Veganism In Mexico: Exploring Dietary Trends And Preferences

Mexico is a country with a strong meat-eating culture, and vegetarianism is not widespread. However, in recent years, veganism and vegetarianism have been gaining popularity, especially in larger cities and tourist hotspots. Mexican cuisine features many ingredients that are suitable for vegans, such as corn tortillas, beans, vegetables, and exotic fruits. In addition, some traditional Mexican dishes can be easily adapted to be vegan-friendly, such as veggie burritos, fajitas, nachos, and guacamole.

When it comes to dining out, it is important to be cautious as some animal ingredients, such as lard and chicken broth, are commonly used in Mexican cooking. It is always a good idea to ask about ingredients and specify your dietary restrictions.

For vegans and vegetarians, Mexico offers a range of options, from street food to fine dining. Popular vegan dishes include chilaquiles, veggie tamales, nopales (cactus), vegan burritos, and enchiladas.

Some useful Spanish phrases for ordering vegan food in Mexico include:

- Soy vegano/a (I am vegan)

- Sin carne, sin pollo, sin pescado, sin huevos, sin queso (Without meat, chicken, fish, eggs, or cheese)

- Esto contiene productos lacteos? (Does this contain dairy products)?

Vegan food in Mexico City

Mexico City is a haven for vegans, with vegan street taco stands, all-vegan delis, and high-end plant-based restaurants. Here is a guide to some of the best vegan food options in Mexico City.

Vege Taco

Vege Taco is a vegan sit-down taqueria in the Coyoacan neighbourhood. This bustling spot offers affordable plant-based dishes, including various vegan twists on traditional Mexican dishes and street food. Their menu includes vegan and vegetarian versions of Mexican dishes, enchiladas, chile en nogada, tacos, quesadillas, and pozole.

Veguisima

Veguisima is a small vegan restaurant in the trendy Condesa neighbourhood. It has a lovely outdoor setting that feels like a private terrace and serves some of the best enchiladas in the city. Their menu includes appetisers such as soups and baked potatoes, as well as vegan burgers, tacos, bowls, and special vegan versions of popular Mexican meat dishes.

La Pitahaya Vegana

La Pitahaya Vegana is a top vegan restaurant in the hip Roma Norte neighbourhood. Their vegan tacos are some of the most creative and delicious in all of Mexico. They strive to use fewer meat substitutes and focus on plant-based flavours. Their tacos are coloured with natural beet juice, enriching the culinary experience. They also serve breakfast, including chilaquiles, burritos, scrambled tofu, and fruit with vegan yoghurt.

Fat Vegan

Fat Vegan is located in Roma Norte and is the place to go for vegan junk food. The restaurant serves burgers, crispy tofu, shakes, and more. They also offer great breakfasts with melt-in-your-mouth hash browns.

Utopia

Utopia is a 100% vegan pizza joint in the heart of Condesa, perhaps the most famous in the city. They offer thin-crust pizza with a large menu, including a Hawaiian pizza with mock ham, pineapple, and melty cheese.

Por Siempre Vegana Taqueria

Por Siempre Vegana Taqueria is a street stand and restaurant in Roma, known for its iconic, cult-following tacos. Their tacos are not only delicious but also super affordable. You can get five pastor tacos for 45 pesos.

Los Loosers

Los Loosers is a vegan restaurant in Mexico City that uses mushrooms as a key base. They offer the best "no-fish" tacos and ramen, full of flavour. The restaurant has an Asian-Mexican feel, and their dishes nail it.

Vegan food in Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is a very vegan-friendly destination. Here are some of the best vegan restaurants in the city:

100% Vegana Taqueria

A small spot that looks like it's inside a garage, but serves some of the best tacos in Puerto Vallarta. The chef makes all the vegan meats on the grill, and there are also some items that are deep-fried. You can order tacos, burgers, and side dishes.

Mr. Vegan

A quiet little spot nestled down a side street. You scan a QR code to get the menu and place your order through Whatsapp. Justin and I ordered vegan sopes, gorditas, and chilaquiles. Everything was delicious and the perfect vegan Mexican feast.

