Tag: vegan

How To Go Vegan

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date September 16, 2021

If you are thinking of trying to improve your diet, and you also want to do your bit in helping the planet, one option is to go vegan. A vegan diet is a relatively easy thing to have, as long as you know how to approach it.

The truth is that there are a few things to bear in mind, and as long as you do so, you should find that going vegan is a lot easier. In this post, I am going to take a look at how you can go vegan.

Take It Easy When You Go Vegan

The first thing to bear in mind is that going vegan can be a very easy and simple thing to do. There are a lot of ideas floating around about how difficult going vegan is, but it is simply not true: as long as you approach it in the right way, you’ll find that it is much easier than people tend to assume.

However, there is one thing in particular that you will want to do to ensure that you make it even easier: take it easy and slow. If you can do that, you should find that you are much more likely to stick with it and to enjoy it as you do it too.

Essentially, this means that you should have an end goal in mind, but begin at your own pace. There is really no reason to rush it, although if you do decide to do it overnight, that’s up to you: just bear in mind that a lot of people end up failing if they rush it.

Get Your Nutrients

One thing you do need to take care of is that you are still getting all of the necessary nutrients that a human being needs. This is not necessarily that hard to do, but you have to make sure that you are considering it at least, otherwise, you might well fail to get those nutrients as you would hope.

The best way to ensure you get your nutrients is to keep your diet as varied as possible. Fortunately, that is easy to do, especially now that there are vegan versions for pretty much any meal – so whether you want a vegan mac and cheese recipe or vegan salads, you can be sure that it’s possible to do.

As long as you have the nutrients that you need, you will be a lot healthier, have much more energy, and be able to enjoy it a lot more. You will also find that your mood is likely to be in a much better condition most of the time as well. All of this is vital to help ensure ongoing success with your attempt at going vegan. If you fail to think about your nutrients, you might actually end up much less healthy than you had been previously!

Go Vegan and Leave Your Comfort Zone

It can be all too easy to stay in one’s comfort zone, but ultimately this is going to make things a lot more difficult in general when it comes to trying out a new diet. You must be prepared to try new things as much as possible, as that is going to help ensure that going vegan is a lot easier for you. If you think you don’t like noodles or lentils, for instance, try them out in a different kind of recipe, and you might be surprised at how much that helps. Essentially the more you can expand your taste buds, the easier time you will have of going vegan.

Changing your diet in such a radical way can be a lot easier to do if you do it with someone else in tow. You can encourage each other, or even compete with each other for new recipes and delicious vegan meals. All in all, you are going to feel less isolated, and it will help you when it comes to trying to find success with your vegan adventure. It really is one of the best ways to ensure that you go vegan without any trouble, so it’s something you are going to want to think about. Ask around with your friends, your partner, or whoever else, and you should find that this really helps.

As long as you do all that, going vegan is going to be a lot easier and simpler.

Tags vegan

Healthy Living

Veganism: Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Starting the Lifestyle

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date August 6, 2021

Becoming a vegan is not an easy decision. It takes dedication, patience, and the willingness to learn about new foods. If you are considering veganism or just want to know more about what it means before you decide, then this post is for you. It will answer some of the most common questions people have before starting their vegan journey.

Are You Getting Enough Protein?

Yes, one of the best parts about being a vegan is that so many different types of protein are available to you. You can get it from beans and soy products or even nuts! Make sure that you find something that suits your liking because as long as you make sure to eat enough calories in general, this should not be an issue at all. For example, the chicken stew slow cooker recipe is an excellent source of protein.

Should You Give Up Going to Friends’ Family Dinner?

No, not at all. It is crucial that you still go to family and friends’ function as a vegan because this will help them understand what it means to be a vegan and show them the benefits of being one. In addition, you want your loved ones on board with your new lifestyle so they can support you in any way possible.

Do You Ingest a Healthy Amount of Minerals and Vitamins?

There is no doubt that when you transition to veganism, it can be challenging because of the lack of meat. However, there are many other sources of minerals and vitamins, such as nuts or fruits, which will help you stay healthy.

How To Make Veganism Affordable?

One of the best parts about being a vegan is that it becomes so much cheaper! Vegan produce is affordable and on-demand. However, this does not mean that you will spend any less than if you were eating meat for dinner every day.

