Vegan Bits

Vegan Thanksgiving Options

Lane — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:58:21 +0000

Vegan Turkey - Oxymoron?

If you're tired of Tofurky and don't feel like trying something new like the Holiday Nut Loaf or Tofurky Take 2, Whole Foods has an option that looks like a lot of fun... a vegan turkey. At $50, it's not that steep if it truly feeds the 10-16 people it claims it will feed. However, it's only 4 pounds so we're skeptical.

Thought you all might find it interesting. (Sorry about the poor quality photo, we don't usually have our camera when we're at the grocery store.)

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Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

Lane — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:22:11 +0000

First, we'd like to thank everyone who shared their recipes with us. There are some really wonderful sounding dishes here. We hope you find this compilation of Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes of value when you're planning your Thanksgiving Feast!

Main Dishes

Side Dishes

Desserts

Beverages

Enjoy!

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Fire

Lane — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:17:34 +0000

We've gotten a few emails and tweets asking if we're okay (since we live in the Southern California area). Despite what the news is saying, all of SoCal is not up in flames. We're fine, aside from the bad air quality, which you can get a good idea of by looking at the photos at the top of this post (taken from one of our windows). But we do know people whose homes are in jeopardy, and our thoughts are with them.

It's shocking how unprepared most of us are for this kind of thing. FEMA has a great guide called Are You Ready, which provides information on what to do in the event of all sorts of emergencies from earthquakes, to fires, to floods, to nuclear and chemical threats.

Here's hoping you're all safe! And take a moment to figure out what you'd do in the event of an emergency.

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A Nod To Veganism

Lane — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:31:23 +0000

So Jane and I are busy working tonight and we have the television on in the background. It's Thanksgiving season and we tend to enjoy watching the Food Network at this time, even though most of the recipes being prepared would not be found on our table! Butter, heavy cream, turkey, eggs, need I say more? However, the recipes can often be veganized. So we like to watch these shows to get ideas. We've learned preparation techniques, new spice combinations, and factual information about various foods.

Tonight, we were half watching The Secret Life of Thanksgiving on the Food Network. It was pretty much what you would expect, a lot of turkey, butter, cream, and eggs, interspersed with tidbits of information on what the pilgrims ate, and how Thanksgiving actually came to be a national holiday. But what caught our attention, and compelled us to write this post, was the last five minutes of the show. Jim O'Connor, the host, asked the question, "But what do vegetarians and vegans eat for Thanksgiving?" Wow!

So, our representation was a Thanksgiving meal at the raw vegan restaurant, Leaf, in Los Angeles. And there was a Thanksgiving at Farm Sanctuary, where the turkeys were fed a suitable feast, and afterwards the humans also feasted... on tofurkey and delicious looking vegan sides. We were happily surprized to see vegetarianism and veganism represented on a national food program talking about a holiday that is typically turkey baste... I mean based.

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Random Thoughts On Dialogue

Lane — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:37:34 +0000

Everyone has their own way of thinking... their own philosophy on how life should be lived, how you should interact with other beings. Personally, I'm not interested in confrontation. I'd rather things be peaceful. Now that doesn't mean that I won't voice my opinion, but I don't understand why people do that in a manner that is antagonistic. I think you can present your point of view without alienating your audience, even if you are passionate about your subject. (But you probably already know that if you've spent any time reading this blog.)

Tonight I was reading The Calgary Herald, and found this in the "Real Life" section:

My three grown daughters all became vegans in their mid-teens. They're also animal-rights activists -- I think they're fanatics, refusing to celebrate Thanksgiving with us, with a "dead bird" (turkey) in our home, though I've prepared a tofu turkey for them.

My husband and I try to accommodate their diet and are sensitive to their activities, but they're increasingly rude and ugly, condemning everything we eat, and that we kill flies and earwigs in our home.

First, let me state that I understand this is only one side of the story. But for arguments sake, let's just assume this account is actually 100% accurate. I don't understand the behavior of the daughters. What is the point of alienating their parents / other people? The parents are not vegan, but they do accommodate their daughters' way of eating. Personally, I think that's wonderful. The parents are preparing some vegan foods for the daughters to eat. Presumably they will taste those foods and, perhaps incorporate them into their food rotation. In any event, they are learning about a vegan diet. They are willing to try!

But what are the daughters attempting to achieve by being antagonistic to their parents? This type of behavior only gives vegans a bad name, and isn't likely to result in anyone changing their thoughts. Typically, it results in people shutting down. Without a dialogue, there can be no change.

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Thanksgiving Reminder

Lane — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:52:22 +0000

Reminder... We're going to be publishing some Vegan Thanksgiving recipes early next week. (We're shooting for Monday, Nov. 17, but you know how that goes...). So, if you'd like to be included in our recipe roundup, make sure to send us your recipe(s) and one photo of the finished item(s). Photo not required. PLEASE - Photos should be no larger than 75 KB.

Here's a link to the guidelines for Thanksgiving Recipe submission.

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Savory Vegan Braid

Lane — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:28:08 +0000

We had a neighborhood watch meeting tonight. Every time these things are scheduled they always run long, so I've learned to try and leave early so I can grab a bite to eat beforehand. Jane had the day off, and she said she'd have something ready when I got home. I pulled up to the house, a little late, and a little frazzled from all the traffic. But the aroma wafting through the kitchen windows was enough to shift my focus. Mmmm. Something smelled great.

