Hungry for a sandwich? Then imagine this: humus, slow roasted butternut medallions, a touch of basil pesto, a peppering of feta cheese topped with ginger marmalade and a smattering of chilli flakes on toasted rye bread.
Or how about a grilled zucchini and eggplant bake served with a broccoli purée or dining on juicy roasted lentils and red pepper balls served with a side of vegetables of your choice?
If you're anything like me, you'll agree the one thing missing is a thick, juicy, aged steak or possibly a seared lemon-and-herb chicken breast.
But according to Banele Bubu, owner of Coffix – a newly opened coffee shop situated at Kim's Antique Shop in Quigney – many East London residents are not like me and vegetarian dishes are in huge demand.
Bubu, whose menu featured a variety of meaty sandwiches and wraps when he opened his doors four months ago, said he amended it at the request of his customers. Coming from a meat-eating background, Bubu said he set aside some time to play around with different flavours and textures and came up with a summer menu packed with a variety of veg.
“There is definitely a change in eating habits and people are shifting towards eating vegetables,” Bubu said.
“For me, the roasted butternut sandwich is the favourite right now. Where before I would have made that sandwich either using chicken or beef slices, I decided to substitute the meat with vegetable slices instead and it went really well.” From there, he developed five more vegetarian sandwiches which customers really took to.
“The dedication to eating vegetables by East London has actually inspired me to start my own herb garden so I can make my own ingredients, where possible. Like right now I make my own basil pesto sauce from the herbs I grow in my garden. It seems eating vegetarian is what's in,” he said.
His clientele are in step with a worldwide trend.
The likes of F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, former boxing champ Mike Tyson and former US president Bill Clinton, are all in favour of going without eating meat. Some have taken it a step further, cutting out all manner of animal products and becoming vegans.
Registered dietitian and Association for Dietetics SA spokesperson Maryke Gallagher explained the difference. “Vegetarians do not eat meat and fish for religious, moral, ethical or health reasons. Vegetarians either include dairy products [called lacto-vegetarians], eggs [ovo-vegetarians], or both dairy and eggs [lacto-ovo vegetarians],” she said.
“Vegans follow a plant-based diet that excludes all animal products or by-products from their diet like meat, dairy, eggs and honey. They also seek to exclude, as far as possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to animals.”
The move away from being carnivores could be spurred by health concerns. East London-based chef Elsebe Cronje from the catering company Sweet Dandelion said some vegetarians might have been struggling with lifestyle diseases and consequently opted for a healthier diet.
“ We cannot deny that eating vegetables, sometimes cutting out meat completely, is often the healthiest way to go.
“People need to understand that it’s not only meat-based products which give them all the nutrients they need. They can get them from vegetables too. They just need to know what to go for.”
Gallagher said plant-based sources of protein and iron included whole soy products like soy beans and tofu, and legumes like lentils, chickpeas and quinoa. “Combining different sources of plant protein such as legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains will help to boost the overall protein content of a meal and help the body to use the protein from these foods better,” she explained.
“Vegetarians can enhance iron absorption and use in the body by eating vitamin C rich foods, such as tomatoes, citrus fruits and broccoli. They should also avoid having coffee or tea with meals.”
Gallagher added that strict vegetarians needed to remain mindful of their vitamin B12 intake because the primary source of this vitamin was animal products.
“Nutritional yeast and fortified products will provide these nutrients to vegans,” she said.
According to Cronje, vegetarian meals are best prepared at home using raw ingredients.
But the good news is that when one wants to eat out, local eateries are including more plant-based meals than ever.
Luvuyo Ntuli, the assistant manager of The Mustard restaurant, said their menu included an assortment of vegetarian meals which were standard for everyday dining.
These meals included appetisers, hors d'oeuvres and a variety of salads.
“There are some serious lifestyle diseases out there such as obesity and heart disease. This helps us see that one cannot just eat fry-ups every day with no greens,” he said.
And a plant based diet has numerous benefits.
Gallagher said all South Africans could benefit from increasing their vegetable and fruit intake.
She said multiple studies had shown a diet rich in plant foods could lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.
She quoted a recent study which looked at the benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets on health outcomes and reported that vegetarian diets offer significant protection against death from heart disease and incidence of cancer; while vegan diets lead to a significant reduction in the risk of cancer.
“Besides these conditions, vegetarian diets have also been shown to assist in managing certain conditions, such as arthritis.”
Children stand to benefit too.
“Research has shown that enhancing vegetable and fruit intake in South African children could assist in addressing overweight and low vitamin A status,” Gallagher remarked.
“Besides the health benefits of consuming a more plant rich diet, there is also a significant benefit to the environment and food systems,” she added...