What Happens When You Crave Meat?

You might want to try and have some mock meats such as veggie hot dogs or even almondmilk yogurt, which will help satisfy your cravings!

A lot of people think that they need meat for protein, but this is false. In addition, being a vegan gives you many other benefits than being healthier because you won’t ingest cholesterol from animal products anymore.
The health risks of overeating meat can be too significant compared to what kind of nutritional value it has.

What About Your Children? Is Veganism Right for Them?

If you have kids, then this question is a very important one! It might seem difficult at first, but like with anything else in life, it’s doable. Plus, studies show that going vegan has had positive effects on health, so why not make an effort to involve your kids?

There are also great online resources if you need any more advice on getting started without overwhelming your kids.

Conclusion

Being a vegan has many incredible benefits that you should consider before starting. It can be hard at first, but it’s worth the effort to feel healthier and have a better quality of life!

Tags vegan

Cookbook Reviews

Cookook Review: “The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese & Ice Cream Recipes” by Marie Laforêt

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date May 25, 2020

The best pesto I’ve ever tasted was vegan. And I have enjoyed vegan mayo. Therefore, although I’m not vegan, I can appreciate that vegan recipes can be quite tasty. When the opportunity to review Marie Laforêt’s book, The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes, came across my desk, I said, “Yes!”

Summary of The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes

Being deprived of the joys of dairy can be a terrible thing. Whether you’re vegan or just want (or need) to go dairy-free, do you have to live a life bereft of ice cream and cheese? Not if Ms. Laforêt has anything to say about it. Her cookbook is filled with vegan versions of cheeses and ice creams.

Part One covers vegan cheese, first giving you an overview of the basics and then diving into the recipes. With this book in hand, you can make vegan Parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, feta, ricotta and more. And that’s just the classics. She also has recipes for fermented cheeses such as Cashew Cheese and Kombucha Cheese; and specialty cheeses such as Nacho Cheese Sauce and Kimcheese.

Part One covers vegan ice cream. Again, she provides an overview of key ingredients and essential tools, as well as a recipe for making vegan ice cream cones. The recipes are organized by “Ice Cream and Sorbet,” “Ice Pops, Bars and Cones,” and “Delicious Frozen Desserts.” The recipes I’m looking forward to trying out the most include Pistachio Ice Cream, Banana Blueberry Milkshake Pops and Vanilla Pear Hazelnut Biscuit Log.

What Worked for Me

The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes is a beautiful cookbook. The photography is mouthwatering and the design is pleasing to the eye. The recipes are easy to follow and provide both standard and metric measurements.

The organization is clear and it is fairly easy to find the recipe you want either by going to the appropriate section or using the index. The content makes bringing vegan recipes to life engaging and inviting.

What Didn’t Work for Me

This is my standard complaint. The book is printed on thick paper and is perfect bound, which means keeping a page open is like performing an acrobatic routine.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

I would love to see a more flexible binding that made the book usable, rather than something you merely flip through for the pictures. Barring that, why not provide the recipes for download so readers can print out the recipe they want to follow. These could easily be provided in a membership site accessible only to those who have the book.

Recommendation

If you are vegan or dairy sensitive and have been missing the tang of good cheddar cheese or the creaminess of a scoop of vanilla ice cream, then get a copy of this book. You may have to fight to keep the book open, but the results just might be worth the effort. No one should be denied an ice cream sundae!

Rating for The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes

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Specs

Full Title: The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes
Author: Marie Laforêt
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Robert Rose
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778805433
ISBN-13: 978-0778805434 [/one_half]
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Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past book reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to read or not read the book, even if you disagree with my opinion.

Tags non-dairy, vegan

Recipes

Orange, Asparagus, and Avocado Salad

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date September 27, 2019

This Spanish salad recipe, provided by Amy Riolo comes from The Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook, 2nd Edition: A Flavorful, Heart-Healthy Approach to Cooking, is both gluten-free and vegan.

