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Traveling while Vegan

Traveling while Vegan

by | Sep 14, 2022 | Food & Ingredients, My Story

I live in Los Angeles which you may have heard me refer to as a vegan food Mecca. The city has plenty of issues, but a lack of good food isn’t one of them. There are tons of amazing fresh food grocery stores, never ending farmer’s markets (one of my favorite pastimes) and an ever-growing list of great vegan restaurants and restaurants that offer vegan options.

So it is with trepidation that I ever leave my plant-based bubble.

But I had plans to travel to the Midwest for 12 days to see friends and family. How was I going to manage? Join me as we venture through the American Midwest. 

Eating Plant-Based in Chicago: 

I started in Chicago meeting up with two of my childhood best friends. My local Chicago friend knew of a vegan restaurant with good reviews, but she had never been.  That was an easy choice. The other restaurants she suggested all had fabulous vegan options- I always check the menu ahead of time. Breakfasts are pretty easy- you can almost always get avocado toast or oatmeal. So that went well. The name of the vegan restaurant in the Chicago suburbs is Spirit Elephant.  It’s a bit loud but festive and the food is great and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. I highly recommend.

Eating Plant-Based in Michigan: 

Next stop was Michigan where I was staying with my mom and her significant other for the weekend. She offered to make vegan chili for me for the night that I arrived. OMG, it was amazing. We will be making it in the group in the future. Thank you, Mom for the extra effort and being willing to try a new recipe. I ate it for 3 days straight. Dinner one night and then lunch the next two days. The second night they were hosting a birthday party and she made the quinoa salad that we made in the group along with corn on the cob. Yummy! On the third night we went out for Chinese food and they made me tofu and vegetables with brown rice. So far so good.

Eating Plant-Based in Ohio: 

Now to Ohio. I met up with my friend, Vicki, outside Toledo and got a tour of her incredible family farm. She made us a beautiful salad for lunch. Then to Cleveland where I found an amazing vegan restaurant called Cleveland Vegan. Yummy bagel with vegan lox and vegan pancakes for breakfast. (Yes, both for me. I couldn’t decide.) I found it through an app called Happy Cow and I highly recommend the app whether you are looking for local vegan food or you are traveling. 

While in Cleveland I visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (very super cool if you’ve never been), after which I noticed a Mexican-style restaurant just outside the Hall of Fame. I made a beeline and snagged an outdoor table. That was really fun, and they had a terrific vegan taco dish.

The very last part of this trip was a retreat with my women’s group. We stay at a center with that doesn’t really have vegan food, but they were happy to accommodate and had a few vegan options. I usually eat Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches when I’m there, but they also have a salad bar.

Since most of the people in my group don’t eat plant-based, I offered to cook dinner one night. With the help of a couple of friends I made the Caesar tofu wraps which (I think) everyone enjoyed. There was plenty leftover, so I had that for a couple of days. I had planned ahead and gone food shopping in Cleveland so I could bring all of the ingredients with me.

While I was definitely concerned before I traveled, there was really no reason to worry.

With a little bit of planning along with the Happy Cow app, I suspect eating plant-based is (at least almost) always doable.

P.S. I wanted to add that in addition to enjoying time spent with friends and family and eating good food and enjoying the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I also loved the architectural river tour in Chicago and the Ford Museum in Detroit. A little bit of culture everywhere I stopped!

I Love Sugar But It Doesn’t Love Me

I Love Sugar But It Doesn’t Love Me

by | Aug 24, 2022 | Food & Ingredients, Whole Food Plant Based

When I was growing up, I had a serious sweet tooth. And if it wasn’t chocolate, it wasn’t dessert. As an adult, I still love sweets. But if it’s a cooked dessert, I now prefer a fruity dessert (like an apple crumble… mmmm…. Apple crumble).  I still love chocolate, just in smaller doses.

For the most part though, nowadays I avoid refined sugar. And I feel a whole lot better when I do.

When I’m eating a clean whole foods plant-based diet, there are no processed sugars in the foods I eat. I feel good and any sugar cravings go away.

Feeling good becomes a baseline and I don’t notice that I’m feeling good until… I eat some sugar. Then I feel out of whack.

