Whenever I go out to tape my show Foodprints on Metro Channel, I come back feeling heavy and with a guilty conscience having pigged out. But my justification is “it’s my job.” So, on the way back, I’m already planning how I will lose these extra unwanted pounds. But, we all know it’s easier said than done. And like I always like to say in jest, “the best time to plan a diet is when one is full.” You will promise the moon and the stars that this is something you’re hellbent on doing—until you get hungry again.
One of the diets I do is trying to skip dinner. Not easy but according to my doctor friend Doc Eric Pascual, if you can skip dinner, that’s a pound a day. Another is intermittent fasting, during which I eat my last meal at 7:30 p.m. and my next meal 16 hours later at 11:30 a.m. Intermittent fasting is much easier than skipping dinner altogether, but, it doesn’t seem to work. I’ve been trying this other diet. I try to go vegetarian. This has immediate results in terms of making me feel light and awake. Digestion is a lot easier compared to having a heavy meal of meats. The problem is I get hungry faster.
For many months now, I’ve been enjoying a veggie or plant-based Whopper from Burger King. I have this sometimes twice a week. I order it with extra veggies and an apple juice without ice. I love the barbecue sauce that goes with it. I also feel light after the meal. I tried it once with a double patty. Loved it too! I’ve tried other vegetarian burgers, but I liked none of them. Nothing comes close to Burger King. Yum!
Another place I frequent when I want to eat healthy is WabiSabi restaurant, a vegetarian restaurant at Cinema Square in Makati. It has a branch in Timog. To me, this is the best vegetarian restaurant. Everything on the menu is plant based. They have delicious chicharon. I always order the corn tempura. The noodle soups are also winners. They have pho, ramen, and other noodle dishes in broths. They have quapao, unagi over rice, but the one I take home to my kids is the bahnimi. It has that crust bread with the pickled vegetables, wansoy, and a veggie meat that’s a bit sweet but so, so good! This you have to try.
To me, this is the best vegetarian restaurant. Everything on the menu is plant-based, including the chicharon.
Another thing I discovered recently is a product made by a company named Quorn. I believe it is a British company. They make vegetarian products. I got a few boxes and I just love them. I can incorporate some with my recipes just substituting the meats with their vegetarian items.
For example, they have Swedish style meat balls, which I put on my homemade mushroom gravy. Delicious. This morning I had crispy sausages with scrambled eggs and crackers. I had a sweet Baby Rays barbecue sauce I get from S&R and it was fabulous! They have fishless fingers that are crispy when fried and, dipped in a homemade sauce tartare, they make a great sandwich with pandesal or simply enjoy them with steamed rice.
They also have crispy nuggets similar to chicken nuggets but all meat-free. They have crispy filets to replace chicken breasts and they’re delicious too. They also have minced vegetarian. This can be made into Cubano, shepherds pie, Mexican taco filling, and many more. There is zero unhealthy saturated fat and low calories. It’s a great source of fiber, high in protein and has many more benefits.
I love that after having it as a meal, you feel light and bouncy. Before, I would only find products like these in the US. Now, you may find these Quorn in many supermarkets like Metro Mart, Robinsons supermarkets, Lazada, Pacific Bay, Shopee, Shopwise, Waltermart , SM supermarkets, and many more. So, when you’re into eating healthy, into losing weight, or into delicious vegetarian food, check these out. I love them.
MIGHTY CRISPY AND MEATY Quorn Cordon bleu (Anne Jea) and fillets frozen, defrosted, and fried (Jan Ainali)
Before I tape for Foodprints next time, I try to go on a diet for two weeks in anticipation of all the eating and tasting I’ll be doing. This is one avenue of healthy eating I’ll be taking.
Happy eating!
Email me to share any of your new food discoveries at [email protected].