Im a new-ish vegetarian, and i need help!!

Question

i 've been a vegetarian for about eight months and im still experimenting with new foods. suddenly my family tells me tht we r moving to mexico.

do you guys think tht it would be the same being a vegetarian here in the u.s and there (with the food, i mean)???

Answer 1

You may have a hard time with restaurants, depending on where you are.  Many still use lard in their refried beans and chicken stock in their rice.  But if you're cooking, you'll have access to lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and rice you can cook yourself the way you want, and even products like tofu and soymilk are available there.  Basic Mexican cooking lends itself to vegetarianism really well.

Check an online source like the Happy Cow website to see if there are any vegetarian or vegetarian-friendly restaurants in the area you're moving to.  If you're going to be in a city, there's a good chance (I found a couple of options in Mazatlan, for example.)

If you're missing out on some vegetarian specialty foods, you can always resort to mail order.  For example, you could order vital wheat gluten flour (if you can't find it anywhere) and make your own seitan so you have a meat substitute to cook with.

Answer 2

it might be weird. one of my bf's turned veggie for awhile, he is fully hispanic, whole family is. yea, they thought he was a weirdo. but beans and rice are excellent. esp. with guacamole, avocados, salsa. its complete.  

Answer 3

I honestly think you will have a harder time than you would in the US. Mexico uses plenty of fruits and vegtables in cooking, but Mexicans in general are a pretty conservative culture and eating a heavy meat diet is a given.

If you're not going to be living near a larger city, a tourist city, or in/near DF then you might be eating at home alot, as vegetarianism is not catching on anywhere near as fast as it would in other places.

At least you're not vegan, then you'd be wholly screwed. Street food is heavy on meat, but there's also excellent roast corn and churros.

Answer 4

Yes, In Mexico, they serve a lot of vegetables and fruits. They're healthy people

Answer 5

Hmmm Mr. Nibbles' Personal Chef, not if they like in Mexico city. Jk.

Beware of outdoor markets.  

Answer 6

I have never been to mexico, but I know that mexican culture can allow you to eat very well, and vegetarian. It's weird but keep in mind that less than 100 years ago, most people in Mexico ate vegetarian. Families owned a few goats for milk, and maybe a pig or two. Those were the family animals and they were killed for meat on special occasions such as a wedding or if the family really needed food.

Meat wasn't as much of a luxury as it is now.

So the common diet was tortillas and avocado, beans, and whatever could be put on a "soft taco"

You'll probably be eating a lot of rice and beans (which is good for the protein) but make sure you get some lettuce, fresh tomato, avocado, and cheese!

Just a warning, re fried beans are often cooked or prepared in pork fat. Sometimes it's hard to be sure, but I try and stick to Black beans just in case, because they are usually prepared in a vegetarian manner.

Answer 7

I think so.  I've never been to Mexico, but I believe they have a lot of beans, rice, tortillas and veggies.  What more could you ask for?  Good luck!