Busting vegan myths at VegFest Pilipinas

It's surprising to find that there are full-grown adults walking around who hate vegetables and avoid it at all costs. There's still that pervasive misconception that a salad is a side dish, not a meal and that meatless dinners are sad.

Vegans living in Manila are patiently working not just to change this idea, but to replace it with a new one by "planting the seeds of compassion."

Through next month's food festival VegFest Pilipinas, organizer and proud vegan Jaq Abergas hopes to show what veganism is really about, why it matters that people make a change, and how easy it is to make a choice that's better for yourself and the planet.

You can have your cake and eat it too at VegFest Pilipinas, a food festival that aims to bring vegan food to the mainstream and bust some myths about it in the process. Photos: Aya Tantiangco

Our plates hardly seem to be the place to start fighting climate change, but People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) report that animal agriculture contributes to climate change through greenhouse-gas emissions.

A United Nations report even urges people to go meat- and dairy-free, to mitigate not just the impact meat and dairy production makes on the environment, but world hunger as well.

"Impacts from agriculture are expected to increase substantially due to population growth increasing consumption of animal products. Unlike fossil fuels, it is difficult to look for alternatives: people have to eat. A substantial reduction of impacts would only be possible with a substantial worldwide diet change, away from animal products," the report states.

The seeds have actually been planted and there are ways to eat lechon and chicharon without harming a farm animal, as proven by Vegetari Healthy Bites.

They're joined by 7 Grains, Afters, Antojitos, Cocolatto, Good Food Community, Greenery Kitchen, Herbivora, The Good Choices, Jertie's Kitchen, and Green Light, among others, to show the variety of food available for people who are considering cutting back on meat and maybe even going full vegan.

The public is invited to sample their goods on November 18 to 19 at Eastwood Central Plaza and November 25 to 26 at Lucky China Town mall.

It seems like a giant leap to make, but gaining more knowledge about veganism might help close the gap. Here are some myths that might be preventing you from making the transition.

Myth: Vegan means raw, blanched food

People assume that vegan simply means eating vegetables, usually in the form of salads. Abregas shared that when she started transitioning to meatless diet, it surprised her to find that some salads aren't even vegan. Think Caesar's Salad, which usually has bacon, anchovies, and cheese.

But this doesn't mean that vegans have nothing to eat but carrot sticks! During the launch, The Vegetarian Kitchen served "Southern Fried Chicken," which frankly tastes better than some of the chicken poppers available in the market today.

Vegan "chicken" is made from a number of other edible sources, including soy and wheat protein. Quorn, which is now available in Rustan's and S&R, is made with a type of fungi.

Cheese, on the other hand, can be made with carrots and potatoes. Add that to some macaroni and you won't feel like you had to "give up" certain types of food at all.

Myth: Vegan simply means avoiding meat

The first things vegans usually need to do is explain that veganism is not a diet, it's a lifestyle. It's advocating against cruelty, to animals and beyond.

Simply put: If an item is made using animal by-products, it isn't vegan. Makeup tested on animals isn't vegan. Fabric like leather isn't vegan. There art materials like paint that aren't vegan. Some vegans even boycott coffee, because the beans might be harvested through child or slave labor.

Veganism is about being mindful about what you consume and how it affects everything else on the planet. Pork is delicious, but pigs are alive and have feelings.

You might think twice about eating them if you see farms mistreating their livestock. You might also reconsider some of the items you buy if you know that women and children were exploited to make them.

Myth: Vegans don't get protein

Rafael Rosell at the launch answered the most frequently asked question for vegans: Where you do you get your protein?

"I throw the question right back at them. Where do you get your protein, because I get my protein from what your protein eats," Rosell said. In case it's lost in translation: cows are herbivores and they're able to build all their muscle from plants.

Humans have a different physiology of course, but it's not as though we can ingest chia seeds, soy, quinoa, tomatoes, guavas, lentils, beans, buckwheat, and spinach to get protein, too.

Myth: Vegan desserts are sad

Sugar and chocolate come from plants...so why do you think you have to give that up? There are other items, like coconut oil, that can be used to bind flour and everything else in cake. Vegans eat cake, y'all.

Gelato and sorbets are absolutely doable for vegans, too. Desserts are the least of your worries.

Myth: You wake up one day and you're a vegan

Hardly anything happens in a snap, so don't assume that becoming a vegan is a one-time decision to quit meat altogether. It's a process, which can start by cutting down the red meat you consume. Then white meat. Then seafood.

The transition is gradual and, lucky for those living in the Internet age, there are resources available online to help make the change easier.

Luckier still, there's VegFest Pilipinas. Drop by and check out what veganism looks and tastes like! — BM, GMA News

VegFest Pilipinas will be held at Eastwood Central Plaza in Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City on November 18 and Nov 19 and at Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo, Manila on November 25 and 26.