Recently, I came to the conclusion that people who partake in 'veganism' (I think that's a word), are not at all crazy or slightly out there for doing it. It's a decision, just like any, and it doesn't make a person any different. However, there's many, many people who do, and I'm not quite sure why they see it that way. It probably has a lot to do with people's fear of the unknown and different. Veganism isn't entirely a rash decision, there's plenty of alternates to 'normal' food. There's rice cheese, soy milk, bread not made with animal products, and many name brand foods that are 'accidentally' vegan. (http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/) I don't see what's so gross about tofu, rice cheese or any of the other alternates. I would say that 100% of the alternates that I've tried so far (soy milk, rice milk, vegan American & Monteray Jack cheese, soy yogurt, vegan butter) taste just as good as the 'normal' version, and in some cases even better. Not to mention, a lot of ... more »
Posted: June 21, 2008 3:20 pm | 0 comments
Tags: food, Vegan
When I first moved to Boston, I did not see the city as very "vegan-friendly". However, I knew there had to be something I was missing. It didn't take me long to realize how wrong I was. Having spent one school year here, I have uncovered many fun, interesting, and most importantly delicious places a Boston vegan can go. The point of this blog is to share these places with others, as well as document new discoveries waiting for me this year.
I'll start off by saying that Trader Joe's is a broke vegan's best friend, and I am definitely a broke vegan. As much as I love big trips to whole foods, there's nothing like buying a whole weeks worth of soups for $0.99 a package. They're Thai soups that come in garlic, spring onion, and mushroom flavors. Just look for the little "v" on the bottom of the package to make sure you have the vegan kind.
Not looking for a cheap dinner? Trader Joe's also sells LunaBars for $0.99. If you're like me, you wake up up way to close to class time to ... more »
Posted: September 14, 2009 1:46 pm | 3 comments
Tags: Vegan
"You're a vegan?? Oh my gosh, I couldn't live without cheese!" This is the response I usually get to my new lifestyle, and the reaction I initially had as well. After a failed attempt about a year ago, I have been a proud vegan for the past 3 months.
Now: The cheese thing (since I'm sure everyone is wondering) - yes, I miss it, but not terribly. This is one of the foods that does not offer a delicious vegan alternative (seriously, stay away from vegan cheese: it was a horrifying experience on so many levels). The small cravings I have are not enough to abandon my morals.
Why am I a vegan? In short, it's a lot healthier for my body and the world around me. Meat and dairy production do not function according to sustainable and ethical standards. But I will save this topic for another blog.
Another feature of my blog will be a selection of recipes I am experimenting with. One of my favorite treats are vegan toll house cookies. I replace the granulated sugar with turbinado sugar (like S ... more »
Posted: September 16, 2009 9:26 am | 3 comments
Tags: food culture, Vegan
The first thing most people say when I tell them I am vegan is "Oh, I could never give up cheese/ice cream/eggs!" What they don't realize is that stuff is the easy part. The hardest part about being vegan is knowing what goes ON your body, not in it.
It's likely that most of you reading this have been rubbing an oily sheep secretion on your bodies every morning. It's called lanolin, and it's a common ingredient in body lotions. Other common animal ingredients usually found in body products are collagen, silk protein, milk proteins, non-vegetable glycerin, fish oils, urea, and bee-based products like wax or honey. Suddenly, scanning a nutrition label at a grocery store seems a lot easier than scanning the ingredients list on a shampoo bottle.
On top of what's in a product, you have to consider the company behind the product. One product may seem vegan if it's composed of entirely synthetic chemicals, but how was this product tested? The search engine Caring Consumer allows y ... more »
Posted: September 21, 2009 12:25 pm | 0 comments
Tags: Vegan
I was trying really hard to think of topics for this week's blog, and suddenly it dawned on me...I've grown so accustomed to veganism, it had become almost second nature! It's definitely a nice feeling.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been exploring vegan dining options within walking distance with my friends (I'm so lucky to have the wonderful Emily Fleischman as a vegan support system...she is majoring in nutrition). Here is a list of some of our favorite places (these are NOT vegan restaurants):
1) Fagakyu - This Japanese/sushi restaurant is in Coolidge Corner. They have the most amazing miso soup I have ever tasted, and very fresh vegan sushi rolls (my favorite is avocado). But be forewarned, this place can get kind of pricey.
2) Rami's - This Israeli diner is also in Coolidge Corner. The falafel with hummus in pita is incredible! I'm salivating just thinking about it. The service is great too. The guy who served us was so friendly and animated.
3) Boloco - Yes, this is a ch ... more »
Posted: September 30, 2009 11:27 pm | 1 comment
Tags: banana bread, boston dining, Vegan
Spare with me this morning, I'm an angry little vegan.
Just curious to any vegans out there: How supportive are your family and friends?
Mine are not at all.
