Editor’s Note: The following is a guest post by Floor, a Nutrition student at the University of Applied Sciences Amsterdam.
Life as a vegetarian might seem hard in Medellín or Colombia in general.
There are not that many places where they love their meat as much as they do in Medellín. It’s not just that Bandeja Paisa (a plate that contains up to five different types of meat) is the typical dish of Antioquia, but also that a steak will most likely be cheaper in the supermarket than a few carrots.
But if you choose your products right and know where to eat, Medellín might surprise you.
How to maintain a well-balanced vegetarian diet when using typical Colombian ingredients
Want to eat out but cheaply? Most typical Colombian restaurants will offer el plato del dia (plate of the day) for a fixed and cheap price.
It’s normally a big and filling meal existing of a soup and a plate filled with rice, beans, plantain, salad, meat and sometimes a piece of avocado.
By ordering this plate without the meat, you will still consume a lot of the vitamins and minerals you need to maintain a healthy body. Los frijoles (beans) for example contain loads of iron and protein.
The only thing that might not be sufficient will be the veggies. The salad is mostly small and doesn’t contain much more than some lettuce and a piece of tomato, so you need to work on them in another moment of the day.
When cooking a plate like this at home, you can replace the meat for products such as tofu or a vegetarian burger.
Instead of using normal white rice you can prepare whole grain rice. Whole grain rice or brown rice contains more vitamins, minerals and fiber than white rice does.
Add some vegetables such as spinach, beetroot or broccoli and you have made yourself a well-balanced, healthy and nutritional Colombian meal.
Other products which are widely available in the Colombian supermarkets and which help you to balance out a healthy vegetarian diet are: whole grain products like bread, rice, tortillas, cereals, potatoes, sweet potatoes, green leaf vegetables, legumes as beans, chickpeas and lentils, soya products, tofu, nuts and seeds, eggs, cow milk, soya milk and cheese.
Vitamin C considerably helps your body to absorb the iron out of your foods. Luckily, Medellín offers an extremely big variety of all different types of delicious fruits and fruit juices. So drink some juice while enjoying your meals!
Where to Eat
Restaurants in Poblado
Most popular vegetarian restaurant in Medellin (and for a reason)…
- Place: Verdeo
- Address: Carrera 35 #8A-3, Vía Provenza
- Website: http://www.ricoverdeo.com
- Review on Medellín Living
- Place: Fango Veggie BBQ
- Address: Calle 13 #43D-49, Barrio Manila
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/FANGOveggiebbq
For a quick and healthy bite…
- Place: Lenteja Express
- Address: Carrera 35 #8A-76
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/LentejaExpressPoblado
Great pizza and live music on Wednesdays…
- Place: Café Zorba
- Address: Calle 8 #42-33, Parque Lineal de la Presidenta
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/cafezorba
- Review on Medellín Living
Fine dining…
- Place: Herbario (not only vegetarian food, but a lot of veggie options)
- Address: Carrera 43D 10-30
- Website: http://www.elherbario.com
- Review on Medellín Living
Delicious Indian food and nice atmosphere…
- Place: Naan (not only vegetarian food but a lot of veggie options)
- Address: Carrera 35 # 7-75
- Website: https://facebook.com/pages/naan/173317159424401
- Review on Medellín Living
Restaurants in Centro
- Place: Vegetus
- Address: Carrera 47 54 10
- Website: www.vegetus.ws
Hindu restaurant and cultural center…
- Place: Govinda´s
- Address: Calle 51 #52-17, Sector Botero
- Website: http://medellin.govindas.co
Restaurants in Laureles
Best bread in town…
- Place: Salud pan
- Address: Circular 4ta #70-84
- Website: http://www.saludpan.com/sitio
Restaurants in Suramericana
Small, casual restaurant right near Plaza Suramericana, focusing on house-made vegetarian fare. Many items contain ghee. Ask for vegan options.
- Place: El Árbol de la Vida
- Address: Carrera 64C #48-188, Local 1
Restaurants in Belén
- Place: Vegarden – El Jardín Vegetariano
- Address: Calle 32B #81-41
- Website: http://www.eljardinvegetariano.com
Vegetarian Shops
Centro
- Place: Tienda Naturista y Restaurante Vegetariano Vida Natural
- Address: Cr. 50 48-53 L-9930
Itagüí
- Place: Tienda cocina vegetariana el Palo
- Address: Cr45 52-63 , Mayorista
Products Available in the Supermarkets
Hojaral
- Vegetal Burger (hamburger made of lentils, wheat and soy protein)
- Vegetal Chorizo (sausages made of beans, wheat and soy protein)
- Cruji vegetal (crunchy soy based croutons, goes well in soups, beans and salads)
You can find Hojaral in the following supermarkets: Euro, Consumo and the Exito del Este, and the ones in Poblado and Envigado.
There is one other brand that is selling vegetarian products in supermarkets:
- Alves
In nature shops, you will find products from the following brands:
- Sabyi
- Lenteja Express
- La Senda
- Vegeta
If you have a recommendation to add to this list, share it in the comments below. Be sure to include an address or website so readers can find it.
________
About the Author: Floor is a Nutrition student at the University of Applied Sciences Amsterdam, now doing her internship in Medellín. She loves to travel, cook and discover different food cultures.
