Living Without Meat

Ever since discovering nutritional yeast, I have been trying to find more ways to use it. If you are not familiar with it, nutritional yeast comes as yellow flakes or a powder and has a cheesy flavor. It is a good source of complete protein and many vitamins including B. It can be used in recipes such as dips and sauces, or can be sprinkled on top of food as a condiment similar to Parmesan cheese. You can buy it in the bulk section of most health food stores.

My first time using it, I made Kristen Suzanne’s raw Cheezy Hemp Nacho Sauce. Since then I have also tried it multiple times with pasta and oil at the recommendation of a life-long vegetarian friend. Today was the first time I mixed it into something that was my own creation: a cheesy white bean hummus!

Cheesy White Bean Hummus

In a Vita-Mix or other high-powered blender, mix the following for one to two servings:

* 1/2 can of cannellini beans (also called white kidney beans), washed and drained
* 1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
* 1 tsp. garlic powder
* 1 Tbsp. flax seed oil
* 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
* 1/2 cup water, more or less may be needed depending on your blender’s capabilities
* 1 1/2 Tbsp. tahini

Blend all of the ingredients until smooth. If your blender is struggling to mix everything, add a little more water. If you don’t have tahini, leaving it out won’t make a big difference.

Serve it with crackers, pretzels, pita chips, or pita bread and a variety of chopped vegetables - carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, baby corn. Enjoy and share!

Some runners seem to get obsessed with drinking neon-colored, salty, sugary liquids packed with extra electrolytes. I am interested running not only for a personal fitness challenge but because I care about my health, and I don’t want to have to sacrifice my nutrition for my fitness. So I am looking for natural, healthier options for rehydrating.

Browsing the shelves of Giant, I found Liv Organic Sports Drink, an additive- and high fructose corn syrup-free drink that promises a longer lasting, less spastic energy boost and a much better flavor. It comes in four flavors - lemon, berry, orange, and citrus passion. I tried the citrus passion and it had a very refreshing, light texture and taste.

The other natural option that I have tried is coconut water, the liquid that comes out when you crack open a coconut. It comes packaged in single serving juice box-style containers and has the same electrolyte makeup as our body. I am not crazy about it plain, but it makes for a great smoothie base.

There are also other options available that I haven’t tried yet …

Nature’s Flavors’ REBOOST Organic Isotonic Energy Drink is natural and organic. It comes as a powder, with ten different fruit flavors including cherry, kiwi strawberry, and pina colada, that you mix into water for an energy- and electrolyte-filled drink.

Recharge is made of absolutely 100 percent natural fruit juices that “replenish the fluids and electrolytes your body needs after working out without adding sugar or unnatural flavors and colors.”

Then, if you really want to get natural and avoid pre-packaged drinks all together, you could also try making your own. Check out Kitchen Table Medicine for a recipe to make yourself a homemade sports drink.

I usually prefer the kind of food that comes without a nutritional label and doesn’t need an ingredients list because there is only one. In other words, non-processed foods: Fruits, veggies, nuts, grains, anything that God played a bigger role in the production of than man. But as of late, there have been quite a few processed foods that I have been loving.

* Teeccino Caffeine-Free Herbal “Coffee”: this brand of herbal, natural coffee alternatives is heaven sent! If you are trying to break a coffee addiction and are having trouble because you genuinely like the flavor, you must invest in some Teeccino.

* Nasoya Silken Creations: I cannot tell you in words how fantastically delicious this mousse-like tofu is! I was making a smoothie with the dark chocolate one the other day and couldn’t stop eating it right out of the package.

* Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Grillers Crumbles: this ground beef imitation product is such a yummy, quick way to add a little texture and protein to any meal.

How about you? Any products that you would recommend?

Over at SnagFilms.com you can watch full-length documentary films for free. Then, sticking with the idea that docu films strive to make a difference in the world, each movie is paired with charity that relates to the film’s cause.

As describe on the site, “Films can open our eyes to important issues and inspire us to get involved and make a difference. We call this ‘filmanthropy.’ We make it easy to support our filmmakers and the causes their films spotlight. Each of our documentaries is matched up with a charity.”

Morgan Sprulock’s Super Size Me is paired up with one of my fave nonprofits: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

Snag Films also lets you “snag” them and share them electronically on your blog, Facebook page, or other networking site. So watch it, if you haven’t already, check out PCRM, and then pass it along to all of your friends.

