Friday, May 31, 2013

Day 155 -- Interesting Factoid #1

I was recently browsing the Vegetarian Times website, one of my favorite sources for recipes, can came across this article -- Why Go Veg?    The article lists all the reasons why we might want to eat a plant-based diet.  Of course, I've known a lot of these things all along.  People who eat a plant-based diet are healthier and live a longer life.  But how much longer?



Accordnig to Michael F. Roizen, MD, if you switch from the standard American diet to a vegetarian diet, you can add about 13 healthy years to your life.  That's a lot of years!  Who wouldn't want another 13 healthy years.  According to Roizin ”People who consume saturated, four-legged fat have a shorter life span and more disability at the end of their lives. Animal products clog your arteries, zap your energy and slow down your immune system. Meat eaters also experience accelerated cognitive and sexual dysfunction at a younger age.”

Want more proof of longevity? Residents of Okinawa, Japan, have the longest life expectancy of any Japanese and likely the longest life expectancy of anyone in the world, according to a 30-year study of more than 600 Okinawan centenarians. Their secret: a low-calorie diet of unrefined complex carbohydrates, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, and soy.

Roizin's book, The RealAge Diet: Make Yourself Younger with What You Eat, looks like it would be a good read.  And a with a visit to his website, RealAge.com, you can take the RealAge test.  I did and with my health as it is now, my real age is 57.9.  My actual age is 57 years and 10 months, which is almost spot on.  So, from this, I can see that the loss of weight and the improvement in diet has pretty much stopped the downward spiral.  There's nothing left to do but get a little younger!

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Day 154 -- A Mighty Little Mushroom

It can sometimes be a problem coming up with subject matter for this blog.  Writing every day is something I made a commitment to do to help me focus on eating well.  But I don't always have time to search out new recipes and test them.  So I often write about new things I've tasted.

My list keeps getting longer, mostly by design.  When I run out of things to write about, I run to the store and buy something I've never eaten before.  A recent trip to the grocery store resulted in my purchase of three morel mushrooms.  According the sign, they're in season in my part of the country.  There was no price on them but I figured how expensive could they be?  Maybe $15 or $20 a pound?  Three mushrooms couldn't weigh that much.



When I got to the check-out, I learned that they were $40 a pound and I had $4.00 worth in my bag.  I decided to give them a try since I'd never eaten them before.  It turns out the best way to eat them is sauteed in butter, so I decided to break by vegan diet and eat a bit of butter, just so I could taste the morel at its best.

I scoured the internet to find info on how to prepare these for cooking and there were many different opinions about washing or rinsing them or putting them into salt water.  Apparently, there are little bugs that like to hide in their curly structure.  I also heeded the warning to cook them thoroughly because a raw morel can cause stomach distress.

As they were cooking the scent was heavenly, almost like meat frying, rich and savory.  And the taste was just as good, like the best of mushrooms but intensified.  There was a bit of grit and I'm not sure if it was dirt or those little black bugs, but it didn't diminish the wonderful taste.  Morels have a very short harvest season and this year I was lucky to stumble upon them.  I can add them to my list now and I hope that I stumble across them next year.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Day 153 -- Another Fling With Fake Meat

I guess I don't feel like I can be a proper vegan unless I go through all the typical "substitute" foods available.  You know -- the soy burgers and the soy sour cream.  I've pretty much tried all the non-dairy substitutes for milk, sour cream, cream cheese and ice cream.  I still haven't tried vegan cheese but I have a package in the fridge that's waiting for me to try it and be horribly disappointed.



Then, there's the meat substitutes.  I'm a big fan of the Boca vegan  burgers.  I've tried and hated seitan and I just bought some tempeh to try.  But I also bought some Smart Dog jumbo hot dogs.  My fondness for hot dogs is a matter of public record.  There's nothing quite so wonderful as a good hot dog (no sexual innuendo intended).  So, I looked forward with great anticipation to trying a Smart Dog.  And considering how much I love Boca burgers, I was holding out hope that these would be good, too..