AND, once I eat a little bit, I end up eating sugar for a few days until I realize that I feel lousy, and then I go back to eating clean. I like the sugar. It just doesn’t like me.

My kids were home visiting a few weeks ago and I baked cookies for them. I also bought vegan ice cream and oh boy, after a couple of days of this my body rebelled. Refined sugars in treats are an immediate jolt to my system. I like the sugar. It just doesn’t like me.

And this sugar conversation extends beyond refined sugars.

When my kids were home, we went to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert at SoFi stadium. The stadium displays signs for veggie chili or veggie burgers, but they didn’t have them available. Come on. Really? 

I was starving so I had a giant pretzel. That was my dinner.  I don’t eat a lot of refined wheat because it has a high glycemic index and turns right into glucose.

It didn’t help that I also had a beer at the concert. I don’t drink much anymore because alcohol turns straight into sugar and even if I just have just one drink, I feel lousy the next day. Years ago, I was a wine drinker. I finally had to acknowledge that it no longer agrees with me. I just don’t like losing a whole day the following day feeling lousy. Life is too short. I still do imbibe occasionally because I like it.  It just doesn’t like me.

It’s amazing how our bodies speak to us. The foods we put into our bodies are so important and our bodies respond. We just have to pay attention and be willing to cut out the foods that don’t serve us.

Once I’m on track and feeling good, I find it easy to stay on track. I don’t crave the sugary foods.

Yet, I also believe in balance. If I have an occasional pretzel or cookie or glass of wine at a special event, I make sure that I enjoy it while I’m eating it. If I have my wits about me, I don’t let it slide into a multi-day event and quickly return to eating whole foods plant-based.

So, what’s a girl with a sweet tooth to do? I still enjoy sweets and here are a few of my not-guilty pleasures: 

🍓 I love fruit. I eat berries in the morning, often a banana in the afternoon. The nighttime fruit varies by season. In the winter I eat apples and dates and, in the summer, I eat peaches or melon or dates. Dates are seriously nature’s candy.

🌱 I almost always have homemade peanut butter oat bars in the pantry for when I want a little sweet snack. A small piece usually does the trick.

☕ I love unsweetened sparkling water (like La Croix). Many nights after dinner I want a little somethin’ somethin’ and a can of that is perfect. Or a cup of herbal tea. It satisfies my desire to have something yummy without the sugar.

Lastly, I have always enjoyed baking for my family. Since I know that refined sugar is not good for any of us, I will only bake with sugar in moderation. And I will continue seeking whole food plant-based recipes that are yummy too. Balance.

How about you? Do you have a sweet tooth? How do you satisfy it?

The Low Carb Myth

The Low Carb Myth

by | Aug 17, 2022 | Whole Food Plant Based

“I need to make sure I’m eating low-carb.”

I hear this a lot. It’s a big topic. And understandably so! We’ve been indoctrinated to eat lean animal protein with a salad or vegetables for “optimal health” and weight loss.

Up until recently, this is what I believed too. 

I got used to eating the high protein way, but I also missed eating carbohydrates. (And when I did eat carbs, I overdid it.) Then I studied plant-based nutrition though Cornell and learned that when we eat a proper whole foods plant-based (WFPB) diet, we are supposed to eat carbs. In fact, the majority of our nutritional intake should be carbs.

Here’s the catch. If they are refined or processes carbs- like white rice, white bread (or wheat bread or pasta that isn’t whole grain), chips, pretzels, then no, they are not good for you. These foods are high on the glycemic index and turn right into blood sugar. These are the “bad for you” carbs.

However, when you eat whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes along with legumes, greens and fruits, then you are eating protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates.* This way of eating offers all the nutrients your body needs and satisfies your hunger. Foods are absorbed properly, and you aren’t experiencing blood sugar spikes. These are the “good for you” carbs.

In The China Study, the healthiest participants all ate a high carbohydrate diet that included vegetables and legumes. And despite consuming more calories than western diet participants, they were trimmer. It’s all about the quality of the food.

In addition to this study, I have learned of, and personally witnessed, countless people who have lost weight by switching to a WFPB lifestyle.  

🌿 The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has documented people with diabetes losing weight and reversing or improving their diabetes with a WFPB diet.

