Hebrew for Vegan and Vegetarian Food in Israel

If you eat vegan or vegetarian in Israel, these are the Hebrew words and phrases you will use most often in restaurants, cafés, and bakeries. The goal is simple: make your food needs clear and avoid ingredients you do not want.

The most useful words

• טבעוני = vegan
• צמחוני = vegetarian
• בשר = meat
• עוף = chicken
• דג = fish
• חלב = milk / dairy
• ביצים = eggs
• גבינה = cheese
• חמאה = butter
• שמנת = cream
• יוגורט = yogurt
• מיונז = mayonnaise

If you want to say that you do not eat something, the easiest pattern is:

• אני לא אוכל/ת ... = I don’t eat ...

Examples:

• אני לא אוכל בשר. = I don’t eat meat.
• אני לא אוכלת גבינה. = I don’t eat cheese.

Use אוכל if you are speaking as a man, and אוכלת if you are speaking as a woman.

What to say in a restaurant

These are the most useful things to say:

• אני טבעוני/ת. = I’m vegan.
• אני צמחוני/ת. = I’m vegetarian.
• יש לכם משהו טבעוני? = Do you have something vegan?
• יש משהו בלי בשר? = Is there something without meat?
• אפשר בלי גבינה? = Can I have it without cheese?
• אפשר בלי ביצים? = Can I have it without eggs?
• אפשר בלי חלב? = Can I have it without dairy / milk?

In Hebrew, בלי = without. It is very useful when you want to remove one ingredient.

Questions that help avoid mistakes

If you are not sure what is in a dish, ask directly:

• זה טבעוני? = Is this vegan?
• זה צמחוני? = Is this vegetarian?
• יש בזה חלב? = Does it have dairy in it?
• יש בזה ביצים? = Does it have eggs in it?
• יש בזה גבינה? = Does it have cheese in it?
• יש בזה בשר? = Does it have meat in it?
• מה יש בזה? = What’s in it?
• אפשר לדעת מה המרכיבים? = Can I know the ingredients?

If you want to be extra careful, ask about the base of a dish too. For example, soup, sauces, or cooked dishes may contain butter, cream, or broth.

Menu words to watch for

These words often signal ingredients or dish types:

• מרק = soup
• סלט = salad
• תבשיל = stew / cooked dish
• רוטב = sauce
• מרק עוף = chicken soup / chicken broth

If you see a dish that looks vegetarian, it is still worth checking whether it contains גבינה, חמאה, שמנת, or ביצים.

Common situations

At a café, you might say:

• אני רוצה סנדוויץ’ בלי גבינה. = I want a sandwich without cheese.
• אפשר סלט טבעוני? = Can I have a vegan salad?

At a restaurant, you might say:

• יש מנה עיקרית טבעונית? = Is there a vegan main dish?
• אפשר להחליף את התוספת? = Can I change the side dish?

At a bakery or snack place, you might ask:

• המאפה הזה עם גבינה? = Is this pastry with cheese?
• יש משהו בלי חלב? = Is there anything without dairy?

A practical tip

In Israel, short direct questions usually work best. If you need to be clear, repeat the key word: טבעוני, צמחוני, בלי בשר, בלי גבינה, בלי ביצים.

If you also need help in other everyday places, check out Hebrew for Returning Items in Stores, Hebrew for Clothing Stores in Israel, and Hebrew for Pharmacies in Israel.

Quick practice

Try saying these out loud:

• אני טבעוני.
• אני צמחונית.
• יש לכם משהו בלי בשר?
• אפשר בלי גבינה?
• זה טבעוני?

You do not need perfect Hebrew to order food clearly. These phrases are enough to ask questions, avoid ingredients you do not want, and handle most restaurant situations in Israel.