Learning how to eat is probably one of the most drastic adjustments I had to make in Canada. I am a vegetarian, so, moving from a country where half the population is vegetarian to a country where meat is the staple diet of almost all the people was a major adjustment.
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This is typical homemade Nepali food.
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At home it was no issue to get vegetarian food. But outside, the options for vegetarian dishes were very few. Often when others ate burgers at McDonalds, I would have no choice but eat fries and drink only. Even at restaurants, the number of vegetarian dishes was very limited so I would have to always be open to get desserts or drinks or appetizers as a meal. Also, I realized that fast food is very common in Canada. I was not used to eating fast food that often. For us, in Nepal, weekend would be the time to go and eat out with families. Pizza, pasta and burgers were all luxurious food to us in Nepal. In Canada for many it was a daily thing. At first I used to pack lunch from home or go home for lunch. But later, everyone started working and I quickly realized that the busy lifestyle of Canadians did not allow them to spend time on cooking. Now we have moved from one to two meals at home to one.
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| Typical grocery store in Nepal. Fresh vegetables every day! |
During my first check up with my family doctor, I was given a Canadian food guide. Till that day I did not know Canada had developed a nutritional diet guide for Canadians to follow. I was then able to see what nutrients I needed to take in order to get all the nutrients I need. However, I always lacked the protein component because I did not eat meat. Now, starting to eat meat was an option for me but I had not done it for 11 years so instead I relied on eating substitute products that could build protein and iron in my body. The guide made life easier for my family and me. All kinds of food were readily available to us. I quickly learned how to incorporate those foods in our diet. The different variety of food available in Canada is completely mesmerizing. For one certain product, there are numerous brands and flavors present. How better could life get for people like us who were used to limited choices of brands or flavors? Nevertheless, in Canada we do not get the same fresh vegetables and go shopping daily for groceries.
