Orlando was recently ranked the third best city in the U.S. (behind New York and Portland) for vegan and vegetarians by WalletHub. As an omnivore, I never gave much thought about going vegan until recently chowing down on a juicy jackfruit sandwich at Dixie Dharma at Market on South in Orlando’s Milk District. Recent studies have shown a plant-based diet helps fight risks for diabetes, heart disease, and even colon cancer, while another study found that vegan Seventh-Day Adventists lived, on average, 10 years longer than the typical American. Some recent calculations have shown that if Americans just replaced beef with beans, we would meet our 2020 greenhouse gas emission goals as a result of the reduction of carbon and methane gases. There are plenty of great local vegan restaurants and vegan dishes to try locally, even if you can’t go entirely meatless. Some people even try going meatless once a week with Meatless Mondays.

Whether it is to better your health or the environment, here is our list of the top six vegetarian/vegan dishes to try in Lake Nona:

1. Vegan Roasted Vegetables Grilled Cheese at Toasted – Most people don’t know this, but Toasted has quite the extensive “secret” vegan menu. Just ask for it. Confit portobello mushroom, tomato chutney, garlic spinach, roasted red pepper on wheat bread. They’ve also got vegan burgers, like a vegan banh mi burger with Vietnamese pickled carrot and daikon radish with an impossible “bleeding” burger patty made from plant proteins. (Toasted, 10783 Narcoossee Rd., Orlando, FL 32832; www.igettoasted.com)
2. Appetizers with Lavas Bread at Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine – From hummus to freshly mashed babaganoush, sautéed eggplant, chopped tomato and veggie combo, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, and more – it’s a feast fit for a vegetarian sultan. Order this with a side of the Lavas “balloon” bread, and your taste buds will thank you. (Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine, 6900 Tavistock Lakes Blvd., Orlando, FL 32827; bosphorousrestaurant.com)
3. Grilled Veggie Taco at Rubio’s Coastal Grill – A refreshing taco of grilled veggies served on a warm, stone-ground corn tortilla with toasted cheese and topped with buttery Hass avocado slices, roasted chipotle salsa, creamy chipotle sauce and cilantro/onion mix. (Rubio’s Coastal Grill, 9971 Tagore Place, Ste. 9, Orlando, FL 32832; rubios.com)
4. Grilled Mexican Street Corn at Canvas Restaurant and Market – This whole corn on the cob might not be a great first date dish to try unless you are both very comfortable with the potential of corn stuck in your teeth, but it is a great dish nonetheless. Served with a tomatillo aioli and topped with cotija cheese and lime. (Canvas Restaurant and Market, 13615 Sachs Ave., Orlando, FL 32827; canvaslakenona.com)
5. Thai Pineapple Fried Rice with Tofu at Durian Durian Fusion Thai Cuisine – Served in a pineapple, the sweet fruit gives the fried rice a nice contrast to the savory flavors from the tofu. (Durian Durian Fusion Thai Cuisine, 10743 Narcoossee Rd., A20, Orlando, FL 32832; duriandurian.com)
6. Chopped Heirloom Salad at Chroma Modern Bar + Kitchen – A lovely spring medley of blue cheese, chopped romaine lettuce, juicy red and yellow beets, beefsteak tomato, cucumber, and rainbow carrots topped with brioche croutons and drizzled with a honey-almond vinaigrette. (Chroma Modern Bar + Kitchen, 6967 Lake Nona Blvd., Orlando, FL 32827; chromalakenona.com)

Ricky Ly is the author of the Food Lover’s Guide to Orlando and founder of the local Orlando food blog, TastyChomps.com. He has lived in the Lake Nona area for over 10 years with his wife, May, and baby daughter. He also serves on the board of directors for Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Have tips on new favorite eats? E-mail him at tastychomps@gmail.com or join the conversation online at the Orlando Foodie Forum on Facebook.