INSPIRATION

A vegetarian since birth

Here's my vegetarianism story and thoughts on it. I hope it will inspire you today!

Well...I was born a vegetarian. Hence, I didn’t grow up with the mindset or habit of needing to consume meat. As I grow older, I began to ponder and thought deeply about the significance and true meaning of being a vegetarian. Is it just about not consuming meat? No. In fact, I truly believe there is so much more to that.

Being vegetarian is not just about being compassionate by not taking away another living being's life. Instead, we should also learn to respect and acknowledge that they too have feelings and senses. We shouldn’t be too consumed to think that the human race is superior to that of another’s, since all life is created equal. Think about it, if you were the animal, would you want to be slaughtered? Therefore, I believe in the idea of not consuming meat.

Besides that, to me, being a vegetarian does not mean merely going meat-free. I believe that we should be mindful and conscious of our mind, body and spirit. As a Buddhist, I am taught that all animate living entities are created for a reason. Hence, we should respect them. I am well aware that there are many ethical problems with eggs and dairy hence, I am taking baby steps in going vegan by reducing my intake of eggs and dairy products and being more conscious with sustainability.

Many people often ask me why I started my Instagram page @nourishplant. As cliché as it may sound, I started my Instagram account wanting to dispel the myth of being a vegetarian or vegan means eating salad or greens all the time. I wanted to instil the mindset that a plant-based diet can be delicious and interesting too! After all, with an ever-striving society, there are more and more options and substitutes that are meat free and cruelty free. In starting my page, I hope to inspire others - that vegetarianism is not boring - with the many recipes I develop. At the same time, hoping to remove this stigma around our community.

As a certified foodie like myself, it’s honestly very hard for me to choose my ultimate favourite recipe. There are just too many yummy foods out there! Let me paint you a picture, all the pizzas, cakes, açai bowls. Can you really choose your favourite? I bet not. But if I really had to choose one, it would just be a good bowl of congee. How unexpected coming from me since I am someone with sweet tooth. However, congee has always been my favourite childhood food as it can be paired with all the amazing side dishes. The culture of sitting together as a family with all the side dishes in the centre definitely plays a part in my choice. Hence, that.

 

PROTEIN PANCAKES

Ingredients:
3/4 banana
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 scoop protein powder
2 tbsp soy milk
1 flax egg 

Instructions:

  1. Add all the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.
  2. In a pan, add 1/4 cup batter into a hot pan with vegan butter or oil. Cook each side until golden brown and repeat until no batter is left.
  3. Serve with desired toppings!!

 

VEGAN BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Ingredients (3 muffins)
2/3 cup spelt flour (100g)
"buttermilk" (1 tsp acv + 1/3 and 1 tbsp cup plant-based milk)
1 tbsp applesauce
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 ½ - 3 tbsp coconut sugar
pinch of salt
¼ cup blueberries

Instructions:

  1. Start by making "buttermilk" and allow mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
  2. Combine spelt flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a mixture bowl.
  3. Add in vanilla extract and applesauce into "buttermilk" and stir well.
  4. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients mixture until combined. If batter is too dry add 1 tbsp of plant-based milk.
  5. In a baking tray lined with muffin cups, add one tbsp of batter and add a couple of blueberries. Then cover with another tbsp of batter.
  6. Bake muffins for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick clean. Allow muffins to cool before storing it in an airtight container.