Sweet Tooth

I am ashamed to say that I have the largest sweet tooth of anyone in this whole entire world. Seriously! When I was 3 years old, I remember sneaking down into the kitchen at midnight to eat spoonfuls of Nesquik powder. So, being a vegan is very challenging because there aren't many common vegan candies out there. With the help of PETA's resources, I was able to find a few... There is hope for you sweet-toothers!

Certified Vegan Candies:

Airheads

Big League Chewing Gum

Brach’s Star Brites

Dots

Dum Dums

Jolly Ranchers

Sour Patch Kids – 5 pound bag $19.50.

Swedish Fish

Source:

PETA "Accidentally Vegan Foods"

I also promised that there were vegan gummy bears so here they are. They are so fruity and delicious! The one drawback is that these are pretty expensive, so I only buy them in moments of crises (like final exams) or as a special treat (like getting a B+ on a calculus test). 

Price comparison:  $8.99 per pound (16 oz.) at a bulk store or $5.05 for 9 oz of Sunridge Farm Gummy Bears vs. 5 pound bag of Sour Patch Kids for $19.50.

Funny Comics (credit given to each source online)

Vegan Challenges and Victories!

Today is Day 6 of my vegan count up. And I’m going to be completely honest, this has not been easy! You will not believe what products have eggs and milk in them:

1.    Candy – My brother came over on Memorial Day and brought a bunch of dark chocolate. Typically dark chocolate doesn’t have milk right? It’s not called “milk chocolate”! On the ingredients list, it said “cocoa butter (milk etc.)”. Ah! I love chocolate so much! Nevertheless, I said no to the chocolate. That was an amazing feat.

2.       Alternative Meat Products – I was in the store looking for vegetarian sausage patties and burgers and guess what? They contain egg and milk ingredients! So, if you’re wondering why I made broccoli burgers.. it’s because I have yet to find store bought vegan burgers

.

3.       Breads – Common pastry bought breads have an egg white glaze. Quick breads and processed breads that you find in grocery stores might contain casein, nonfat milk powder.

4.       Honey – For some reason, I associate honey as coming from a plant. But it’s original source is from bees… animals! Also, I have trouble accepting that insects feel pain. Plus… you kill insects when you harvest plants. I don’t know. This is probably going to be the toughest for me to change in my diet. Instead, I have bought agave nectar.

On the other hand, these are vegan!

1.       Oreos and Murray Butter Cookies

2.       Ghiradelli Hot chocolate

3.       Haribo Sour S'Ghetti Gummy Candy

4.       Pillsbury Pizza Dough

Note: Just because these are vegan does not mean that they are healthy! Haha. You could be vegan by eating a piece of white bread for every meal but that’s not what it means to be vegan.

As I’ve learned, being vegan is about adopting a lifestyle change. It’s about loving animals and not hurting them for means of food or clothing. It’s also about saving the environment. Becoming a vegan or vegetarian is the easiest and quickest way to lower your carbon footprint and reduce pollution. That's because meat production requires overwhelming amounts of water, land, and energy, compared to plant foods. Lastly, it’s about eating whole foods and not refined ones because that is ultimately healthier. So, the fact that oreos have a crème filling but don’t actually contain milk ingredients freaks me out! Another example of not eating refined foods is staying away from white sugar, which has been bleached, and instead using natural cane sugar or maple syrup. 

Vegan Middle Eastern Chickpea Broccoli Burgers

(Wow that's a mouth full! Literally!)

Adapted from The Tolerant Vegan. 

This was the first full meal that I made as a vegan. And, I’m sad to say that it took me two hours to make the burgers, cook them, and also to make the sides for the rest of the meal. So, if you are in college, making your own veggie burgers is not the most time efficient task. Nevertheless, it is impressive and delicious. However, if you have a long weekend or are at home for Christmas break, you can make dozens of vegan burgers ahead of time, freeze them, and then use them later. By experience, I know that veggie burgers freeze and keep well!

So, here is the recipe.

Burger ingredients:

A FOOD PROCESSOR!

