Vegan 101
Curious about giving veganism a try? Ever wondered, "Why Vegan?" or "How To Be A Vegan?" Looking for some tips and tricks? You've come to the right place! These posts cover all the basics, offering up vital information on the plant-based diet.
Find vegan recipes here and cookbook reviews here.
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
5 Simple Ways to Cut Your Organic, Vegan Food Costs
Have you been wanting to eat more organic, plant-based foods but feel convinced that it's too expensive? The good news is that you've been fooled - healthy, eco-vegan meals do not need to break the bank! I've been eating well on a budget for years and have spent the past year absorbing tons of tips and tricks to share with you. I'll be releasing an ebook entitled "Healthy, Organic Vegan on A Budget" and to give you a taste of what you'll learn from it I've launched a month-long video series.
How To Talk To Meat Eaters About Your Vegan Lifestyle
One of the most intimidating and challenging aspects of being vegan is handling conversations with people who aren't vegan. These chats can easily swing from calm and understanding to debate-like, with each person defending their food choices. I spend a lot of time pondering and researching the best ways to handle oneself in these situations, and have offered up my opinion in several videos (see below). Below are are some more tips to help guide yourself through these tête-à-têtes.
Video: Easy, Cheap, Healthy Vegan Meals That Take Less Than $2 and 15 minutes to Prepare
More...
Ultimate Guide to Vegan Cheese Alternatives
Is Palm Oil Vegan?
"If conscientious consumption means we avoid contributiong to suffering, palm is clearly problematic." ~ Mark Hawthorne
My vegan lifestyle is a continuous evolution - I'm constantly learning something new about food, nutrition, the environment, ethics, politics, etc. No wonder many people find veganism intimidating - there's a lot to consider! When I first went vegan I looked at it very simply - I didn't eat any products that came from animals and I could verify this by looking at labels, seeking out vegan certifications and avoiding the obvious (meat, dairy, leather, silk, etc). But as I became more passionate about the lifestyle and made it my career to inspire and educate others on the topic, I realized that there's a lot more than meets the eye. Some may find this overwhelming, but I believe that if we take things step by step and strive to be informed, we can each develop a well-rounded perspective on our personal choices. A perfect example is palm oil - in this article I explore this confusing and touchy subject, and offer some suggestions on how you can keep your purchases as ethical as possible
Vegan Options in Florida Panhandle
A EvG viewer named Hannah said she was having trouble finding vegan options between Destin and Pensacola, FL. I didn't have any suggestions for her, so I turned to the EvG online community and of course they had some great recommendations.
End of the Line Cafe (Pensacola) ~ vegan
Sluggo's (Pensacola) ~ all vegetarian
Raw & Juicy (Seaside) ~ juice bar with raw food
Of course The Healthy Voyager has a great list - check that out too: Part 1 and Part 2
Have you been to any of these places or know of more you'd like to share? Leave a comment and I'll add them in!
Veg Options in San Diego For Comic Con
This post was inspired by a tweet from Wilfred star Fiona Gubelmann, who was looking for vegetarian options around the Gas Lamp area of San Diego while there for Comic Con. I've only been to San Diego once years ago so I reached out to the EvG social media community and they had these great suggestions:
1. Evolution Fast Food (2949 5th Ave - 2.5 miles from the Convention Center) ~ top recommendation
2. Pokez Mexican (947 E St - 1.2 miles away) ~
3. Yard House (1023 4th Ave - .7 miles away) ~ lots of options with Gardein
4. Masala Spices of India (314 K Street - .4 miles away)
5. Tao (3332 Adams Ave - 7.5 miles away) ~ highly rated restaurant so might be worth the drive!
6. Lotus Cafe and Juice Bar (3955 5th Ave - 3 miles away)
7. Peace Pies (4230 Voltaire Street - 7.5 miles away) ~ raw, vegan, organic, and gluten free!
View Veg Options Near Comic Con (Gas Lamp area of San Diego) in a larger map
Hungry for more? Check out Happy Cow's list
Thanksgiving Ideas: Make This One (Eco) Friendly
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Aside from getting a day off, the thing people most look forward to on Thanksgiving is eating. Even though most of the ingredients for the dishes are available year round, or at least for a few months in the season, there are specific foods we only eat on this late November day. Mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie...and turkey. Many call this holiday Turkey Day because it's all about eating the bird. In fact, over 300 million turkeys are killed for Thanksgiving each year, after living a miserable life with no room to move, standing around in their own excrement, and being pumped full of antibiotics - doesn't sound so festive.
Videos: Colleen Patrick-Goudreau Speaks At 2011 San Francisco Veg Fest
On World Vegetarian Day 2011 (October 1st) I attended the San Francisco Veg Festival, which was a really lovely event despite its small size. The highlight was easily a talk by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, a well known vegan author, speaker and all around advocate. After all the buzz around her talk at the Vida Vegan Bloggers Conference in Portland, I knew I had to record her SF lecture so I could share it with you. It was about 50 minutes in length, but I went through and edited it down to 3 segments totaling 24 minutes so that it'd be easier to watch.
What a Vegan Eats for Lunch: Pad Thai - gluten-free, sugar-free, soy-free, salt-free
Official Statement from Bob's Red Mill Regarding OHSU Donation & Animal Testing
I was deeply saddened when the blogosphere and social media world released information about Bob's Red Mill donating money to OHSU, a facility that is known to do animal testing. I recently interviewed Bob Moore and had posted the video just days before this happened. However, I was unsure how to react and felt that there must be more to the story - it didn't seem like Bob would knowingly give money to a place that did this kind of testing. Along with many other bloggers, Tweeters, and Facebook users I communicated my feelings to the company and even touched base with one of their team members via email, who seemed very disturbed by the situation. Well, the waiting paid off - Bob published a letter tonight on the company website explaining his decision and the Dean of OHSU responded as well. Here are the highlights: