Being vegetarian in Spain

Being a veggie in Spain

As only my most devoted fans will know (Hi, mum), I follow a vegetarian diet which involves removing meat, fish, and products such as gelatin and rennet. The Mediterranean is well known for its love of these food groups, so when I learnt that I would be moving to Granada for 6 months, renowned for its fresh swordfish, prawns and Spanish sausage, I was filled with fear. What would I eat? Would I be able to find Quorn or soya substitutions?  How would I survive?!

Only being one week in to my semester abroad in Granada, I don’t have much experience, but I am here to tell you what I have learnt so far. Firstly, when in restaurants ordering a salad or dish which appears vegetarian, always be sure to ask for “sin carne o pescado”. I can’t tell you how many waiters tell me that a dish is “definitely vegetarian”, yet the tentacles and eyes staring back at me, would beg to differ! 

  • A side note relating to this is that it is certainly possible to ask for a dish without the meat or fish advertised on the menu. Most of the waiters are very accommodating as – simply – they want you to spend your hard earned cash in their restaurant, so ask and you will receive.
At home in England, Quorn or other meat substitution products form a large part of my diet. Being fairly new to cooking (and obviously being a student), I find it much easier to have a “bung in” macaroni cheese or some Tesco's vegetable nuggets for my tea to get an adequate amount of protein (cheese is protein, honest!!) in my diet. However, in the last 9 days, I have not touched a veggie burger or a Quorn chicken nugget, and I feel much healthier (as does my dwindling student loan) for it! I have been using fresh ingredients, sauces, beans, lentils and rice, to cook healthy and filling meals. A quick tip to up your protein (and to feel super Spanish) is to add a fried egg on top of a meal, instantly more health benefits!

If you’re not quite ready to let go of the soya substitutes, in the big supermarket "Carrefour" (which I could write a whole other blog post on – it is epic!!) you can find some vegetarian products in the freezer and fridge sections such as spinach croquettes, vegetable fingers and tortilla Española. There is also a Carrefour’s own range of veggie sausages, burgers and other such delights to which you are so accustomed but beware! They are incredibly pricey for a minuscule portion of food so don’t rely on these for your sole protein consumption.

Considering all this, I can’t wait to expand my foodie horizons, sampling both the “interesting” and delicious vegetarian cuisine that Granada has to offer, and if in doubt, chickpeas will always have your back.

Rebeka

Comments

  1. Unknown11 October 2018 at 08:23

    You are both doing well with the Spanish , keep up the good work girls xx

    ReplyDelete

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