🌿 Caldwell Esselstyn, of the Cleveland Clinic has documented numerous people with heart disease who have switched to a WFPB diet, gotten healthy, dropped weight and reversed their heart disease. 

🌿 A childhood friend of mine, Naomi, is a breast cancer survivor and now eats a clean, WFPB diet and is trimmer and healthier than ever. Naomi also has an established coaching practice for people interested in a WFPB lifestyle to improve health and lose weight. I’m happy to introduce you if you are interested.

And I have personally experienced it. When I am eating clean foods (no or minimal oil, no sugars, whole foods), I drop a couple of pounds too. When I’m not paying attention to my food intake and eat more processed foods, I gain a couple of pounds. 

One of the big diet buzzwords these days is keto which is a high fat, low-carb diet. According to Harvard Health “It’s advertised as a weight-loss wonder but this eating plan is actually a medical diet that comes with serious risks.” This is just one article that explains a little about why it’s just not healthy.  

The same risks come with the Atkins and Paleo diets which are just modifications of the keto diet.

These diets are the polar opposite of a WFPB diet which is rich in antioxidants, fiber, nutrients and yes, protein! I eat whole grain wraps, breads, bean spreads (like hummus), nuts and nut butters, brown rice, leafy salads, tofu, edamame, beans, quinoa, veggies, oats, fruit, and so much more. I’m constantly finding new delicious recipes that are easy and yummy.

If we were having this conversation even five years ago, I wouldn’t have been so enthusiastic. But the vegan world has come so far that you can choose plant-based foods and feel satisfied. I enjoy Asian, Italian, Mexican, Middle Eastern-inspired foods and more. And when you focus on whole foods, according to years of research, you are preventing and possibly reversing diseases, all by making a conscious choice. 

Always consult your doctor if you have concerns. If you have questions about starting a WFPB diet, please ask me. I also have a great plant-based nutritionist who can help you sort out your food needs as well.

We already have a few WFPB recipes in our group with more on the way. So go ahead and eat your whole food plant-based carbs!

*If you missed last week’s post about where vegans get their protein, you can find it here. Included in that post are resources for protein sources as well.

Where Do Vegans Get Their Protein?

Where Do Vegans Get Their Protein?

by | Aug 10, 2022 | Food & Ingredients, Whole Food Plant Based

Where do vegans get their protein?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions about a plant-based diet.

I get it! It wasn’t that long ago that my ideal meal was greens with a piece of salmon on top. Or maybe veggies, rice and a meat protein on my plate. Waking up in the morning, the go-to was often eggs.

Historically, eating animal protein has been touted as the “best” source of protein. And the amount of protein recommended in the early 1900’s was dramatically higher than today. There was also an element of prestige attached to eating animal protein.

In truth, animal protein is more biologically similar to our own bodies. As such, it is called a “high quality protein” and it helps us grow fast. But at what cost? The fast growth that animal protein causes, also causes cells to grow fast that aren’t supposed to grow, which is called cancer. Animal proteins have also shown to be the source of many diseases of affluence including heart disease and diabetes. 

Conversely, we can (and should) consume all of our protein via plant sources. It has only the health upsides and none of the downsides. A whole foods plant-based diet offers sufficient protein when eating a variety of foods.

For mere mortals (like me), the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) protein recommendations are 8-10% of our daily food intake. 

Here’s how to calculate this: “Adults require no more than 0.8 or 0.9 grams of protein per healthy kilogram of body weight per day, which is about your ideal weight in pounds multiplied by four and then divided by ten. So, someone whose ideal weight is 100 pounds may require up to 40 grams of protein a day.” – NutritionFacts.org

For a 70 kg (144 lb) adult male, this is 56 gms; for a 60 kg (132 lb) female, 48 gms. 

Even elite athletes are learning that while they do need more protein than an average athlete, they don’t need nearly as much as they originally assumed. They are foregoing the high protein powders and scarfing down chicken breasts and switching to a whole food plant diet instead, often with better performance results. (Have you watched the film Game Changers?) 

Where do we find this protein?

We’ve all heard about eating the rainbow.

We can get all our nutrients by eating a variety of foods. You may be surprised at how much protein is found not just in tofu and nuts, but also in broccoli, brown rice and many other “surprising” sources.* Further, we do not need to combine them all in one meal to get the appropriate nutrients. Aiming to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, tubers and legumes offers the nutrition that your body needs.

