Attempting to go Vegetarian in Thailand. Any suggestions?

[clivebaxter]

1 hour ago, Oxx said:

 

Your understanding of "vegetarian" is seriously wrong.  If something is made from an extract of the chopped up stomachs of baby cows, then it's not vegetarian.  That's what feta cheese (and most cheeses) is made from.

It is vegetarian, lacto vegetarians eat dairy and eggs, they are not food Nazi's like Vegans

[clivebaxter]

1 hour ago, Kaptain Asia said:

 

It's called May Veggie Home and it has recently closed in that location and re-opened in Sukhumvit Soi 101 near BTS Punnawithi. 

 

Really, it was open in feb, thanks for the update, it had been there 10 years I think, too far now.

[clivebaxter]

1 hour ago, Surelynot said:

WHAT???

Rennet 

[Oxx]

1 minute ago, clivebaxter said:

1 hour ago, Oxx said:

 

Your understanding of "vegetarian" is seriously wrong.  If something is made from an extract of the chopped up stomachs of baby cows, then it's not vegetarian.  That's what feta cheese (and most cheeses) is made from.

It is vegetarian, lacto vegetarians eat dairy and eggs, they are not food Nazi's like Vegans

 

If you really think "an extract of the chopped up stomachs of baby cows"  is ovo-lacto vegetarian then you are seriously mistaken.  Most traditional cheese is not vegetarian.

[unblocktheplanet]

I've been vegetarian since 1966. I have never been a vegan but have always eaten dairy & eggs. Honestly, that's not so hard.

 

I've also come to eat seafood. I try to make sure to eat, organic, wild, hormone-free as much as possible.

 

Try to avoid processed foods, salty, sugary snacks & drink. Just because it has no meat in it, doesn't make it healthy!

 

Healthy oils are key. The information on how to be meatless & healthy is all around the Internet.

 

You're going to love it. Welcome home!

[clivebaxter]

1 hour ago, swissie said:

Hate to rain on anyones (vegetarian) parade. But clearly, none of the posters here have ever lived in rural Thailand. Otherwise they would know that vegetables that reach the markets are laden with pesticides, herbicides, fungicides etc etc. (probably world record).

Guess what, "educated" Thai-Farmers have a patch of land put aside for their personal consumption, with no application of any "chemicals". The rest goes "to market".

Note: Without "chemicals" the yield of crops drops by 30%.

So, the consumption of Thai-Vegetables resembles a process that can be called "self-poisoning in slow motion". Enjoy your "veggi" meal. How about taking up smoking?

We all know that and the meat is stuffed with anti biotics. There are reliable organic vegetables easily available in eg in Tops and even Big C now. 

[clivebaxter]

2 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

I've been vegetarian since 1966. I have never been a vegan but have always eaten dairy & eggs. Honestly, that's not so hard.

 

I've also come to eat seafood. I try to make sure to eat, organic, wild, hormone-free as much as possible.

 

Try to avoid processed foods, salty, sugary snacks & drink. Just because it has no meat in it, doesn't make it healthy!

 

Healthy oils are key. The information on how to be meatless & healthy is all around the Internet.

 

You're going to love it. Welcome home!

Friend in UK went to a pre diabetic clinic at the medical centre They said the last oil you should cook with is olive oil which surprised me. Great on salads etc but when it gets hot it changes chemically somehow and ends up worse than lard! 

[clivebaxter]

7 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

If you really think "an extract of the chopped up stomachs of baby cows"  is ovo-lacto vegetarian then you are seriously mistaken.  Most traditional cheese is not vegetarian.

 

The critics will always try and have a go, eg why are you wearing leather shoes if you are a vegetarian, what about carrots you kill them etc. It never bothers me, nor does a bit of fish sauce or rennet, or eating labels. Not eating meat and fish or whatever is not a religion with strict morals.

[EricTh]

2 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

So you have never had to catch and kill your own.

 

So you're saying that if someone killed an innocent person horribly and sell the meat to you, you're going to eat it just because you didn't kill him?

Edited April 29, 2021 by EricTh

[Thai Visa Member 999999]

I've been veg for over forty years now (since 11) and living in BKK since 2014. In Charoen Nakhon Road there is a great veg Thai restaurant called Sutanthip. In Bang Rak, there is a vegan place near Robinson's and under Robinsons, in the food court is Raan But Gao, a food stall who will make your food veg. Most food vendors consider chicken broth (you can't see the chicken!!) to be veg so you do have to be careful and flexible. Also know that vegetarian is frequently confused with vegan. Best of luck and congrats! 