Jane made some kind of stuffed bread thing. Yum. The base was Tender Potato Bread, and she wrapped it up like the Vegan Danish. She stuffed the bread with sauteed onions, spinach, Yves ground "meat," and some spices. Yum. And there's enough left for dinner tomorrow night too. Woo Hoo!

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Why Trans Fats Are Bad For Your Health

Lane — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 02:46:38 +0000

A week or two ago we wrote a post complaining that Tofutti uses partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (trans fats) in their cream cheese alternative. I was expressing some frustration that Tofutti does make a version of the cream cheese without the trans fats, but the one that is most easily found contains trans fats (something we try to avoid at all costs). We received a few e-mails questioning why this is so bad. So here's a brief tutorial...

Partially hydrogenated oils = trans fats.

Trans fats = bad. Bad enough, in fact, for New York City to ban the use of them in restaurant foods as early as December 2006 (the first city in the US to do so). Seattle and Boston have jumped on the bandwagon this year as well. Not to be outdone, California banned the use of trans fats in restaurant food in July, the first state to do so. It isn't a smooth transition. Many vendors are complaining. Trans fats are easier to use, stable longer, and cheaper. But they are one of the most unhealthy things you can consume.

Why are trans fats bad? Trans fats are bad for your heart.

Tans fats have also been found in scientific studies to lower high-density lipoproteins, the “good” cholesterol, while increasing low-density lipoproteins, the “bad” cholesterol, high levels of which contribute to the onset of heart disease, the leading cause of death in California and the nation. Dr. Clyde Yancy, incoming president of the American Heart Association, said a 2 percent increase in trans-fat intake could result over time in a 25 percent increase in the likelihood of developing coronary artery disease.

Source: The New York Times

The AMA came out with a policy today to support any state or federal effort to ban the use of trans fats in restaurants and bakeries. (They're also against texting and driving, saying texting increased the amount of time your eyes are off the road by 400%. Yikes! DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE PEOPLE!!!)

According to AMA board member Dr. Mary Anne McCaffree, "Trans fats have been proven to raise LDL (low density lipoprotein), the bad cholesterol, while lowering HDL (high density lipoprotein), the good cholesterol, which significantly increases the risk for heart disease."

According to the comprehensive Nurses' Health Study -- the largest investigation of women and chronic disease -- trans fats double the risk of heart disease in women.

Source: Trans Fats 101 - University of Maryland Medicine

As Maija commented, it's likely that trans fats will be banned in the next few years, at least in the western world. So why not get a head start... When you're in the grocery store check your product labels for Trans Fats. They should read 0 grams. If they don't, you should look for a healthier alternative.

For further reading:

Trans Fats 101 - University of Maryland Medicine
Trans Fats: Avoid This Cholesterol Double Whammy - Mayo Clinic
The Nutrition Source: Fats and Cholesterol - Harvard School of Public Health (read section on "Very Bad Fats")
Why Hydrogenated Oils Should Be Avoided at Any Cost - Natural News

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We’re Growing By Leaps And Bounds

Lane — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 06:58:16 +0000

I missed it... earlier this year, CNN ran a story about vegans. On June 11, 2008 CNN proclaimed that an estimated 10 million Americans have gone vegan. Wow. That would mean we make up a little over 3% of the total population. Woo hoo! We're growing by leaps and bounds. Jane's been saying that for a while. It certainly feels that veganism is becoming somewhat more mainstream. (But we still have a long way to go!)

CNN illustrates the environmental effects of a vegan diet by showing that a 6 ounce steak has 24 times the greenhouse gas emissions than a plate of veggie stir fry.

They also touch on the health benefits of going vegan.

Anyway, below is the YouTube video of the CNN segment, you can watch it yourselves. It's a little over six minutes.

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Another Reason Not To Eat Meat

Lane — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:51:52 +0000

As if there aren't enough reasons not to eat meat... According to New Scientist magazine, consuming red meat and dairy puts humans at risk from a rather nasty strain of e. coli. This particular strain attaches itself to a sugar molecule that humans can't produce, but is ingested when we consume meat and dairy products.

"This toxin originally evolved to attack cattle or some other animals," says Ajit Varki, an expert in molecular medicine at the University of California, San Diego, who was involved in the study. By eating the toxin's intended target we made ourselves vulnerable too, he says.

When unlucky meat-eaters ingest this particular E. coli strain, its toxin kills the cells that line the gut, eventually causing bloody diarrhoea, Varki says. It also heads for blood vessels and the kidneys.

"It's a sort of worst of all worlds if you're a human and you eat some of this stuff," says Paul Crocker, who investigates the biological role of sugars at the University of Dundee, UK. Animals that produce GC naturally have the sugar in blood serum, where it mops up the toxin and keeps it out of the gut.

Varki suggests that other ailments could also be due to GC from meat and dairy as the immune system mounts a response against it. "We think other diseases associated with red meat – cancer, heart attack and autoimmunity - may be explained by this ongoing reaction."

Source: New Scientist

Don't forget to send us your Thanksgiving Recipes if you'd like to be included in our vegan Thanksgiving recipe roundup. Rules here.

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