Thumpy Rose Why would anyone with trust issues and picky eating habits explore a whole continent for its unfamiliar foods? My decision to live on vegetarian African food resulted from serious health issues which were mixed with a bad relationship with food. Choosing no meat food was not easy. Not to mention having to do it while building healthy habits that appreciate wholesome ingredients. So, you want to know how I went from bored to booming while living on vegetarian African food? Allow me to answer that through this 2023 year-end reflection. We do not mean to guilt or shame anyone into joining us. If you are sincerely interested in learning about Africa, sign up below for our monthly updates.
Background: Bored of native recipes
Most people are bored of their traditional foods, which is why they turn elsewhere to spice things up. I was no different. Liberian foods are popular among West African food recipes. Unfortunately, I couldn’t live my entire life on only a dozen Liberian recipes. What’s scary is, that I noticed the more I resisted embracing other cultures’ recipes, the more old habits from having a bad relationship with food started to creep in. The no meat food lifestyle that is supposed to foster building healthy habits was becoming a burden.
Check Out: Liberian Food Recipes
Review: Kenya Food Recipes
Eating other foreign cuisines but not African
It occurred to me back then (2018) that I knew and ate a lot of Asian (Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Chinese, Korean, etc), Italian, and Spanish (Mexican & Peru) foods. But, I didn’t venture to any African restaurants. Was this caused by a bad relationship with food or something else?
African Americans and Caucasians seem more interested in eating at African restaurants than Africans themselves. They praise the wholesome ingredients! Not sure what switched to allow my conditioned biases to step aside, but I’m glad they did. And who knew that even the few Liberian recipes I was tired of weren’t the only ones in existence! Through this journey, I have not only learned more about the rest of Africa but about my home country as well.
2023 Reflection: unintentional accomplishments
1-Being less ignorant and actually having fun! Back then, the only thing I knew about North Africa was that it is where Egypt is and I thought Swahili was a South African language. In 2023, I managed to reduce my ignorance about Africa by 5%. I am ankle-deep in Kenyan foods, which means I understand a few Swahili food words. And now, Egypt is more than a place with pyramids; I eat foods the ancestors ate! Why does this matter? For me, sampling foods prior to visiting the country makes for an informed pleasant experience in-country.
Picture this: eating okoro stew at home with amala and knowing what it’s supposed to taste like. Or eating banku with kontimire stew and loving how it tastes. Besides, people warm up when they know you like what they eat. I think anyone with a bad relationship with food can heal by building healthy habits through this virtual travel food experience.
2- The world seems smaller now that I have eaten Ugali six times already. Staple ingredients of corn, semolina, or millet, tell me what West Africa has in common with folks from the East, North, or South. The no meat food lifestyle and vegetarian African food journey are how I’m learning to build trust. I still have a lot of ground to cover with the trust issues, but petit-a-petit.
3- Saving travel coins to visit countries whose foods I vibe with. Vegetarian African food with whole ingredients is worth going the distance! Realistically, some nations are untravellable but I will still enjoy their vegetarian African food options through this virtual travel experience.
Blissfully living on vegetarian African food
Not to brag, but I think I am becoming more cultured through this virtual travel experience. My knowledge about African tribes and what they eat seasonally is growing! East African recipes, West African food recipes, and Central African food all have wholesome ingredients to live one’s best life. Are you also living on no meat food this way and building healthy habits that can heal a bad relationship with food? If I’m dreaming, do not wake me yeh. Oya, make I enjoy ancient wealth (food) oh!
Curious about a no-animal-meat food lifestyle? Check out our Instagram page for real-life inspirations 😊.
In-country Tips: African Etiquette
Related: Eat to heal-Choose A Food Lifestyle
