Vegan food near me: Vegan diaries from Bangkok

A few years ago, it was difficult to find vegan options in Bangkok but I think Bangkok is slowly becoming a vegan/plant-based paradise. The options for vegan food near me has increased over the past two years. 

No matter where you are staying in Bangkok, it is very easy to find vegan food near where you stay  and most restaurants have delivery service too. There is a lot of vegan food near me available in supermarkets too now.

There has been an increase in the number of vegan restaurants opening in 2022 compared to the years before the pandemic.

Vegan food near me: The changing road map to a plant-based future

vegan food near meDespite the highs and lows of Covid, the future of the plant-based sector still looks bright and it is growing in Bangkok. The future of vegan food in Bangkok is looking bright as more vegan cafes are opening.

There are more than 40 exclusive vegan restaurants in Bangkok today, you will find a vegan restaurant or at least a vegan menu relatively easily. Vegan restaurants are still not the norm and we are still far away from the day vegan restaurants become mainstream but there has been a lot of progress off late and if the trend continues, we are not far from the day vegan restaurants will become mainstream.

The vegan restaurants which opened recently offer a wide range of plant-based dishes like vegan sausage pizzas, burgers with vegan cheese and there are also dairy free cheese platters offered with wine.

The world of plant-based food is evolving every day and every dish which has meat in it can be made meat free.

There are a lot of vegan restaurants and vegan menus available for home delivery on food applications like foodpanda. These home delivery options were not available a decade ago or even five years ago,  and even if they were, it was definitely a much lesser choice.

plant-based eating

Much of the world is trending toward plant-based eating, people may not be willing to go completely meat free but they are looking at reducing their meat consumption — and this global shift could be here to stay. Thailand has done much better than most countries when it comes to vegan food options. Big supermarkets like Makro also have plant-based meat and other vegan food options available today.

Groceries which are meat free, egg free or dairy free are becoming more common. If people are given vegan options, surveys show that a significant number of people are open to try them out. 

Sometime in the mid-2010s, many people shifted from using the word “vegan” to “plant-based,” ,  people feel it is more open and less restrictive than the term vegan. The term plant-based has been helpful in transforming this way of eating into something more inclusive and welcoming to larger sections of society.

Now, in Bangkok, finding plant-based/vegan alternatives for everything from beef to eggs to dairy products (like cheese, butter, and ice cream) is super easy and it is available in all mainstream grocery stores and niche vegan/organic grocery stores across Bangkok. Organic village is a grocery store near me which has a lot of vegan food options.

Many mainstream restaurants are adding plant-based foods and other vegan items to their menus.  Plus, plant-based foods today taste better than ever — some of the imitation meats are so close to their animal-derived counterparts that it’s hard to tell the difference.

Many people have observed that Millennials seem to be central drivers of this worldwide shift away from consuming animal products and increasing demand for plant-based menus — normalizing plant-based eating, and leading consumer demand. But the plant-based movement is bigger than any one generation. Everyone from celebrities to athletes to entire companies, including Google, and countries as big as China are supporting the movement to eat more plant-based foods.

Plant-based eating may not be entirely mainstream – yet. But it’s becoming more accepted every day. And this trend is having far-reaching impacts. Know more about where can I buy organic food online, vegan food near me, So Vegan and where to buy vegan food near me.

Vegan food near me: Best vegan restaurants in Bangkok

This is a list of Bangkok’s 15 best vegan restaurants

  • vegan food near meThe Banana Warrior Cafe
  • Kapra Cafe
  • Vistro Bangkok
  • Carrots: The Vegan Bistro
  • Broccoli Revolution
  • Vibe Plant Based Cafe
  • Veganerie
  • Nature’s Charm Cafe
  • Earthling Cafe
  • Saptha Bangkok
  • Munchbox by Nidhi
  • Canes Casual Dining
  • So Vegan
  • Barefood Bangkok
  • Plantiful

These are exclusively vegan, there are many vegetarian restaurants in Bangkok but the above list are names of restaurants which don’t use dairy, egg or meat on their menu.

Vegetarian and vegan are very different, a lot of people still don’t know the difference. Vegan dishes don’t have any animal products.

Vegan food near me: Statistics of vegan food trends

vegan food near meThis is a list of vegan food statistics, it definitely looks like the global demand for plant-based foods is increasing:

