Q and A on being a Vegetarian in Puerto Vallarta
Many of my yoga students ask me about being a vegetarian in Mexico. "Is it hard?" "Do you find anything to eat?" Next they want to know WHY I am a vegetarian.
So here it is. First WHY I am a vegetarian and then HOW I am a vegetarian in Puerto Vallarta, with great tips on the best veggie restaurants and where to buy Organic Tofu in Puerto Vallarta!
Q. Why am I a vegetarian?
A. I am a vegetarian for yogic and environmental reasons.
In the Yoga Sutras (the Foundational Text of Yoga), the author, Patanjali gives us 8 limbs of yoga which are recommended Life Principles. He gives us Ahimsa, or nonharming, as a “practice,” which implies that it can never be perfected. You practice doing your best to cause the least amount of harm. He also recommends Aparigraha, which is the practice of not being greedy, or taking too much. The animals whom we eat consume large quantities of vegetables, so when you eat those animals you are consuming not only the animals but also all the vegetables that those animals have been eating.
Also, animals raised for human consumption require a lot of food and land. *It takes eight or nine cows a year to feed one average meat eater. Each cow eats one acre of green plants, soybeans, and corn. So it takes nine acres of plants a year to feed one meat eater, compared with half an acre to feed one vegetarian. Most of the plants grown to be fed to farm animals are heavily saturated with pesticides and herbicides and have been genetically modified, all of which contributes to the pollution and death of our environment. In terms of causing the least amount of harm, a vegetarian diet is superior, because a vegetarian eats the plants directly instead of eating the animals who were fed plants. (*source: Yoga and Vegetarianism by Sharon Gannon. This book is available at amazon.com and also available for sale at davannayoga.)
Q. Where do I shop for vegetarian food in Puerto Vallarta?
A. The options for vegetarians are increasing daily in Puerto Vallarta. When I go to the markets (I call it "sourcing" instead of grocery shopping) I find new organic products all the time and new options for vegetarians. The staples I shop for are:
Soy Amigo brand (dehydrated) soy available at X-Performance on Calle Mexico and it is also available at the Semillas store on Calle Mexico (in Old Town - 2 blocks past Ley supermarket). I make soy-based albondigas (meatballs) from the hamburger seasoned soy and I make flautas from the Picadillo flavored soy. My kids also love these two dishes. You can make a "meatloaf" and tacos from these products as well. I cook the soya with lots of veggies. The flavor and texture is great. There is a nice recipe book in each package as well.
Organic Tofu and Organic Soy Milk I buy from Costco.
Seeds, nuts, protein powder, flax seed, other powders and ground seeds I buy from the Semillas store on Calle Mexico or from the fresh fruit market in Emiliano Zapata.
Organic Rice Milk, Ginseng milk, Almond Milk and Soy Milk I have delivered to my home in tall bottles (and cheap too) from Leche Vegetal. You can call in your order at: 044-322-152-0903 or order it through davannayoga.
Organic Fruits and Vegetables and Much More! - Locally owned "Organic Select" has homemade vegetarian products and organic fruits and vegetables and they deliver. Their website is great: www.organic-select.com
davannayoga makes vegan and traditional tea breads and muffins on a by-order basis as well. We make banana bread, every kind of muffin, coffee cake, and apple pie. Inquire at davannayoga.
Q. Can I recommend any good Vegetarian Restaurants in Puerto Vallarta?
A. Absolutely!
You will find me often at Vegetarian Planet on Calle Iturbide - one block below Calle Matamoros (on the steps) - in Old Town. The food is served buffet style and is fresh daily. They have breakfast, lunch and dinner and it only costs 75 pesos for lunch and dinner and 50 pesos for breakfast.
Also Vegetarian Mary's has a great vegetarian buffet. Her restaurant is on Calle Honduras in Old Town - about 6 blocks from the ocean in a small hotel on a corner.
El Patio de mi Casa - the cutest cafe ever, on Calle Miramar (almost at the corner of Iturbide) has GREAT coffee and tea, vegetarian soups and grilled vegie and tofu sandwiches. This is a tiny restaurant tucked away one block behind davannayoga. Great for an after-yoga class treat.
Finally 100% Natural in the Hotel Zone - on Calle Francisco Medina across from the Sheraton Bouganvilia Hotel has a vast menu of all kinds of healthy foods and has vegetarian and vegan options.
The two Spanish Tapas restaurants in Old Town have great vegetarian options: Barcelona on Calle Matamoros has great gazpacho, vegetarian paella and spinach with apples and pine nuts. Also La Esquina de los Caprichos on the corner of Calle Miramar and Calle Iturbide offers a tapas dish of garbanzos and another of papas bravas - both are delicious.
