Many restaurants have recognized that they may lose business if they do not provide vegetarian options to their customers. For example, if a group of eight friends plans to go to dinner and one of the friends is vegetarian, the group may forego a restaurant if it does not offer vegetarian options.

This would mean the loss of eight potential customers. Carrying vegetarian options, on the other hand, could win the continued business of these and many other people. Many restaurants have recognized this.

We all know fast food is not the healthiest, but sometimes there's nowhere else to go late at night when you just want a quick bite. There are several fast food chains that offer vegetarian options.

Burger King sells the BK Veggie, which is available at almost every one of their restaurants. If ordered without mayonnaise, the BK Veggie is vegan.

McDonalds has a McVeggie, which is not widely available. Consumers, however, should go to McDonalds and ask for the McVeggie to be placed on the menu. The McVeggie is vegan.

At Denny's vegetarians may substitute any burger with a Boca Burger patty. This provides a lot of options, since Denny's has a fairly wide selection of burgers. The burgers can be eaten with a side of fries, or a side of onion rings.

As far as subs go, Subway has a couple vegetarian options. The Veggie sub can be made with whole wheat bread (NOTE: Subway's whole wheat bread contains honey, which some vegans choose not to eat), fresh vegetables and olive oil and vinegar. Subway also has a veggie patty (like a meat patty without the meat). The veggie patty is not vegan, though it is vegetarian.

Quiznos Subs also has a vegetarian sub. Customers have the options of veggies, mushrooms, cheese, oregano, lettuce and guacamole. The sub is toasted just like all Quiznos subs are. This sub is vegan or vegetarian with cheese.

Other popular restaurant chains carry vegetarian options.

Cheesecake factory, for example, has: angel hair pasta with garlic and marinara sauce, an eggplant sandwich and a portabello burger. Other options on the menu may be adapted to be vegetarian. Just talk to the server.

PF Changs Chinese bistro also has several vegetarian options. They serve seasoned tofu lettuce wraps for appetizers, spring rolls (may contain eggs), coconut curry vegetable, as well as other vegetarian plates.

Other than these chains, there are many other options for vegetarians at restaurants. Some of the most vegetarian friendly restaurant types include: Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mexican and Italian.

Vegetarian activists recognize the value in ordering vegetarian options from restaurants. By ordering these options, consumers are essentially showing the restaurants that there is a demand for vegetarian food. If the vegetarian options at a restaurant go unpurchased, restaurants may phase them out and that can be one step backwards for the vegetarian movement.