First, let me talk about the nutritional value.  Each of the jumbo dogs is only 100 calories with 3.5 grams of fat.  They're high in sodium as all processed food is.  You get 25% of the RDA from one dog.  However, they do pack 17 grams of protein which is much more that my favorite veggie burger.  Add a Food For Life whole grain hot dog bun and you add 170 calories and 9 grams of protein.  So for under 300 calories you get 26 grams of protein.  Even if these taste like crap, they be worth eating for the protein.

And did they taste like crap?  Not exactly.  But they weren't that good either.  The texture was much like an over-processed Oscar Mayer hot dog.  The kind of mushy dogs that kids like.  And there was a bit of an artificial taste that came from the smoke flavoring.  Will I eat them again?  Maybe.  If I'm really hungry and need a quick infusion of protein.  But I'd still grab the Boca vegan burger first . . . and second . . . and third.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Day 152 -- I Scream for Ice Cream (Or Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert)

One of the things I've really missed as a vegan (besides cheese, of course) is ice cream.  I used to love to take a trip to the local Dairy Queen and grab a small vanilla cone at the drive-thru.  My favorite flavor of store-bought ice cream was Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia.  And it didn't take me long to go through a box of Haagen-Dazs or Dove ice cream bars.  I loved the coffee flavor.  But now that dairy is out, I didn't think I was left with any alternatives.  

Now, I knew that there were vegan alternatives for ice cream, but I couldn't imagine that they would taste good.  But I've learned to enjoy almond milk and coconut milk, so I decided to take a risk and buy a pint.  Unfortunately, it seems that nutritionally, even vegan ice cream is loaded with fat.  Still, I wanted to give it a try so I picked up a pint of So Delicious Coconut Milk Chocolate ice cream (or non-dairy frozen dessert, as it is called).  
I have to say that this was really, really good.  It was creamy and dense, just like real ice cream.  In fact, the texture was more like gelato  It did have a mild coconut taste, but I liked that flavor mixed with chocolate.   This ice cream comes in so many flavors and also comes in "no sugar added" versions although they only offered three options at WalMart.  The flavors include Cherry Amaretto, Chocolate, Chocolate Brownie Almond, Coconut, Coconut Almond Chip, Cookie Dough, Cookies N Cream, German Chocolate, Green Tea, Mint Chip, Mocha Almond Fudge, Passionate Mango, Pomegranate Chip, Turtle Trails, and Vanilla Bean.  The no-sugar-added flavors are Butter Pecan, Chocolate, Mint Chip, Toasted Almond Chip, and Vanilla Bean. 

ETA:  I also bought a pint of Purely Decadent Cherry Nirvana, which has dark red cherries and chocolate.  I thought it might taste like my favorite Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia.  Well, it didn't.  I had a really awful artificial taste and was quite unpleasant.  I managed a few spoonfuls before I had to toss it back in the freezer.  It will probably go in the garbage soon.   If I had a tag for "Not Good Eats", this would get it.  

Monday, May 27, 2013

Day 151 -- Is Beer Vegan?

Beer season is upon us!  Yes, I do drink beer in the winter, too.  But a cold beer always tastes better on a hot summer day with something (anything) that's been cooked on a grill.  I'd heard a rumor that some brands of beer were not vegan.  Now, the thought of beer containing meat kind of grossed me out.  But then, maybe it was eggs or dairy that caused beer to fail the vegan test.



It turns out that some beers are clarified using gelatin which is made from the bones and connective tissues (yuck, that sounds icky) of animals.  Or (wait for the ick here) using isinglass which is made from fish bladders.  Fish bladders?  Now I really wanted to know what beers to avoid.

A little internet research brought up this list from VegNews.  The shorter version is that both Budweiser and Miller are vegan!  So is Heineken, Corona, and Becks.  So, bring on the hot weather and the cold beer.  I'm all ready.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Day 150 -- Five Months Down, Seven More To Go

I've just completed five months as a vegan.  It's hard to believe that much time has passed and I must say that I don't think I've ever stuck to anything with such dedication as I have to this diet.  I'm not sure why, but it doesn't seem to be much of a problem for me.  But there is one big deadline looming.  I promised myself that I'd start exercising after six months.  Until now, my exercise regime has resembled that of a cat.