Serves: 6 | Serving Size: 1 cup | Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed (about 8 oz)
4 oz romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large orange, trimmed and cut into segments
1 large ripe tomato, cut into 12 equal pieces
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place asparagus in a pot of boiling water over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until asparagus is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain asparagus and submerge immediately in a bowl of ice water.
Divide lettuce evenly among six salad bowls or plates.
Combine orange, tomato, and avocado in a medium bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper until combined.
Drain asparagus and add to orange mixture. Pour dressing over orange mixture and stir gently to combine. Spoon mixture on top of romaine lettuce on plates and serve.

Notes

Choices/Exchanges
1/2 Starch, 1 Nonstarchy Vegetable, 1 1/2 Fat

[one_third] Calories 110
Calories from fat 70
Total fat 8.0 g
Saturated fat 1.2 g
Trans fat 0.0 g [/one_third]
[one_third] Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 90 mg
Potassium 370 mg
Total carbohydrate 9 g [/one_third]
[one_third_last] Dietary fiber 4 g
Sugars 4 g
Protein 2 g
Phosphorus 45 mg [/one_third_last]

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A graduate of Cornell University, Amy Riolo is considered a culinary thought leader who enjoys changing the way we think about food and the people who create it. Amy is a food historian, culinary anthropologist, and Mediterranean Diet advocate who makes frequent appearances on numerous television and radio programs both in the United States and abroad, including FOX TV, ABC, CBS, NBC, the Hallmark Channel, Nile TV, the Travel Channel, Martha Stewart Living Radio, and Abu Dhabi Television.

For more information about Amy, please visit www.amyriolo.com.

Tags diabetes, gluten-free, vegan

Healthy Living

Answers to Questions About Plant-based Eating

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date September 24, 2019

Having a diet rich in plant-based sources is becoming increasingly common, especially with younger generations driving the conversation around sustainability. In this post, James Collier, co-Founder and Head of Nutrition at Huel, a nutrition company offering a variety of plant-based powders and ready-to-drink beverages, answers some common questions about plant-based eating.

What is plant-based eating?

A plant-based diet is a diet that consists mainly of foods from plants. Such foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. Meat intake is minimal if any.

There are many reasons why people eat a plant-based diet including environmental, ethical and health concerns. I am not suggesting to eliminate meat from a person’s diet completely, however, reducing meat and animal food consumption is one of the quickest and simple ways an individual can reduce their carbon footprint.

What foods should we eat to achieve daily recommended nutrients, vitamins, minerals on a plant-based diet?

There are some easy ways to ensure, with a plant-based diet, you can get the recommended amounts of all nutrients:

Eat the rainbow.
As different color foods usually contain different levels of nutrients, it’s important to eat a variety. For example, the phytonutrient, lycopene which is an antioxidant that protects against cell damage and gives tomatoes its red color. While carotenoids, another group of antioxidants, give fruits and vegetables orange and yellow colors, such as carrots.

Get enough Vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12, which plays a vital role in helping the body produce red blood cells can usually be perceived as tricky to get enough of with a plant-based diet. The good news is, it’s really not. As a start, try incorporating plant-based milks that are that are fortified with B12, and calcium and vitamin D. Cereals, meat alternatives and some soy products are often fortified with B12 too. Taking a B12 supplement also rids any concerns.

Ensure adequate omega-3 consumption.
If oily fish is not part of your eating plan, then foods such as walnuts, soy and flaxseed are ways to ensure adequate omega 3 consumption. Flaxseed is one of Huel’s six main ingredients and contains the omega-3 essential fatty acid ALA. Omega-3 fats are generally low in a Western diet and adequate omega-3 consumption is important to support cardiovascular health.

Keep your iron up.
Iron is not just found in meat food sources. Dark leafy greens, nuts and dried fruits are great sources of iron. Iron is crucial for oxygen transport, cognitive function and the immune system. Iron from plant sources can be harder to absorb, but again, there’s no need to worry. Iron absorption can also be increased by the presence of vitamin C which is found in lots of fruits and vegetables such as oranges and peppers. It’s where the idea of having orange juice with breakfast comes from — to increase the iron that is added to cereals.

How do you transition to plant-based eating?

Whether your motivation to increase plant-based foods to your eating plan is to improve your health or environmental footprint, incorporating higher amounts of plant-based foods can be achievable.

Make small changes over time.
Start by eating one plant-based meal a day. This will be easier to stick with rather than making large, unsustainable changes overnight.