1/3 cup dry couscous

1 cup water

A bunch of broccoli florets or 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped scallions (aka green onions)

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon sesame tahini

1/2 cup breadcrumbs. (Or, 2 slices of toast)

Tahini dressing ingredients:

1/3 cup sesame tahini

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, chopped

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2.  In a small pot, bring the water and couscous to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and allow the couscous to sit in the pot for 10 minutes, soaking up the water.
3. First clean and wash the broccoli. To steam the broccoli in the microwave, cut the florets (trunk) of the broccoli off so that you have the bite-sized end pieces. Place them in a microwave safe dish. Put 2 tablespoons of water into the microwave safe dish, cover with a lid, and microwave for 4 minutes.
4. Meanwhile in a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add in the onion and scallions, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes until the onion softens. Remove from heat and stir in the cumin.
5. To make breadcrumbs, toast the bread and place them in a food processor. Then in the food processor, combine the drained chickpeas, steamed broccoli, onion/cumin combination, tahini, and breadcrumbs. Process until you get a malleable green combination. Grab about half a cup of the combination and form “patties”. (I was able to form 8 burger-sized ones). Place the patties onto a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake them for 50 minutes, flipping them after 25 minutes.
6. In a small bowl, combine the tahini, water, garlic, salt, and lemon juice. Whisk until you get a smooth combination.

Because the burgers are a little dry, be sure to serve them with the sauce drizzled over in between two whole wheat hamburger buns. My non-vegetarian friends and family loved these burgers!

Voila!

Hearty Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Hearty Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

THIS TAKES 5 MINUTES! Great choice for a busy morning!

Ingredients:

½ cup of regular rolled oats

1 cup of water

3 – 4 tablespoons pumpkin puree (canned)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons of pure cane sugar or 1 packet of Stevia

1 tablespoon of wheat germ

1 ounce of pecans, approximately 20 halves

Dash of salt

Directions:

Cook the oatmeal first by either boiling the water and then putting it on the oatmeal or by cooking the oatmeal and water together in a microwave for 2 ½ minutes. Meanwhile mix the pumpkin, cinnamon, sugar, and wheat germ. Mix the pumpkin and the oatmeal and top with pecans. Enjoy!

Note:

As you can see, ½ cup of oatmeal can go a long way. It expands a lot! This meal therefore, is super filling for multiple reasons. Pumpkin puree, oatmeal, wheat germ, and pecans all have fiber!

Here are the nutrition details:

Pumpkin puree - Low in saturated fat and sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin E, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Iron and Manganese. (Reading the nutrition label).

Oatmeal – Has fiber, protein, and 19% iron in one serving, but it is a huge carbohydrate. So make sure to regulate the amount you eat and also to "complete the protein" by combining nuts or seeds. 

Wheat germ –  The germ is actually the embryo of the wheat plant. This embryo will eventually nourish the new wheat plan. This is the reason why it has so many wonderful nutrients. Has protein and fiber.

Resources:

More info on how to “complete a protein”

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/proteins/building-complete-proteins-from-nuts-grains-and-legumes.html

More info on wheat germ:

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/why-you-need-wheat-germ

It's Time to Be Vegan

As I'm re-watching Forks Over Knives, my ear starts to hurt, and I wonder if that's my body's way of telling me to adopt a vegan diet. I will admit that I do drink a lot of cow milk and do eat almost 2 egg whites every day. This documentary proposes that a vegan diet will rid you of any diseases that your body has, so I am going to try it. Luckily I'll have all summer to try recipes and see just how easy or hard it will be to transition from vegetarian to vegan. It'll be my own version of Super Size Me but rather the opposite. I'll let you know what changes, if anything! Wish me luck!

Hey! Whether you've got a question or would like to contact me in anyway, feel free to make use of any source below:

VeggieHoo@gmail.com

Facebook Veggie Hoo

Twitter @VeggieHoo

Pinterest VeggieHoo

Instagram VEGGIEHOO

I would greatly enjoy taking questions regarding living as a college vegetarian and will take suggestions too. Then, I'll use a post to answer it. 

Thanks!

Vegetarian Activism

Vegetarian Activism

Want to get involved? Check out these three causes that I belong to:

PETA

“People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals” is the largest animal rights organization in the world. PETA focuses on these four parts of animal cruelty: on factory farms, in the clothing trade, in laboratories, and in the entertainment industry. Their website is extremely informative and you can also buy from their store or donate money. I recently bought a t-shirt with their slogan “Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in anyway”. 

http://www.peta.org/tv/default.aspx

Non-GMO project

http://www.nongmoproject.org/

Promotes a non-genetically modified organism diet consisting of natural AND organic foods. The end goal of this group is to eventually eliminate all GMO foods in the industry. They also provide tips for how you can distinguish food that is GMO and not. One for sure way you’ll know is by the Non-GMO seal on or next to food items.

Jeffrey Smith

http://seedsofdeception.com/

Exactly a year ago, I went to a biotechnology symposium and actually met Jeffrey Smith. Smith is an internationally known, best-selling author who writes about the agricultural business dealing with plant and seed manipulation : biotechnology. He promotes a plant-based organic diet with non-GMO's. His books provide information and research that shows the hazardous effects of genetically engineered foods such as sterile and/or dead rats. If you ever get a chance to hear him speak, do it! Also, check out his book Seeds of Deception. I have only read it halfway and hope to finish this summer. 