So, I now have thirty days to decide exactly what I'm going to do for exercise.  My job involves sitting on my butt in front of a computer, so I can't count on getting any exercise while I'm working.  I do have one problem and that's my knees.  There's something wrong with the right one and the left one acts up every now and then.  Now, I'm not using that as an excuse because I can certainly walk.  But anything more strenuous could cause problems.  So, I guess I'm stuck with walking.  But I have another month left before I start with that.  In the meantime, I'm going to have to find some exercise clothes that fit me and maybe get an Ipod to keep me entertained. 

As for an update -- it's been five months and I've lost 60 pounds.  I've been stuck for a few weeks at the same weight, but I suspect that might be because I haven't been exercising.  Oh, well, maybe I'l have to start a little early.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Day 149 -- Get Down With Your Chips -- Part Two

Though these aren't your typical chips, they are tasty low-fat treats that have some crunch and a little bit of punch, too.

Smoky Paprika-Baked Garbanzo Beans 
30 ounces canned garbanzo beans, drained
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. onion powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium mixing bowl, toss the drained garbanzo beans with the smoked paprika and onion powder. Spread the beans on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the beans are browned and crisp. Remove from the oven and cool the beans to room temperature. Store in an airtight container until ready to enjoy.



Za'atar-Dusted Pita Chips Recipe
2 tsp. dried savory
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. sumac
1/2 tsp. kosher or flaky salt
4 pita bread rounds
Olive oil spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a mortar and pestle or clean spice grinder, grind the savory, thyme, sesame seeds, sumac and salt until the mixture is finely ground and fragrant.  Cut each pita bread into eight wedge-shaped pieces and peel apart the layers to make two thinner pieces of bread out of each wedge. Arrange the wedges closely together in an even layer on two baking sheets. Lightly spray the wedges with the olive oil and sprinkle with the ground spices.  Bake the chips until they are golden brown and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets once from top to bottom and from front to back and stirring the wedges while baking. Cool the chips on cooling racks before storing in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat the chips in a 350-degree oven for four minutes before serving after they have been cooled.

Crispy Cauliflower with Tomatoes and Dill Recipe
1 cauliflower head, cored and shaved into thin slices (with a large knife)
2 handfuls cherry tomatoes
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
Juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil spray
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the cauliflower, tomatoes, dill, and lemon juice in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, using your hands to toss everything together. Spray with olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending how crunchy you like it!

Friday, May 24, 2013

Day 148 -- Get Down With Your Chips -- Part One

I happened across a collection of recipes for "chips" and I had to share them because I'm always looking for new and intersting ways to prepare my veggies.  Most of these came from Oprah's website.  I get the feeling that she might like chips more than chocolate! Since there are so many recipes, I'm going to divide this into two posts!


Brussels Sprout Chips
10 Brussels sprouts
Olive oil
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.With a paring knife, cut off the bottom tip of each sprout. The outer leaves will fall off. Trim off a tiny bit more of the bottom, so more leaves fall off. Continue until you've removed all the leaves. Spread the leaves in one layer on a rimmed baking sheet and spray with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt.  Roast 7 to 10 minutes, until leaves are lightly browned and crisp.

Sweet and Salty Baked Sweet Potato Chips Recipe
1 large sweet potato
2 tsp. fine grain sea salt
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. chili powder

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Scrub and wash your sweet potato. Feel free to peel first if you prefer no skin on the outside of your baked sweet potato chips. Using a mandolin or a knife, slice the sweet potato into thin slices.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then arrange the slices in a single layer. Sprinkle fine grain sea salt, chili powder and cinnamon onto the chips. If you want to try sweet and salty separately, put salt on one half and cinnamon on the other.   Bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, or when the edges become crispy, flip over each slice and bake for another 2-3 minutes. Be sure to watch the oven after the initial 10 minutes. These can burn quickly.


Kale Chips Recipe
1 bunch kale (curly green or red tend to work best)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 375°F.  Thoroughly rinse and dry the kale. Tear out and discard the stems. Rip the leaves into even-size pieces and place in bowl. Pour the olive oil on top and mix with your hands to combine, massaging the kale while doing so in order to reduce the toughness of the leaves. Add pepper to taste. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and spread the kale in an even layer. Return the sheet to the oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes, turning over the kale pieces once, halfway through.  Cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack and enjoy.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Day 147 -- Does Vegan Chocolate Exist?