The Green Place

A beautiful restaurant and cafe in Puerto Vallarta. Murals and brightly coloured art are splashed across all of the walls. The menu includes smoothie bowls, chilaquiles, toasts, pancakes, burgers, sandwiches, the Buddha bowl, spring rolls, salads, and more.

Vegan Ramen Mei

A 100% vegan ramen restaurant inside the Ten to Ten hostel. There are several different kinds of vegan ramen, as well as starters and appetizers like fried chicken and edamame.

Elixir Spot

A plant-based cafe and juice bar with acai bowls and smoothie bowls, avocado toast, tacos, and more. The local family who owns Elixir Spot is passionate about creating delicious and healthy vegan food.

Playa Detox

A 100% vegan restaurant with a focus on healthy eating. You can try a veggie burger made out of veggies, as well as tacos, falafel, pizza, soup, and vegan breakfast items.

Restaurante Vegetariano Mary

The chef prepares all of the vegan meats on the grill and makes them into tacos and quesadillas. You can choose from three types of tacos, quesadillas, vegan pizza, and vegan burgers. In the evenings, it becomes an entirely vegan taqueria.

Planeta Vegetariano

A famous and popular vegetarian buffet restaurant. The all-day buffet features a salad bar, raw foods, hot foods, soup, and juices. The majority of the items are vegan, and the menu changes daily.

Veggitalia Pizza & Osteria Vegetariana

An entirely vegetarian Italian restaurant. Anything on the menu can be prepared vegan, just ask the staff. There's pizza, pasta, and even vegan tiramisu.

La Traviata

An Italian rooftop restaurant. There is an extensive Italian menu, although there are only a few items that are vegan or vegan-friendly. Try the vegan pizza, or order vegan pasta.

Vivero Wine Bar

Puerto Vallarta's newest wine bar, with vegan eats. A full menu is available from 2pm until midnight on weekdays and 3pm until midnight on weekends. Vegan items are marked with a little green circle. There's a vegan charcuterie board, spicy potatoes, beet hummus, and more.

Vegan food in San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende, a small city with a big heart, is a not-to-be-missed destination for vegans visiting Mexico. The city's stone buildings, doused in vibrant colours, are home to a plethora of vegan-friendly shops, services and restaurants.

Don Taco Tequila

A fully vegan venue situated right in the centre of town, Don Taco Tequila offers a wide array of plant-based adaptations of traditional Mexican cuisine, alongside an extensive drink list. The Norteño taco, grilled cactus, guava margarita and dairy-free chocolate gelato are among the best options on the menu.

Nectar

Nectar, while not a fully vegan restaurant, has a number of vegan options. Menu items marked with a V can be modified for plant-based eaters, just make sure you let your server know. Marketed as a teahouse, this spot offers sandwiches, burgers, soups, enchiladas and more, all in the comfort of a charming, sunny courtyard. The tofu scramble, enchiladas rojas and vegan pozole verde are all must-try dishes.

Roots Local Organic

Roots, or Roots Local Organic, is a permanent vegan food stand situated in a larger venue called Mercado Carmen. There, you can grab dishes such as vegan enchiladas, tacos, soups and sandwiches, served up quickly and at a fair price. It’s surrounded by other food spots and a bar, so you and your whole party can eat and drink the night away.

Turk

Mediterranean food spot Turk is a delightful, side-of-the-road restaurant with surprisingly good atmosphere and excellent service. The hummus and tahini enthusiasts among us best hold on to their paychecks, ‘cause they’re in for a real good time.

Oko

Oko is a Thai spot, situated on the perimeter of town, which dishes up a number of veganisable Southeast Asian dishes in hearty portions, sure to have you leaving satisfied. The pad Thai, with natural tofu, is said to be a-okay for vegans.

