Wilton Vegans: What's Your Favorite Vegan-Friendly Eatery?

WILTON, CT — Bill Clinton, Mike Tyson, Natalie Portman and Carrie Underwood are all doing it. What do you think of the growing trend of veganism?

With healthy eating becoming a more common way of life, vegans now have more options to choose from when shopping and dining.

What's the difference between vegan and vegetarian? A vegetarian does not eat animals, but a vegan takes it one step further and does not eat any animal products such as dairy, eggs, or butter, according to GlobalHealing.com.

The health benefits of a vegan lifestyle include a decreased risk of developing cancer, hypertension and heart disease, according to Medical News Today.

A growing number of people are converting to the vegan diet and it is becoming more mainstream. According to U.S. Health News, veganism grew in popularity when former President Bill Clinton announced in 2011 that he had converted to a vegan diet. That same year, Martha Stewart dedicated an hour of her TV show to the vegan lifestyle.

In an article by Debby Sunshine, self-proclaimed "Vegan American Princess," she said, "not so long ago, the word “vegan” was considered by many to be a dirty word. Clearly, this is no longer the case as it appears that veganism is growing in popularity, and finally getting the recognition that it deserves."

She continued, "Not only are there many well-known and firmly established upscale vegan restaurants, which have proved the worth of the almighty vegetable, but vegan fine dining seems to be on the rise just about everywhere."

Sunshine said that "haute-vegetarian menus" are becoming a new revolution.

Here are some vegan friendly restaurants in your area:

• Sprouts, Elizabeth Street, Bethel
• Schoolhouse at Cannondale, 34 Cannon Rd., Wilton
• Bistro 7, 991 Danbury Rd, Wilton
• The Lime Restaurant, 168 Main Avenue, Norwalk
• Sesame Seed, 68 West Wooster Street, Danbury
• Blood Root, 85 Ferris Street, Bridgeport
• Kolam Fine indian Cuisine, 316 South Main Street, Newtown

Where is your favorite vegan or vegetarian place to eat locally? Tell us in the comments!

Editor's note: This article was previously published but here it is again in case you missed it.

Photo: Sprouts, Bethel. Photo credit: Wendy Ann Mitchell