Make some easy fridge swaps.
A good place to start is by swapping dairy milk with almond or oat milk such as Oatly. The rapidly growing plant-based meat industry lead by Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods is also providing shoppers with plenty of options.

Change your mindset.
Instead of thinking, “I can’t eat meat,” think about all the wonderful things you can eat and how beneficial these are for your health (and the planet). Stop focussing on meat as the hero on your plate and rather, build your plate with new and nutritious food choices.

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About the Guest Expert

James Collier is a Registered Nutritionist with 20 years of experience with the national health service in the UK. James is a renowned nutrition expert with over 25 years working in nutrition and dietetics. His experience also includes working in the NHS (UK) as a clinical dietitian covering an array of clinical areas.

He is also the co-founder of Huel, which has the mission of making nutritionally complete, convenient, affordable food, with minimum impact on animals and the environment. With this in mind, Huel’s products are 100% vegan.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

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Tags vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

Healthy Living

5 Quick, Easy, Nutritious And 100% Plant Based Breakfasts

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date September 8, 2017

It’s not just an old wive’s tale, it’s been scientifically proven that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Recent studies show that in order to attune our diet with how our bodies naturally burn energy we should be consuming 15-25% of our daily energy intake (that’s 300–500 calories for women and 375–625 for men) at breakfast time. Of course, your nutritional gains will be dictated more by the kinds of foods you eat in the morning than when you eat them. A hastily scarfed candy bar or a lot of the sugary processed cereal bars marketed as ‘health’ foods don’t exactly constitute hearty and nutritious breakfasts.

For many of us, especially in the US, it seems a choice between heavily processed and sugary cereal with cow’s milk or heavily processed and fatty bacon or sausage. Whether you’re on a vegan whole foods plant based diet or not, the importance of good quality nutrition at the breakfast table can’t be underestimated. Of course, with all the inevitable rush and bustle of an early morning, nobody wants to be a slave to the stove either. That’s why all of these nutritious breakfasts can be hustled up in 15 minutes or less. If you’re extra pushed for time, check out Chaching Queen’s breakfast recipes which can be hustled up in 5 minutes or less! They’re all totally plant based too.

Healthy Breakfasts on the Go: Raspberry and quinoa smoothie

This one is perfect for those on the go. Quinoa is one of the most nutritious grains out there and an abundant source of protein, fiber and the essential minerals like riboflavin, iron, and magnesium. Loaded with vitamins and complex carbohydrates it will stave off hunger for hours.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, uncooked
2 cups oat milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk alternative)
2 cups Greek yogurt, plain
4 cups frozen raspberries

Instructions

Cook and cool quinoa according to package directions.
Add all the ingredients to a blender in this order: oat milk, yogurt, quinoa, and raspberries. Blend on high (or smoothie mode) until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Classic Breakfast with a Twist: Vegan french toast

Yes, this breakfast classic is just as delicious without the sugar and cholesterol saturated eggs. Simply use a blend of flour and almond milk for the batter (which can also make fluffy pancakes) and soak day old bread in it before searing it in the pan for a crunchy crust with a fluffy interior! Top with peanut butter for added protein and fats or your favorite fruits for added vitamins. Pure luxury.

Comfort Food Breakfast Update: Cinnamon raisin brown rice porridge

A cheap, quick and easy (as well as gluten free) option, just cook the rice grains in almond milk over a low heat until they form a porridge-like consistency. Top it with chia seeds, coconut flakes, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, your favorite fruits… Or all of the above!

Crunchy Breakfast Option: 10-minute no-bake granola bars

Even tastier than the store bought varieties without the added refined sugars, oils and preservatives. Combining oats with nuts, seeds, dried fruits, coconut oil and your choice of honey, maple syrup or agave nectar gives you a delicious and portable breakfast that will keep you going until lunch time (or you could pack an extra one as a pre-lunch snack, I won’t tell anyone).

Hearty Breakfast Option: Vegan breakfast burritos

If you like your breakfasts savory and crunchy then this is the one for you. This plant-based twist on the traditional breakfast burrito substitutes scrambled egg for scrambled tofu with refried beans, brown rice, your choice of veggies, and a mild salsa. It’s a handful of protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats to start your day off right!

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags breakfast, breakfast burrito, french toast, smoothie, vegan