Let me rephrase: I get ZERO support. And it drives me crazy. While my dad is your typical "Meat-and-Potatoes" kind of eater, it's my mom who gives me the hardest time. Aside from what my dad thinks is a joke (Every time I make a dish, he gets a kick out of saying "You know what this dinner could use? Some meat!" Dear dad, that gets old after about... the first time), my mom non-stop criticizes my choice. I find this ridiculous because I love to cook, so she doesn't have to slave over making me some special dish. She LOVES everything I cook. She's into being healthy and eating less meat and more produce. So WHY is it so hard to deal with your vegan child? If I had a dollar for every time I heard "If only you ate a little cheese/milk/egg...", I wouldn't be so broke. (Note to self: start charging mom every time she makes an an ... more »
Posted: October 1, 2009 11:40 am | 1 comment
Tags: Vegan
Love o' My Life.
Seriously. Eat here.
I have not had the privilege of eating a fully topped pizza in over 2 years. I now have that privilege back.
Enter Peace o' Pie, a 100% vegan pizza place in Allston. When I stumbled across their website, and found out they had just opened, I knew I had to go. Even better-they were hiring. So I headed on down there, resume in hand, dragging my best friend along.
Well, this is a vegan blog, not a story-of-my-life blog, so forget my on-spot interview, and move on to how I am now writing to you in a semi-food coma.
We ordered "the MD"- Herb-roasted onions and zucchini, smoked apple sage "sausage", and whole wheat crust, topped with Vegan Gourmet "cheese". And it was delicious, even to Katherine, my non-vegan friend, who was nervous to eat such a "strange" food. She claimed she did not anticipate it to taste bad, only too different to be real. So, for every non-vegan out there, I'll review this pizza along with her reactions.
The crust: You ... more »
Posted: October 6, 2009 10:20 pm | 1 comment
Tags: Pizza, Vegan
Hey, everyone! One of the questions I most frequently get about being vegan is how I eat on campus. I won't lie, it can be difficult, but with enough creativity there is a decent selection of food both at Bartol and the Fens. Here is a breakdown of both according to meals.
Bartol
Breakfast:
- Oatmeal with frozen/fresh fruit and soymilk
- Certain cereals (it's a lot easier if you eat honey, which I still do at this point)
- Coffee with soymilk or ricemilk
- Toast with peanut butter (again, the wheat bread might have honey; and the peanut butter is not all-natural so it contains a lot of trans fats which are bad for you), sometimes I bring Earth Balance margarine with me.
- Any tea
Lunch/Dinner
- The meals at the Grainery are usually vegan. They have dishes such as the "Bombay Spring Roll" and curry dishes.
- Salad bar; I like to use just balsamic vinegar and oil because some of the dressings might contain cheese/mayo
- Deli; there is usually a potato salad with arugala, olive oil, and o ... more »
Posted: October 17, 2009 2:48 pm | 1 comment
Tags: campus food, Vegan
For anyone who did not read my last post, I applied to work at a 100% vegan pizza place in Allston called Peace o' Pie. While I was home during Columbus Day weekend, they hired me. My first day of work was Friday, and it was defiantly a huge change from any other job I have ever had.
Since I am the only vegan in my family/group of friend/work, I'm use to conditions being less-than-accommodating. At family dinners, I have to make my own dish. When my friends decide to bake, they break out the butter and eggs. When there's something to celebrate at work, here come the chicken wings. For the first time in my life, this is far from the case.
I am surrounded by veganism. I can eat everything I see. No one questions my beliefs. I can complain about the omnivorous world and everyone agrees. It's liberating, but at the same time, nerve-racking. I began to wonder if they're judging me. Am I "vegan enough" for them? The worry that I might not be a good enough vegan had never ente ... more »
Posted: October 19, 2009 1:02 pm | 1 comment
Tags: Vegan
While at work yesterday, an older man entered the restaurant and identified himself as a vegetarian. My boss was talking to a customer, when the man broke into the conversation saying "You know, vegans need to watch their b-12, or they'll go blind." Since myself, my boss, and the customer are all vegans, and we can all see, we assured him it we were not deficient in any nutrients. He then proceeded to leave.
I know he was older, and had probably had the notion that vegans could not get proper nutrients in his head for years, but it reminded me just how ignorant some people can be. I would not say that veganism is synonymous with healthy, but a proper vegan diet is not hard to follow, especially now when most products specified for vegans are fortified.
I think when people find out you are excluding "normal" food from your diet, they automatically want to correct you, and tell you you're wrong, because to them, it's so abnormal they can't fathom it being okay. Not to say that e ... more »
Posted: October 26, 2009 2:27 pm | 0 comments
Tags: health, Vegan
As a vegan, finding breakfast on the run can be pretty hard. While most people can grab their ham-and-cheese breakfast sandwich, we're stuck with a plain bagel. BORING! The solution: a container of homemade granola you can take anywhere.
Granola is the perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack. The problem is, a lot a store bought granola contains whey (from milk) and/or honey. The good news is, you can make your own batch in no time! And what's better, there are endless possibilities of combinations, so you can personalize every batch. It also makes great, cheap gifts for the holidays.
To start, use a basic granola base. This recipe can be easily halved, doubled, tripled, or whatever you want! For add-ins, try any combination of nuts and dried fruits. My favorite is craisins and chocolate chips.
1 cup rolled oats
2 tbs vegetable oil (I use canola)
2 tbs agave nectar or maple syrup
1/4 cup each of your favorite add-in
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchme ... more »
Posted: November 12, 2009 1:38 pm | 0 comments
Tags: recipe, Vegan
