heck yes the cyclones rock!

I was just wondering if their are any veggies around marion country...pella (where I live), knoxville, osky?

I'm near Cedar Rapids and the only problem I've had is going out to eat. It seems like, at most places my family gets together, the only thing I can eat is salad.

TNS, I know you posted a long time ago, so I don't know if you've come back to Iowa yet, but maybe you could stop in another town to shop? I wish I knew where Newton was so I could be more helpful, lol. But if you see a HyVee store, stop there! They have loads of options.

I go to school in Iowa City. I hope TNS doesn't admire me too much...

Yeah well, anywhere is better than the little meat-filled town of Newton, I gotta say...

Nope - haven't been back this summer - taking my vacation in October this year. Probably not to Iowa - though I do need to get back there pretty soon, according to all my pork-eating family (that'll be even more interesting, being that I have since gone vegan!!)

... Anyone who cn manage vegetarianism in your lovely state has my admiration!!

Finally someone from IC! I moved away from there just about a year ago. I still love that town though, I wish I could go back more often. I assume you visit New Pioneer Co-Op on a regular basis? Oh, and if you haven't been there yet, Z'Marik Noodle Cafe has some of the BEST food!

oh my goodness the co-op recently added a bunch of new sandwiches to it's menu! there were 3 vegan sandwiches, 4 if you counted peanut butter and jelly (cause who would pay co-op prices for pbj?). but now there are like 10!!! vegan sandwiches. my boyfriend and i tried two yesterday and they were sooo good. i don't shop there so much these days. i'm trying to save money by eating cheap food. we got the sandwiches when my bf's mom came to see him yesterday! but i've gone there a lot over the past couple years. co-op vegan peanut butter bars? the best.

my favorite is masala! did you ever go there? masala is one of my favorite places in the whole world. i am passionate about indian food. in my heaven they serve masala buffet! i like to go to z'mariks with my dad though when he comes to town and the red avacado is closed between lunch and dinner. or if we're with someone who doesn't want to go to "the vegan restaurant." yum udon noodles! have you been to the semi-new falafel place? i haven't yet, but i'm curious. i think it's only a year old, but i'm not sure.

how far away did you move?

Chicago burbs a little over a year ago :( It's just not the same, I love that whole community there, it's SO....diverse. Don't even get me started about the football. Are you planning on going to any of the games?

i'm from the western suburbs. my dad's still there and i still live there during school breaks, although increasingly less than i used to. i can't find an indian place that i like as much as masala since the place i used to go to in schaumburg closed down. but i do like noodles and co. better than z'mariks, and i like chipotle better than pancheros.

i'm not planning on going to any of the games. i'll probably work every football saturday anyway. :/

did you get udon noodles at z'mariks? cause one day they were out, and i asked the girl working there what else was vegan, and she said the only other thing was the veggie bow tie. i tried it, and it tasted like air plane food to me.

what's funny, the way i'm eating right now, which is on a tight budget, could be managed anywhere in iowa with a grocery store. i feel kind of offended when people say that being vegan in iowa must be terrible, it belittles the state. my bf was vegan is rural northeast iowa. he had to drive 45 minutes to decorah for a co-op though.

I'm from Iowa too! I live in Ankeny right now, but I'll be moving to Des Moines at the end of the month!

There's a Z'Marik's in Des Moines! Its sooo *yummy*!

Anybody else from the Des Moines area???

I'm from Iowa. Oh, and I used to post as bennotbombs, quite obnoxiously.

I'm living in Ames right now, moved here at the beginning of the year from Iowa City. (Transfered Schools). I go home every so often to visit my parents in north east Iowa. Hooray for Iowans.

My parents grew up in Iowa and I'm forced to go visit my realatives every year. I hate it. My grandparents live in this tiny farm town. They have no veg foods, to give you an idea they dont sell green peppers at the store unless there in season.
TNS-I got to Newton every year to visit my aunt and uncle. Your right its veg*n hell!
On the other hand Iowa city is cool and Ceder Rapids is ok too.

I'm living in Ames right now, moved here at the beginning of the year from Iowa City. (Transfered Schools). I go home every so often to visit my parents in north east Iowa. Hooray for Iowans.

my boyfriend is from northeast iowa.

Shineonyou--What town? I'm from Waverly (its about 20 miles north of Waterloo/Cedar Falls).

I never found it too hard to be a vegetarian in Iowa because probably 6 months after I made the decision to become vegetarian Hyvee started carrying an awesome amount of vegetarian and vegan foods. So even in my little town I was able to eat relatively healthy. It was always interesting when we had Pork Producers Day at our high school and the local farmers would come eat lunch with us and me and the majority of my friends were the few people not eating pork. Awkward situations galore.

my boyfriend is from maynard, iowa i think it's spelled. it's near oelwein. does that make sense? i ask because i met someone from waverly a few weeks ago and he didn't know where that was.

they don't have a hy-vee in oelwein, and my boyfriend was a super strict vegan, so he'd drive to decorah to get things like organic sugar. he also found it hard to find bread without processed sugar or honey. but for the most part he cooked a lot and ate really well.

Oh yeah I know where Oelwein is! We used to play Oelwein in football(I was a cheerleader for one season that's the only reason I know!). Can't say I've been to Maynard but it sounds familiar!

Hey, I'm from Minden Iowa.

My parents are both vegan and from Iowa, I wonder if that counts....

When I return to Iowa in the future, I could be visiting a friend in Des Moines. What to Des Moines and Ames have for veg-friendly restaurants? Oh, and if anyone is willing to send me some good old fashioned Iowa crank, it would be appreciated. My new place needs one hellluva cleaning.

link for restaurants-ames
http://www.vegetarian-restaurants.net/States-Vegetarian-Restaurants/Ames-egetarian-Restaurants.htm

des moines
http://www.vegetarian-restaurants.net/States-Vegetarian-Restaurants/Des-Moines-Vegetarian-Restaurants.htm

not too sure about restaurants, but wheatsfield grocery is awesome

i live in marion, a rural area outside of cedar rapids. it's a very lonely and depressing place, as the only people who give a **** about animal welfare live an hour away, in iowa city. i hope to move there within the next few years.

If you are close enough to Omaha, McFosters is an excellent restaurant. They specialize in organic, vegetarian and vegan dinners. Over 50 specific meals on the menu! Great stuff!

Go Dodgers!!! (to hell)

If you are close enough to Omaha, McFosters is an excellent restaurant. They specialize in organic, vegetarian and vegan dinners. Over 50 specific meals on the menu! Great stuff!

Dundee Dell (the bar) and Panera also have great vegatarian subs-- I am sure you could ask to veganize them.

I live in CB and work Downtown Omaha

Really. The Panera Bread at the Mall of the Bluffs doesn't have much when it comes to vegetarian foods. Only a couple sandwiches and like one soup. I've never heard of Dundee Dell.