The Veg Buddy Programme (from The Vegetarian Society Of Singapore)

Want to be a vegetarian, or just to eat less meat, but not sure how to start?

Here’s from the youths in Singapore:�http://www.vegetarian-society.org/vegbuddy

And here’s a sharing from Dr George Jacobs, past-president of the Vegetarian Society of Singapore:

By George, Reader’s Query Answered

A participant from SG Vegetarian Meetup Group who is embarking on the journey of adopting a vegetarian diet, queried our past-president, Dr George Jacobs, on facing the initial challenges – here is his informative response.

QUERY: I need your advice on vegetarian food. I am not a vegetarian but am learning to be one. That’s also the reason I join the Meetup so that I can learn from experienced mentors like you. I have tried to eat vegetarian when I m outside. I realise that the vegetarian stalls at the food courts are not serving healthy food at all. I find the food to be very oily n salty. I feel better off eating fish ball kueh tiao soup or yong tao foo soup! Just a while ago, while I was waiting for my fried kueh tiao, I was chatting with the hawker assistant. I found out they are not vegetarian. The boss who owned the stall is not. Even the cook is also not vegetarian. He told me they just substitute the meat n seafood with the so called vegetarian stuff. What surprised me was there was egg in my kueh tiao! Can you advise me how to look out for healthy food while eating out?

Dr George Jacobs: Tough question. Here’s what I do.

1. Usually veg stalls will have at least one veg (as opposed to deep fried and mock meat). Almost every stall has cabbage. I only get that, even if that means 2-3 servings of cabbage.

2. There’s one veg stall on my way to work. I sometimes eat breakfast there and then pack for lunch.

3. Oatmeal is so quick and filling, and can go with sweet or savory ingredients. Organic baby oats are especially easy to prepare. You don’t even need to heat them. Just pour soy milk over them.

4. More and more veg stalls have brown rice, but if i know i’m going to be in a place without, I sometimes bring my own brown rice. I do this a lot for the Indian stall where I sometimes work. They only have white rice. Lots of good tupperware available these days.

5. Last night, I was in Chinatown and ate at Ci Yan, which has healthy veg food; so, I packed something for the following day. I carry the tupperware with me most times. More eco-friendly. Similarly, I bring a reusable spoon.

6. I like cooking. Very simple stuff. A lot of time, the key is nice ingredients with some good spices, sauces. For example, I like apple cider vinegar. Make lots on the weekend, such as sweet potatoes. Raw veggies are great. Mushrooms, small amounts of raw seeds and nuts.

7. If you are in the same place a lot, build a relationship with a stall, restaurant, veg or non-veg. Let them know what you want and they may be able to help. You might be surprised how much veg stuff there is at non-veg places.

8. Demand leads to supply. Try to get others to eat like you to create more demand. Invite them for a veg meal once a week, such as on Thursday.

9. Don’t worry if you slip up now and then. Actually, it’s virtually impossible to participate in the modern world without being responsible for the death of some animals.

10. Even ‘unhealthy veg food’ is probably healthier that non-veg.

11. Remember that veg food (even the unhealthy kind) is healthier for the environment and for our fellow animals.

12. If you don’t have much of a support network, try the internet. Lots of blogs, websites, newsfeeds, etc. that you can visit regularly or that arrive in your inbox reminding you of why you are doing this.

13. Become active in spreading the word about veg. that’s a great way to build a veg network and to remind yourself of how important veg is.

As ever, George’s forthcoming reply offers a wealth of ideas and strategies in managing an ‘unconventional diet’ here in Singapore. But it’s really not as hard as it might seem at first and many Singaporeans have a convenient and comfortable time leading a lifestyle that excludes meat, dairy, fish and eggs. There are many avenues to get support if you are transitioning from a mainstream diet to a more compassionate one, so please contact us at info@vss.sg should you need help and encouragement. Remember, it is not the destination (i.e. successful transition) that matters but the journey (i.e. continual effort to reduce meat consumption) that will make the difference.

Source: http://myanimalcare.org/2013/10/02/the-veg-buddy-programme-from-the-vegetarian-society-of-singapore/

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