A few years ago I picked up some Bragg apple cider vinegar, even though I had not yet heard anything about the Bragg brand of live, natural health food products. Today, I still use the cider vinegar regularly, mainly on salads. I drizzle a little oil, a bit of agave nectar, and some Bragg apple cider vinegar instead of a pre-made dressing.

In recent months, I have heard a lot about Bragg liquid aminos through word of mouth. Everyone keeps asking if I have tried them but I have not been able to wrap my head around what the product is and how I use it.

According to the Bragg Web site, liquid aminos are protein concentrate derived from healthy soybeans, that contains 16 essential and non-essential amino acids in naturally occurring amounts. You can use them on salads, tofu, and vegetables, or in soups, stir-frys, and casseroles for an instant protein and nutrient boost.

It also has a natural flavor that people love - but what is this flavor? This is the part that I am most unsure about. There is naturally occurring sodium, so it may be a bit salty. But being something that I am so unfamiliar with, I just can’t imagine what it would taste like and don’t want to spend money on something that I may not like or use.

And then yesterday I stumbled upon this … Bragg will send you a free sample! Sign up for the Free Bragg Health Facts Info Package and you will also receive a few samples of Bragg Liquid Aminos! I signed up, so in a few weeks I will be able to tell you all about the flavor.

Being without a car, it’s hard for me to get a lot of fresh produce at once. Plus, the most convenient grocery store to me always has rotting, molded foods with fruit flies! For awhile, I was using a delivery service that sent me a large box of fruits and veggies every other week, but when ownership changed, service declined. My food began arriving dirty, wilted, and with bugs. So I cancelled, and haven’t replaced them yet. Until …

This morning I received a box, pictured here, with 30 different pieces of fruit, including three varieties of apples, four different citrus choices, kiwis, bananas, pears, passion fruit, plums, avocado, and more from the FruitGuys! All of the fruit is clean, and all of it is a day or two away from being perfectly ripe.

The FruitGuys know that fresh, local, organic fruit is important to today’s health-conscious eaters. So their mission is to bring it to you regularly, conveniently, and at an affordable rate. If that’s not enough, all of their packaging is eco-friendly.

You can get a 25- or 50-serving box delivered weekly to your home or office. Boxes can be all organic, full of several different basic and exotic selections, or just the staples - bananas, apples, and oranges. Along with the fruit comes info about the health and nutrition of you and your fruit.

Can you imagine if your fruit basket was always full? Or if your employer had fresh fruit available for you to snack on? If you are lucky enough to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can also order veggies.

I’m in juicing vegan heaven!

I talk a lot about making my own trail mix, but have never offered step by step tips on how I do it. It makes a great snack, or even a meal. The natural sugars give you an instant burst of energy and the protein follows it up with long-lasting energy. Try making your own:

1. Find the cheapest means available to you to buy bulk nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc. The Giant grocery store near me has a good selection, as do some of the local co-ops. There are also lots o bulk buying options online, but I haven’t found anything more affordable and convenient than the Philadelphia-based chain Nuts to You. This awesome store sells nuts, dried fruit, grains, flour, candies, granola, and more at inexpensive bulk prices. On top of the low prices, they offer more discounts the more you buy.

2. Pick out your favorites. I usually snag two to three raw, unsalted kinds of nuts, usually almonds, walnuts, and cashews. Brazil, macadamia, and pine nuts, and peanuts are also good ones. For seeds, try pumpkin or sunflower. Cranberries or raisins - or both - are a must in the dried fruit department. I also like chopped up figs, apples, papaya, peaches, pears, and pineapple. Add some heat and flavor with wasabi covered peas or soybeans. Also try dry cereal, pretzels, oats, and chocolate or carob chips.

3. Grab an empty, large container - tupperware, bag, etc. I have a large plastic jar that originally came with peanuts in it that I use and reuse for this purpose. Pour in equal amounts of all the ingredients. Seal the container and shake, roll, toss, turn, and mix it up.

4. If you want more or different flavors, toss in some spices. Toss the nuts and seeds in melted butter and seasoning and roast a little for a rich flavor.

5. Don’t eat out of the large container; it becomes way to easy to eat too much. Split it up now, or as you want some. I eat about 1/2 cup for a snack, and 1 1/2 cups for lunch.

6. Enjoy!

There has been a lot of chatter in the news about vegetarianism in schools. Here’s a few recent highlights; click on a title to read the article.

* “PETA Urges Obama to Give Kids Vegetarian School Lunches,” U.S. News and World Report

* “Some school cafeterias offer more meatless meals,” Morning Sentinel, Maine

* “Maine Schools Expand Meatless Options,” Bangor Daily News, Maine

* “Free Money for College Students,” Washington Post

* “Vegan Students Start Grass Roots Campaign,” Daily Illini, Illinois

* “Public School Offers Fees Discount for Vegetarian Students,” Telegraph, U.K.