  • Search data from Google Trends shows an impressive worldwide increase in the interest in veganism from 2004 to 2022. According to traveloffpath.com, Thailand comes in the top 10 vegan destinations in the world. There are more than 1500 vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Thailand listed on Happy Cow. Chiangmai has repeatedly topped a global list of the most vegan friendly cities in the world and Phuket came third place.
  • An early 2022 survey from dating app OkCupid found that 90% of its clients say caring about the planet, and, specifically, climate change, is important in their romantic matches. Millennials are the largest group of OkCupid users, and they may also be responsible for the push towards more plant-based eating because of concerns around climate change. 
  • According to statista.com, In 2019, the value of the plant-based food market in Thailand amounted to around 845 million U.S. dollars. Such market value was forecast to reach 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. From 2019 to 2024, the compound annual growth rate of the plant-based market was also estimated to be ten percent.
  • In the UK, the number of people identifying as vegans in 2016 had increased by 360%, compared to just a decade before, according to research commissioned by the Vegan Society in partnership with Vegan Life magazine.
  • In Canada, there has been a 250% increase in vegetarians. There are now over 2.3 million vegetarians and 850,000 vegans, according to 2020 data. The province with the most overall plant-based eaters is British Columbia. And in Canada’s Dietary Guidelines, most recently published in 2019, there is an emphasis on eating plant-based foods. They specifically recommend choosing plant-based proteins more often than animal-derived ones and avoiding processed meat and saturated fat.
  • In Portugal, vegetarianism rose by 400% between 2007 and 2017 and has likely continued to grow since then. This is according to research carried out by Nielsen. Interestingly — thanks to the work of Portugal’s Vegetarian Association — starting in 2017 it became the first country in the world to pass a law that requires all government facilities, including prisons, hospitals, and schools, to offer at least one vegan option on their menus.
  • Plant-based diets are growing across Asia. The Food-Based Dietary Guidelines of China, last updated in 2016, encourage consuming plenty of vegetables and soybeans. One reason for this is because the Chinese government wants to encourage the nation’s 1.3 billion people to reduce their meat intake by 50% to benefit both health and the environment.
  • In Australia, between 2014 and 2016 the number of food products carrying a vegan claim rose by 92%. According to 2020 reports, Australia is second only to the UK in terms of plant-based eating preferences.
  • Even mainstream US health organizations are recommending a plant-based diet. This includes, among others, Kaiser Permanente, the largest healthcare organization in the US; the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee; and the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Vegan food near me: Vegan athletes around the world are normalizing Plant-Based eating.

vegan food near mePlant-strong athletes across many sports are busting myths and achieving unbelievable results.

Across many sports, professional athletes are proving that a plant-based diet can fuel excellence. This includes athletes from weightlifting and bodybuilding to ultramarathon running and tennis.

Venus Williams, an American tennis player who has won seven Grand Slam singles titles and 14 Grand Slam Women’s doubles titles follows a raw vegan diet. She has also won the prestigious Wimbledon women’s singles title five times and has four Olympic gold medals.

The tennis star adopted a raw vegan diet after she was diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome in 2011 and doctors advised it would relieve some of her symptoms such as extreme fatigue and joint pain.

In an interview with Health magazine about the disease and her raw vegan diet, Williams said: “I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and I wanted to maintain my performance on the court. Once I started, I fell in love with the concept of fueling your body in the best way possible [through raw, vegan food].

“Not only does it help me on the court, but I feel like I’m doing the right thing for me.”

The global trend of many athletes performing well on a vegan diet has definitely increased public curiosity and interest in a plant-based diet.

It is not uncommon to see headlines which praise the performance of athletes who are following a plant-based diet. According to reports,Plant-Based eating is helping NFL football players perform at their best, Tom Brady Eats an 80/20 Plant-Based Diet.

Basketball players are reportedly feeling great and performing incredibly well on plant-based diets.More and more professional basketball players are going plant-based to boost their stamina and endurance.

Vegan food near me: Vegan celebrities are popularizing Plant-Based living

vegan food near meGiving up meat and animal products is becoming the norm for a growing number of celebrities.

A long list of celebrities across the globe are living (or at least trying) the plant-based life. Some of the many well-known names giving up animal products and going vegan, vegetarian, or plant-based include Billie Eilish, Natalie Portman, Beyoncé, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, Carrie Underwood, Ellie Goulding, Jennifer Lopez, Woody Harrelson, Evanna Lynch, Rainn Wilson, Alicia Silvertone, Moby, Stevie Wonder, Bill Clinton, and Al Gore.

Many instagram influencers and celebrities in Thailand are also seen posting their plant-based lifestyle on their social media which is influencing public perception and increasing demand for plant-based food.

If you are looking for plant-based influencers in Bangkok to feel inspired. Check out the instagram feeds of:

@rootthefuture

They are the most famous plant-based influencers in Bangkok, Root the Future is well-known and beloved amongst the vegan community. Together, power duo Max and Jo share not only their tips for plant-based dining in Thailand , but also share a bigger ethos around environmental conservation. One look at their feed and you will feel inspired to go plant-based immediately. They cover all the plant based product launches, plant based restaurant openings etc. They also share content on other aspects of the circular economy like slow fashion etc.

@marialynnehren

Did you know that this former Miss Universe Thailand follows a plant-based diet? She is probably Thailand’s most celebrated influencer who posts on issues related to climate change like  air quality, labor rights in the fashion industry etc. Her profile does not highlight her plant-based journey specifically, she does mention it in some of her posts. 

@richiekul

Richie Kul too is an actor and a model, he is also an activist for the rights of animals. He has been vegan for a long time now, highlighting the benefits of the diet to his body and mind. 

Which is your favourite vegan restaurant near you in Bangkok? Looking for vegan restaurants near you?