Job Discussion Forums

[Black_Beer_Man]

I have decided to make the switch to a vegetarian diet. However, beyond dahl curry and pasta, I am lacking meal ideas. Vegetables in Japan cost a fortune. I was wondering what the vegetarians on Dave's eat?

Could you share with us some meal ideas?

[TokyoLiz]

You either have to give up gaishoku, or you have to accept that your menu choices will be limited, and you'll be served food that may contain animal products. Miso soup, salads, vegetable dishes invariably contain fish flavourings.

At home, eat brown rice and and make zakkomai/kokumotsu gohan. You'll need the nutrition in rice to make up for lack of meat.

Make miso soup with root veggies - gobou, potato, carrot, onion, bean sprouts, wakame. Curry rice with eggplant, mushrooms and green peppers.

Thai dishes like tom yam soup, pad tai, and curry have fish or chicken. I guess you could substitute agedofu.

I make green curry with mushrooms, eggplant.

When I arrived in Japan 15 years ago, I was pescatarian - vegetarian but ok with fish. It was too difficult to continue that diet. I risked damaging my health. So I eased into eating pork and chicken in small amounts.

This year I didn't farm on my patio, but I have grown eggplant, tomato, kabocha and green peppers in containers. The garden was a neglected patch behind my apartment building. It was cheap and fun.

[Futureal]

There's a blog that has info on normal supermarket stuff that's veg or not:
http://veggietasama.blog.fc2.com/

I recommend, as the previous poster said, cutting down on eating out. Other than that, just watch for ekisu (extract), lard, doubutsuyushi and other animal-derived ingredients on labels.