Thanks to creative plant-based chefs, there are now many interesting recipes that mimic foods we are accustomed to. Since my husband and I grew up with a “main” dish alongside a “starch” and a “vegetable” for dinner, I still often cook that way. The difference is that now, the “main” is usually a tofu or something similar, the rice is brown, and the veggies are roasted.

Hearty and tasty recipes teach us how to eat the rainbow, so we enjoy our meals, don’t feel deprived, and get the most health benefits. Veggie chilis, wraps made with whole grains, bowls, homemade veggie burgers… the list goes on and is endless.

(I have never actually made a “bowl”. I’ve only eaten them in restaurants. But I think they are a great way to get many nutrients in a delicious meal. I will be experimenting with bowl recipes and share the good ones. We’ve just begun scratching the surface of what is possible at What’s Plant-Based Cooking Good Looking?!)

*This pretty chart shows how much protein can be found in each of these plant-based foods. I have included another, more comprehensive chart here, that details many more foods. If you are concerned about your protein intake, please refer to it. If you are eating a colorful, low fat (minimal or no oil) whole foods plant-based diet that includes all types of legumes, fruits, vegetables, whole starches and more, you can likely trust that you are getting all of your nutrients. (Always check with a health professional if you have questions or underlying conditions.)

Every day I meet people whose cholesterol dropped dramatically in just a few weeks by switching to a whole foods plant-based diet.

Think about it — pandas, elephants, giraffes, horses and gorillas eat plants and they are some of the largest and strongest animals roaming the earth. We really don’t need to eat animal protein.

If you’d like to read more, here’s an article from T. Colin Campbell about the fallacy of animal protein and our obsession with protein in general.  

And another from registered dietician who wrote the article for a tofu manufacturer, but also includes other really good sources of plant proteins.  

Check back next week when we take a look at the other often-voiced concern: “How do I avoid eating too many carbs?”

How do I replace eggs when baking?

How do I replace eggs when baking?

by | Aug 3, 2022 | Food & Ingredients

Welcome back to Part two of the Egg Substitute Blog 

In Part One we shared different plant-based egg substitutes that one might eat. The very top of the post explains why eggs aren’t the best option. 

A couple of examples of substitutes are Just Egg, or tofu that tastes like eggs. (There are some super creative chefs that turn plant-based ingredients into dishes that look and taste like eggs. It’s kind of nuts- but in a good way.) 

This post is about egg substitutes when you are cooking or baking.

How often do you come across recipes that require eggs? There are many! 

Fear not- there are plenty of plant-based alternatives.

Here are a few of the plant-based ways I’ve been able to cook and bake without eggs. 

1. Flax egg– What is a flax egg? You mix ground flax meal with warm water and it turns into a gooey consistency that can be used as an egg substitute. When the recipe calls for it, it’s a much healthier substitute. I use flax eggs in a tofu dish (which we will make together soon) as well as in baked goods. (In fact, the recipe we are making this week is cookies! They are incredible and use flax eggs.) Some recipes suggest that chia works too.

  1. Aquafaba. What is aquafaba? It’s the liquid that comes in a can of beans, for example chickpeas. I wrote a blog post about it, and you can find that here. Aquafaba can also be whipped up into merengues or mousses.

I used to make chocolate merengue cookies with egg whites and recently craved those merengues. I learned that aquafaba could work and I was excited to try.  I was warned that they might not rise once I added the cocoa and that’s exactly what happened.  They were fluffy until I added the cocoa.  They baked flat but were delicious nonetheless. All the recipes I’ve seen out there for merengues don’t add the cocoa. Maybe I’ll try again another time without the cocoa.

  1. There are a variety of egg replacers that you can purchase at the store. One brand is Red Mill though there are a few. I took a vegan flan baking class last year and it called for a specific brand of egg replacer.
  1. And sometimes just omitting the egg is sufficient. For example, we make potato latkes (pancakes) annually around Hannukah time. The recipe I’ve used for years calls for grated potatoes, flour, salt and pepper and egg (to bind it together). I omit the egg and it works out just fine for the kind of latkes we make. We do not need the egg!

There you have it. Lots of great options available to avoid eggs!