Tips for Being a Vegetarian in Buenos Aires
Can you believe I was a vegetarian for the vast majority of the time I lived in Buenos Aires as an expat?! And while it’s not always easy to be a vegetarian in Buenos Aires, I promise you it is not impossible!
I hope this blog will serve as a guide for those of you that are hesitant to move to Buenos Aires because you’re a vegetarian or pescatarian. I promise you there is more to Buenos Aires than steak!
Here are some tips for being a vegetarian in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
*Moving to Buenos Aires? Check out this activity list I created with over 50 things you have to do while living in or visiting Buenos Aires.*
Health Food Stores
As a vegetarian, health food stores will be your best friend. In most neighborhoods you’ll find several to choose from. I lived in Recoleta and Puerto Madero. In Recoleta, there were many health food stores to choose from. However in Puerto Madero, you could only find 1 or 2. You could walk about 20 minutes into the Microcenter and find many more health food store options.
Be sure to check out options in your prospective neighborhood before deciding where to live. You may not want to rent an apartment in a neighborhood that can’t support your dietary needs.
In Buenos Aires health food stores you will find tofu, fresh bread, fresh juices and dairy free products. You’ll also find healthier options for everyday foods such as cookies, jam, pasta, drinks, etc.
And no Buenos Aires health food store would be complete without a bulk foods section. Think of beans, grains and spices. But you’ll likely need store employee assistance with the bulk foods so brush up on your Spanish!
Online Options
There are a few online markets or food delivery services that are wonderful for vegetarians and vegans living in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
My favorites were Vivet Market and Tallo Verde.
Vivet Market is an online grocery store that will cover all your food needs. I would order from them once or twice a month. It was great because they delivered everything straight to your front door.
Tallo Verde was an absolute game changer for me. I used to go to the grocery store often to continually stock up on fresh foods. But those grocery trips were drastically reduced when I found Tallo Verde.
Tallo Verde is an online food delivery company that specializes in fresh foods that are 100% organic. They offer foods that are currently in season so their selection can change weekly.
You’ll find fruits, vegetables, spices, beans, olives, eggs, herbs, oils, grains, nuts, artisan cheeses and jams.
Adjust Your Expectations
While the vegan and vegetarian lifestyle is growing in Buenos Aires, it’s not anywhere close to the norm. And this means while you can find vegan products, the selection will be very limited.
If you’re from a large metropolitan city such as Los Angeles or London, don’t expect to find the same amount of products or options in Buenos Aires. For example, there will only be one or two non-dairy milk options.
I also noticed in most of the health food stores I went to on a regular basis they sold a lot of the same things. Don’t expect different stores to offer different products.
Everyone is going to the same few health food stores and looking for the same products so if you see something new or something you really enjoy eating/drinking you may want to buy a few to keep at your home.
Restaurants
You also need to have patience with restaurants. Many serve very few vegetarian options.
I also noticed servers aren’t always keen to customize menu items. The best tip I can give around restaurants is to check the menu ahead of time. Ensure they offer a vegetarian option for you. Most restaurants in Buenos Aires offer one or several pasta dishes. This will be a good option for you. Be sure you get to know the delicious Italian restaurants in Buenos Aires!
Also, if you’re a pescatarian, you’ll normally find a few seafood options on the menu.
Parrilla
Parilla is either a steak restaurant or the device used to cook meat on an open fire (a metal grill over an open fire). Argentina is most famous for its Parrilla and you cannot visit or live in Buenos Aires and avoid the parrilla. If you want to experience Parrilla as a vegetarian, it is still possible!
You can easily customize what you order at Parrilla’s. If you’re a vegetarian, stick to grilled vegetable platters. They will grill you up some large portions of thick cut slices of carrot, zucchini, squash and onions. And if you’re a pescatarian, try the salmon. It’s always perfectly cooked on the parrillas.
A Words About Salads
As an American, I was very used to large salads with lots of ingredients. But that’s not typically the case in Buenos Aires. Expect salads to be smaller and have less ingredients on them.
One time I ordered a salad where you could pick 3 ingredients off the menu. After I chose my three (tomatoes, olives and carrots) then the waiter asked if I wanted lettuce. I said yes and he let me know lettuce needed to be one of my three ingredients!
I tell you this story to remind you to manage your expectations when it comes to the salads you’ll receive in Buenos Aires.
Pescatarian in Buenos Aires
If you’re a pescatarian, then you will definitely be comfortable living in Buenos Aires. There is seafood available in most restaurants. The most popular seafood items in Buenos Aires are salmon and langostinos (large shrimp). Get them grilled, sauted or added to your favorite pasta!
Local favorites will change from region to region. In Ushuaia, plan to eat all the crab your heart can take. And in Bariloche don’t skip the delicious river trout empanadas.
About a year into our stay in Buenos Aires, we switched from vegetarians to pescatarians. We did this for various reasons however I have to admit it did make eating out in Buenos Aires much easier when we could include seafood in our options.
My Favorite Lunch Spot!
Andrew and I found a place perfectly located between our apartment in Recoleta and his office building in the Microcenter where we met almost weekly to have lunch.
Loving Hut is a delicious vegan restaurant located in the Microcenter. They offer sit down service and counter service (a buffet where you can load up a takeaway container and be on your way).
We loved it because they had Argentine favorites made vegan. Milanesas, choripan, empanadas and burgers! My favorite were the burger options, made with chickpeas.
If you find yourself in Buenos Aires looking for a really good vegetarian and vegan restaurant, be sure to check out Loving Hut.
Each year, there seems to be more and more options available in Buenos Aires for vegetarians and vegans. Speciality restaurants, stores and food delivery businesses are popping up around the city all the time.
When you move to Buenos Aires, support these small businesses to ensure they stick around and keep supplying you with vegan and vegetarian goods.