TOP 6 VEGETARIAN-PROMOTING VIDEOS

Top 6 Vegetarian-Promoting Videos

30 Days. Season 3 episode 3. “Animal Rights"

http://www.tv.com/shows/30-days/animal-rights-1194171/

This is my most recent discovery (as in this morning). I was breezing through Netflix and came upon the series 30 Days. It’s always intrigued me how Morgan Spurlock and the creators of the reality TV show think up the most contrasting situations to place people in. And, despite being “reality TV”, this show contains less drama and more factual information. I’m impressed. The episode on animal rights traces a North Carolina hunters journey as he moves in with a family of vegans and animal rights activists. This episode is semi-funny, semi-sad, and in general, really heart warming.

Food Inc.

http://www.takepart.com/foodinc

This is an informative documentary that takes a look inside of the American agriculture and food business. Disclaimer: it can be dramatic and may make you vomit at parts, but hey, isn’t that the point? It’s factual and is very persuasive. A must-see!

Super Size Me

http://www.hulu.com/watch/63283

This was the first food documentary I saw (when I was in the fourth grade) and from that day onward, I stopped eating McDonald's. Not kidding! Super Size Me not only has a catchy theme song, it’s extremely graphic and disgusting. The sad part is that it’s true! Watch this documentary if you’re curious about the effect of fast food on a person’s physical and psychological well-being.

Vegucated

http://www.getvegucated.com/

This is a documentary that follows the lives of 3 different meat-loving people. One person they follow is an overweight college student and another is a single, working mother, for example. All three people are challenged to go vegan for 6 weeks while they learn about the American food industry. They actually watch Food Inc. This is informative and good for a laugh!

Forks over Knives

http://www.forksoverknives.com/

This is a documentary that reveals the unhealthy lives of Americans mainly because of their diet. Footage shows the many drugs that Americans are on to remain healthy that is costing them a fortune. One thesis of the movie is that a plant-based diet and exercise could cure people of their diseases. I agree completely and you should watch this documentary to learn about the problems facing our fellow Americans right here and right now. If you’re curious about the title of the documentary, you’ll notice on the cover of the documentary that there is a surgeons knife under a fork suggesting two possible solutions to diseases in America: medicine versus diet.

The Weight of the Nation

http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/films

A four part HBO series, Weight of the Nation reveals facts and research about America’s obesity epidemic. Obesity is physical, psychological, and social. It then offers solutions and strategies to alleviate and fix the problem, like eating a more plant-based diet. This is a long series, so watch it when you have time. 

On-the-Go Breakfast Wrap

This recipe is so delicious and only took 8 minutes to make. Perfect time to wake up at 8:15 a.m. and make it to your 9 a.m. class!

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• nonstick spray
• 1 slice of reduced fat cheese
• 2 slices of vegetarian bacon
• 1 low fat whole wheat tortilla
• hot sauce (optional)

Preheat your oven to 450 or heat your toaster oven. Stick the 2 slices of bacon and cook for 5 minutes, flipping them after 3 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat your skillet and spray with the nonstick spray. Cook your egg whites omelet style (without scrambling). Once done, stack the egg, cheese, "bacon", and hot sauce on top of the tortilla. Microwave for 10 seconds, then roll up. You can even take it on the go! Just wrap it up in aluminum foil! 

Only 200 calories and 21 grams of protein!

Should You Get a Meal Plan? With a Price Breakdown

Ah, the beautiful dining hall tray... So many good memories! 

My freshman year at college, we were all required to have meal plans. But honestly, I did not end up using all of my meal swipes. The dining hall claims to have “Meat-Free Monday’s” but all that they would offer was greasy Alfredo sauce pasta and salty steamed spinach. So, I got creative. I waited 30 minutes in a stir-fry line just to get the brown rice once. The man preparing the stir-fry thought that I was kidding when I said “rice please. No, that will be it”. Then, I would hop on over to the fresh salad bar, and would put black beans and cheese onto the rice. It was rather good. But repetitive. So, I got creative again.

One day, my dining hall introduced hummus and I went crazy. Hummus is da bomb. Like seriously. You can make a fabulous spinach salad by putting 2 tablespoons of hummus on top of the spinach, along with red peppers and topping it with Mrs. Dash and red wine vinegar.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask the people in the dining hall if they have vegetarian options! Turns out that they do, it’s just that not many people ask for them! So, about halfway through the school year, I realized that the dining hall had black bean and rice vegetarian burgers. I would then put it on whole wheat toast and drizzled ketchup and mustard on top. 

