TDIV Q&A: What kind of food do vegans eat?

 "What do you eat?"

This is probably the most common question vegans are asked and one of the most difficult to answer. It's not that what we eat is strange or limited; in fact, the question is difficult to answer for the opposite reason - there are so many wonderful foods to describe! The truth is, unless you're an unusual omnivore, your friendly neighborhood vegan may well eat a wider variety of foods than you do.

People tend to think of going vegan as eliminating foods from your diet, but most things 'eliminated' are really only swapped with animal-free versions. Often, they're available in more than one version. For example, while you might drink cow's milk or goat's milk, a vegan has the choice of soy, almond, rice, hemp, oat, or sunflower milk. And there are so many easy alternatives today: ice cream, yogurt, burgers, steak, nuggets, cheese, sausages, pizza.... all these things are available in delicious vegan versions.  The saying is true, "Anything you can eat, I can eat vegan!"

But more than that, as people transition to a vegan diet, they tend to be exposed to new foods and new cuisines. From agave to kohlrabi, from kale to quinoa, vegans are more likely to sample everything the plant kingdom has to offer. That's at least partly because vegan cooking embraces world cuisine. Pick up any vegan cookbook and you are likely to find recipes from Ethiopia, Greece, Morocco, India, or any number of distant lands, right alongside vegan versions of familiar favorites.

Here's an example of a typical week in my diet to really help you get a sense of the way vegans (or at least, this vegan) eats:

Note that all foods are vegan versions, so 'milk' means almond milk, 'yogurt' means cultured coconut milk,  and so on.

Monday
Breakfast: toast with butter, juice, banana
Snack: pumpkin seeds
Lunch: Chinese take-out - fried rice, spring roll, mixed vegetables, garlic bok choy
Dinner: salad, spaghetti marinara with mushrooms, garlic bread
Snack: frozen fruit pop

Tuesday
Breakfast: cereal with milk topped with fruit and nuts
Lunch: Greek - hummus, tabbouleh, and spinach wrap, carrot sticks
Snack: sandwich cookies
Dinner: penne pesto with kale, tomatoes, and olives, natural soda

Wednesday
Breakfast: scone and hot tea
Lunch: big salad and a slice of cheese pizza
Snack: fair-trade chocolate bar
Dinner: apple sage sausage, mashed potatoes and gravy, baked beans, steamed squash

Thursday
Breakfast: oatmeal with agave, dried fruit, and walnuts, chocolate milk
Snack: dried apples, trail mix
Lunch: Cuban takeout - black beans and rice with vegetables, chips and salsa, plantains
Dinner: veggie burger, southern-style greens, barbecue beans, and french fries

Friday
Breakfast: toast eaten in the car while running late to work
Snack: pina colada yogurt
Lunch: steam-in-bag veggie blend, instant brown rice
Snack: vegetable chips
Dinner: Indian lentil dahl and veggie korma
Snack: cappuccino swirl ice cream

Saturday
Brunch: ripe tomato sandwiches with mayo, green smoothie
Snack: kale chips, fruit salad
Dinner: salad, chili, cornbread
Snack: applesauce cake

Sunday
Breakfast: pancakes, home fries with peppers and onions, orange juice
Lunch: couscous with mushrooms and Swiss chard, artichoke bruschetta sub
Snack: Cajun roasted chickpeas
Dinner: vegetable lasagna, garlic bread, broccoli
Snack: peanut butter fudge

Do you find that much of this sounds familiar, maybe with a few interesting variations from your diet? Veganism certainly is a transition from the way most people eat, but perhaps it's not as big a difference as you might have thought. There's a world of options available, both familiar and new.

So when someone asks me, "What do you eat?", I will typically ask them what they eat.

"Everything!" they say, or "Anything I want!"

To that I can wholeheartedly reply, "Me too!"

Kasey Minnis | Facebook | @veggiemightee | Blog
Fort Lauderdale, FL That rare and elusive species known as the native Floridian, Kasey is passionate about protecting other endangered creatures. She lives by the principle “compassion and crochet for all,” and enjoys teaching others – including her husband of 20 years and two beautiful children – the benefits of cruelty-free eating by feeding them tasty vegan treats from her kitchen. Contact Kasey at kasey@thisdishisveg.com.

Photo credit:cc:flickr.com/photos/eleaf

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TDIV Q&A: Is it easy to be a vegan?

Is it easy to be a vegan?

The initial answer is no.

When making the transition from the Standard American Diet (SAD), it seems like there is nothing to eat. Beans? Kale? Tofu? Tempeh? What are these foods? How should they be prepared? And the inevitable withdrawal, hunger pangs, and some residual anger at whomever put you on the path toward this lifestyle.

Then the answer is yes!

The addiction to casomorphin, the protein in cheese that has an opioid effect, takes only about 10 days to subside. And the rest of the cravings simply go away especially when you remember the animals and their plight or when you realize how good you feel. The body gets used to new foods and eventually starts craving such exotic things as green juices, grilled tofu, and rice and beans.

The path of discovery is fun. Learning how to cook is a challenge mostly because many of the ingredients seem foreign. It takes some time, patience, a little research, some meals out in a good vegan restaurant to get an idea of how food is prepared. It is exciting when you realize that you can veganize almost anything: fried tofu sticks, meatless meatballs, tempeh bacon, cookies, and more. There is no limit if you use your imagination and creativity.

Then it extends to the rest of your life. You check the labels of the clothing you buy. No more wool sweaters, leather shoes, silk ties, or down coats. And because you feel so happy, because your diet is clean, it doesn't even matter.

So it is easy to be a vegan? "Easy" or not, it is the right choice for our health, the health and welfare of the animals and the planet. Go vegan!

Lisa Dawn Angerame | Blog | Website | Facebook
Long Island, NY Lisa Dawn is an advanced certified Jivamukti yoga teacher, vegan food blogger, wife and mom. She is working hard to spread the vegan love through her cooking, teaching and blog. Lisa Dawn studies and teaches the yoga sutras. She divides her time between NYC and Northport, Long Island. Lisa Dawn is the co founder of NAVA NYC, a meditation and yoga company designed to bring yoga and meditation to corporate clients.

Photo credit:cc:flickr.com/photos/virtualeyesee

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TDIV Q&A: How can people love their pets but still eat animals?

From a young age, many of us are taught that some animals are ok to keep as pets and other animals are around for us to eat. We are told that dogs and cats are “pets," and cows, chickens, and pigs are “food." However, animals such as chickens, ducks, and rabbits are often kept as pets but are still used as food. In fact, many people who keep these animals as pets have probably eaten a plate of chicken with their pet in plain sight. How does one not see the connection?

Each animal may look different, like each and every human does, but it does not mean that one is more deserving of life than the other. We often don’t learn that these animals all have the same souls and one of them is not better than the other. Why does one animal deserve to live so another can die? This makes no sense since many of our pets in the United States are often used as food animals in other countries.

When we support one animal to be eaten, we are actually supporting the use of all animals used for food. One simply cannot say it’s ok to eat one animal but not the other, especially when farm animals are proven to show the same, or more, emotions as the animals we use as pets

It is unfortunate that we grow up with this mindset, because once we make that connection for ourselves, we are often faced with guilt and disgust that we have spent a portion of our lives eating animals and contributing to such horrid violence. On another note, many of us grow up feeling guilty about what we are eating, but we are forced to believe that we need to eat animals in order to live a long, healthy, life. This information couldn't be more wrong! It's a shame that kids are not taught early on that all animals are living beings and are not just food.

Even if a person has pets at home, they cannot truly be an animal lover if they are befriending one type of animal but choosing to eat the others. A true animal lover does not want animals to die a traumatic death for their own selfish need, and an animal lover does not say “I love animals, but not enough to stop eating them.”

You can consider yourself a dog lover and still eat other animals, but you are still supporting the fact that dogs are being eaten in other countries. If you give up eating all animals, you are no longer contributing to the violence. You are doing the best that you can possibly do to make the world a better, more compassionate place.

Alexandra Beane | Facebook | Twitter
Minnesota Alexandra is a lover of all animals, but has a soft spot for especially dogs and rabbits. She believes that life is not complete without an animal to love. Alexandra is highly passionate about animals and animal rights, and wants to raise awareness of the cruelty that many animals suffer in the best way she knows how, and this is by written word. Alexandra is a recent graduate of Metropolitan State University in Minnesota, with a degree in Professional Writing and a minor in Creative Writing. She absolutely loves to write news and creative nonfiction, and obsesses over spelling and grammar.

Photo credit: Łukasz Tyrała

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TDIV Q&A: Should vegetarians ultimately become vegan?

Q&A: Should vegetarians ultimately become vegan?

Ultimately, every person should have goals to become a better person both inside and out. A person shouldn't stop at being a vegetarian when they have already come so far, but the transition is something that takes time. A vegetarian shouldn't rule out being vegan, because anything is possible!

Personally, vegetarianism and veganism are about a person doing the best they can personally do. Every person is different. I would never hassle someone over being vegetarian and not vegan, because they have already chosen to step away from the violence when they decided to stop eating meat. That is pretty admirable in my eyes. Like any vegan, I do have hopes that every vegetarian will one day decide to become vegan.

Animals still suffer and experience horrendous pain and torture when they are forced to produce milk and eggs, so the only way someone can truly not contribute to the pain and suffering is to abstain completely from eating any animals and their byproducts. Basically, dairy animals are worked their entire lives and when they aren’t need anymore, they’re slaughtered. There is no good way of life for an animal in the food industry.

Reasons for being vegetarian or vegan can vary from one person to another. If your mission is to reduce the greatest amounts of pain and suffering in the world, then it’s a no-brainer to go vegan!

For me, I was not completely satisfied with being only vegetarian. I wanted to do more for the world, and I wanted to physically feel better. I started doing more research on veganism and started learning about people’s reasons for going vegan, and that did it for me. I just needed to hear the facts and see what others thought about it. I really had no idea that animals were harmed for their eggs or milk, and I assume that most people think that too. Unfortunately, it’s wrong and very sad that we are not informed of this until we start actually looking into it.

It seems like most people’s reasons for not going completely vegan is because they are unwilling to give up their favorite products such as cheese, milk, or eggs. They also may think it’s just too much work or even impossible to make the transition. This is completely untrue and there are awesome alternatives for everything a person could ever imagine. Vegans are not deprived; it’s just unfortunate that more people aren’t aware of all the great substitutions out there!

In conclusion, every person should have goals—whether it’s to reach an ideal weight, to physically feel better, or to improve the world—and all of this can be made possible with a switch to a vegan diet.

Alexandra Beane | Facebook | Twitter
Minnesota Alexandra is a lover of all animals, but has a soft spot for especially dogs and rabbits. She believes that life is not complete without an animal to love. Alexandra is highly passionate about animals and animal rights, and wants to raise awareness of the cruelty that many animals suffer in the best way she knows how, and this is by written word. Alexandra is a recent graduate of Metropolitan State University in Minnesota, with a degree in Professional Writing and a minor in Creative Writing. She absolutely loves to write news and creative nonfiction, and obsesses over spelling and grammar.

Photo credit:cc:flickr.com/photos/eleaf

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TDIV Q&A: Where do vegans get protein?

Anyone who has checked out the physique of Robert Cheeke or other vegan fitness enthusiasts knows (or can at least see) that vegans don’t need to ingest animals to build muscle.This is the most popular question, however, that meat-and-potatoes or chicken-and-rice consumers ask us. Not only do they tend to be unaware of the array of non-animal foods containing protein, but they usually exaggerate how much protein our bodies require.

The faux meat industry has created so many products that vegans can enjoy with various flavors and forms of burgers, chik’n, ribs, lunchmeat slices, meatballs, veggie dogs, fakin’ bacon and others that look and taste like (or often better than) the real thing. 

And who could forget that Tofurky provides a delicious, salmonella-free feast for Thanksgiving? Boca and Morningstar vegan burgers have a soy protein base and 13 grams of protein, while Gardenburger patties have a brown rice/oat base with only five grams. Morningstar also uses soy protein and wheat gluten to create riblets with 16 grams and chik’n strips with 23 grams. Nate’s makes meatballs with the same base that provide eight grams per serving.

Tofurky uses wheat gluten and tofu in its deli slices, which have about 13 grams per serving and adds pea protein to the mix for 10 grams in their veggie dogs. Wheat gluten on its own is known as seitan or “wheat meat” and provides 22 grams for a three-ounce serving.

Veggie burgers have gone mainstream, and they are popping up at fast food restaurants (BK veggie or V.G. Burgers, anyone?), ball parks (which you can easily get for free if they mess up the order) and chain restaurants such as Chili’s and Ruby Tuesday’s. A word of caution, though: some veggie burger and faux meat products contain egg whites or traces of milk, so double-check the ingredients or allergen warnings. 

Soybeans (also known as edamame) provide 22 grams per cup (cooked) and are used to create tofu, a coagulated bean curd with 12 grams per three-ounce serving, pressed into soymilk with six grams per cup, or fermented into tempeh strips with 13 grams per three-ounce serving. Soy can also be made into yogurt, cheese and ice cream products with small to moderate amounts of protein.

People who are allergic to or are worried about consuming soy products may turn to almond or coconut milks, almond or rice cheeses or other non-dairy alternatives, but all of these choices have less protein than soy. Nuts are high in calories and fat, but they provide moderate amounts of protein and fiber. Peanuts and walnuts provide the most protein at 24 grams per 3.5 ounce serving, followed by almonds, pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, pine nuts and pecans. 

Beans also provide the one-two protein-fiber punch. Soybeans provide the most protein, followed by lentils at eight grams per cup, then a little less with black beans, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, pinto beans and chickpeas. The most popular grain for protein, and an excellent substitute for rice, is the eight grams per cup quinoa (KEEN-wa). Lastly, Popeye turned to spinach for a reason! Spinach and other greens also contain protein.

The traditional American diet is too high in fat, especially from saturated and trans fat sources, too high in sugar, usually from refined sources and processed foods, and too low in fruits, vegetables and other natural fiber sources. The average adult only needs about 15-25 percent of daily calories from protein sources, but many easily ingest more than that because high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets have been all the rage recently. However, our bodies do not use protein as an energy source and will excrete what is not needed at the time. Only 0.8-1.0 grams per kilogram of body weight per day is necessary. Ingest too much, especially in the form of pricey protein powders, and you may watch your money go down the toilet.

Erin Fergus | Facebook
Pensacola, FL Erin works as an adjunct instructor in Human Performance at Pensacola State College and group fitness instructor and personal trainer at the YMCA. She holds a master’s in exercise science and is entering her final year of a master’s in journalism. She became a vegetarian in 2001 after viewing PETA demonstrations in Washington, D.C., and she has transitioned closer to veganism since 2008. Some of her previous work has been featured on livestrong.com. Her favorite activities include vegan cooking, going to the beach, playing piano and spending time with her Cocker Spaniel.

Photo credit:cc:flickr.com/photos/virtualeyesee

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TDIV Q&A: How do vegans justify feeding meat to cats?

To some, the title of this post may seem morally contradictory, and understandably so. To feed meat to your cat means supporting the meat industry, the exact opposite of what any vegan wants to do. It’s an ethical dilemma that I struggled with for many months before finally reaching what I believe is the right decision for my cat.

I feed my cat a meat-based diet.

