There was a time when it was so difficult to find #plant-based food in the city. It was a struggle. Now, vegetarian and vegan restaurants have sprouted all over the city like mushrooms, and I can't be happier. Eating out with non-vegetarian friends improved tremendously because of this.
The pandemic puts a limit on this guilty pleasure of mine but also made it better. What I mean by this is that because people are eating at home, the need for healthier food is at the back of the mind of every health-conscious mom. And, the difficulty of competing with non-vegan/non-vegetarian products is a battle worth fighting for.
VEEGA
Veega is a new product line from San Miguel Foods. It is the company's first vegetarian line and, according to their website, they developed this for three years specifically to suit the Filipino palate.
I have been looking for Veega to be rolled out in our area but have been largely disappointed whenever I checked if our local grocery store already carried these products.
A few days ago, I found VEEGA products and immediately bought one to try out. I don't know when they started selling this but happy to see that it is now available here.
Cooking
For this trial, I just heated a pan and some oil and put in a few pieces to try out. It cooked really quickly and turned golden brown instantly. I found out later when I was reading that it is already fully cooked so I was essentially reheating the product. I prepared steamed rice with my nuggets and dug in.
To my surprise, it wasn't bland nor was it soggy. The seasoning was just right and really resonated with what a meat-free nugget should be.
Personally, I felt like this can be a #game-changer. And I'm certain that kids who don't like eating veggies will not reject this simply because it tasted great and resembled the meat version.
It might be too meat-like for vegans/vegetarians but I see it more as an alternative for people transitioning into a plant-based diet or for meat-eaters wanting a healthier choice.
Conclusion
Having a large food company develop and sell plant-based food is huge. They have the capacity to develop, produce, and scale-up production if this blows up. To be sure, the impact this will have on the environment can be big. And the ripple effect has the potential for societal transformation.
The #plant-based industry is still in its infancy here in the Philippines. Several players in the food industry have begun moving into the healthy, plant-based, and vegan markets. While it might be a few years before the market matures, it's encouraging to see signs of hope that a new mindset is beginning to crossover into the mainstream.
My simple review is up to here. I hope you enjoyed reading. All the best and keep safe everyone!
Mabuhay!
*all images are mine; prepared the thumbnail image with Canva.com.