Full-moon and new-moon days: fifteen minutes the night before is all it takes

Fifteen minutes the evening before

On the first and the fifteenth of the lunar month, everybody is busy. Work, the school run, the house. If you leave the question of what to eat until the morning, you end up eating whatever is quickest — which is neither enjoyable nor particularly satisfying. The simple fix is fifteen minutes the previous evening: choose the food, book the delivery time. The next morning you open the bag and eat, with nothing to cook and no need to get up early.

What to do the day before

Choose the loaves and the drinks for everyone

There are five vegan loaves to choose from: Thập Cẩm at 59,000d, Chả Lát Chay at 53,000d, Đậu Hũ Cay at 56,000d, Bơ Đường at 28,000d, and Thượng Hạng Premium at 75,000d, the big one that fills you properly. If somebody in the house takes chilli, Đậu Hũ Cay is theirs; for children who want something mildly sweet, Bơ Đường suits better. Alongside there is Black Coffee at 35,000d, Nut Milk Coffee at 45,000d, Jasmine Lemon Tea at 36,000d, Nut Milk Bubble Tea at 45,000d and Brown Sugar Nut Milk Bubble Tea at 48,000d. Write the list down, on paper or in your phone, and send it to whoever is ordering that same evening — that way nobody is asking each other questions in the morning.

Set the delivery time in advance

Banh Mi XANH is open 24 hours, so there is someone to take the order at any hour. If you want an early breakfast, order the evening before and state the time you need it, so the food arrives when you are ready for it rather than sitting and going cold. Orders from 500,000d within 5km are delivered free, which suits a household ordering together, or an office where several people are keeping the vegan day.

A vegan meal on these days need not be elaborate

There is a common assumption that a vegan day means cooking several dishes and laying out a full tray. In practice one loaf with vegetables, tofu and pickles, with a tea or a coffee beside it, is a complete light meal. If you need more, take the big Thượng Hạng Premium; if you want something small in the morning, Bơ Đường at 28,000d is enough. What matters is eating properly and eating to your own appetite — a tray does not have to be crowded to count as a proper meal.

If this is your first time

If eating vegan is new to you, do not push yourself into a whole month at once. The two days — the first and the fifteenth of the lunar month — are enough to begin with. Once those feel normal, you can add the fourteenth and the thirtieth, at whatever pace suits you. There is no rule about how many days makes it count.

• Start with food you already like. The first vegan day is not the moment for something unfamiliar.
• Plant protein comes from tofu and from beans and pulses. Eat properly across the day and that takes care of itself; there is no need for complicated arithmetic.
• You do not have to deny yourself. Eating vegan means less animal protein on the plate, not fasting and not a strict diet.

Keeping it up at work

At midday in the office, carrying it in or having it delivered to the desk is the easiest arrangement. A vegan banh mi keeps for a few hours, needs no reheating, and can be eaten at your desk without going out to find somewhere.

Keeping it up when you are out

If you are away and a vegan place is hard to find at the right hour, order ahead to be safe. The five shops are at 38 Lê Thị Riêng, 15B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, 2B Trần Hưng Đạo and 148B Đề Thám in District 1, and 210 Bùi Văn Ba in District 7. Call in as you pass, or have it delivered to where you are if moving is inconvenient.

Ordering for the next vegan day

To get it done the day before, call 0923.183.183 or order through the delivery page, stating the time you need it and the address. The shops are open 24 hours, so ordering tonight for tomorrow's breakfast is no trouble at all.

Quick questions

How far ahead should I prepare for a vegan day?

The day before is enough. Choose the food in the evening, set the delivery time, and in the morning you simply take delivery and eat.

Can a banh mi ordered ahead sit overnight?

Better not — the vegetables and pickles inside soften if it stands too long. Book the delivery close to when you will actually eat rather than ordering it the night before for the morning.

How many days a month should a beginner keep?

The first and the fifteenth of the lunar month are a reasonable start. Add the fourteenth and the thirtieth once that feels easy; there is no need to force more at the beginning.

Is delivery charged, and how does free delivery work?

Orders from 500,000d within 5km are delivered free. Below that, or beyond the radius, call 0923.183.183 for the delivery charge.

Does eating vegan mean cutting out oil and sugar entirely?

No. It means less animal protein on the plate; you go on eating normally, in moderation. It is not a weight-loss regime and not a treatment for anything.

Are the shops open on the first and the fifteenth?

Yes. Banh Mi XANH is open 24 hours every day of the year, those days included, so there is always someone to take the order.