Post Date: 30 September 2019

Future menus maximizing the potential of vegetarian food

Written by: Hazel WONG (Class of 2019)

A few years ago, a lecturer introduced us in class to the environmental impact of food from different animals. He also spoke of “full-time vegans” and “flexitarians”, the latter meaning people who only partially adopt a vegetarian diet. At that moment, my ambition to become an environmental heroine was born and with it a strong motivation to stay “green” and save the Earth. My first thought was, “Let’s go vegan for a week!”

I went straight to the university canteen and found that among a hundred food items on the menu, only two were vegan: veggie fried rice and tofu soup with rice, both of which were extremely bland. Disappointed, I didn’t even manage a week. After three days, I had already given up my idea of becoming a vegan.

What are the top reasons people have for pursuing vegan or vegetarian diets? Environmental considerations and carbon footprint, also known as carbon intensity, are always among them. For readers who haven’t heard of carbon intensity, it is used to measure the amount of carbon dioxide emitted as a result of the production and consumption of certain products, including food.

You may wonder how food emits carbon dioxide. The answer lies in the process of growing, farming or rearing produce, then processing, packing and transporting it before storing and cooking it. It also includes the disposal of waste food products. During each stage, until the food reaches your mouth and eventually leaves your body, carbon dioxide is emitted through fuel consumption or the simple respiration of living organisms. Therefore, by quantifying the carbon intensity of various foods and comparing them, as in the chart, we can see the relative environmental harm they cause. When I saw the numbers, I was shocked. The consumption of red meat in general results in the emission of more than 30 times the amount of carbon dioxide than vegetables.

Food production alone is responsible for a quarter of all carbon dioxide emissions, also called greenhouse gases, which scientists tell us are the cause of environmental damage, global warming and the resulting climate change. Carbon intensity is also commonly referred to as “carbon footprint”, and environmental scientists at Oxford University1 found that of all the food products they analyzed, beef and lamb had by far the largest footprint and caused the most damage to the environment.

Other factors behind veganism and vegetarianism are health and religion. For example, Catholic Christians abstain from red meat on Fridays. Hindus do not eat eggs, fish, meat or poultry but do eat dairy. Buddhists maintain stringent rules about limiting meat consumption. People also cut down or eliminate their meat intake to stay healthy, believing it can lower blood cholesterol or avoid chronic diseases.

Being vegan seems to be the perfect lifestyle: environmentally-friendly and healthy while satisfying a variety of religious requirements. Nevertheless, a local survey3 conducted by Green Monday, a social enterprise that promotes green eating habits, reveals that Hongkongers are not supportive of any vegetarian diets. Only 3.7% of the respondents are full-time vegan and 24% are “flexitarian”. This made me curious about any factors that might be hindering the trend towards veganism in Hong Kong. I concluded that Cantonese people are dubious about the nutritional value of vegan food and have a strong appetite for meat.

For generations, vegetarian food in Cantonese cuisine was thought to be “unhealthy”. However, traditional Chinese medicine does recommend a vegetarian diet in a five-colour combination. Personally, my view is that you don’t need to adhere fully to their recommendations but certainly colourful food helps to boost the appetite.

One of the most iconic vegetarian items on a traditional Cantonese menu is “Marinated Dough” ( 齋滷味) which is soaked wheat gluten in sweet and sour sauce. This dish is usually oily and fatty which makes me feel guilty about eating it. Besides, some people in Hong Kong may struggle to maintain adequate protein intake on a purely vegan diet. Apart from gluten, tofu seems to be the only regular substitute form of protein on offer, at least where my university canteen’s menu is concerned. What is the answer?

According to HKU research4, the city has one of the world’s highest levels of meat consumption per capita, at least four times higher than the UK. Why? Perhaps people here are emotionally attached to meat and the pleasure of tasting it. Another study from Nielsen5 reveals that more than half of Hongkongers eat at a fast-food restaurant at least once a week. This may be due to the fast-paced lifestyle of the city, or simply a delight in junk food.

Hongkongers eat an astonishing amount of meat However, Hong Kong is now stepping into a new era – the era of vegan junk food. I wasn’t aware of this trend until I noticed that one of my senior university classmates had opened a vegetarian restaurant. Out of curiosity, I went to her shop in Tsim Sha Tsui and noticed a surprisingly long queue. Inside the restaurant, many young ladies were sitting and enjoying “meat” burgers. Interestingly, all the food looked much more appetizing than the two vegan dishes in my university canteen.

I ordered a “meat burger” to try. Once served, I investigated it in some detail before eating it. It looked exactly like meat, but I noticed a little flag [see photo]. It told me that I was about to eat a piece of “Impossible Meat.” What shocked me more was the taste. If nobody had told me otherwise I would certainly have believed it was real meat. In fact, it was vegan.

Impossible Meat is made by a company called Impossible Food, one of several companies that have developed plantbased “meat” that is known for a realistic texture and a taste that mimics real meat. In fact, there has been rapid growth recently in the development of this new category of “meat,” which is now available on the menus of some of Hong Kong’s well-known fast-food restaurants and café chains.

Although some people may think the price of such products is higher than that of traditional meat, there is evidence to suggest that its higher nutritional value compensates for the higher cost. The “meat” from the two above-mentioned companies has been found to have lower fat content, to be lower in saturated fats and to have zero cholesterol while maintaining a high level of protein when compared to real meat. Maybe this will give more incentive to give it a try, just to stay healthy.

It is never too late to start out on a vegan lifestyle. It’s a personal choice but asking advice from a nutritionist could be useful if you decide to be a full-time vegan. Even as a student of environmental science, I wouldn’t push anyone into giving up meat completely because animal-based products have a few nutrients that can’t yet be compensated fully by vegan food. However, the technology of artificial meat is advancing quickly and the trend for veganism will become more common in Hong Kong. So next time, don’t be surprised if you find that the “meat” you just ate wasn’t real meat at all. Stay healthy and combine ancient wisdom and modern vegan food!