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You probably waved off the “pink slime” talk, preferred watching an action-packed blockbuster over Food, Inc. and stopped by a fast food joint for a burger instead of having a slow-cooked meal.

With the trend of healthy eating setting in amongst youth, a survey was conducted with a total of 68 young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 to find out just how keen they are on vegan fast food chains when pitched against regular fast food.

Veggie Tales

Out of the survey responses, three quarters of youths are non-vegetarian. However, 60% of them of haven’t given vegetarianism a thought.

“My peers are often curious about what I eat, some tell me that they are eating healthier after being exposed to what I eat and ask me to bring them to vegan places; some even try to go vegan,” noted Yuan Yi Shuai, 23, who has been exposed to vegetarianism since the age of three.

Fast forward to today, vegan fast food chains have been planting their earthy roots all over the island, providing a green alternative for every vegan foodie.

veganburg

Alex Tan, 41, founder of VeganBurg, mentioned that, “it is easier to be vegan now than ever”.

Meat-free Mondays is one campaign that you can join to challenge yourself to an alternative diet with baby steps by not eating meat on just one day of the week­–Monday. The move both improves your personal health, as well as the planet’s health by lessening carbon footprint meat industry leaves behind.

Aside from being the frontman of Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney also fronts the Meat-free Monday campaign, having been a vegetarian himself for the past 30 years. More recently, the 72-year-old vegetarian activist who has his own Meat-free Monday Song, has been holding an open call for photo submissions hashtagged #MeatFreeMonday on Twitter and Instagram for his new video for the song.

Alex feels that non-vegans who give Meat Free Mondays a shot ought to give themselves a pat on the back, as it is “one step closer to the goal”. “Till date, 80 per cent of my customers are not even vegetarian or vegan, and I’m very happy with that,” Alex shared enthusiastically. “Some even exclaimed they would be vegan if it tasted like this!”

Meating the Taste Requirement

While youths are all game for the health benefits and animal-friendliness of vegan fast food, some are still wary of its taste and limited menu options. Fret not as they will be in for a pleasant surprise, as Wang Wan Xuan, 27, described it to be “just as delicious, if not more so”. “Mock meats taste so much like the real thing,” she added.

cafesalivation

Mr Prasad Raja, 61, is the owner of Café Salivation, the first Western vegetarian café in Little India. The café incorporates an ‘Indian twist’ in their burgers and sandwiches condiment; a piquant change from the usual a-dime-a-dozen flavours like thousand island dressing and mayonnaise.

“We come up with a menu that makes a vegetarian not miss meat at all,” Mr Raja shared.

However, these vegan meals tend to be slightly pricier owing to the comparatively smaller demand and costlier, healthier ingredients. However, Yuan believes that the prices of these patties “homemade from scratch” are well justified.

“Vegan fast food chains are transparent about what they put in their food, many places even make them by hand. The love really sets them apart from processed fast food made by machines with flavourings, colourings, additives and preservatives,” said Yi Shuai.

To explore their curiosity for an alternative diet, 80% of survey respondents reflected that they are willing to try more vegan fast food in the future. “As consumers, we can really make a difference,” Wan Xuan stressed.

Vegan fast food has peeled off its boring label with the myriad of fun and attractive offerings. Combining fast food and a healthier choice, you can have your vegan cake and eat it too. With increasingly appealing flavours, maybe a switch from regular fast food to vegan fast food may offer you a happier meal.

 

Sweets for My Sweet

There’s always room for desserts, especially healthier ones. You’ve had your vegan fast food, now it’s time for vegan sweet treats.

1) Delcie’s

Delcie’s serves gluten free, dairy free and eggless cakes and dessert. They are popular with the customers with special dietary requirement such as lactose intolerance. To celebrate the upcoming mid autumn festival, there’s even vegan mooncakes available!

2) Brownice

Tucked away in Upper Thomson, Brownice is an ice-cream parlour scooping up vegan brown rice ice-cream. The ice creams are made from organic brown rice milk and are free from artificial colouring and flavouring. The only difference in taste compared to regular ice cream is the distinct, pleasant nutty aftertaste. Ice-creams don’t have to be that sinful afterall.

 

Preview photograph courtesy of VeganBurg Official Facebook