About six months after adopting my first cat (outside of the family cats I grew up with), the realization hit me that though I was picky about choosing a food with simple, organic ingredients, I was still feeding him meat. Though I was vegan, for some reason I hadn’t occurred to me that his diet wasn’t vegan. In that moment, I decided I was going to switch my cat to a vegan diet.

I started looking up brands of vegan cat food and reading reviews. I found the brand that I thought I would try. But then I started looking beyond just food brands and at the question of whether or not cats could truly thrive on a vegan diet – was it really right for them?

Unlike dogs, who, like humans, are natural omnivores and are generally able to adapt fairly easily to a diet of vegetables and grains, cats are obligate carnivores, which means they require a high-protein diet to survive; namely, meat.

From a scientific, evolutionary standpoint, this makes sense:

- A cat’s teeth are made for tearing, not for efficiently chewing food.

- Cats don’t have the enzyme amylase in their saliva, which is necessary to break down starches.

- A cat’s gastrointestinal tract is much shorter than that of omnivores’ and contains lower amounts of the digestive enzymes necessary for digesting carbohydrates.

These were some of the facts that made me question whether it would be right to switch my cat to a vegan diet, and which, after more detailed research, made me reconsider my original desire to make the change for my cat. We see that lions and other wild cats naturally consume meat, so it seemed natural that a domestic cat would do the same.

The decision to feed my cat meat, and yes, ultimately support an inhumane industry that I stand strongly against, was not an easy one. But I justify it by considering his health first. Despite the fact that I believe eating animals is morally incorrect for me and would never consider changing that because my body is healthy without it, I don’t believe the same would be true for my cat.

Does feeding my cat make me a bad vegan? Some people may say yes, but I don’t believe it does. As a health-conscious vegan I am picky about what I put in my body. I obsess over ingredient labels, shunning foods that are heavily processed, with long ingredients lists I don’t understand. I take the same care when it comes to feeding my cat because he depends on me to make the best choices for him and his health. Though choosing a non-vegan food for my cat is a moral sacrifice I have chosen to make, it is one I make for my cat because I believe it is the best choice for him to be healthy.

The alternative could be choosing to not have a cat, and therefore, to not have to make that choice, but there are too many cats that need help, who would starve and die, or be euthanized, without compassionate people to take care of them it. For me, that alternative is worse than the moral sacrifice I make now.

There is anecdotal evidence for cats thriving on vegan diets, and I don’t doubt the success these people have had. With the right care, I believe that some cats can and will thrive on a plant-based diet. But with the evolutionary evidence against it, I just don’t believe a vegan diet is right for the health of all cats. I justify my choice by my cat’s health, and for me, that’s all I need.

Jessica Bader | Facebook | Twitter
Waldorf, Maryland Jessica is a graduate of Western Washington University with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a minor in English. She adopted a plant-based diet seven years ago after making the connection between the food on her plate and the animals she loved; she went vegan four years later after an “aha!” moment while watching The Cove and hasn’t looked back. For her, veganism isn’t just about compassion, but has expanded to an obsessive interest in sustainable living, nutrition and holistic health. The only thing she enjoys more than talking about food is eating it, or talking about her bowtie-wearing cat.

Photo credit:cc: Wikimedia Commons/Mstachul

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TDIV Q&A: Why should I eat brown rice rather than white rice?

Brown rice has more healthful attributes to offer our bodies than its white counterpart. To start, it is less refined. Brown rice is the whole rice grain that only has its husk/hull (the outermost layer of the grain) removed during the milling process. It still contains its bran (fiber) and germ, both of which provide many nutrients and health benefits.

White rice is created when brown rice is further milled and the bran and germ is removed, thus reducing its fiber and nutrient content. The "polishing" process removes what's called the "aleurone layer" of the rice, which contains essential oils that support good health - but you'll only get those oils from brown rice, and not white. White rice does have a couple of redeeming qualities that can make it an important choice for certain people and populations: it has a longer shelf life and is easier to digest than brown rice. When either of these factors is of essential importance, either due to food storage conditions or a GI issue, white rice may be a better choice than brown.

Brown rice is less processed than white - and as the general rule of thumb goes, the less processed a food (and closer it is to its natural state), the better it is for you. Brown rice has more fiber, more protein and a lower impact on your glycemic index than white rice - all of which contribute to it likely making you feel fuller longer than an equal amount of white rice - and make it the more healthful choice. On a more superficial note, it also has a richer and slightly nuttier taste and texture, making it a wonderful and dynamic ingredient to cook with in a number of recipes, both savory and sweet (try making brown rice risotto, a stir-fry with brown rice, or brown rice pudding!).

You can learn more about the benefits of brown rice via the following resources:

http://www.symptomfind.com/nutrition-supplements/brown-rice-health-benefits/

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128#healthbenefits

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/brownrice-vs-whiterice.html

http://realfoodforlife.com/brown-rice-vs-white-benefits-powerfood/

Sarah Mandell | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Arizona Sarah is a life-long foodie, always emphasizing nourishment, enjoyment and nutrition through clean, whole foods and, more recently, veganism. She is a freelance PR specialist and copywriter, and writes the blog Let the Good In, featuring delicious recipes, restaurant recommendations, and wellness and active lifestyle tips. Sarah packed up her NYC apartment in early 2012 to head west into the sunset and live in the high mountain desert of Arizona with her fiancé, where they are growing their first vegetable garden and have fun veganizing meals at home and on the road together.

Photo credit:cc:flickr.com/photos/arriabelli

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TDIV Q&A: Do vegans recycle?

Q. Do you recycle?

A. To be vegan in the truest sense means to do everything you reasonably can to reduce or eliminate the suffering of animals caused by man. It follows, then, that vegan ethics would move us to:

• reduce our use of plastics, which notoriously create hazards to ocean wildlife
• reduce our use of paper products, the production of which often involves habitat destruction
• purchase natural or sustainably manufactured items whenever possible, reducing animal-harming pollution
• reuse and recycle to prevent trash from robbing animals of safe, suitable environments.

Many communities today have curbside recycling. What could be easier than rinsing an empty container and tossing it in the bin? There’s no reason not to take advantage of this community service.

But what if it’s not offered in your neighborhood? Use this handy tool to find a recycling center near you.

Store rinsed recyclables in the garage or on the porch and take them when you have enough to make it worth the trip. You might even get paid for bringing them in. The amount will be small, but usually more than enough to offset the amount you’ll spend on gas. Perhaps you can arrange to take turns with neighbor who’d like to recycle too.

What other simple steps can you take?

• Choose brands without wasted packaging. Have you ever noticed that some brands of bottled items (everything from over-the-counter medicines to hot sauce) will have a bottle inside a box, where other brands will simply have the safety-sealed bottle on the shelf? All things being equal, choose the brand without the waste.
• When selecting paper products - or items packaged in paper products - choose recycled. Also, use paper efficiently: keep old bills or flyers for scrap paper, use crumpled or shredded newspaper as packing material instead of Styrofoam peanuts or plastic bubble-wrap, and take only as much paper toweling or tissue as you need.
• Look for ways to reuse containers and packaging. Reusing glass jars, plastic bottles, and plastic tubs may be a no-brainer. But don’t stop there! Check out this slideshow of clever uses for aluminum cans. Or save cardboard to help start your garden.
• Reduce your consumption. Do you really need the new smartphone that just came out, or is the one you have working just fine? Can you find a sturdy wooden bookshelf at a second-hand store, rather than buying new? How about your clothes? Can you have that torn seam fixed by the local tailor, or take in those pants that have gotten loose?
• Add a fourth R to “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” - repair. In our society, even high-priced items such as electronics, furniture, and appliances are treated as disposable. But before you replace that TV or dishwasher, isn't it worth looking into whether it can be repaired? It may end up saving you money and it will certainly help the environment.

