Being vegan for a day at Veg Fest Malaysia

Plant-based foods have gained more popularity over the past decade due to increased awareness and consumption.

While there are many traditional vegan dishes in Malaysia, like tofu, chickpeas, and tempeh (fermented soybeans), you will still need to do some planning and research if you want to transition to a fully-vegan lifestyle.

That's where Veg Fest hopes to help. An initiative by Veg Hub, an online app for purchasing vegan and vegetarian products, Veg Fest was held at Paradigm Mall from 7 to 9 Oct, showcasing over 40 vegan and vegetarian-friendly parlours. 

Gulshan Rai, the co-founder of Veg Hub, said that the event's main aim was "to create awareness on the plant-based lifestyle to motivate more and more people to lead a healthier and greener lifestyle".

Can a non-vegan, non-vegetarian enjoy non-meat options?

As an Arab-Malaysian, I admit that I am used to a meat-heavy diet. While I have tried a lot of vegetarian food and have been to a few plant-based restaurants, it is not something I would intentionally look for.

Still, I went to the Fest with an open mind and a big appetite.

The Fest was buzzing with vegans and non-vegans as they sampled and bought plant-based food from various brands including. It also featured live music, chefs' demos, and wellness and nutrition talks.

One thing that I have been wanting to try for a while, and even tried making at home, was a vegan burger.

So that was the first thing I looked for when I arrived, and I decided to try the vegan burger by Sungift.

The owner informed me that the patty was made from pea protein and did not contain animal ingredients, artificial colours or preservatives. Their concept is to create a meat-free patty that tastes like meat and is tasty.

Appearance-wise, even a meat eater could be fooled by this vegan burger.

I wouldn't have guessed it was vegan if no one had told me.

The combination of the meatless patty, tomato, lettuce, and chilli sauce was tasty, but I must admit it lacked the same meaty complexity of flavour.

I also sampled some vegan scones from Vicked Good, which sells vegan confectionary.

The scones were light and crumbly, and I wasn't able to to tell that they used vegan butter and soy milk. They looked and tasted just as good as those that contain dairy products, minus the clotted cheese.

Not just about the food

I ended my vegan food sampling with a meditation demo from Sahaja Yoga, a non-profit organisation that offers online meditation classes and workshops.

While I've seen and heard the term "mindfulness" a lot in the past two years, and even read a book about it, somehow, I have never really found calmness in any activity outside of martial arts.

So I was excited about experiencing the chakra meditation, which the instructor, Liz, guided me through.

I don't know if it was Liz's calming voice or all the healthy vegan food I'd just had, but for those ten minutes, I felt completely, and peacefully present.

One of the fest attendees, Arun, who embraced the vegan lifestyle three years ago, said that it wasn't easy switching to a vegan diet because of the lack of vegan restaurants in Malaysia, and he was excited when he heard about this event.

"I visited twice this weekend because there were so many things I wanted to try," Arun said.

We've all heard how veganism (or at least eating less meat) is good for the environment and our bodies, but for myself and many people I know, adopting a vegan diet is not easy.

Events like this, however, left me with a better understanding of veganism.

I don't think I would give up my current eating habits completely, but I am looking forward to a healthier one which includes less meat, more environmentally friendly products, and weekly meditation sessions to keep me grounded.

Huda Hekmat is an educator, content writer, and Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. She is currently doing her masters in Educational Psychology. When she isn't teaching, writing, or trying to armbar her fellow gym mates, you can find her reading a thriller, watching a stand-up comedy, or on the hunt to find the best nasi lemak in KL.

Do you have a story tip? Email: malaysia.newsroom@yahooinc.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.