 

Google maps can show you vegetarian spots:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/vegetarian+restaurants+bangkok/@13.7452367,100.4865222,12z/data=!3m1!4b1

[CharlieH]

Newsflash !

 

The OP is over it already! and has succumbed to a sausage.

 

"the vegetarian thing has gone out the window already.I've just had a sausage butty."

 

 

[Thai Visa Member 999999]

5 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

Been vegetarian for 49 years. Here Mays veggie kitchen Suk soi 16 just down from Asoke BTS is good (vegan) and there is another good one at Chula hospital called Tonklar Facai, they have websites. Villa market has a few items as does Foodland mostly meat substitutes. I order from Youta foods on Rama 2 they have a range of food, tinned and frozen. There massam curry is nice as is the chicken on lemon grass sticks

There is a veggie stall in the food court at Terminal 21 and at Pra Ram 2 mall. The Pra Ram 2 food court makes good tofu.

[kingstonkid]

7 hours ago, tonray said:

Sure, I use half of a large carrot, half an apple, 1/3 banana, then either some Chinese celery or Chinese Broccoli (Gai LAN) and then you have your choice of proteins. Can add 3 tablespoons pumpkn seeds (shelled) or 150 grams plain yogurt, each provide about 12 grams protein. Then just some milk (I use plain unsweetened Soy milk) to make the blender's job a little easier. To simplify things, I precut and freeze in zio lock bags portions of the above. That way you don't need ice for a cold smoothie. Each bag will make two large glasses. Yih can of course modify to your tastes, the key is enough veg for nutrients, enough fruit for Sweetness and protein for a complete meal.

 

Thanks will add that to my shopping list tomorrow

[herfiehandbag]

12 hours ago, WineOh said:

I love greek salad.

It's one of my favorite dishes.

Could eat that every day for lunch no problem ???? 

especially with chicken breast, marinaded in lemon juice with cumin, coriander and tumeric , fried in a smidgin of olive oil and served in pitta bread on top of home made hummus and Greek yoghurt!

 

Sorry...

Edited April 29, 2021 by herfiehandbag

[bluesnake]

2 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

It is vegetarian, lacto vegetarians eat dairy and eggs, they are not food Nazi's like Vegans

Insulting vegans and animal cruelty because you are so ignorant that you can't even learn a bit about the industry of death that feeds you 3 times a day since you were born is shameful. 

Who's the nazi here ?
https://www.kinderworld.org/videos/meat-industry/lamb-slaughter-australia

 

[au82tiger]

Don't et any meat.

[herfiehandbag]

8 hours ago, EricTh said:

 

To understand what we have been eating.

 

Almost every morning, there are bus loads of caged pigs sent to the slaughter house in plain view for passing cars in Thailand.

 

It's not difficult to follow the huge truck of pigs.

 

Yes. I regularly see these trucks. I cannot deny that it disturbs me - these sentient creatures (pigs are intelligent) are aware of what is in store for them.

 

I honestly cannot reconcile these moral/ ethical contradictions. I like eating meat - chicken and pork - I don't eat beef after looking at the beautiful liquid eyes of cattle in my native Somerset. Stupid maybe that there you go!

 

I certainly enjoy vegetarian dishes, and will eat "veggie" at times.

 

As I said, difficult problem.

[bluesnake]

19 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Yes. I regularly see these trucks. I cannot deny that it disturbs me - these sentient creatures (pigs are intelligent) are aware of what is in store for them.

 

I honestly cannot reconcile these moral/ ethical contradictions. I like eating meat - chicken and pork - I don't eat beef after looking at the beautiful liquid eyes of cattle in my native Somerset. Stupid maybe that there you go!

 

I certainly enjoy vegetarian dishes, and will eat "veggie" at times.

 

As I said, difficult problem.

 

Yes, pigs are more intelligent than dogs.
I couldn't reconcile the moral contradictions for 46 years.
All along I knew something was not right, that it couldn't be "normal" to have to kill in order to survive.
But like most people, I was conditionned by my parents, by society's norms, and the industy's marketing ploys.
And one day I decided to learn about nutrition, which is the most important thing we should learn about in life since we eat constantly.