For a variety of fun upcycling ideas, visit greenupgrader.com or follow Hipcycle on Pinterest.

Kasey Minnis | Facebook | @veggiemightee | Blog
Fort Lauderdale, FL That rare and elusive species known as the native Floridian, Kasey is passionate about protecting other endangered creatures. She lives by the principle “compassion and crochet for all,” and enjoys teaching others – including her husband of 20 years and two beautiful children – the benefits of cruelty-free eating by feeding them tasty vegan treats from her kitchen. Contact Kasey at kasey@thisdishisveg.com.

Photo credit:cc:flickr.com/photos/digitalsextant

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TDIV Q&A: Can a vegan man still be manly?

Can a vegan man still be manly? YES!

Let's first define "manly." According to the dictionary, manly means having traits or qualities that are culturally regarded as characteristic of an adult male such as determination, decisiveness, and steadiness. Manly is a positive adjective that describes a man who has courage, strength and fortitude.

These are exactly the characteristics of a vegan man! This is a man who has made a commitment to living a vegan lifestyle. If he is single, he is buying and making his own food (or if he doesn't cook, he is at least ordering vegan food in!) If he is in a relationship, he and his partner are deciding together what food to buy and what will be on the menu. This means the vegan man is not only decisive and strong, but thoughtful.

Outside of the house, out in public, at work and out with friends, the vegan man continues to demonstrate his manliness. Whether it is out at a business lunch at a steakhouse or at a bar with friends, the vegan man stands up for what he believes in when he orders the salad and a baked potato or fries. He is confident in his decision to be vegan and, perhaps through his example, inspires others to think about their food choices.

Is there anything more manly than that?

Lisa Dawn Angerame | Blog | Website | Facebook
Long Island, NY Lisa Dawn is an advanced certified Jivamukti yoga teacher, vegan food blogger, wife and mom. She is working hard to spread the vegan love through her cooking, teaching and blog. Lisa Dawn studies and teaches the yoga sutras. She divides her time between NYC and Northport, Long Island. Lisa Dawn is the co founder of NAVA NYC, a meditation and yoga company designed to bring yoga and meditation to corporate clients.

Photo credit:cc:flickr.com/photos/virtualeyesee

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TDIV Q&A: Why do people who love animals eat animals?

Why do people who love animals eat animals?


I have been vegan for over six years and as a former meat eater raised in a meat eating family, I will answer this question from my own personal experience.

When I was young, I considered myself someone who loved animals. I loved my dog. I bathed him, fed him, and cuddled with him. I cried when he died. While I knew he was an animal, I must have held him in higher esteem than other animals, like the ones I was being given to eat for food.


My mother made us dishes like scrambled eggs, tunafish sandwiches, meatballs, chicken soup, fish, cheeseburgers, lobster on special occasions, and turkey on Thanksgiving. We baked using eggs and milk and got ice cream for dessert. All the while, I loved my dog and never once made any kind of love connection to the animals I was eating for food. Not only that, but I knew the animals were once alive (stating the obvious, I know) and that they had to die to become food. But that still didn't stop me from eating them.


In my world, pigs, chickens, cows, turkeys, fish, and shellfish were animals to be eaten. To love them was theoretical. I loved them in all of their characteristic cuteness but it didn't stop me from eating them.  I had created a hierarchy that was based on nothing other than the fact that, in my world, it was normal and necessary to eat them. 


But once I dismantled the hierarchy in my mind, my world changed. Now my love for animals extends to all.

Lisa Dawn Angerame | Blog | Website | Facebook
Long Island, NY Lisa Dawn is an advanced certified Jivamukti yoga teacher, vegan food blogger, wife and mom. She is working hard to spread the vegan love through her cooking, teaching and blog. Lisa Dawn studies and teaches the yoga sutras. She divides her time between NYC and Northport, Long Island. Lisa Dawn is the co founder of NAVA NYC, a meditation and yoga company designed to bring yoga and meditation to corporate clients.

Photo credit:cc:flickr.com/photos/eleaf

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TDIV Q&A: Is your dog vegan?

I became vegan in an overnight freak out health scare two years ago and I never expected my dogs to understand what that was about. So, when the ethical side of veganism and hatred of factory farming caught up with me, I began researching the possibility of having my dogs join me in my plant powered existence.

First stop, the vet. Dr. Rowe, my guru in all things canine, told me that “dogs are omnivores and can eat both meat and plants or either.” She said this as she was sitting on the floor examining the huge flakes of dead skin rolling off the back end of my male greyhound, Phantom. His latest skin condition was confounding her expertise and he and I were trying to get some answers. His skin was red, itchy, hot to the touch and full of bumps.

Steroids, skin creams and oatmeal baths still left him looking like a moth eaten pashmina. The only thing left to tackle was his food. If being vegan made me feel amazing, boosted my immune system and was also responsible for my shiny, gleaming hair and skin, why wouldn’t it work for Phanny? Dr. Rowe was unconvinced.

I began searching on the internet and found that there are many vegan dry and wet dog food options so I brought home four and all four of my dogs scarfed them down...including the 14 year old queen-of-the-pack standard poodle. Getting them to give up meat was not going to be an issue. I settled for Nature’s Recipe Healthy Skin Formula at about $45 a bag which had the very same ingredients as the movie star brand (Dick Van Patten) at $60 a bag.

In less than a week, Phantom was flaking at least 50 percent less and after 2 weeks, the scaliness was practically gone. His hair was back and the patches of missing fur were ancient history. No longer was he embarrassed and hanging his head on walks around the hood. He was once again a sleek black muscular machine that raced around the backyard and leaped in the air with unbridled dog joy. Dr. Rowe was thrilled.

All of my dogs are vegans now and thriving and I’m just happy that all living beings in my house are now super healthy. The fact that they are also living within my ethical belief system is just a bonus!

Kathryn Lorusso | O'Neill 365 | Twitter | Blog | Bio
Dallas, TX Kathryn is a former journalist and English teacher who now counsels and mediates teenage drama on a daily basis in the Dallas, Ft. Worth metroplex. Time away from school is spent cooking up new macrobiotic/vegan specialties, writing various blogs and newsletters and taking as many bikram yoga classes as possible. She gives vegan cooking classes at the Arlington Bikram Yoga studio, mentors a vegetarian/vegan student group and has just been chosen as one of six fitness icons for O’Neill Clothing Company.

Photo credit:cc:flickr.com/photos/fontplaydotcom

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TDIV Q&A: What can I do to help animals?

Q: What can I do to help animals?

A: There is a wonderful quote that I'd like to share that gives a short answer to this question:

If you can't adopt, foster...
If you can't foster, sponsor...
If you can't sponsor, volunteer...
If you can't volunteer, then donate... or transport an animal to safety
If you can't donate, then educate, network and cross-post...
*Everyone* can do something, large or small, to help save a life.