For a vegan, the most important question people ask is, "Where do you get your protein?"  The second most important question is "Can you still eat chocolate?"  And to be honest, the first question is easy to answer and the second question caused me to do a little research.  Since I'm not a big fan of chocolate, I really didn't have any reason to find vegan chocolate.  But maybe it's time.
To begin, I needed to know the basic ingredients in chocolate.  I visited The Story Of Chocolate website to find out.  Chocolate is made of chocolate liquor  (cocoa beans with their shells removed that have been fermented, roasted and ground until they liquefy), cocoa butter (present in chocolate liquor, extra cocoa butter enhances flavor and mouthfeel), sugar, lecithin (an emulsifier usually made from soy) and vanila or other flavoring.  So far, so good.  And what about that word "mouthfeel'?  Definitely a crucial element of good chocolate.

There are three types of chocolate:  dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate.  Both milk and white chocolate contain milk, so we can knock them off the list, but dark chocolate doesn't always contain milk products.   Unsweetened chocolate, or baking chocolate, is 100 percent chocolate liquor and is typically very bitter and astringent.  No milk, but not very tasty.  Add sugar and it become semi-sweet chocolate.  The problem comes when the chocolate maker adds milk fat to dark chocolate to soften the texture and not for a milk flavor.

Trader Joe's and Whole Foods both make chocolate chips that have no milk products.  Newman's Own also makes chocolate bars (Sweet Dark Espresso and Sweet Dark Orange flavors). Lindt's Excellence 70% bar is also vegan.   Luckily, VegNews has an entire list of vegan chocolate to make shopping easier.

I tried the Lindt Excellence Roasted Almond which was available at WalMart and of course, it was chocolate.  Vegan chocolate is really the same as regular chocolate, you just have to look for dark chocolate with no dairy.  But it's nice to know that chocolate is on the list.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Day 146 -- I Love Summer Salads

With summer coming up fast, I'm looking for some new recipes to take advantage of good summer veggies.  I found a recipe for a Quinoa-Black Bean Salad in the internet and decided to do a little revising to make it low fat.  It calls for fresh cherry tomatoes which will be in season soon, so I'm looking forward to giving this a try!


Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water

10 halved cherry tomatoes
1 c. frozen corn
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
5 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Dressing:
3 limes, juiced
1 T. olive oil
1 T. yellow miso
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 t. chia seeds
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 t. red pepper flakes, or more to taste

Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.  Combine ingredients for dressing and blend.   Combine quinoa, corn, tomatoes, black beans, and green onions together in a bowl. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture; toss to coat. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator.


Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Day 145 -- Iced Mocha Latte -- Yum!

I love to discover new "treats."  Since I don't eat a lot of sweets anymore, I don't have the option of scarfing down three or four brownies or a bunch of Keebler E.L. Fudge cookies or a half-pint of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream.  Sometimes, I have my favorite fat-free whole wheat molasses cookies at hand.  But, when I don't, I settle for a Oregon Chai latte.  Hot in the winter, iced in the summer.

I recently discovered that Oregon Chai also makes a convenient espresso concentrate that can be mixed with my favorite milk of the day.  Packaged under the Oregon Cafe brand, it comes in three flavors-- vanilla, mocha and caramel.  I've been bouncing between almond milk and coconut milk lately, though soy milk is my choice when I go out to a coffee shop.  But when mixed with hot or cold milk, this concentrate makes a treat that's a great substitute for a trip to the coffee shop.


I have to say that since I started eating vegan, I'm much less addicted to sugar.  Though this concentrate does have a lot of sugar in it, it's not something I drink every day.  It's just a fun treat to have occasionally!    

Monday, May 20, 2013

Day 144 -- Protein For A Day

Everyone is always worried about protein.  So I decided to worry about it for a day or two as well.  There doesn't seem to be a consensus on how much protein a person needs on a daily basis.  People who eat meat and eggs don't have to worry.  A 3 ounce piece of chicken breast is 24 grams of protein.  An egg is 6 grams, a cup of milk 8 grams.  It adds up pretty fast when you're eating meat and dairy.