I learned about the health benefits of vegan whole food plant based diet, and that animal products create the epidemic of chronic diseases and death.

Then i learned about how meat and dairy is produced, since it is hidden from the public.
I watched Earthlings, Dominion, and other documentaries.

And I watched the slaughter-house footages that I knew existed but that I never had the courage to watch.

I was disgusted by learning what the human race is capable of doing without the slightest remorse.
Then I became vegan, to stop contributing to the senseless destruction of animals, the environment, and my health.
And now, just like that, I lost a ton of weight, have tons more energy, and the moral contradictions have vanished.

[covidiot]

I will probably have a lot of haters on here for saying this, but here goes ...

 

I will put forth some arguments against veganism:

 

I had a girlfriend who was vegan. And she happened to have a cat. What do cats eat? Carrots? No, actually cats eat meat almost exclusively if I'm not mistaken.

I woke up one morning and realized that it's insane that my cat is eating better than me. I'm higher up on the food chain than a cat. So if my cat eats chicken, so will I. While my cat is eating chicken, I'm force-feeding myself carrots and cleaning it's litter box. It's absurdity.

 

No one in their right mind likes to see animals suffer. But we can evolve as a society by making inhumane killing of animals illegal. 

 

Argument #2:

I find it hard to believe that veganism is healthy. But I don't want to spend 2 months debating this. I just remember going with my vegan girlfriend to a Buddhist-run buffet. And what I found was that if you're not filling your stomach with meat, you are filling your stomach with extremely high levels of carbs. Which there is plenty of science to suggest is harmful. 

 

Argument #3:

That meat is unhealthy is mostly based on fake science with hidden agendas. Again, arguably. And I am not going to spend 2 months on here debating science. 

 

Argument #4:

I just watched a video clip about a farmer in China raising 70,000 chickens. He said the chickens eat locusts, which is good for the ecosystem. Actually, a lot of things about farm animals are good for the ecosystem.

 

And the other thing is that I met someone from Tibet. And he told me they ONLY eat meat during winter months. He was in a remote area, the winters are harsh, they don't have supermarkets. There is no vegetation growing there. So eating meat is normal in many parts of the world. They've been doing it for centuries. 

 

Veganism, on the other hand, is new. We are guinea pigs for a new diet that did not exist in previous generations.

 

Edited April 29, 2021 by covidiot

[bluesnake]

4 minutes ago, covidiot said:

I will probably have a lot of haters on here for saying this, but here goes ...

 

I will put forth some arguments against veganism:

 

I had a girlfriend who was vegan. And she happened to have a cat. What do cats eat? Carrots? No, actually cats eat meat almost exclusively if I'm not mistaken.

I woke up one morning and realized that it's insane that my cat is eating better than me. I'm higher up on the food chain than a cat. So if my cat eats chicken, so will I. While my cat is eating chicken, I'm force-feeing myself carrots and cleaning it's litter box. It's absurdity.

 

No one in their right mind likes to see animals suffer. But we can evolve as a society by making inhumane killing of animals illegal. 

 

Argument #2:

I find it hard to believe that veganism is healthy. But I don't want to spend 2 months debating this. I just remember going with my vegan girlfriend to a Buddhist-run buffet. And what I found was that if you're not filling your stomach with meat, you are filling your stomach with extremely high levels of carbs. Which there is plenty of science to suggest is harmful. 

 

Argument #3:

That meat is unhealthy is mostly based on fake science with hidden agendas. Again, arguably. And I am not going to spend 2 months on here debating science. 

 

Argument #4:

I just watched a video clip about a farmer in China raising 70,000 chickens. He said the chickens eat locusts, which is good for the ecosystem. Actually, a lot of things about farm animals are good for the ecosystem.

 

 

 

Here we go, the usual complete nonsensical arguments to disprove what you don't understand.

A cat is an obligate carnivore. Humans are not.
Carnivore do not have a choice in the matter. Humans do, they have intelligence, consciousness, and moral agency.
It is because of our moral agency that we can say that it is wrong to kill sentient beings, because all sentient beings don't want to suffer and die.