* “Scholar Wanted: Only Vegetarians Need Apply,” Independent, U.K.

* “Schools Offer Vegetarian Fee Cut,” BBC News, U.K.

* “U.S. to Boost Healthy Lunch in Schools,” Green Planet, Italy

* “The School Lunch Revolution,” Health News, California

Self Magazine recently put together three nutritious, meat-free (or almost) day-long meal plans. The vegan one is shown here; they also created a lacto-ovo vegetarian one and a flexitarian one.

Breakfast

• 1 cup oatmeal with 1/2 cup blueberries and 1/2 cup fortified soymilk



• 1 slice whole-grain toast with 1 tbsp peanut butter

Snack

• 4 cinnamon graham cracker squares
• 1 cup fortified chocolate soymilk

Lunch

• Hummus sandwich with 1/4 cup hummus and sliced tomato on 2 slices whole-grain bread
• 1 cup crudités dipped in 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice

Snack

• 1/4 cup almonds
• Banana (or other whole fresh fruit)

Dinner

• 1 cup pasta (whole-grain if you like, but it’s not necessary) with 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 2 cups kale steamed, then sautéed in 1 tsp olive oil

Dessert

• 1/2 cup lemon Italian ice with 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Total day’s calories: 1,963
52.6 g fat (11.7 g saturated), 306 g carbs, 37 g fiber, 77 g protein

Thanks to Eccentric Vegan for sharing this on Vegan Soapbox, along with some other great, similar links.

“Is a vegan diet healthy?” is a common question, particularly amongst people contemplating a change. Here are answers from four popular, non-vegan, Q&A Web sites, columns, and health resources.

CNN diet and fitness expert Dr. Melina Jampolis says:
“Overall, vegan diets (diets containing no animal products) can be very healthy. They are generally much lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than animal-based diets, which include meat, eggs and dairy. Research suggests that replacing a percentage of the saturated fat in your diet with plant-based proteins such as beans, tofu, and nuts can significantly reduce a number of heart disease risk factors including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. In addition, several studies have found that very low meat consumption is associated with a significantly lower risk of death. …”

The Mayo Clinic says:
“A well-planned vegetarian diet is a healthy way to meet your nutritional needs. … Adopting a healthy vegetarian diet isn’t as simple as scraping meat off your plate and eating what’s left. You need to take extra steps to ensure you’re meeting your daily nutritional needs. …”

Healthline says:
“… A well-planned vegan diet can be nutritionally adequate, even for children and pregnant and lactating women. However, it is important that wise food selections are made. …”

And USASearch.gov, the search engine for all governmental departments, says:
“Did you mean began diet”?

Most of these, except for the ever helpful government, sum up my thoughts. Simply following vegan guidelines of leaving out animal products will not constitute a healthy, nutritious diet. There are plenty of junk foods that are vegan. But, a healthy vegan diet has been proven to have more health benefits and less related problems than a healthy meat-based one.

To help grasp what constitutes a “healthy” vegan diet, here is a vegan food pyramid from the Vegan Coach.

Now that all of the gifts have been unwrapped, I can finally spill the beans on the fun, healthy, vegan gifts that I put together for my family this year.

I collected a range of food items for two families: My mom and dad were one; my sister, her husband, and their 2.5 kids (one’s in the belly!) were the other. I gathered bulk items such as oats, and nuts and dried fruits that I made into a trail mix. I grabbed a variety of meal, granola, raw, and fruit bars for them all to try. I bought each a bottle of Bolthouse Farms juice and a box of quinoa. For my parents, I included some dark chocolate; for my sister’s crew, jelly beans.

I had a lot of fun shopping for these two gifts, and had to restrain myself from buying them everything that I want them to try.

After I collected a good amount of food, I wrapped the gift sets by filling the items into plain canvas tote bags and tying them closed with a fancy bow. I debated whether to decorate to totes or not, and decided to let the recipients have the honors. After all, if you’re going to spread a message with the bag that you carry, it should be one that you believe in.

Everyone loved and appreciate the gifts. I loved that I was able to give them something that they need, something that gets used up, and something that is healthy - for them and the environment.

Only problem with these gifts … I forgot to take a picture!

In a nutritional whirlpool of claims - low fat! high in fiber! helps prevent disease! - it’s hard to know what to believe and what to pass by. Some of these packaging remarks are regulated by the FDA, or another reputable source, while others companies can use at their will.