Now, let's take a closer look at each element in this quote:

1. Adoption & Fostering:  If you're looking to add a furry-friend to your family, one of the best decisions you can make is shelter adoption, as opposed to going to a breeder. Every shelter in the country is over-crowded with sweet and loving homeless animals just waiting for a deserving home.  Unfortunately, the over-crowding all too often leads to these animals being euthanized for lack of space to keep them. If you can't adopt, fostering is another way to not only give an over-crowded shelter the space to take in more animals in need, but to also give our furry-friends a nice, warm and loving home to spend his days until he finds a forever home! You don't have to make a long-term commitment.  Any amount of time that you can welcome a homeless animal into your home is one less day they will spend in a shelter. 
2. Sponsoring & Volunteering:  Many animal shelters have sponsorship programs where you can give a certain amount of money per month to provide for the needs of one (or more) of their animals.  Sponsorship is personal in that you will know exactly which animal you are helping to care for. If you're not in the financial position to give money, you can always donate your time by being a volunteer.  Ask any shelter and they will tell you that the heart of their operations is their volunteers! There are so many tasks that need to be done on a daily basis from cleaning cages, feeding animals, walking dogs, socializing cats and kittens, doing laundry, cleaning litter boxes, to answering phones and driving animals to and from vet appointments that it would be impossible to get it all done without volunteers. Any amount of time you can donate to your local animal shelter will be a huge blessing to them.
3. Donating & Transporting animals to safety:  Animal shelters operate primarily on the donations of the public.  Any amount of money you can give to your local animal shelter will help them keep their doors open and thus, give them the ability to continue saving furry-lives. If you don't want to give money, most shelters have a running list of things they need that you might be able to provide. Shelters usually need anything from cat and dog food, litter, blankets, cat/dog beds, leashes, food bowls, to things you might not even think of like printer paper, toner cartridges, computers and air conditioning units. You might even have some of the things they need lying around your house to donate. If you want to do something other than donating money or dropping off supplies, shelters always need someone with a car to help transport animals to and from vet appointments.  You might also take part in rescues by transporting animals from their place of rescue to the shelter. 
4. Educating, Networking & Cross-Posting: With all our technology and social media these days, this one is pretty easy.  You can pretty much *educate* yourself on any subject at the click of a link.  Start by researching the importance of spaying and neutering your pets. That is the biggest cause of overpopulation. Is there a fundraiser at the local bowling alley by your home to benefit the animals?  Did you learn of another animal rights law being presented to congress that needs your support?        Take what you learn and spread the word to family and friends.  Don't be shy about using Facebook, Twitter and/or any other social media site you use.   If you don't have a computer, you can still help!  Animal shelters have fundraisers and adopt-a-thons year round where you can go in person and get educated by those with firsthand experience.  Take what you learn from them and spread the news the good old fashioned way: by phone or snail mail.  Post fliers at the supermarket, post office or anywhere else you get permission to help promote things like fundraisers or low cost spay/neuter clinics.  The possibilities are limitless!

In addition to all of the above, you might also consider adopting a plant-based diet.  Farm animals suffer  needlessly through confinement, torture and eventual slaughter at the hands of the meat, dairy and egg industries everyday.  Do some research on the food you're eating, where it comes from and how the animals you eat are being treated.  There is a wealth of information to get you started at ChooseVeg.com.  Take a look, get educated and then.... spread the word! 

Christine Marie | Blog | Facebook
Upstate, NY Christine resides in Upstate NY and has dreams of opening an animal sanctuary there one day. She is passionate about animal rescue/welfare and healthy eating. Changing her diet dramatically improved her health, and she enjoys sharing what she has learned with anyone willing to listen! In her free time she loves to cook/bake all-natural vegan meals from scratch, take her dog for long walks and spoil her 5 cats. In addition to her own pets, she is actively involved in rescuing and fostering strays.

Photo credit: Łukasz Tyrała

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TDIV Q&A: Do vegans still go to zoos, aquariums and fairs?

Q: Do vegans still go to zoos, aquariums and fairs? 

A: Absolutely not! People who follow a vegan lifestyle do so because they do not support the exploitation of animals for any reason, including for entertainment.

When speaking about zoos PETA puts it best: 

“The zoo community regards the animals it keeps as commodities, and animals are regularly bought, sold, borrowed, and traded without any regard for established relationships. Zoos breed animals because the presence of babies draws zoo visitors and boosts revenue... 

In general, zoos and wildlife parks preclude or severely restrict natural behavior, such as flying, swimming, running, hunting, climbing, scavenging, foraging, digging, exploring, and selecting a partner. The physical and mental frustrations of captivity often lead to abnormal, neurotic, and even self-destructive behavior, such as incessant pacing, swaying, head-bobbing, bar-biting, and self-mutilation. 

Proponents of zoos like to claim that zoos protect species from extinction—seemingly a noble goal. However, wild-animal parks and zoos almost always favor large and charismatic animals who draw large crowds of visitors, but they neglect less popular species that also need to be protected. Most animals in zoos are not endangered, and while confining animals to zoos keeps them alive, it does nothing to protect wild populations and their habitats.”

This does not mean that vegans miss out on seeing the animals that they love. State and national parks, sanctuaries and animal rescues are great alternatives, for people of all lifestyles, to see many types of wildlife. For help locating a sanctuary near you visit: http://www.sanctuaryfederation.org/gfas/home/

Stephanie Pania | Facebook | Blog | Pinterest
Philadelphia, PA Stephanie is an eco-conscious vegan from Philadelphia, PA. She has a degree in Communications and Technical Theater, and is currently the communications specialist at an area nonprofit. She recently finished a year serving with AmeriCorps, and spends her free time playing with her adopted dogs and her rescued cats.

Photo credit:cc:flickr.com/photos/51029297@N00

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TDIV Q&A: If milk and eggs come from animals that aren't killed, what's the harm in consuming those products?

The answer to this question is the reason that I am transitioning into veganism. Before conducting research for this article, I had no idea the toll that milk and eggs took on their producers and consumers. Now, I can hardly believe that I let myself eat milk and eggs without questioning their contribution to my diet. I had always been told that milk is an important source of calcium and eggs are an important source of protein. After learning the truth, I'm willing to search near and far to find any and all alternatives. I have realized that I want nothing to do with the animal-based part of the American food industry, not only because of the harm done to animals, but because of the harm done to the human body in consuming them.

Harm to Animals:
To begin, the living conditions for hens in battery cage facilities are inhumane and unsanitary. Peter Wenz, in his essay “Against Cruelty to Animals” cites a description of a typical hen battery cage by Miyan Park. After visiting a facility, she related that “an egg-laying hen requires 290 square inches of space to flap her wings, yet each bird is allotted an average of 52 square inches...in which she eats, sleeps, lays eggs, drinks, and defecates” (qtd. in Wenz). Furthermore, the environment of the battery cage facility is contrary to that of nature. The hens stand on wire meshing, unlike natural earth. Feather loss is common due to the inevitable rubbing up against the sides of the small cages. These close quarters are also breeding grounds for bacteria.

Dairy cows face a similar lackluster quality of life. Cows forced to produce unnaturally high quantities of milk (i.e. the modern dairy cow) can become malnourished because they lose more nutrients through their milk than they ingest in their feed. As a result, these cows are more susceptible to disease. Factory farms also employ selective breeding, feed dairy cows grain instead of grass (what their natural diet calls for), and expose cows to longer periods of artificial light to make them produce more milk. Unsurprisingly, the life expectancy for stressed cows is less than those who are not stressed.

Perhaps the largest example of animal cruelty -- to both cows and humans -- is hormone injection. The most famous hormone, recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), which is developed and manufactured by the Monsanto Corporation, artificially increases milk production by ten to fifteen percent.

No wonder almost every heifer from sea to shining sea is injected with this hormone. Of course, as with most artificial products, rBGH comes with its risks, for both cows and humans. In 1991, Rural Vermont, a nonprofit farm advocacy group, reported serious health problems with rBGH-injected cows in a Monsanto-financed study at the University of Vermont.

The study uncovered problems like “a drastic increase in the number of deformed calves and dramatic increases in mastitis, a painful bacterial infection of the udder which causes inflammation, swelling, and pus and blood secretions into milk” (Sustainable Table). To treat mastitis outbreaks, the dairy industry relies on antibiotics. Critics of rBGH point to the subsequent increase in antibiotic use and inadequacies in the federal government's testing program for antibiotic residues in milk (Sustainable Table). The FDA relies on pasteurization to kill off bacteria, hormones and antibiotics in milk (Sustainable Table).

