Where the Heck are the Vegetables?

cruising spud

DIS Veteran
Joined
Oct 12, 2007
Messages
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Back Story: When our kids were living at home and we went to Disney, we stayed onsite and had a meal every day at a sit-down restaurant. As the kids moved out, we bought an rv and ate breakfast and dinner at the rv. Well, we sold the rv about a year ago.

Present Day: We are now at Disney, staying on-site. We bought Lightning Lanes and didn't want dinner reservations blocking potential LL, so we decided to do only one dinner reservation. We stopped at Publix for healthier breakfast and snack options.

By our third day here, I was actively seeking vegetables at the quick serve eateries. There is virtually nothing. Now, over at Star Wars Land, I did get spareribs that included a grand total of three brussel sprouts and a few fragments of cauliflower.

Even the table service reservation/Hoop Dee Doo Review had coleslaw (is this even considered a veggie?) and nothing else.

What the heck? Disney could take some rice, add corn and peas, or cauliflower and broccoli.

I think a fair amount of people would buy a veggie side dish. So, why doesn't Disney do provide a healthier, veggie side dish?
 
The kids meals sometimes have veggies, for example we ate at docking bay 7 yesterday and I had the kids chicken dish and it came with broccoli - which is my sons favorite veggie and so he quickly took it, as his mum I could hardly protest 😀
When we eat table service, my son is quite brave and always asks for anything “weird” (meaning not plain eg pickled veggies or salad) to be replaced by broccoli or broccolini or he asks for a side of broccoli. Because he is a child they only seem to refuse when they don’t have it. I guess a kid asking for veggies is quite rare. 😀
 
They probably do, but like everything at Disney - you have to pay for premium stuff and quick serves don't equate to premium value. I think you can find some level of what you seek depending on park. IE. HS = ABC Commissary, Epcot = Sunshine Seasons
 
The top-of-mind places for "something that approximates a vegetable":

Sunshine Seasons (several entrees have a decent sprinkling of veggies)
Columbia Harbour House (for the dearly departed Lighthouse sandwich, but the salmon & green beans is okay)
Satu'li Canteen

If you're there during a festival many of the kiosks have some interesting veggie thing---this is particularly true during Flower & Garden.
 

Nearly every table service has broccoli. HDDR starts with a big salad with tomato and cucumber and a side of green beans is available on request.
Some other QS not already mentioned that serve veggies, aside from straight up salad - Backlot Express (bowls w/veggies) and Yak & Yeti (most dishes have veggies) - you likely can purchase just a side of these veggies. You may have to look a little bit, but they aren't impossible to find.

Ah, someone beat me to Yak & Yeti.
 
Hoop Dee Doo Review-there was a salad, but it was loaded with cheese and salad dressing. No one offered green beans as an option, so I couldn't have known.

My point-if you don't get table service, it is not always easy to find options with vegetables.
 
And then when they do have them half the time they drown them in salt/pepper! Alas Disney probably cut them because so many people don’t eat their veggies…

Fwiw I end up using salad as a substitute. GF QS has a great customized salad option (but get the dressing on the side, wowza did they go nuts with that!).
 
You can still eat healthy with quick services. They have salads, yogurt, granola, bottled vegetable juice...
Not the best, but better than nothing.
 
The curse of the beige food. I think it's actually gotten a little more difficult over time.
 
We do almost all quick service places and yeah...so many things just come with fries as a side. We like fruit and vegetables with our meals so it's a rough week when we're there. Finding fruit (besides Cuties oranges) is difficult too!

I'm already starting to go through the menus on the app so I have some sort of game plan to get us fruits and veg throughout the trip.

At Disneyland, we can usually find a vegetable cup with ranch dip at the little produce stands. Anyone know if anywhere at WDW has those??
 
DAK: Pizzafari has a grains and greens dish, which is a salad with grains. It's an entree--plenty for a meal.

MK: CHH has green beans as a side dish.
 
