Were you one of the good girl or boy who grew up loving your veggies? The wonderful world of greens offers us so much more – from fibre to minerals, nutrients and vitamins. This food group deserves a lot more attention and appreciation than it gets.

But first, some important questions:

How do you differentiate between a fruit and a vegetable?

Fruits usually spring from the flower of a plant, are commonly sweet, and contain seeds in them. Vegetables on the other hand could come from any other parts of a plant including roots, leaves and stems, and offer diverse flavours from sweet to spicy, and savoury.

Rule of thumb when all else fails: with seeds, they’re usually fruits. That’s right, your tomato is a fruit.

What is the difference between a Vegan and a Vegetarian?

Vegetarians generally do not eat meat of any kind, but may still consume animal-based products such as milk, cheese, eggs and so on. Vegans have a wholesome plant-based diet, and generally restrict themselves from consuming any products that may contain even traces of animal products; for example not consuming mayonnaise (which contains eggs), honey as it is produced by bees, and even cakes, cookies or baked goods that may contain dairy such as even milk powder.

Are Vegans and Vegetarians healthier than meat eaters?

There are actually many indulgent, calorie-heavy food that are vegan-friendly. These variations include fried food such as fries, alcohol, desserts, and common supermarket junk food like cookies and vegan ice cream.

On top of that, vegans have also proven to be very crafty in recreating its own vegan versions of burgers, pizzas, cutlets and other well-known childhood favourites.

Dust off that mindset that it’s so hard to maintain a vegetarian diet in Malaysia with meat aplenty dishes ladened everywhere. Check out all the vegan meals GemSpot’s merchants have on the app and order in to discover this new world of flavour-packed plant-based meals.

Fruit salad

Whether as an appetiser or as a main course, salads can be so satisfying when it’s done right! This avocado & mango salad in a bed of butterhead lettuce offers a burst of colour, and the toasted almond flakes and vinaigrette help to balance the sweet and savoury.

Summer Mushroom Tortellini

Good news for vegans: carbs are most definitely allowed! And mushrooms might just be one of the top 3 favourite ‘meat substitutes’ in veganism, as it offers a savoury flavour and a decent bite. This delicious pasta comes with three different mushrooms: shiitake, eryingii and shimeiji. Promise you won’t even notice that meat is missing!

Ho Poh’s Green Tea Rice

This Hakka herb based specialty offers flavour and texture galore, and not to mention a generous portion of roughage. Savour different greens, beans and nuts with rice, along with the side of traditional green tea or lei cha.

Mee Rebus (vegetarian)

If you’re craving a local fair, this vegetarian mee rebus is meat-free yet packed with protein. Topped with boiled egg, potato, tofu, taugeh and crackers, expect every bowl to serve up that sweet and sour flavourful noodle soup that any true Malaysian knows how to appreciate.

Ordering food while MCO-ing at home? All throughout the month of June, enjoy a month-long low delivery fee of only RM1 for distances up to 25km!