FRUITS AND VEGGIES MONDAY | The wonders of leafy vegetables

It has been a long while since I last posted on #fruitsandveggiesmonday and though I'm not sure if this is still ongoing as it was once initiated by @lenasveganliving, I thought I'll just give it a try. After all, we're indeed coming to an end of 2021, what other best way to rekindled some past initiatives.

As describe in the header of the post, it's all about fruits, vegetables and any form of vegan food you can find. Being partially vegan has been a big part of my life since I came to Vietnam. Everywhere I go, I'm bound to find varieties of fruits & vegetables. And yet till today, there are still many local vegetables that I'm still not familiar with. But what I love most is the vegetable herbs that be so easily found & extremely affordable. From basil to mint to coriander, all is fresh and tasty. It's such a huge difference from the dried powered version which I would usually find back home.

In this picture, I have the famous Morning Glory, a common vegetable dish served in Vietnam. Cheap & tasty. Similar to the KangKung that we have back home. Only difference is the locals don't eat the leaves, just the branch. They usually remove the leaves to give it to their farm animals to eat! So, if we wanted to eat the leaves, we've got to inform the waitstaff who will know instantly that we aren't locals.

These are some examples of vegetables & melons that I have previously bought from the local wet market near my home. Of course, I only buy what I know to eat & how to cook. There are plenty other choices but if I don't know how to cook it, then it's off my grocery list. Can you guess how much all these vegetables cost me ? Let me give you a hint.. it's a single digit in USD and on the low side of the single digit!

This is the local wet market where I go to get my weekend groceries. A sight like this is like heaven to me because I can find almost anything at really affordable prices. My friends would ask if I bargain each time I buy anything here but I'm too embarrassed to do so because I find the prices here already very cheap. I do see many sellers displaying their goods in baskets either on the ground or in their small trucks - waiting for people like me to buy from them. I do sometimes pity them because it's hard earning an honest living nowadays. So, I just usually pay what I buy but I do tend to buy my vegetables from the same lady. She actually appreciates me more because she sees me every week!

I guess I just want to do my part of helping out the local community because why pay more for the same item when I can get it fresh from the wholesalers themselves. It's not about the packaging but the freshness of the vegetables. And believe me when I say, I'm not the only foreigner who comes here to buy; there's plenty just like me.

So, let's all enjoy more fruits & vegetables. It's after all the best nutrients for our body.

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I'll definitely share more in my next post. Hope you enjoy my photo taken from my iPhone

Come & join FRUITS & VEGGIES MONDAY by @lenasveganliving
• Take and post at least 3 photos of fruits and vegetables. (It can be variety or just one kind from the garden, supermarket or anywhere you wish, PLANT BASED RECIPES ARE WELCOMED).
• One entry only!!!
• PLEASE MAKE SURE THE ENTRY IS 100% ORIGINAL CONTENT!!! (images and text)
• Text must be at least 100 words.
• Use hashtag #fruitsandveggiesmonday
• Mention the creator @lenasveganliving, the host @plantstoplanks and the title FRUITS AND VEGGIES MONDAY