Mikka

Mikka is a non-vegan restaurant that happens to offer a few plant-based options. Included on the Japanese-inspired menu are a Veggie Vegan Bowl, and a Sea Weed Tofu Bowl, both of which are entirely free of animal products.

Casa Buen Viaje

A little bar with great atmosphere, Casa Buen Viaje offers a number of plant-based small plates. Among the options on the menu are tacos, gorditas, and tostados.

Lolita

Situated on a busy but sunny main drag in the little city of San Miguel de Allende, Lolita is a seemingly endless restaurant, with a massive patio. Featured on its omnivore-tailored menu are a handful of vegan-friendly options, including enchiladas and a black bean soup. Both are delicious and come in generous portions.

Café de Bellas Artes, El Café de la Mancha, and Ki’bok Coffee

With veganism growing in popularity in Mexico, a number of San Miguel de Allende’s charming coffee shops offer plant-based milk and excellent coffee. Among them are Café de Bellas Artes, El Café de la Mancha, and Ki’bok Coffee, which also boasts a location in the coastal city of Tulum.

El Cielo, the bar at the Rosewood hotel, and La Azatea

Amazing patios with picturesque views and fantastic vegan booze options include El Cielo, the bar at the Rosewood hotel, and La Azatea.

Mercado Sano

Mercado Sano is a health food shop and, on the weekends, a market offering a number of vegan options, as well as a smoothie stall serving up acai bowls, smoothies and juices.

Vegan food in Guanajuato

Although veganism in Mexico is still relatively uncommon, with most Mexicans being meat eaters, there are a growing number of vegan restaurants in the country, particularly in the larger cities. Guanajuato, a culturally and historically significant university city, is no exception. Here are some of the best vegan spots to check out in Guanajuato.

Guanajuatito Mi Amor

A charming vegan restaurant tucked inside a courtyard off the main Plaza De La Paz, Guanajuatito Mi Amor offers a daily lunch menu special that includes an appetiser, a natural drink, a main dish, and a dessert. The menu includes vegan tacos, enchiladas, enmoladas, tortas, and pozole. The restaurant also offers soy-based meat substitutes, but you can ask to substitute mushrooms instead.

Habibti

An all-vegan Middle Eastern spot, Habibti specialises in falafel and other Middle Eastern finger foods. You can design your own plate with falafel balls, stuffed grape leaves, tabbouleh, and hummus. They also offer a falafel sandwich, lentil soup, and Middle Eastern sweets and snacks. Habibti is cash-only, so remember to bring enough cash with you!

Escarola

A vegetarian and vegan restaurant with the mission of promoting a healthy society through a healthy diet, Escarola offers a wide selection of vegan Mexican dishes, freshly made juices, and smoothies. The menu includes guacamole, spicy mushrooms, amaranth tabbouleh, soups, salads, chile en nogada, a Mediterranean plate, and whole wheat pasta with pesto. They also have a selection of tacos, but these tend to be a bit dry and lacking in ingredients.

Delica Mitsu Companero

Delica Mitsu is a Japanese joint with a New York Lower East Side vibe. While not a vegan restaurant, it offers many vegan options, including coconut milk Thai curry, vegetarian rolls, spring rolls, rice bowls, and bento boxes. The portions are generous, and the presentation is beautiful.

Uli Uli Poke Bowls

A small family-owned to-go food stand, Uli Uli Poke Bowls offers healthy bowl options, including a vegan Veggie Bowl for only 100 pesos. You can also build your own bowl, and if you bring back your container, you'll get 5 pesos off your order. They even offer cauliflower rice for those avoiding grains.

Santo

Located on the bridge, Santo is a tourist hotspot that serves tasty food with a handful of vegan options. Try their enchiladas and chilaquiles!

Banh Mi

This Vietnamese restaurant offers vegan-friendly Asian cuisine at a fair price. While their ramen and pho contain beef broth, their curry and noodle dishes can be made with tofu. If you like spicy food, try the drunken noodles, or opt for their Vietnamese rolls for a fresh, healthy option.

