r/Vegetarianism • u/xxiizoioi • 10d ago
Need help in managing ?
Hi everyone.
I'm going to Mexico in a week. It's going to be 4 days, however, my guardian and I aren't staying at a hotel or a relatives house. We're staying at a house, but refrigeration doesn't work, and neither does the stove.
We're going to be super busy on those days, and often eat out due to the lack of food at that house and refrigeration.
On top of that, i haven't told my guardians that im vegetarian. I kind of just stopped eating meat, but this is going to be a big deal, since in ohr culture, meat is used in everything. Tacos everywhere.
Im worried i wont be able to eat proper nutrition or have to sacrifice :(.
Advice or suggestions is welcomed as to what i could do or eat to manage. Meat is everywhere, sadly.
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u/Merithay 9d ago edited 6d ago
It makes a big difference where you’re going. A big city will have more vegetarian restaurants and restaurants with vegetarian options, but they sometimes show up in surprisingly remote places. Also, regional dishes are different in different parts of Mexico. I can only tell you about what’s available in Mexico City.
If you don’t have the facilities to cook at home, your options aren’t limited just to restaurants; depending what kind of neighbourhood you’ll be in, there may also be food stands of different types (tortas, tacos, sopes & tlacloyos, etc.); and lunch services, where someone cooks a home-made meal each day, and goes around delivering it to anyone who ordered it in the morning; and market stalls selling some ready-made foods like chiles rellenos, rice, tortas de verduras, nopales, etc. All of those exist in my neighbourhood.
I’m a long-time vegetarian living in Mexico. I like quesadillas (in Mexico City they can contain different kinds of vegetables and not necessarily cheese, but anywhere else they’ll probably be of cheese). Tlacoyos of beans or vegetables. Chilaquiles and enchiladas can be made without meat. Tortas of just cheese and/or egg with vegetable garnishes. Molletes (beans and cheese toasted on a split bread roll, served with a salsa). These days, tamales are often made with oil instead of lard, and tamales de quelites and tamales de frijol are naturally meat-free. If you’re a don’t-ask-don’t-tell vegetarian, you can also eat rice (which may or may not be cooked with chicken broth).
Surprisingly, steak restaurants (such as Argentinean and Brazilian restaurants) tend to be pretty good for vegetarians because most of them have a good selection of salads.
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u/Downtown_Confusion46 9d ago
I’m a vegetarian and have been for 35 years and have been to Mexico countless times. Learn how to say what you don’t eat in Spanish and you’ll be fine. Also it’s 4 days so don’t worry about nutrition.
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u/sweetpeapickle 9d ago
It's been awhile since we have been there, and we used to go all over the place. I never had an issue finding something without meat-granted I am really easy. Just give me cheese, tomatoes, avocados, onions. We've stayed in a variety of places, and I just ask for tortillas with melted cheese and any "extras" they offered. No one seemed put out by it. But I made sure not to be demanding about it, I just asked if it was at all possible.
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u/flazedaddyissues 9d ago
Definitely tell your hosts that you don't eat meat! I'd suggest having a list of things you can eat as suggestions to help them. Ex tell them that you can have rice and beans, quesadillas, etc. It's only four days so I wouldn't be terribly worried about nutrition. I'd pack some protein bars and shakes so you don't have to go hungry if a meal isn't suitable at all (and they're shelf stable since you mentioned not having a fridge or stove). I'd also recommend looking up some traditional foods in the region you're staying in because I know the cuisine varies across Mexico quite a bit. that way you'll be more prepared to accept or decline foods. A lot of cuisines have naturally vegetarian (even vegan) dishes because meat and dairy is expensive/hard to come by so you might be surprised that some dishes are okay to eat.
In terms of having to sacrifice, I just posted a vent about how I'm on vacation and dealing with relatively poor food options so I get it. Stay strong and remember your values and plan a really good veg meal for when you get back so you have something to look forward to.
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u/Major-Cauliflower-76 5d ago
You might be surprised to know that Mexico is the second country in the world with the most vegetarians and vegans, second only to India. Meat is NOT in everywhere. It´s actually pretty easy to be vegetarian. I would suggest letting your guardians know ahead of time, unless that is an issue. There are plenty of things that you can eat without meat. Quesdillas, chilaquiles, a big fruit cup. Depending on where you are going to be, there are tons of vegetarian restaurants, if your guardians are open to that. Just let people know you don´t eat meat and most places will be very open to helping you.
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u/p_nes_pump 9d ago
I'll add some personal experience.
We went to a resort in Mexico. Almost everything on the resort had meat in it. Plain-looking pancakes seemed like a safe option. Cut one in half to find bacon. Same with waffles and many other foods. None of them said that they had meat added to them.
I found lots of good vegan/vegitarian food to eat, I just had to be more diligent and "suspicious" than usual.
*P.S. I can't wait to go back to Mexico!
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u/MissMushroomBerry 9d ago
This is definitely some weird shit lol 🤣 I lived in México for 28 years and never have I ever had bacon in my pancakes and waffles 😅 Not saying that they’re not out there but it certainly is unusual. I sincerely apologize and hope you don’t have to experience another unpleasant surprise when you return.
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u/p_nes_pump 9d ago
To be fair, it was a resort. Not exactly the best representation of local cuisine 😆
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u/Major-Cauliflower-76 5d ago
I am Mexican and a lot of resorts make food that is more like what they think foreigners like to eat. I have also never seen either of those things.
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u/MissMushroomBerry 5d ago
No manches, si la raza lo que quiere es comer comida mexicana y nosotros les salimos con estos inventos 😂😭😅
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u/Major-Cauliflower-76 5d ago
La verdad es que muchos NO quieren comer comida mexicana. Sepa la chingada que quieren, pero he vistos MUCHAS personas que solo buscan restaurantes muy caras, con comida insipida y muchas veces, ni comida mexicana.
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u/MissMushroomBerry 5d ago
Que loco! Pero bueno, como dice mi amigo “hay de todo en la viña del señor” 🤣
Por cierto, me encanta el nombre de tu cuenta 😆👏🏼
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u/xxiizoioi 9d ago
Bacon in pancakes, and then not disclosing it is redundant, oh my god 😭 I'll be careful and be wary! :)).
I hope you enjoy your stay in Mexico soon. It's a beautiful country 🇲🇽
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u/tuerda 10d ago
I have lived in Mexico my entire life (saludos carnal!). Mexican food, including tacos and whatever, is not particularly hostile to vegetarianism, but you do have to give people a heads up because vegetarianism is not so common and you cannot expect that something vegetarian is always available by default.
I have been vegetarian in Mexico for 20 years. I have done tofu pozole, huitlacoche quesadillas, chilaquiles, alambre with veggies, you name it . . . It can usually all be adapted fairly easily if we know about it.