I would skip fries - no fries or substitute if they allow/ask (depending on the location QS/TS

Ask for dressing or sauces on the side (some already come on the side)

Order baked or grilled fish/meat/veggies

Might be easier to eat healthier at TS location

Healthy breakfast in the room (or any other meal if you order groceries/might be at the resort)

Put in a grocery order with lot's of fruit/veggies to supplement your meals out

Good luck!
 
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Back Story: When our kids were living at home and we went to Disney, we stayed onsite and had a meal every day at a sit-down restaurant. As the kids moved out, we bought an rv and ate breakfast and dinner at the rv. Well, we sold the rv about a year ago.

Present Day: We are now at Disney, staying on-site. We bought Lightning Lanes and didn't want dinner reservations blocking potential LL, so we decided to do only one dinner reservation. We stopped at Publix for healthier breakfast and snack options.

By our third day here, I was actively seeking vegetables at the quick serve eateries. There is virtually nothing. Now, over at Star Wars Land, I did get spareribs that included a grand total of three brussel sprouts and a few fragments of cauliflower.

Even the table service reservation/Hoop Dee Doo Review had coleslaw (is this even considered a veggie?) and nothing else.

What the heck? Disney could take some rice, add corn and peas, or cauliflower and broccoli.

I think a fair amount of people would buy a veggie side dish. So, why doesn't Disney do provide a healthier, veggie side dish?
I think it is all about cost.

I imagine it is harder to keep vegetables/green fresh. Also, maybe they don't sell as much, and they don't see as financially "worth it" to keep vegetables on QS locations.
 
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We order the Kids breakfast most of the days while you can substitute the bag of grapes is pretty good. Kids meals at CS will also come with vegetables of some sort. All else I will order the vegetarian option and salads at CS. I do also enjoy the fries here and there but not every day. Not that long ago there were more options but since the menus are very limited these days there is not a lot of subs.... BUT potato is a vegetable so technically speaking so are fries and Potato barrels for breakfast.
As said TS have much better options, and many will sell vegi sides separate so you could if needed split a main course and order sides to share so the cost is not that high.
 
Let me complain about New Cake Bake Shop …
Party of 6
3 wanted Basic Quiche 2 are vegetarian
They are not serving this at dinner
So I had cup of tomato soup with chicken broth base
Daughter had broccoli
Granddaughter had children’s Mac cheese she’s 15

Somehow the bill was still $395 including tip No discounts allowed cause it was Xmas eve

I had to beg them to use my $100 gift certificate they gave me for bday in November …what am I gonna order $100 of Soup!?
Not going back there ever!
But our server Eman was excellent

If you go request to sit in Bar area Looks like fun !
 
Back Story: When our kids were living at home and we went to Disney, we stayed onsite and had a meal every day at a sit-down restaurant. As the kids moved out, we bought an rv and ate breakfast and dinner at the rv. Well, we sold the rv about a year ago.

Present Day: We are now at Disney, staying on-site. We bought Lightning Lanes and didn't want dinner reservations blocking potential LL, so we decided to do only one dinner reservation. We stopped at Publix for healthier breakfast and snack options.

By our third day here, I was actively seeking vegetables at the quick serve eateries. There is virtually nothing. Now, over at Star Wars Land, I did get spareribs that included a grand total of three brussel sprouts and a few fragments of cauliflower.

Even the table service reservation/Hoop Dee Doo Review had coleslaw (is this even considered a veggie?) and nothing else.

What the heck? Disney could take some rice, add corn and peas, or cauliflower and broccoli.

I think a fair amount of people would buy a veggie side dish. So, why doesn't Disney do provide a healthier, veggie side dish?
I so agree with you. I've found myself sometimes ordering the veggie meal, just because I miss eating vegetables at WDW. I could get on my soapbox about the American diet, and how people need to eat more vegetables (I just finished a 1 year program on avoiding diabetes), but I'll TRY not to. But ordering a veggie meal occasionally helps me.
 












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