Harm to You:
The research part of this article is brief because I know that this is the research you expected. It is the research that you have already done yourself. However, when I started watching Forks Over Knives just to see if it would even slightly apply to this question, I was surprised to learn about the adverse effects of animal-based products on the human body. Red meat is not the only killer, overconsumption of dairy products and eggs can be just as lethal. Dr. Colin Campbell's book, The China Study, shows a correlation between overconsumption of animal-based calcium and cancer. Personally, I have not read Dr. Campbell's book in which he outlines, experiments, and proves this theory, but I did learn a lot from the movie version. (That has to count for something, right?) I'm not going divulge the entire contents of Forks Over Knives or The China Study because I encourage you to watch/read for yourself.
   
Even the personal stories are convincing and compelling, and far more believable than the before and after pictures in a Hydroxycut commercial. These personal stories strongly impacted me (a writer whose favorite subject besides vegetarian/veganism is herself) because the first way I judge a food is by how I feel after consuming it. This, to me, is the most base and natural statistic a person has, and all you have to do is Google inside yourself. Now, I don't know about you, but I personally feel weighed down after drinking a large glass of milk. The dairy sloshes around in my stomach, making me feel sick. I am not lactose intolerant, but my body reacts negatively to this foreign, white substance.

Milk, in my opinion, is a “foreign” substance because humans are the only mammals that drink another mammal's milk. I, along with most scientists, believe that the human body is not made to drink cows' (or any other animal's) milk. If we were, there would be no such condition as lactose intolerant and we wouldn't need cows' milk to be pasteurized and homogenized in order for it to be safely consumed. This is just one person's answer to a complicated question. For me, a glass of milk and an omelette aren't worth the harm done to the animals or my body.  What are some of your favorite milk and egg substitutions/alternatives?

Sources:
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/rbgh/

http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/dairy/

“Against Cruelty to Animals” by Peter S. Wenz

Forks Over Knives

Lindsay Geller | Blog | Twitter| Pinterest | LinkedIn
Boston, MA Lindsay is a Writing, Literature, and Publishing and Marketing Communications double major at Emerson College. She originally hails from rural northeastern Pennsylvania where the first day of hunting season merited a day off from school. She has been a vegetarian for over five years and is currently transitioning into veganism. When she isn't writing magazine articles, she writes touching and/or creepy and/or sarcastic fiction which can be found at her blog. She also enjoys making 140 character diary entries comparing her life to a Lifetime movie on her Twitter.

Photo credit:cc:commons.wikipedia.org Fir0002

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TDIV Q&A: I’ve grown up thinking milk is healthy, can you change my mind?

Q: I’ve grown up drinking milk and thinking it’s healthy. Can you tell me some things that will help change my mind?

A: Naturally, milk is a liquid produced by pregnant mammals to feed their offspring until they are old enough to digest solid food. The milk produced has the exact nutrients required for each specific mammal to stay healthy and strong. A calf drinks their mother’s milk as they develop, until they are able to graze for food on their own. A baby human drinks their mother’s milk as they develop, until… they move on to cow’s milk. Wait what?

For countless years, cow’s milk has not only been pushed as healthy for human consumption but considered essential for a well-balanced diet. Moving aside from the fact that humans drinking cow’s milk makes absolutely no logical sense, cow’s milk is also not healthy in the slightest, and causes much more harm than good.   

1        Strong bones

      Cow’s milk is pushed for its high calcium and Vitamin D content, and said to be essential in providing strong bones for humans. While it is true that calcium and Vitamin D are good for bone growth, the risk factors in drinking milk far outweigh any vitamins and minerals that could be provided. In fact, studies suggest that milk actually leaches calcium from the bones due to acid content. While milk itself is not highly acidic, the amino acid Methionine found in milk can cause big problems. Humans naturally have Methionine in their DNA, but the problem occurs when too much is consumed.  Methionine contains sulfer, so when too much is introduced into the human system, the body must neutralize the acid, which causes calcium to be urinated, never absorbing into the bones.

2       Hormones       

      It is well known that dairy farmers pump growth hormones into cows to make them produce more milk.   They assure us that these hormones are completely harmless to humans… but are they?  The hormone infused into the cow’s system, and, in turn dairy milk, is called rBGH (or bovine growth hormone). This hormone causes increased activity in a natural-found hormone called IGF-1. When levels of IGF-1 are increased, it is proven to cause a highly elevated risk of cancer.

3       Somatic cells (A.K.A pus)

     When dairy cows are hooked up to machines and milked constantly, their udders begin to inflame and often become infected with staph disease, which can create a high number of somatic cells in the milk produced. Somatic cells are found to contain pus over 90% of the time. Dairy farmers use tools to gauge the somatic cell count in milk and make sure it’s safe for consumption, but be warned, there are certain levels of bacteria, pus, and blood that are allowed to be passed through while still following health guidelines. It is estimated that over one million somatic cells are in each teaspoon of milk.

4

          Addiction

      Casein is a protein found in milk, and said to have addictive properties. When digested, casein produces a chemical called casomorphine, a natural opioid peptide. In other words, when the natural chemicals used for creating a bond between calf and cow are consumed by humans, a frighteningly similar effect occurs. Humans have created a special attachment to milk, even as far as having intense cravings for it. Naturally speaking, does it make sense for a creature to crave another mammal’s milk? Does a dog crave human milk?

5

         Cruelty

      Perhaps the most appalling factor in drinking milk is the cruelty behind supporting dairy farms. Cows are forced to be impregnated every year, then, after giving birth to a calf who is taken away within the first day, they are hooked up to milking machines and drained for endless hours every day. Dairy farmers feed cows growth hormones to produce more milk than they would naturally to increase profit margins. Before long, the poor cow who naturally lives a long life, dies young of exhaustion and malnutrition.

6

            Healthy alternatives

      There are so many healthier, less cruel substitutes for milk. Almonds, spinach, oranges, and soybeans are only a few examples of amazing sources of calcium, which is actually able to be absorbed into the bones. For a list of yummy milk alternatives, click here.

I could go on and on for days listing reasons why milk is unhealthy for humans, but the simple fact remains that once people open their eyes to the realities of what they are consuming, milking cows will be seen as a cruel, barbaric, and unsanitary human failure marked in history books. 

Julia Fortney | email
Julia is a student who has a passion for veganism, animal welfare, and religious studies.

Photo credit:cc:flickr.com/photos/mr-blixt

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TDIV Q&A: Can you provide a week's worth of dinner ideas?

Q: Can you provide me with a week's worth of dinner ideas?

A: I'm really glad that I got to answer this question. I love to cook! However, I've been intimidated with vegan cooking since I'm a vegetarian, just working my way into veganism. And so, I began with doing my own research on vegan recipe sites. I found my way to an awesome blog - Fat Free Vegan Kitchen - All of the recipes/dishes I'm going to suggest will be from this blog. I've tried all 21 recipes, and absolutely love them. I'll give you seven starters, seven mains and seven desserts.

Apps - all found in the appetizer section of the blog.

Day 1 - Hummus in the Blender - I made the plain version and added mix-ins like caramelized onions. It was quick, fresh and tasty. The next day, I also used mashed sweet potato in place of half the chickpeas - it won over my very non-vegetarian brother as well. Serve with pita and veggies, or use as a spread.

Day 2 - White Bean Salad with Za’atar - I had mine, not with pita, but on a bed of spinach (I'm trying to incorporate more veggies into my diet). I also used my own spices in this, basically, salt, pepper, a pinch of cumin and chili flakes. And I also used the vegetables I had on hand, like tomatoes, carrots and celery. I also threw in some boiled potatoes.

Day 3 - Saintly Black and Gold Salsa - This was so good with corn chips. I did tone down the spices and also added some fresh lemon juice.

Day 4 - Roasted Eggplant-Almond Dip - So, I actually got lazy with this one. I had some peanut butter at home (the natural stuff), and used that instead. I didn't mind the taste, but it was a little bit pungent.