In the realm of breakfast, it can get a little boring without creativity. So, outside of eating egg whites, I found a new concoction: wheat toast with peanut butter, bananas, and granola. Yum. Or, you can top yogurt with granola. Or hey, make a waffle using the waffle machine and top it with peanut butter and chocolate chips. 

So, it is possible to survive as a vegetarian at a dining hall! Nevertheless, I’m going to have my own apartment next year and plan on cooking since I grew up with that lifestyle. So, the real question is: what are your circumstances for next year? Is a meal plan necessary? Though college meal plans are super over-priced, they can be essential. 

Here is the price breakdown
Meal Plan for 1 semester at college: $2125.00 
15 weeks = 1 semester
15 meals/week = $9.44  = $ 10.00 per each meal.
This is pretty expensive but it pays for the cost of preparing each meal and covers clean up afterward. 

If you are mentoring a group of freshman college students and you eat dinner with them every Thursday, then yes, you need a meal plan. If you are an engineer and only come home at night and don’t have time to cook, yes, you need a mean plan. If you don’t know how to cook anything besides cereal and yogurt, yes, get a meal plan.

For those of you who will not be getting a meal plan, check out my posts about inexpensive vegetarianism at a college apartment. I provide a checklist! 

The "Dirty Dozen"

If you can't buy everything organic, here is the bare minimum list of globally known "Dirty Dozen" - produce that you should ONLY buy in organically grown varieties. Pesticides used on many crops remain a major health concern today because they present health risks such as disruptions in normal functioning of the nervous system and increased risk of cancer.

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries (domestic)
6. Nectarines
7. Sweet Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Collard Greens/ Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (imported)

Source:
http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#slide-1
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/22/dirty-dozen-foods-list-2013_n_3132788.html#slide=2365940

Seasons of Fruit

Seasons of Fruit

When you buy fruit during its right season, during a majority of the time, it is cheaper, tastes better, and is better for the environment (as it can be locally grown).

This is my attempt at doing a pun on "Seasons of Love" from Rent... Seasons of Fruuuuiiiuuuuut

Or what about, "Winter spring summer or fall. All you gotta do is call. And I'll be there, yeah yeah yeah. You got a friend"

Season	Fruit
Year-Round	Apples Avocados Bananas Coconut Lemons Papayas
Spring	Apricots Honeydew Limes Mango Oranges Pineapple Strawberries
Summer	Apricots Blackberries Blueberries Boysenberries Cantaloupe Cherries Figs Grapefruit Grapes Honeydew Key Limes Nectarines Peaches Plums Raspberries Strawberries Watermelon
Fal	Cranberries Grapes Key Limes Kumquats Pear Pineapple Pomegranate
Winter	Clementines Dates Grapefruit Kiwi Oranges Pear Tangerines

Buying Organic

Something that I don't understand about American agriculture and corporations is why organic food is so expensive? Obesity is a huge problem in the United States especially, and yet, the cheapest things in grocery stores are greasy salty potato chips and not carrot sticks. Also, potato chips are right in front of the checkout line, so you are more likely to snag them as your checking out rather than running all the way over to the produce.

Here's why organic food is so expensive, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations:

• Environmental protection. For example, rotational periods which are necessary to build soil fertility;

• Higher standards for animal safety and fairness

• Avoidance of health risks to farmers due to inappropriate handling of pesticides 

• Rural development by generating additional farm employment and assuring a fair and sufficient income to producers.

• Supply and demand of organic food. Less people want it than is being produced. 

Nevertheless, here are some tips to getting organic food at a lower price:

• Use coupons
• Buy in bulk. Bring your own plastic container to an organic store and fill up on dried beans for example. Around 5 cans of beans yields 1 pound ( $7 estimate) and 1 pound of dried beans is around $2. 
• Buy store brand organic 
• Buy fruit in its season

Whole Wheat Banana Fiber Muffins

Don't let the title of these delicious and nutritious muffins scare you. The combination of the whole wheat and cinnamon makes them absolutely delectable.  Fiber is crucial to any diet because it maintains healthy bowel movements and aids in achieving a healthy weight. High-fiber foods require more chewing time and can make you feel full longer. Also, in vegan baking, applesauce can be substituted for eggs.

Here's the homemade recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 medium super-ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup of butter or butter substitute
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup of Benefiber powder
• 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flower
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• oatmeal (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin tin or line with liners. In one bowl, mix mashed bananas, applesauce, egg, sugar, oil, and fiber powder. In second bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt., cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Spoon evenly into muffin tins. Top with a dash of oatmeal and bake for 18 minutes.