Coastal Cultura Cafeteria

Although the menu at this high-end restaurant in a beautiful 3-story colonial house doesn't seem vegan-friendly at first glance, there are some modifications that can be made. For example, the Aztec soup can be made without cream, and the Greek and beet salads can be made without cheese. For a main dish, ask for their huitlacoche pasta dish to be veganised. They also offer coffee, smoothies, and cocktails, and you can sit on the balcony to enjoy the views of Guanajuato.

What to watch out for in Mexican food

Although Mexican food is generally vegan-friendly, there are a few things to keep in mind when ordering or preparing vegan Mexican dishes. Here are some tips to ensure your meal is vegan-friendly:

• Beans – While beans are a staple in Mexican cuisine, be aware that they may be cooked with animal products. Refried beans, in particular, often contain lard or pork scraps. It is best to ask about the preparation method or opt for whole beans when possible.
• Rice – Rice is commonly boiled in chicken stock, so it is important to inquire about the cooking method. Choose brown rice when possible, as it is more nutritious and has a lower glycemic index than white rice.
• Tortillas – Corn tortillas are typically vegan, as they are made from ground corn and water. However, flour tortillas may contain lard or be grilled with animal fat, so be sure to check.
• Salsa and Guacamole – These condiments are usually vegan, but sometimes guacamole may contain sour cream. It is best to ask about the ingredients or make your own to ensure it is vegan.
• Cheese – Cheese is a common ingredient in Mexican dishes, and it is often made with animal milk. Opt for vegan cheese or ask for dishes without cheese to make sure your meal is vegan-friendly.
• Street Food – While street food can be tempting, it may be challenging to find vegan options. Some cities like Mexico City offer exclusive vegan taco stands, but in other cases, it may be difficult to find vegan street food that is not cooked in the same oil as non-vegan options.
• Meat Alternatives – When ordering vegan meat alternatives, such as soy meat or tofu, be cautious as these may be cooked with animal products or in the same oil as non-vegan options.
• Animal Fats – In general, animal fats like lard or tallow may be used in cooking, so it is important to inquire about the cooking methods and ingredients used in your dish.
• Language Barrier – If you are ordering vegan food in Mexico, it is helpful to know some key Spanish phrases. Learn how to say "I am vegan" and specify which animal products you do not consume, as there may be assumptions about what a vegan diet includes.

Vegan-Friendly Mexican Dishes

• Chilaquiles – This traditional breakfast dish often includes meat, egg, and dairy. However, it is common to find vegan options with soy meat or simply omit the animal products.
• Veggie Tamales – Tamales are typically made with corn dough filled with vegetables, cheese, or meat and steamed in corn husks. Be sure to ask for a vegan version without cheese or meat.
• Nopales – Nopales, or cactus, is a vegan staple in Mexico and can be found in tacos, salads, or as a filling for tortillas.
• Vegan Burrito – A classic Mexican dish, the burrito can easily be made vegan by filling it with beans, rice, guacamole, and sometimes cactus.
• Molletes – Traditionally made with beans, cheese, and salsa, molletes can be made vegan by omitting the cheese or choosing a vegan alternative.
• Sopa Azteca – This traditional soup is made with vegetables, tortilla strips, and a tomato-based broth, making it a naturally vegan option.
• Enchiladas Verdes – Enchiladas are typically filled with beans or vegetables and covered in a green tomato-based sauce, making them a vegan-friendly option.
• Chiles en Nogada – This seasonal dish is made with poblano peppers filled with fruits, nuts, and spices, topped with a creamy walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds.
• Vegan Flautas – Flautas are small, rolled-up tortillas filled with potato, beans, or mock meat and deep-fried until crispy.
• Elotes – Grilled corn on the cob with chilli powder, elotes are usually vegan but may sometimes have butter, mayonnaise, or cheese added.
• Tostadas de Coyoacán – This popular street food is made with a tostada topped with refried beans, lettuce, and salsa. Be sure to order it without the cream and cheese to make it vegan.

Frequently asked questions