’s kind of introducing people to a different world. I think everything in moderation is fine for me.”