Is it hard to be a vegetarian in Alaska (Wasilla: to buy, live)

[Xa'at]

Actually I'm going down south for a while pretty soon... I've heard it's ridiculously hot down there right now...

[Trumpers]

It depends on where in Alaska you are moving. If you are moving to southeastern AK, There is a lot less snow and cold. I live in AZ now, but used to live in Juneau. I remember the first summer I went there I wore my AZ winter jacket for a COUPLE WEEKS. aFTER ABOUT 3 WEEKS MY BODY "CLIMATIZED" and I was fine. I remember walking around in just a denim jacket in the winter before. I also remember picking fresh blueberries that were growing wild around town. You could make a little greenhouse to grow veggies of your own, too. I remember things like milk were more expensive because they were flown in, but not much else.
You will fall in love with the beauty of Alaska. If you love nature, hiking, fishing, Watersports, etc you will love it.
Enjoy your adventure!

[Raven and Bear]

Originally Posted by rotorhead

IMHO, pretty much every true vegan I've personally met was a cranky, miserable, washed-out, pale imitation of a human being with a perennially sour look of "better-than-thou" surgically installed on their frowning mugs. I'm sure that as with every "rule" there's bound to be exceptions, but... I've yet to meet one myself.

It would take a truely masochistic individual to try to lead a vegan lifestyle above the 60th parallel.

Well, I guess the above IS an answer to the original poster's question about being a vegetarian in AK. Not very friendly or open-minded, but it does say a lot. I think she was asking about produce, but she has also received some local mindset toward those who don't eat exactly what we do.

I myself have opted to do the "when in Rome" thing and am eating as much meat and meat products as possible, from such Alaskan delicacies as reindeer sausage, to whale-blubber pudding. It's the Atkins-diet, Alaskan style. I have moosemeat scrambed into my morning eggs, bear stew for lunch, and my own version of blood pudding as a side dish with my salmon and moose burgers for dinner. I do cheat on the Atkin's regimen, though. I also eat as many donuts and prepackaged foods as possible as they're cheaper and more tasty than vegetables. I live for meat, especially if it is fresh. If I personally get do to the hunting, skinning, cleaning and smoking myself, I'm in my glory. Sometimes, though, when we're out at the cabin, we do have to resort to canned beans or canned corn, but I try not to let those non-meat food stuffs make me too cranky. As soon as I get within range of meat and junk food again, I make up for lost time. Golden Corral, here I come. My doctor has suggested that this diet will probably give me acute coronary issues but it is a proven fact (I'm pretty sure it is anyway and I reserve the right to not have my facts straight) that any added weight from over-indulging in meat products just insulates me from winter weather, so it's a win/win for me.

[Rance]

I don't see any reason why a person can't live here and eat only veggies. They grow here. We fly them in. And there is fowl and fish wild and tame to eat if they are into that sort of thing.

[Trouthunter]

During May-October you shoudn't have any problems getting great to good produce from grocery stores, if you are a wise shopper. Yes, some Alaskan grocery stores over buy produce and have to sit on the product until it sells, but there is still fresh produce in Alaska. I know this because I used to work at a grocery distribution warehouse in Anchorage and all the produce we recieved, averaged 36 hours from Seattle. The exotic fruits and veges will be older, but anything grown in the Pacific Northwest will be as fresh as anything you can get in Arizona.

Now, I have to say that my wife complains about the cost (as do I) and freshness of the produce, but she grew up in Wenatche WA. That would be like living in Arizona and expecting to get a Copper River Red Salmon that tastes fresh and is cheap. It just won't happen unless you fly it in over night$$$. Buying produce in the winter months can be sketchy though, and the cost is usually very high.

That being said, I buy locally grown vege's as often as posible and have a garden in the back yard. I have several friends who have large gardens and can the food that won't last in a cellar/pantry. If you do move up here you really should get into canning vege's/berries/fish (if fish is in your diet), or buy several freezers to store for winter. The Valley has several farms that you can go and pick all that you want (veges/berries), or until the product lasts. It can be spendy still, but it is extremely fresh. The point is, you can still be a vegetarian in AK, but it might be more challenging. Most Alaskan's like a challange though.

Good Luck.

[superstition]

It is not "hard", exactly, to be a vegetarian in Alaska. There is produce, and most restaurants will have at least one thing without meat. Whether it's enjoyable is another story. I've been veg for over two years, and invariably, the first thing someone asks when they find out is, "...so...do you eat fish?" It's just not a common or well-understood concept up here.

The produce is, as others have said, ridiculously expensive and of low quality. It is so, so frustrating trying to plan meals--I can get a list together of things I want to make for the week, things using seasonal produce, but once arriving at the store will find out that they're out of what I need, or that what they have is already half-rotten on the shelf. And I don't mean exotic items; this would include things like tomatoes, peppers, spinach. I picked through a display of garlic for ten minutes once this last spring, and never found a decent head. Garlic. Someone mentioned Natural Pantry; I wouldn't depend on it. Their produce isn't great either, and the service is wretched.

The restaurant situation is similar--vegetarian, to most, seems to equal cheese-based. There is one excellent café downtown, Snow City, but they are only open until 4 pm. I've been to Organic Oasis a handful of times and it always made me sick. There isn't much else to choose from.

We're planning to move to Eugene, OR as soon as possible, and a huge part of that is for the food.

[Metlakatla]

You are correct, superstition, but I suspect you are talking about Anchorage.

In other parts of the state the challenges are far greater.

I'll be in the Eugene area myself soon and am very much looking forward to the food too

[rotorhead]

Howdy folks,

Been away from the computer for a day or two and look at the little tempest I've stirred up in this teapot! Guess I touched on a nerve or two with that snide little comment on vegans, but hey, I guess that's to be expected.

If you're at all interested, my comment was based on a series of personal experiences in restaurants involving militant vegans. Perhaps the local variant is especially virulent or perhaps just more vocal and confrontational than the run-of-the-mill, but it's been my observation that this particular brand of dietary extremists make lousy dining companions and wretched customers.

Perhaps it was more of a "liberal-east-coast-mentality / restaurant snob" issue, but even given todays prevalence of bad manners and selfish attitudes I have seldom seen such inexcusible behavior in supposed adults in public. Whatever your dietary preferences, there are right times and and there are wrong times to get up on your soapbox and preach about them.

[happynoodleboycey]

Originally Posted by Sib mom

Hi My son lives in Willow. Mom and Dad are thinking about moving up this year to Talkeetna. Our son says there is a store called the Natural Pantry in Anchorage. Have not been there, but you can find it on the net. Still trying to find out more ourselves, as we are also both vegeterians.

Found the Natural Pantry website for you.

Natural Pantry - Home Page

Good luck with the move.

[Raven and Bear]

This website might be helpful as well:

VEGETARIAN AND HEALTH FOOD RESTAURANTS: ALASKA