Have you ever eaten at "Sweet Tomatoes - the World's Largest Salad Buffet"?  It's an all-you-can eat, self serve restaurant that features a salad bar, soup bar with at least one vegan option, baked white and sweet potatoes, usually one type of decent bread, and fresh fruit.  (Of course they offer other things such as meat and cheese-based pasta, cheesy breads, oily muffins, an ice cream bar and high-fat desserts - non of which would be compliant with the McDougall plan or the "Plan A" diet :))  In spite of the not-so-good options, there is plenty to choose from for the WFPBNO crowd.

The closest Sweet Tomatoes to our home in Illinois is well over an hour drive, so if we see one while we're traveling, we're there!  What's really cool is that I always seem to receive coupons  just about the time we'll be going there.  With the coupons, we can eat like kings for about $20.  That saves us about $8 - $10 over the usual price.

The salad bar is awesome - dark greens, spinach, chickpeas, kidney beans, peas, corn, beets, seeds, mushrooms and every vegetable you might like.  They have a few fat-free dressings or you can just choose a flavored vinegar (sometimes I bring my own dressing).  Of course they have several 'unhealthy' salads on the bar as well - Broccoli salad with mayo and bacon, Greek salads with feta cheese, etc.  They cater to a variety of taste buds and eating styles.

The soup bar has at least one vegan soup option - the only drawback is that you cannot be 100% sure if oil has been added.  Sometimes the ingredients are listed, and sometimes they aren't.  Once in a while they have a "miso" soup with optional toppings including chopped tofu squares, rice noodles, onions, and shredded carrots.  That is very yummy!

Prepare to leave the place STUFFED.  By the time I finish the salad, I'm already full but then there's the soup and potatoes!

For those times when you want to eat out and not totally dread what may be on the menu, this is a great option.  Especially if you're with a group of people who don't follow a healthy diet - they'll still be able to find many Standard American Diet (SAD) options and  you'll be able to eat well with no guilt.

Do you have any favorite restaurants that offer whole foods, plant-based, no oil options?