Veganism is proven to be the healtiest diet by far. Carbs are what we are supposed to eat. Of course when we say carbs, we mean the good ones, like fresh veggies and fruits. Not the sugary <deleted> that is sold in supermarkets. Your belief that carbs are bad comes from the industry's lying brainwashing marketing. All nutritionists will tell you that a vegan diet is healthier than the SAD (Standard American Diet). And really, you just need to see the health of americans, which are all overweight if not obese, and dying of chronic diseases at 40-50. But yes, somehow the entire population has come to believe that what's bad are fruits and veggies, and what's good is animal bodies, cow breast milk, and chicken periods... This is complete nonsense, and science knows it for decades.

 

No, if you did your research, animal farming is not good for the ecosystem. It is what is destroying the evironment. Really, it is common knowledge by now... We cultivate plants to feed the animals that we want to eat. That means that a burger requires 10 times more destruction of the environment and water waste than plants. 

Etc... etc... etc...

 

[whaleboneman]

4 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Seriously considering that....at 65 can't see it will cause too many problems now.

I'm with you on the age thing. But I already smoked about a hundred thousand cancer sticks and quit 35 years ago. But I am going to take up psychedelics in my old age. Just as a hobby.

[whaleboneman]

9 minutes ago, bluesnake said:

Here we go, the usual complete nonsensical arguments to disprove what you don't understand.

A cat is an obligate carnivore. Humans are not.
Carnivore do not have a choice in the matter. Humans do, they have intelligence, consciousness, and moral agency.
It is because of our moral agency that we can say that it is wrong to kill sentient beings, because all sentient beings don't want to suffer and die.

Veganism is proven to be the healtiest diet by far. Carbs are what we are supposed to eat. Of course when we say carbs, we mean the good ones, like fresh veggies and fruits. Not the sugary <deleted> that is sold in supermarkets. Your belief that carbs are bad comes from the industry's lying brainwashing marketing. All nutritionists will tell you that a vegan diet is healthier than the SAD (Standard American Diet). And really, you just need to see the health of americans, which are all overweight if not obese, and dying of chronic diseases at 40-50. But yes, somehow the entire population has come to believe that what's bad are fruits and veggies, and what's good is animal bodies, cow breast milk, and chicken periods... This is complete nonsense, and science knows it for decades.

 

No, if you did your research, animal farming is not good for the ecosystem. It is what is destroying the evironment. Really, it is common knowledge by now... We cultivate plants to feed the animals that we want to eat. That means that a burger requires 10 times more destruction of the environment and water waste than plants. 

Etc... etc... etc...

 

It's nice that there are enlightened people here. I still eat chickens - but only because I hate them with a passion and find them quite tasty. I should stop though. And you sir, have inspired me to try. Thanks.

[Neeranam]

Hardest thing for me was not being able to tell cooks that I was vegetarian. However, this was in Nontaburi in the 90s, and things have improved since then with Supermarkets stocking stuff. Many foodcourts in Bkk have tofu duck etc

[KarenBravo]

10 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

After 48 years as a vegetarian, I resemble a soybean.

 

My wife also uses mushrooms, tree fungus ("wood ears"), eggs, bamboo shoots and the like.  I am fond of various Indian vegetarian dishes.  And cheese.

 

But, but.....I've just been told that vegetarians don't eat cheese because of stuff they use from chopped up calve's stomach........

[tonray]

17 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

 

But, but.....I've just been told that vegetarians don't eat cheese because of stuff they use from chopped up calve's stomach........

Cheese can be made from plant based rennet...just harder to source as most producers use animal based

[madmen]

Go fruitarian. Thailand with its abundance of fresh cheap fruit is the best place in the world to do it. 

 

I do it for 2 months a year for a super cleans but some people are full time fruitarians

[covidiot]

21 minutes ago, madmen said:

Go fruitarian.

dangerous diet, in my humble opinion.

 

Abundance of fructose not good for the liver, heart

https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/abundance-of-fructose-not-good-for-the-liver-heart

[madmen]

7 minutes ago, covidiot said:

dangerous diet, in my humble opinion.

 

Abundance of fructose not good for the liver, heart

https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/abundance-of-fructose-not-good-for-the-liver-heart

My blood tests are good just  had head to toe testing in Oz but I'm only 2 months a year and feel totally amazing when on it. 

Can find negative links to any diet so it's meaningless. 

 

 

[Don Chance]

Meat is health, vegetables are health too. The real issue is are you over weight and do you exercise. Do you eat a balanced diet?

[covidiot]

fruit has no protein. you go 2 months without protein? seems odd to me that it doesn't cause any issues.