vegan in Mexico?

Interesting topic.  My daughter is vegan (although I am not) and she will be visiting me in Mexico when I find a part time retirement place in Puerto Vallerta.   I look forward to hearing more about this.    As far as soy products, I'm sure you'll be able to get them in the larger communities?
Arlene

Thanks, Arlene! For a short visit your daughter might be able to bring some of the things she doesn't want to live without--and then go crazy trying out the various fruits available.

I don't eat much soy at all; I try to avoid it. I do drink almond milk, coconut milk; I imagine I'll be able to make (with a good blender) or find some variation of these. I wonder if it's easy to find things like cashews, almonds, sesame seeds....

Yes, I have several friends who are vegan--I'm more or less vegetarian. Here in Coatepec we have many markets for fruits and veggies, all fresh, organic, and plentiful.

Coatepec, Veracruz is not a tourist destination, and is hard to get to by air, but the trip is worth it--I live in a Mexican neighborhood and have lived here happily since 2007.

Coatepec produces coffee and orchids. Come visit!

Babs.

I'm vegan and it's taken time to find food that fits my lifestyle. It is possible. There are mercados / open air markets where you can get produce. The variety of fruit and vegetables is amazing. I can buy coconuts, mangos and bananas at great prices. The quality is good. There are things you cannot get easily in the states like guavas and other exotic fruits. It's a great place to be vegan, it simply takes time to adjust and figure out where to buy what.

Hi creativecat,

It shouldn't be that hard. We are mostly vegetarian and have no problem. We were lacto ovo vegetarians for 15 years and pretty much eliminated milk products five years ago. Because of GMO's we also eliminated soy. That has caused us to shift to more animal based protein sources. Unlike the U.S. most stores in Mexico are loaded with fruits and vegetables as well as herbs ,& roots. In the U.S. you have to use specialty stores like whole foods to get access to things that are common here.

The restaurants are a little harder, but they are usually willing to work with you. There is a vegetarian restaurant down town here and We have found shops and restaurants that cater to vegetarians in our travels throughout Mexico. You might find it easier than the U.S.

creativeCat wrote:

Thanks, Arlene! For a short visit your daughter might be able to bring some of the things she doesn't want to live without--and then go crazy trying out the various fruits available.

I don't eat much soy at all; I try to avoid it. I do drink almond milk, coconut milk; I imagine I'll be able to make (with a good blender) or find some variation of these. I wonder if it's easy to find things like cashews, almonds, sesame seeds....

Coconut milk is becoming more available now especially at a Mercado called Chedraui. Almond milk has been fairly available. Pecans are more available because they grow them, but at times you can find cashews and almonds in large containers. Otherwise you can find smaller amounts in the spice isle. Sesame seeds are always available Chedraui often has organic coconut, coconut oil and other organic products under the Aires De Campo label. They have a non cereal granola we like  called  Granola con amaranto that is loaded with seeds . There are some other stores like Soliana that also have this brand. Organic is catching on here, and of course they grow and export organic to the States.

Aaaah, thanks, Travellight--that's pretty much what I was hoping!

I think with the variety of veggies and fruits available, I can get creative in the kitchen inventing all kinds of new recipes and adapting traditional Mexican ones.

Seeds and nuts of pretty much any variety will be important for me, so it's great to know that they're easily available.

Thanks for the support, Babs! It's good to know people are making it work, even in the smaller towns.

Coatepec...yes, I need to expand my knowledge of the different locations in Mexico, including Veracruz!

hey I am an Indian, planning to live abroad, how is Mexico? I am a freelance content writer , and have a budget of 1K USD a month. I need a decent accommodation, with bath attached and electricity and internet. also, I am 35 and looking for some socializing, parties , please help me with information on Mexico for such requirements.

latebloomer wrote:

hey I am an Indian, planning to live abroad, how is Mexico? I am a freelance content writer , and have a budget of 1K USD a month. I need a decent accommodation, with bath attached and electricity and internet. also, I am 35 and looking for some socializing, parties , please help me with information on Mexico for such requirements.

The topic of this thread is about vegan in Mexico.

If you are looking for a job then post your CV in the jobs section at the top of this page.
For accommodation check out the housing section at the top of this page.
For cost of living www.numbeo.com

Also read through the many posts in the forum categories list on the right hand side of this page. There is plenty of information to be found there.

Hello latebloomer,

Stumpy is right, your questions have nothing to do with this discussion.

For accommodation you may drop your ad in the Housing section > Housing in Mexico.

Thank you,
Marjorie

Hi there! I was vegan while I  lived in mexico,  in fact I started following a raw vegan diet while I lived there!  It was indeed pretty easy, having acces to so many fresh produces and beans!
as for eating in rrestaurants, it was never my thing but plenty of mexican food is vegetarian and if you want to stick to veganism just ask to remove cheese and sour cream.
I was in zihuatanejo and the markets were great! Although be prepare to see dead chicken with blood running down the streets. It took me awhile to get use to it and the smell. but you ll find some detours to avoid them!
Enjoy Mexico! I cant wait to move back there!

Thanks so much, Osianna! I look forward to having my own kitchen and fiddling around with new ingredients in Mexico. Well, I've already started to fiddle about in my kitchen here with ingredients I can find locally. I've been pouring over cookbooks (Diane Kennedy's and others); I will have to order some huitlacoche online....

I get what you mean about the blood and butchery of Mexico food markets. The animal parts are not all sanitized and wrapped in plastic like in the States. It's not pretty, but I think it's more honest....