Day 5 - Bruschetta - This is also on the blog, but I made my own, using a spread of olive oil, minced garlic, and some herbs, and topped it with fresh tomatoes and onions and broiled it in the over really quickly, using some dairy-free cheese. Really yummy - if I didn't have a main prepped, I probably would've eaten more than two pieces.

Day 6 - Baked Spinach Kofta with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce - Good for a weekend when you have some time on your hands. Stuffed in a pita, it can become a meal. I skipped the soy-yogurt in the sauce and just made it into a salsa - I didn't actually have any, and didn't want to de-veganize this either.

Day 7 - Mini Crustless Tofu Quiches - Again, I have to say that this is good for company, and a weekend - it is more work than I'd like on a weekday. Again, instead of the cashew butter, I used peanut.

Mains - All found in the mains section of the blog

Day 1 - Thai Black Pepper and Garlic Tofu - I don't know about you, but I am a BIG fan of tofu. Some people find it tasteless, but the trick to overcoming that is to drain the tofu really well and then to soak it in your sauce/let it marinate for a while.

Day 2 - No-fu Love Loaf - While I love tofu, and am a fan of many of the soy things found in grocery stores, TVP (especially the ground variety), does NOT appeal to me... Perhaps this is because I've eaten meat in the past, and though I don't miss it, now, something about TVP just tastes incredibly plastic to me. So, I was very excited when I found this recipe. This was an incredibly filling meal. I had it with mashed potatoes, and used the leftovers in a sandwich for lunch. This is a good time to mention the amazing soy-mayo that is on this blog as well.

Day 3 - Nava’s Hearty Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie - All I have to say is this was so yummy, I ate it two days in a row. Mushrooms have a great flavor, and meld really well with mashed potatoes.

Day 4 - Vegan Zucchini Frittata - One of the biggest challenges for me with a vegan transition is to cut eggs out of my diet, but this makes me VERY optimistic. It tasted really rich. I'd up the spice next time.  The veggies taste excellent in this, but if you use too many, and not enough tofu, it'll still taste amazing, but won't set as well. Remember to salt properly; whether egg or otherwise, a salt-less frittata is tasteless. Another note: You want the veggies to be extremely dry, otherwise the bake won't set. To do this quickly, heat your pan, and add salt to the veggies as soon as you add them to the pan; this will help extract the liquid and prevent sticking.

Day 5 - Potato and Broccoli Rabe Casserole - I had some tofu leftover from the previous day. I'm getting really excited about the tofu option in place of eggs. I also used kale. Same note on the veggie to tofu ratio as Day 4.

Day 6 - Eggplant and Chickpea Curry - This is delicious and economical. Chickpeas are always on sale where I live, and 2 eggplants go a long way. I ate this with bread as opposed to rice. My advice in that case is to cut back on the spice a little bit - with rice, I'm sure that the proportions should be fine in terms of spices (or if you're used to eating very spicy food), but I found it a bit too much heat with bread.

Day 7 - Gold Rush Chili - I used this recipe as mostly a base. Again, I dislike TVP, so I couldn't use any in this, but your tastes may be different from mine. In any case, I just used the vegetables that I had at home, and I also didn't have any kidney beans, but had chickpeas and white beans, so I made a lot of substitutions.

Dessert - Are you ready for this? This was the most challenging for me.

Day 1 - Chocolate-Cherry Ice Dream - I was VERY skeptical about this recipe; you'll see what I mean when you read the ingredients. But, I have to say, it turned out quite nice. It is a frozen dessert - notice that it isn't called ice-cream? If this is the substitute for ice-cream, suffice it to say that I wouldn't mind; it's quite refreshing. I also had fresh strawberries which I froze before using, instead of cherries. I'm looking forward to making this with other fruits. I also used flax instead of chia seeds since that's what I had. This is also a good alternative to the store-bought vegan ice-creams which can run up quite the bill (secretly addicted to Tofutti, here).

Day 2 - Chocolate-Blueberry Cake - Okay, so I substituted strawberries in this recipes instead as well. It isn't that blueberries are more expensive/not in season/I didn't have them. I... ahem, well, I kind of ended up eating all of mine that I had to sub. It tasted fabulous with strawberries; strawberries and chocolate are a great pairing.

Day 3 - Pumpkin Pie Bites - This came out of a need to use the can of pumpkin that I've had lying around since December. Tasted really yummy - no other things to say about it.

Day 4 - Cinnamon Swirl Muffins - Even though I haven't really ever eaten/liked cinnamon muffins, I made this as a challenge to show my family that there can be vegan cinnamon rolls. Pretty good if you're a fan of cinnamon, I'm sure.

Day 5 - Pineapple Coffee Cake - I used brown sugar instead of vegan sugar, so I don't know if that doesn't make it vegan, but from my research, apparently, there's a split discussion on the answer to that question. Again, this was so that I could use up my canned pineapple from January. The trick, I find to staying on a budget is to buy when things are in season, use what you have, and with cooking, get creative and substitute.

Day 6 - Fat free and Fabulous Fudgy Brownies - I normally stay away from desserts, but I just had to have this one. Also, I skipped the walnuts because I have a walnut allergy. I'm looking forward to making these again and adding almonds or peanuts - natural friends of chocolate.

Day 7 - Tropical Sweet Potato Delight - This was like a dessert, baked potato. I really enjoyed it, but had to make only one for myself, since everyone else didn't want to try any. I really recommend it. I'm sure you could do this with pears, or apples too for added sweetness.

Whew! Those are a lot of recipes, right? I wouldn't feel this article was complete if I didn't write at least one small paragraph about what I learned from this experience. I'm still not a complete vegan (like vegetarianism, I think taking things one step at a time is better for me to not be discouraged). However, a blog like Susan's really does encourage my decision. I don't think it'll be that difficult to go vegan from vegetarianism with all the options out there. I also realized that it is possible to cook vegan on a budget.

I have to also say that I was absolutely impressed with the dessert portion of the site. While I love to bake (maybe even more than how much I adore cooking), I was very intimidated with vegan baking, or desserts in general. Susan has helped me overcome this fear a little bit, and I'm really excited to continue trying out the different recipes on her site. Who knows? In a couple of months, I might even be confident enough to start my own vegan blog. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I did.

Article by Zan Vania

Photo credit:cc:flickr.com/photos/kareneliot

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TDIV Q&A: Is it possible to be vegan on a budget?

I've found through personal experience that there are three reactions to someone finding out I'm vegan, always and only three. "Oh, that's cool. I could never do that." or "You don't eat bacon?" and "Isn't that expensive?"

Ladies and gentlemen, let me formally introduce myself. I am Madeline, broke college student extraordinaire. I am the girl paying for her subway pass in nickles, spending hours on Amazon to find the cheapest (and returnable) used books, recycling take-out containers instead of replacing that broken plate, and acquiring my wardrobe from thrift stores. But through all of that, a grocery budget is low on my list of concerns.

Being vegan on a cheap budget isn't the exception, it's actually the rule. (I debunked this myth a bit in my response to The New York Times.) The base of a good vegan diet is whole grains and fresh produce, which happen to be the cheapest items in the grocery store. Sure, vegan versions of cheese and faux meats cost a bit more at Whole Foods, but that's not unique to veganism, animal products are expensive too. So if those processed substitutes and snack foods are making up your grocery list, you're doing it wrong. Moderation, my friend, then hit the produce section and grab a bag of brown rice too.

As far as tofu compares to meat, it's no contest. When my friends complain about the cost of meat they bring home, I sit back and thank Mother Earth for soybeans, a five serving block of tofu only costs me $1.39. My pantry is stocked with rice, lentils, olive oil, soy sauce, pastas, flour, beans and spices. Nothing exotic, nothing expensive. I did spend a whopping $15 on a 22oz canister of nutritional yeast in the Fall, but since I still have 1/3 of it left eight months later, I'd hardly consider that a budget breaker.

