Vegetarian dishes that are chinese/vietnamese/thai ect. aren't always 100% vegetarian!!

I'm vegetarian and let me tell you that some of the places I've tried which are mostly chinese, vietnamese or thai places... I always end up finding a piece of meat in my food. I use to work at a chinese restaurant and the vegetarian dishes aren't 100% vegetarian because sometimes they use oyster sauce or fish sauce. I'm a very strict vegetarian and to me that's not acceptable. So if you have any questions about asian dishes let me know... from experience I don't trust eating chinese or any asian places.... oh boy i'm making my people look bad :P

Soy ice cream and other substitutes made from soy and wheat gluten are very tasty.  However, it is a lot healthier to eat a great variety of foods from various sources.  Soy and wheat gluten should generally be limited, if not eliminated altogether, as they are highly allergic for many people and do not promote good health for those who are not technically allergic.  The monotonous consumption of wheat products for example is linked to diabetes, and eating too much soy can lead to health problems such as hyperthyroidism/hypothyroidism.  Tofu is highly processed and should be regarded as a condiment; TVP and soy protein isolate are outright damaging to health and should be avoided altogether.  Only tempeh is a naturally healthy form of soy, but even so should not be eaten more than once a week at most, maybe twice a week if you're of Chinese or southeast Asian descent (in which case your biology is better able to deal with it).  Avoid GMO soy (always choose organic soy, or at least non-GMO soy), which is genetically modified to allow farmers to saturate fields in Round Up weed killer without killing the soy (we do not need studies to prove the hazards of stockpiling Round Up in your liver).

You can find rice-based and coconut-based ice creams, yogurts, and other foods that are really tasty and healthier as well.  The saturated fat found in coconut (and chocolate too) is actually essential to incorporate on a weekly basis for vegans, as these are the only two major sources of saturated fats for vegans.  We tend to get very, very little saturate fat as vegans, and getting some is actually quite critical it turns out (it promotes healthy thyroid functioning, for example).

During the past twelve years as a vegan, I found myself suffering some ill effects like chronic fatigue (from an underactive thyroid) and acid reflux.  Allergy testing and a holistic health counselor scrutinizing my diet revealed moderate allergies to some tree nuts and wheat gluten, and the need to eliminate soy (which suppresses thyroid functioning) and vary my diet a lot more.  I was eating a range of foods, but not enough; I now try to eat at leasty 40 different plant-based sources of foods in each week, and make every meal as colorful as possible, to ensure a healthier diet and avoid the problems I caused for myself with food monotony.  The key to optimal health is to be as varied and natural as possible.

I really wish prepared vegan foods would stop being made  exclusively out of soy and wheat gluten, and that they'd start using  foods like chick peas and other legumes, as well as rice, quinoa and  many other grains.  Companies should really start doing this.