Thai Spinach with Brown Rice

Easy Main Dish for Three 

Thai spinach with wild brown rice and fresh arugula salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound frozen spinach
• 1/2 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup of soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon of ginger
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until the onion gets soft. Add the pepper and continue to cook. Next, add the frozen spinach and cover the dish for 8 minutes or so on medium heat. Once the spinach combination has defrosted, stir the dish again, and add the soy sauce, ginger, peanut butter, salt, and pepper. 

• prewashed arugula mix
• natural cheese
• avocado
• broccoli
• For the homemade dressing:
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of mustard
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
• dash of salt

Whisk all of the dressing ingredients and drizzle over the salad.

Wild Rice

• 1 cup of wild brown rice
• 2 1/2 cups of boiling water
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Boil the water (either in a kettle or over the stove) and once boiling, add the rice. Bring the water back to a boil and cover and lower the heat to medium low. Simmer for 35 minutes.

Voila! Easy! 

Typical Day of Meals in College

Typical Day of Meals for a College Vegetarian

6:30 AM wake up, eat a handful of nuts and go to gym. Drink water

8:00 AM breakfast at Dining Hall

                2 hard boiled egg whites, with yolk removed.

                1 piece of whole wheat toast

                1 tablespoon of jelly

                1 banana

                8 oz chocolate milk

                16 oz of water

12 PM lunch at Dining Hall

                Spinach salad with ½ cup of black beans on top

                Croutons and lite balsamic dressing

                16 oz water

                1 apple

4 PM snack at Cafe or Apartment 

                sliced nectarine 

                2 tbsp granola 

                2 tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt 

6 PM dinner at Dining Hall

                Veggie burger topped with cheese, ketchup, tomato, lettuce on 2 slices whole wheat bread

                Small portion of dessert

                16 oz of water

                

Hidden Animal Ingredients in Foods

Hidden Animal Ingredients in Foods

I am a huge fan of gummy bears and have been since I was old enough to chew them. These facts made me sad! But trust me, there are alternatives:

Gelatin	Protein from bones, cartilage, tendons, and skin of animals	Marshmallows, Pop tarts, Jello, Starbursts, Junior Mints, gummy bears
Animal Fats	Including lard	Tortillas, refried beans, baked goods, packaged cookies, premade pie crust
Anchovies	Tiny fish	Caesar dressing, worcestershire sauce
Rennet	enzyme produced in any mammalian stomach	Cheeses
Triglycerides	Chemical, animal fats	Fast food, some ice cream, sweetened cereals

• Tips to Avoid These Foods:
• You’ll have to get into the habit of reading food labels in the supermarket to know which products contain a lot of saturated fats. Those typically include animal fats.
• Look for alternatives. Whole Foods makes gummy bears without gelatin, and they are delicious!
• Make your own foods! Like the Caesar salad dressing and leave the anchovies out.

Resources:

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/hidden-animal-ingredients-in-foods.html

http://www.veggieboards.com/t/102424/gelatin-foods-list

http://www.high-triglycerides.com/herbal-remedies/high-triglycerides/what-are-triglycerides

A Balanced Vegetarian Diet

Components of a Balanced (Vegetarian) Diet:

Food	Number servings	1 serving examples
Grains, cereals, potatoes	3 – 4 servings	1 slice bread, 1 oz cereal, ½ cup of pasta or rice
Fruits and vegetables	4-5 servings	1 cup of leafy vegetables, ½ cup of raw vegetables, ¾ cup of vegetable juice, 1 medium apple, 1 banana, ½ cup of canned fruit
Legumes, nuts, seeds, protein	2-3 servings	2 tablespoons peanut butter, ½ cup cooked beans, 1/3 cup of nuts
Milk, cheese, egg	2 servings	1 cup of yogurt or milk, 1 – ½ oz of cheese, 1 egg
Oils	Small

If you are more of a calorie person, rather than servings...

• A sedentary female should intake approximately 1,600 calories
• An active female, growing female teens/children, and sedentary male should intake 2,200 calories
• A growing male teen/child should intake 2,800 calories

What’s in a Portion Size?

Serving size	Equivalent
1 ounce of cheese	four dice
A medium potato	a computer mouse
2 tablespoons of peanut butter	a ping pong ball
1 cup of pasta	a tennis ball
A bagel	a hockey puck

 = Peanut Butter

~

 = Cheese

Resources:

http://www.breastcancer.org/tips/nutrition/healthy_eat/portions

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/MyPyramid/OriginalFoodGuidePyramids/FGP/FGPPamphlet.pdf