How-To Order Vegan Pizza

Pizza is my favorite food. In high school, I would eat some permutation of it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... days in a row. Depending on how you top it, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Naturally, when I switched from mostly vegetarian to vegan at age nineteen, I needed to rethink that staple in my diet.

With the huge increase in folks adopting vegan diets recently, I've had the opportunity to answer a lot of how-to questions. What might seem obvious to someone like myself who has been vegan for over two decades, isn't always so simple for a newbie. Whether it's embarrassment at being "different," a desire not to inconvenience restaurant staff, or simply not knowing what to ask, ordering out as a new vegan can be intimidating.

What do you need to know to order a vegan pizza?

• Crust - A basic hand-tossed crust is usually vegan. It's always good to ask once to double-check, but most individually-owned establishments use a pretty basic recipe. Surprisingly, some doughs contain peanut oil, so be aware if you have a nut allergy. At chain restaurants, go for the thin and crispy or hand-tossed crusts, and definitely avoid any stuffed crusts!

• Sauce - It's not meat that you'll need to avoid in most red sauce, but cheese. Parmesan or goat cheese is a common addition in sauces. Ask for marinara sauce. Often restaurants can whip up a quick custom vegan sauce using their base ingredients, and it'll likely be tastier than their standard sauce with additional fresh herbs and spices. Make sure to thank them and spread the word! Instead of seeing your request as a burden, they'll appreciate the free advertising.

• Toppings - Here's where it gets fun. All pizza places have a list of veggies to choose from, some more comprehensive than others. My kids' favorite trio is spinach, mushrooms, and black olives. I like an offensive combo of tomato, onion, and fresh garlic. If there is a suggestion box at your local pizzeria, ask them to add Daiya as an option, or faux pepperoni, etc.

That's really all there is to it! If you're ordering your pizza for delivery or to-go, open the box before paying to make sure they got your order correct and didn't accidentally add dairy cheese, etc.

Some places keep a vegan pizza or two prepared to purchase slices. Whole Foods stores that have pizza ovens do this, plus they will happily make a custom vegan pizza with any toppings from their salad bar if you're buying an entire pie. Be on the lookout for an Uncle Maddio's opening near you with tons of build-your-own vegan pizza options.