My budget? I typically spend $50 a week on groceries. I only eat out on the rare occasion, so that's less than $8 a day, less than $3 a meal. Even less once you factor in snacks. And that's on a good week, there are plenty of weeks when I can only spend $25, and you know what? I make out just fine.


Here's what $50 got me last week:

Almond milk, 1/2 gallon
Kale, 2 1lb bags
Spinach, 1 bag
Sprouts, 1 carton
Roma tomatoes, 4 whole
Cherry tomatoes, 1 carton
Peaches, 5 whole
Papaya, 1 whole
Bananas, 5 whole
Cucumber, 1 whole
Yellow squash, 1 whole
Zucchini, 2 whole
Eggplant, 1 whole
Smart dogs, jumbo 5 pack
Whole wheat hot dog buns, 6 pack
Silken tofu, 1lb package
Tempeh, 1 block
28oz can crushed tomatoes
Koala Crisp cereal, 1 box
SO Delicious Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream, 1 pint
Vegan chocolate chip cookies (Whole Foods Bakery), 2 cookies

I don't see how anyone could argue that replacing a few of those items with meat, cheese and cow's milk would actually bring that receipt down.

My list does vary week to week. Sometimes I need to stock up on bread to keep in the freezer, grab a new bag of quinoa, or some spices. These are the only things that bring my bill up, but they last a long time and I only need them once in a while. Trust me, if I can be vegan on this low budget, anyone can.

Madeline Heising | Blog
Boston, MA Madeline is studying Communications and Public Advocacy at Northeastern University. Going vegan on a whim in 2011 changed her entire lifestyle for the better. Her course of study, health and career intentions now revolve around plant-based living. All it took was one question ‘Why would you care more about what goes on your body than what goes in it?’ When she’s not in classes she works at Teavana and keeps up her own recipe blog. The only thing that makes her happier than talking about food is traveling, but it’s a pretty close tie.

Photo credit:cc:flickr.com/photos/nohodamon

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TDIV Q&A: I understand animals feel pain, but aren't they simpleminded? So does it really matter?

Firstly, let me ask you this: if an adult referred to a child as “simple," would it matter that he or she caused the child harm? If one being is not as developed mentally, physically or emotionally as another, does that justify the more advanced creature causing them pain?

In other words, is a creature’s worth determined by its ability to “understand” its pain?

As humans, we are constantly attempting to understand feelings such as love, loss, hope and despair. Yet we assert that what we feel does matter. A teenager’s broken heart, a widow’s grief and a wounded soldier’s pain all matter. The pain that animals feel when they are brutally treated in factory farms and slaughterhouses matters as well.

Secondly, animals are not as “simpleminded” as people once assumed. Pigs are intelligent, curious creatures with problem solving abilities. Chickens form friendships and social hierarchies. Cows enjoy mental challenges. Fish work together to avoid predators and find food.

There is a plethora of research asserting that nonhuman animals have complex cognitive, emotional and moral lives. In addition to pain, animals can feel and process fear, loneliness and empathy.

One recent study by University of Chicago scientists is notable for examining the emotions of one animal often portrayed in a negative light: the rat. In a simple study to see if one rat would help another who was trapped, scientists found that the rat decided to selflessly help out another member of its species.

If a rat, as a “lesser” creature than us humans, can feel empathy towards its fellow animals, what’s our excuse?

Whales have also been shown to help out fellow species under attack. Humpback whales, and many other cetaceans possess higher-order thinking and feeling. These include empathy, speech, intuition about the feelings of others, and gut instinct.

The ability to distinguish between right and wrong is an exemplary quality, one that we often use to symbolize humanity. But morality is not exclusive to humans. Animals also display moral codes, including a sense of right vs. wrong and social responsibility. Ecologists, philosophers, scientists and animal behavioralists are continuously conducting new research to analyze animal intelligence. By exploring the depth of animal social organization, emotions and moral choices, researchers help to broaden our understanding of how sophisticated animals’ minds really are.

When it comes to eating animals, you can justify your choice to eat meat or not to consume animal products in various ways: your health, the environment, industry, family, tradition, education, awareness, and experience.

But there is too much evidence that animals do process their suffering and the suffering of others for us to deny their mental development. The animals that we eat, and the animals we use for work and keep as pets all have unique minds and personalities. They think and feel very complexly. And their pain is significant.

The best indication of advanced mental capacity is the ability to feel and show compassion. For it is a highly developed mind that understands the worth of every being.

“We have to understand we are not the only beings on this planet with personalities and minds.” –Jane Goodall.

Rachel Fryer | Email
Maryland A lifelong vegetarian and animal lover, Rachel Fryer enjoys writing, traveling, eating spicy food, drinking coconut water, reading historical fiction and sweating (she is also a Bikram yoga teacher). Rachel is excited to attend grad school for her Masters in English in Fall 2012 and to adopt a shelter dog in the near future.

Photo Credit: cc: flickr.com/photos/fatmandy

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TDIV Q&A: If meat is already in stores, what’s the harm in eating it?

This question is interesting because it assumes that meat is a byproduct of something else. In other words, the animals are already being slaughtered so we might as well eat them. But that isn’t the case. The production of meat for human consumption is the reason that we find packaged animal flesh in the stores. It is the purpose of factory farms.

We should start by thinking about meat the way that factory farms do. They don’t care about the animals. Factory farms are not about nurturing or understanding animals as fellow inhabitants of the planet. To the factory farm, an animal is saleable meat and meat by-products -- sources of revenue.

Meat producing is a business. In fact, it is a multi-billion dollar business based on how to cut corners, increase production, and make more money. The fact that consumers buy meat is what keeps these producers in business.

Factory farms are always looking for ways to increase their revenue stream. They do this in numerous ways, including injecting hormones and antibiotics into production animals, giving the animals the cheapest feeds available (including the ground carcasses of diseased animals) and depriving them of adequate living space so that the farm can house more animals. The object is to produce more product that you can then buy in the supermarket.

Factory farms don’t care if cattle are wounded, they will drag them to slaughter. They don’t care that hormones and directed breeding have produced chickens with breasts so large the chickens are unable to walk because their legs can’t support their weight. The object is always more money.

Everyone has heard the expression “vote with your dollars.” If a meat producer is only interested in getting the product in the stores for sale, and we refuse to by that product, then it goes to waste. If the stores are selling less, then they buy less from the producers, which makes the producers produce less.

Most importantly though, the stores and producers have to know why we aren’t buying. If they think it’s a fluctuating market, something that will pass, they will continue to produce. But if they know the reason, if enough of us tell them, then they are forced to change their practices or produce different products.

In the past several months we’ve seen this happen on a large scale. People found out that “pink slime” was not only some of the more disgusting animal parts but included ammonia in the mix. There was a lot of protest and the fast-food chains said they’d stop buying this stuff to add to their burger mixture. Then school lunch programs dropped pink slime too. Many of the pink slime producers are now going into bankruptcy.

Everything that we buy sends a message to whoever produces it. If a product doesn’t sell, it won’t be made. Period. If we buy meat that is in stores already, all we are saying is that we want more.

Fianna MacGregor | Blog | Blog | Twitter | Email
New York City Fianna has been vegan for 36 years. She is currently working on a second M.A. in Human Rights from NYU. When she isn’t veganizing every cookbook she can get her hands on, she’s working her urban farm in New York City. She also writes extensively on veganism, running and green living. Her newest project is to trace everything she buys to find out if it’s cruelty-free (both animal and human) and eco-friendly. Fianna and her fiancé are animal rescuers of dogs, cats and birds.

Photo credit:cc:Wikimedia Commons

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