Body Blog Post #1 (maintaining vegan/ vegetarian diet for lunch for one week (1st Feb- 7th Feb))

I would say the eating culture in Hong Kong is predominantly omnivorous, most people consume both vegetables and meat, making them the unmarked category of the society and vegan and vegetarians the marked category. When I told my parents that I am trying out this vegan/ vegetarian diet for a week, they were shocked and worried that I will not get enough nutrition for my body. I feel uncomfortable with the way that people react to my short term practice as there is nothing wrong with promoting a vegetable based diet.

 

I realized that in Hong Kong, it is a lot harder to practice this diet than I thought it would be as most restaurants do not offer a menu specially for vegans. More than often, I have to research which restaurants near me offer meatless options to avoid upsetting waiters for giving them false hope that I will eat in their restaurant when I “can’t”. I realized how inconvenient vegan eaters may feel having to always prepare or look for what they can eat and what they have to avoid whereas this difficulty is not faced by omnivorous eaters. Whilst engaging in this practice, I felt that I am more energized. I was on period when I was practicing this exercise and whilst I would normally feel demoralized and physically fatigue, the feeling of tiredness was less obvious to me. In addition, I was more able to concentrate and bring myself to work rather than letting my sloth get the better of me. I was also happier than I normally am even though I am facing a similar amount of intense workload than previous weeks. I am more observant about how my body and my mind react to this small change.  

 

Although not all restaurants dedicate a menu specially for vegan customers, most non-vegan specific restaurants are very friendly and dishes can be switched from meat based to vegetable based with the readily accessible options of tofu. In addition, comparing my eating experience in Hong Kong compare to that of in UK (which I have lived in for two years), it feels easier to switch because of the frequent use of herbs and spices in food that heightens the taste of dishes whereas the cooking style in Britain is more bland. Since the taste of dishes are usually more intense in the Hong Kong than UK and as a result tastier to most, I think it is easier to switch to a vegetable based diet as a result. I think it also has to do with the fact that there is a range of cuisines readily available in HK as I have and did try out many different types of vegan/ vegetarian cuisines of different countries. 

 

I think in future I might considering switching to a vegetarian diet, but for now, to avoid discontent and concerns from my family, I would maintain a omnivorous diet. From this action of conformity, I realize that an aspect of body politics is that when we make a decision, we don’t just take into account what we think of the change, but other people’s perception to it. (521 words)



Meal for Monday: Thai Minced Omni-pork (made of soy and peas instead of real pork) Stir-fry Rice (Thai style)


Meal for Tuesday: Vegan buffet lunch at HKU Bijas Vegetarian restaurant (Chinese style)


Meal on Wednesday: Vegan burger with tofu patty and garlic mayonnaise sauce
(American style)


Meal on Thursday: Buffalo cheese salad with balsamic sauce 
(Italian style)


Meal on Friday: White congee with cashew nuts and almonds
(Hong Kong style)


Meal on Saturday: Avocado and eggs on toasts with salad
(Western style)



Meal on Sunday: Tofu and vegetable stir fry 
(Thai style)


















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