In an old, summer 2006 issue of Shape magazine this morning I read an interesting article about some of these claims. Just as I thought, if a product is bragging about being low in one kind of fat, such as trans, then you should check the label: it likely increased other fats to balance the total fat content. Here are some warnings to heed about other such claims:

* “Good source of…” and “Excellent source of…” are actually specifically regulated by the FDA. “Good” means that there is at least 10 percent of your recommended daily intake; “Excellent” means at least 20. Regardless of what the label says, the FDA considers 5 percent of you daily needs to be a low amount and 20 or more to be a significant amount.

* To boast whole wheat, a food product only has to have whole wheat somewhere on the ingredients list. This means that it could be the last item listed, after lots of white, refined flour. The higher an ingredient is listed, the more prevalent it is.

* Nine grain, wheat, and all of those other white flour alternatives are better than the worst, but are no match for true whole wheat.

* Not every company feels the need to over advertise their product’s nutritional benefits. A brand the brags about being a good source of fiber may not have any more fiber than the unlabeled brand next to it.

* And, of course, nothing beats fresh, organic, local produce - labeled or not.

When the news hit yesterday that Alicia Silverstone is writing a book about veganism called The Kind Diet, I could not have been more excited. I did not think it was possible for me to be disappointed related to this publishing announcement. However, I am.

While the book sounds phenomenal - read more about the theory and recipe book at Ecorazzi - it is being published by Rodale, which is where my disappointment enters.

I work by day as an editor, and have considered applying for a job at Rodale numerous times. As a job with this healthly lifestyle-based publishing company would mean a move away from the city of Philadelphia, I have not applied (yet). But just think! If I had applied, and they had hired me, I could be working on Alicia Silverstone’s vegan book!

Alas, I must wait with the rest of the world for The Kind Diet to release next fall to catch a glimpse of the knowledge this once Clueless beauty has to offer.

“The book explores the connection between what we put in our bodies and what we’re doing to the planet, and how choosing the right foods in the kitchen can help you feeling lighter, sexier, and more alive than you ever thought possible,” according to Rodale’s press release. “The book will include a three-step diet program and 75 vegan and macrobiotic recipes.”

Rodale has been a strong force in healthy books and magazines. In the past, the company turned out Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and Eat This, Not That! by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding. Rodale’s magazines include Men’s Health, Prevention, Women’s Health, Runner’s World, Best Life, Bicycling, Running Times, and Organic Gardening.

Maybe one day, when my current apartment’s lease is nearing an end, I’ll man up and send Rodale my resume and then I too can get a sneak peak editing awesome vegan books.

I went to a chiropractor today in hopes of alleviating some back and neck and hip and … ok, some pain. And for the first time ever a doctor congratulated me on my healty choice to become vegan! He also lent me a raw food book as, although I will probably never eat 100 percent raw, I love learning about nutrition. I’ve only read the first few pages so far, but already I’m learning so much!

Aside from the fascinating enzyme talk (I swear, no sarcasm. Raw foodies’ enzymes theories are truly interesting), I found a good comeback for when non-vegetarians try to argue that eating plants is murder too, because, you know, the plant dies.

By eating plants, you are continuing their life, creating a circle. Most edible plants wilt and fade rather quickly. When you eat them, your body absorbs their enzymes, processes and uses them to aid in digestion. The plants then pass through your body and return to the earth.

Yes, one could argue that eating animals also creates a circle of life. Fruits and vegetables, however, have a significantly different life expectancy, etc. than animals.

More to come!

I’ve found the most satisfying, filling vegan combo: pasta and beans.

Last night’s dinner was created, as usual, based on what I had in my refrigerator and pantry. A small portion of the result left me full for hours. In fact, it may have been a bit too filling for my small appetite! Here’s the gist of my creation, which made two large meals for me:

1. Boil water for pasta. Heat up a frying pan.

2. Chop 1 zucchini and 4 to 6 baby portabello mushrooms into bite-size pieces.

3. Toss two servings (one small handful of dry pasta each) of pasta into the water. I used three vegetable rotini, which is on sale at Acme right now for $1 per box. Into the heated frying pan, carefully add a little oil, the zucchini and mushrooms, and a handful cherry or grape tomatoes.

4. After a few minutes, add a handful of canned beans. I used a mix of kidney beans, chickpeas, and canellini beans.

5. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the frying pan. Mix it all together, over heat, with a bit of vegan butter, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and garlic.

6. Serve, eat, and be full!