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IT’S the new year, and what better time to attempt new challenges than right now. This January, an ongoing worldwide movement is taking place to encourage more people to start ditching a heavy-meat diet for a healthier, plant-based alternative.
Dubbed “Veganuary”, the annual vegan diet challenge was first started in the United Kingdom almost a decade ago by entrepreneur Matthew Glover and animal rights campaigner Jane Land.
Since then, its popularity has only grown and according to a survey, more than six million people around the world may have unofficially taken part last year. But how do you actually get started in adopting a vegan lifestyle without turning your life upside down?
As a self-professed expert, and after a lifetime of being a vegetarian, here’s some pointers to aid in your first steps towards this new journey.
Getting started
The question that most often plague friends and relative is whether they should slowly transition into a plant-based diet or go cold turkey, and ditch meat completely. To this, my response would often be “do what works best for you.”
I have known people who woke up one morning and immediately developed a distaste for meat, and I have known people who slowly dipped their toes into it to great effect. However, a step-by-step approach is a more pragmatic path.
Start with consciously taking account of what you consume daily in the form of a journal, whether using a notebook or a food tracker app.
The data you collect here will give a comprehensive insight into not only your dietary habits but your daily caloric intake, identify food sensitivities, and promote weight control and nutritional balance.
From that point, you would be able to assess how much meat you consume daily, and slowly ease it out of your diet. While all this might feel like too much work, a reminder that works well is that you are in it for the long haul, instead of setting yourself up for failure by keeping to an arbitrary timeline that ends up being counterintuitive.
Back to the basics
There’s no denying that veganism is an expensive lifestyle. But it doesn’t have to be. Instead of heavily processed foods, opt for more vegetables, grains, nuts, tofu, and fruits.
The good news is, Malaysian cuisine and culinary is not alien to a plant-based lifestyle. Many of our most popular dishes like nasi goreng, char kuey teow, thosai and roti canai can easily be made without any meat or animal derivatives in it.
Keeping to the ideology
A big part of being able to successfully make the transition to veganism is understanding why you are doing so.
Rarely discussed is the importance and value of the ideology that underpins a vegan or plant-based lifestyle: animals are sentient beings capable of complex emotions and experiences like joy and grief.
In a reality where the urgency of climate change can no longer be denied, consciously developing compassion for our biosphere and all its inhabitants is an important step towards making a paradigm shift within our society.
Taking better care of what’s on your plate will lead to a healthier mental and physical outlook on life. In the end, whether it is for religious reasons, the benefit of your health or as a form of activism, actively reminding ourselves of the purpose of doing it in the first place will help keep you on course.
Best plant-based restaurants in Kuala Lumpur
The popularity of vegetarianism has skyrocketed since two decades ago. Now the city is filled with dozens of vegetarian restaurants catering to every type of cuisine.
Sala
Sala is a vegan, Tex-Mex inspired restaurant in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The name is an acronym for "salvar a los animales" (save the animals) in Spanish.
Their menu offers a mix of cuisines from bagel sandwiches and fusion bowls to Malaysian classics like nasi lemak and curry to Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, and chili sin carne.
It has received rave reviews from food critics and has been featured extensively in news outlets.
One of the many customer reviews upon dining at the restaurant reads: “My first fully vegan restaurant in Malaysia, and an excellent one! I ordered a tacos combo first, then a Bagel Burger. Everything was super tasty, and the servings were just about the right size for me. Considering food quality and the demographic aimed at, it's pretty cheap too. I’ll go back!”
Amazon Vegan
Amazon Vegan diner is a quick-service restaurant concept, serving 100% vegan food and beverage products. Everything on the menu is produced in-house from the buns, patties, mayonnaise, cheese, and beverages.
On the menu and their specialty are their burgers. The Single Smash is served with melted cheese, vegan mayo, caramelised onion, bell pepper, sauteed mushroom, tomato slices and fresh lettuce.
For a larger portion, try the Quarter Pounder which retails at RM15.90 and is made with patties fashioned from pea proteins.
Hijau – 绿
A relatively new restaurant, Hijau, is located on the ground floor of the food court inside Rex KL. It is a halal vegan place that specialises in Malay cuisine. Their best-sellers are their nasi lemak hijau, nasi tomato, and nasi dendeng balado.
Kusa Japanese Vegan
Kusa Japanese Vegan is a small chain of vegan Japanese restaurants that serves sushi, hand rolls, tempura, fried rice and noodles, soup noodles, and porridge.
Similar to dining at other Japanese restaurants, customers can sit on a tatami mat or a regular dining chair. The restaurant has received an overwhelming positive response with over 400 Google reviews.
One reviewer, Emma Laine, wrote, “The food and service was top tier and for that quality I thought the prices would be higher, but they were very regular. Service was fast, even when the restaurant was packed, I was very impressed.
"The portion sizes were smaller, so nothing was left over. You definitely have to order more than one dish if you're really hungry.” – The Vibes, January 7, 2023
