Pumpkin risotto, cheesy broccoli soup, vegan Pad Thai eating vegan and gluten-free doesn't necessarily have to be difficult

Lets face it: it's hard to find good food for those with special diets. So-called vegetarian dishes are served with sahog (ingredients) of pork or shrimp. How exactly can the gluten-intolerant survive when soy sauce is a staple of every dinner table? If youre vegan, youll have to swear off patis for life.

MAKE YOUR OWN. Try this for your smoothie: camote tops and frozen saba with pineapple and fresh basil leaves. Photo courtesy of Jertie's Kitchen

Yet people choose these diets, and for various reasons: weight loss, religious obligations, health scares. Whatever the motivation, these diets and lifestyles are becoming mainstream: vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, fruitarian, gluten-free, macrobiotic, ovo-lacto. Each lifestyle has its own perspectives about health, ethics and food preparation.

But whats the price tag on these diets? The prevailing mindset is that healthy livingand healthy diets arent cheap. Jerties Kitchen begs to differ. At a recent workshop in Sugarleaf Makati, sisters Jaclyn and Jertie Abergas demonstrated how a vegan and gluten-free diet can be cheap and easy.

The Eating Greens Made Easy workshop was the first in the Green Guide to Eating Right workshop series, co-organized by Sugarleaf Makati and Jerties Kitchen.

GO TEAM. Jaclyn and Jertie eat a purely plant-based diet. Photo by Regina Rosero

Life-saving choices

Jaclyn is vegan. That doesnt just mean no animal products like chicken, beef, pork or even fish, but also no animal-derived products, eggs, cows or goat milk, cheese, fish sauce or bagoong.

In 2010, Jaclyn was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and on her way towards becoming diabetic. Her doctor prescribed a lifestyle change.

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Vegan and gluten-free food with a Filipino touch