Let’s get healthy!
Of course, who doesn’t want to get healthy? I guess we all want to be more beneficial as much as we can.
After the pandemic, most of us probably shifted our eating habits and lifestyle to keep ourselves safe from the virus and any other health issues.
The pandemic has awakened everyone’s thinking about the essence of personal hygiene, food and eating habits, and attracting a healthy lifestyle.
Although some of us have been taking these things and routine as it is supposed to be, days and situations now are getting a lot health-conscious, making some of us see these as a necessity- not a side hobby at all.
Of all the nationalities, Filipinos also try and do their best to have a healthy lifestyle. More so, the Philippines have significantly been affected by the COVID-19 surge that made Filipinos decide to live healthier.
It can be seen that most Filipinos now have drifted from their routine. Their food and eating habits, personal hygiene routine, and lifestyle shifted to healthier practices.
When we say about food and eating habits, let’s talk about vegetarians!
Vegetarians don’t eat meat including fish, seafood, or poultry excluding eggs and dairy, depending on your choice) for health or religious purposes. Still, there are other classifications or types of what a vegetarian eats, depending on what kind of vegetarian you are.
SEMI-VEGETARIAN or FLEXITARIAN
They are persons who eat eggs and dairy and may include a small amount of fish, meat, seafood, and poultry.
LACTO-VEGETARIAN
They are persons who eat dairy but exclude eggs, seafood, poultry, fish, and meat.
OVO-VEGETARIAN
They are persons who eat eggs but exclude dairy, seafood, poultry, fish, and meat.
VEGETARIAN (also known as lacto-ovo-vegetarian)
They are persons who eat eggs and dairy but exclude seafood, poultry, fish, and meat.
VEGAN
They are persons who exclude eggs, dairy, seafood, poultry, fish, and meat.
Maybe some of you are wondering if vegetarians only eat plant-based foods. Well, to answer that, there are numerous types of vegetarian diets which are stated above. That is, some people combine plant-based foods into the diet that they are practicing.
With this, what are the foods that vegetarians include in their “vegetarian food list”?
Legumes
Since most vegetarian diets avoid eating meat, poultry, fish, seafood, etc., which are mostly protein sources, they must be replaced with alternative food that is also rich in protein.
Then, legumes like beans, peas, lentils, and chickpeas can be a replacement for that.
Fruits
Of course, fruits will never be left out to plan and secure one vegetarian’s food list safely. You will never go wrong with eating fruits as it is healthy for everyone’s diet.
Fruits like bananas, oranges, apples, pears, melons, peaches, and berries apply to a vegetarian’s diet.
Vegetables
Besides fruits, vegetables are the ace to a vegetarian’s diet. Since most the vegetarian’s diet avoids meat-like foods and the like, the healthiest alternative to the nutrition provided by the said foods can be fulfilled by vegetables.
Vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, and leafy green vegetables can be considered for the diet.
Nuts
You can’t go nuts with nuts as an ounce of it contains 5 to 12 grams of protein. This is a good substitute for protein-rich animal products that are not advisable for one’s vegetarian diet.
You can consider eating cashews, walnuts, chestnuts, and almonds.
Seeds
Seeds also provide the proteins the body needs and the vegetarian’s preference for food. The most highly suggested seeds for the diet are the chia seeds, hemp seeds, and flax seeds.
As there are also Filipinos who are practicing a vegetarian diet, what are the Filipino vegetarian foods that you can still enjoy eating as Filipinos?
Ginataang Gulay or Vegetables in Coconut Milk
This dish is just a mixture of vegetables cooked with coconut milk or the so-called “ginataang gulay” by Filipinos. For a Filipino-like lunch, pair this with rice to have a full-course healthy meal.
You can prepare this by mixing chopped red onion, coconut milk, chopped garlic, small pumpkins, string beans, chili peppers, moringa leaves (optional), and a teaspoon of salt for a bit of taste.
Pinakbet
This is another vegetable dish for Filipino-vegetarian enthusiasts. Pinakbet is undoubtedly a known Ilocano vegetable dish in the country. This is a vegetable stew, and it now has different variations all over the Philippines.
You can prepare this by mixing string beans, okra, bitter gourd, eggplant, and tomatoes.
Vegan Adobo
Adobo is indeed a must in Filipino dishes, yet we can make it a part of vegetarian Filipino food dishes. Adobo is somewhat a combination of meat or chicken meat, seafood, vegetables, and more. On the other hand, to make it a vegan-like adobo, you can replace it with tofu, mushroom, or chicken-style seitan instead of using chicken meat.
You can prepare this by mixing tofu or mushroom (or chicken-style seitan if available), smashed garlic, sliced onion, and potatoes, bay leaf, coconut milk, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar for taste.
Cassava Cake
For a vegan-like dessert, cassava cake can be considered for your vegetarian diet. This is a Filipino-made dessert that won’t interfere with your preferred diet.
You can make this by mixing ripe bananas, shredded cassava, sugar, vanilla extract, and coconut milk.
Laing
Laing is also a most-loved Filipino dish. This is made up of dried taro leaves cooked slowly in aromatics, spices, and spices. This will give you a flavorful taste that you will definitely healthily love.
You can make this by mixing coconut oil, coconut milk, dried taro leaves, peeled and chopped cloves, ginger, chili peppers and onion, black bean garlic sauce, and salt for taste.
So the next question would be where to buy vegetarian food in the Philippines?
You can check this out, and maybe you’ll decide to visit and try their dishes!
101 Hawker Food House
This is located at 101 Urban Avenue in Makati City. This serves hawker foods (as the name is) from stalls found in Singapore and other Asian countries. They also offer vegan recipes like vegemeat curry, pepper vegemeat, plat-based noodles and other vegetable dishes.
The Wholesome Table
You can try checking their branches in BGC, Greenbelt, and Salcedo. They offer the ultimate veggie burger, truffle mushroom pasta, gluten-free mocha doughnuts, carrot-pumpkin soup, and more.
iVegan
This s located in Legaspi Village. They offer Filipino, American, Italian, Japanese, and Vietnamese foods that cater to a healthier food lifestyle. Try their summer spring roll, stir-fried mushroom rice bowl, and bibimbap.
The Sexy Chef
You can find this in San Juan, Metro Manila. They offer many vegan choices like their Mc Steamy barbecue cheeseburger, K-Pop Dog, K-Pop Burger, and Tex-Mex Dog. To highlight, the buns that they are using are also vegan!
Shaka Café
If you are still looking for a place to buy vegetarian food in the Philippines, Shaka Café, located in Burgos Circle, Forbes Town Center, is a good place for you. This is famous for its gluten-free, plant and vegan-based dishes that come from organic vegetables and fruits.
It would help if you tried their vegetable lasagna, bakunawa smoothie bowl, and wak wak burger.
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