Vegan in Mexico

I've been vegan/plant-based on and off for  about 9 years and vegetarian for about 12 years. I  incorporated dairy off and on into my diet during study abroad as an undergraduate and transitioning into graduate school. When I decided to commit to a purely plant-based lifestyle I told myself that I would do it with the condition that if my family made me food with dairy I wouldn't 'despreciarla', I also decided to focus on a plant based diet because it forced me to eat veggies and not rely heavily on processed food. Food is so important to our history and culture, so earlier this summer when I went to visit family in Jalisco I was a bit stressed about hearing how me being plant-based/vegetarian would play out. In the past I would stay at my grandparent's home and would have access to the kitchen, would take trips to the big town for groceries and plan out food. Because my grandparents have transitioned into the spirit world,  I was not going to be staying with them this time. I was also stressed out about my weight and body and hearing comments in the past in which people would point out that I was not skinny and yet I was a vegetarian and just the fatphobia and body shaming that happens from family and strangers (maybe I'll write more on this later as a big food blogger). Processing this and reminding myself to not let people's rude comments and negativity keep me from living my life was important. So I went on the trip, I was open to conversations and it all worked out. Below are some tips I've learned from traveling to Mexico. These are compiled from traveling to my family's pueblito in  Jalisco, Mexico (with little access to big grocery stores) and the other is from traveling to Oaxaca, Mexico last year.

Fruit + Juicessss Fruit stands are everywhere- in between pueblos, at community events, outside churches you'll see lots of seasonal fruit. Stock up and enjoy! There's also juice stands and smoothie bars. Be sure to ask for your things to be made with water instead of milk.

(above: me being a nerd eating pitayas my aunt picked from el cerro, it was in season, also a cute picture of the mango tree in my grandma's patio. I ate like 10 of them lol)

Beans + Tortillas I ate this lots of times, and I could eat this everyday and wouldn't get tired because i lav beans! Just ask whether they're made with lard if refried. Otherwise stick to de la olla beans.

Markets Pick up fresh fruit and fresh salads at the markets. When traveling through Oaxaca last year there were vendors with bulk salads such as 'ensalada de nopal', vegetables in vinegar, beans in bulk, salsas. Some of the stands where food is being assembled such as the 'torta' stands are usually sweet and will accommodate if you ask nicely. Be creative, you're at the market. Walk around the market and see what you can make work. Just beware of the carnicerias as you'll see lots of animal parts and the smell of raw meat. Also check out all the naturista stores where they have bulk nuts and natural ingredients.

Salsas + Dressing Most salsa, moles, guacamoles are vegan. Be sure to ask because sometimes for example for enchilada salsas people like to put chicken broth. Sometimes people also add mayo or cream to guacamole (weird, I know). If you have veggies, be creative and add chile and limon for a salad, you don't need dressing.

Desserts and Treat One of the awesome things about Mexican desserts is that there's lots of fruit based desserts including paletas de fruta, raspados, aguas fresca, dried fruits, and tamarind or nut candies that are vegan. Just ask if things have milk. Look at labels if you get any processed candies or cookies. If the desserts look creamy they most likely have milk, but sometimes they add cocount cream. Sometimes there's natural whole grain cookies that are unexpectedly vegan too.

Tours + Restaurants Whenever I travel to parts of Mexico where I don't have family, I usually go on a guided tour. Tours usually have a stop in between where they stop at a restaurant buffet. There's usually local food from the area, a salad bar and desserts. I usually find nopales, beans, tortillas, salsas and lots of fruits. Be creative, sometimes combining things from the appetizer section of the menu can be a filling meal. At buffets some of the places label the food, otherwise just ask. Areas with large cities also have yelp or check out instagram and social media hastags to see where folks are eating. In Oaxaca there were lots of vegan options at restaurants. Whenever I plan a trip, I plan out places/restaurants I want to check out, any food tours, markets I want to see etc. For my trip to Oaxaca I learned that I could get drinking chocolate with water instead of milk, most moles at the market are made without animal ingredients, and that there were several prehispanic restaurants that had vegan options.

One of the things I missed most about travelling through Mexico is that most coffee places that aren't a starbucks don't carry non-dairy milk, so if you're into lattes either carry your own milk or just stick to tea. Most large markets do carry soymilk, I was able to find some at the larger pueblo where my family goes to the market before.

Pan Dulce Most pan dulce is made with dairy. There are some that sometimes aren't like bolillos/birotes which are like a french bread but wayyyy better. Ask if you are concerned about eating any animal products, sometimes though when traveling you can't be 1000% sure of contamination.

Chips + Fried Goods Be sure to read labels for chips, because chips that may be vegan in the US may not be vegan in Mexico. When I was a vegetarian, I was sad that Queso Ruffles had animal stock in Mexico. Sabritas are good tho. Also, if you eat chips or tostadas at restaurants check to see that they aren't friend in animal fat or friend where meat products are fried.

Have conversations + be flexible This last time I stayed with my aunt and some other relatives. Some of them freaked out over what I was going to eat, but I was able to have conversations with them and explained to them that there's lots of vegan food. I normalized it with my aunt by showing her pictures of what I ate at home and how easily things can be veganized and reminding her that lots of our culture's food is already vegan.

Be flexible, pack snacks and focus on spending quality time with the people your are visiting or traveling with. That's what it's all about.

Above are some goodies that madrina made me (tacos dorados de papa, ensalada, frijoles con nopales, and some chilaquiles). My aunt also made me nopales guisados my first day there. They were amazing. I was also able to ask for some recipes that I hope to veganize later.

Thank you for reading! I may update with more pictures soon too :D

Con amor,

Maribel