First, things first.  How many grams of protein do I need?  One source says that you should eat .4 grams of protein for every pound of weight.  For me, this would result in over 80 grams of protein a day.  Since there are 4 calories in a gram of protein (4 in a gram of carbos and 9 in a gram of fat), that means the I should eat 320 calories of protein a day.  This doesn't really jibe with the notion that you should eat 10% of your total calorie intake in a day in protein.  This would mean I should be eating 3200 calories a day, not the 1500 that I do eat.   Or I should be eating mainly protein, which is hard to do since vegan sources of protein contain lots of carbos as well.

Other sources don't figure protein needs by weight but just give a flat amount.  For instance, the Livestrong website says that adult women need 46 grams which is the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)  So,  you can see my confusion.  There's a big difference between 46 and 80 grams!  And finding 80 grams of protein by veggie sources is hard to do while keeping the calorie count low.  To figure out where I stood, I decided to count my protein grams for a day.  I was surprised to learn that veggies have a small amount of protein in them.

Breakfast Blueberry Chia Smoothie -- silken tofu - 5 gr., chia seeds- 3 gr.
Chickpea Tahine - couscous 6 gr., chickpeas - 6 gr.  onions 1 g
Chickpea Tahine - couscous 6 gr., chickpeas - 6 gr.  onions 1 g
Superfoods soup - Kale 1 g., Edamame 2 gr., mushrooms/onions 1 g., plus 6 grams in JJFlats cracker
Repeat superfood soup  -- 10 grams
Wheatberry salad -  8 grams

Total:  72 grams of protein

Wow!  Though this is usually more than I like to eat, it's good to know that I can get enough protein from veggie sources.  I will admit there are some days when I don't come close to the 80 gram mark and even fall below the 40 gram mark.  I need to make sure I get legumes and whole grains every day!  I should also probably pick up some protein powder for my morning smoothie.  And I should track my protein grams every so often, just to make sure I'm doing it right!


Sunday, May 19, 2013

Day 143 -- A Taste Of Morocco

One of my most favorite things about changing up my diet has been the chance to try new foods.  When you're stuck in the midst of the Standard American Diet there's not much opportunity to try exotic flavors.  Salt and pepper and the occasional use of cinnamon or basil is about as far as it goes.  But as a vegetarian/vegan you have to seek out new flavors to enhance foods that you eat a lot.  Take the humble garbanzo bean aka chickpea.  I use garbanzos in many different dishes.  They're high in protein and fiber and just generally good for you.  But they're an adaptive little bean as they are used throughout the world in many different dishes.



I found this recipe for Chickpea and Date Tagine from Vegetarian Times and it sounded interesting.  I'd never eaten couscous before, so I was looking forward to that.  And I haven't had dates more than a few times in my life, so I thought that sounded intriguing as well.  And, I'd come to the conclusion that I wasn't getting enough protein in my diet and this has dish has two sources-- one in the whole wheat couscous that I bought and the other in the chickpeas.


Here is all you need to know about a tagine -- both the recipe and the vessel it in which it is cooked and served.  A tajine or tagine is a historically Berber dish from North Africa that is named after the special earthenware pot in which it is cooked.  Typically, a tagine is a rich stew of meat, chicken, or fish, and most often includes vegetables or fruit. Vegetables can also be cooked alone.



The traditional tagine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay, which is sometimes painted or glazed.  The bottom is a wide, circular shallow dish used for both cooking and serving, while the top of the tagine is distinctively shaped into a rounded dome or cone.  Ceramic tagines are exquisite examples of Moroccan artisanship, and many are show pieces as well as functional cooking vessels.

Because the domed or cone-shaped lid of the tagine traps steam and returns the condensed liquid to the pot, a minimal amount of water is needed to cook meats and vegetables to buttery-tenderness. This method of cooking is very practical in areas where water supplies are limited or where public water is not yet available.  The traditional method of cooking with a tagine is to place the tagine over coals. Large bricks of charcoal are purchased specifically for their ability to stay hot for hours.


Saturday, May 18, 2013

Day 142 -- Now This Is Cool

I've been concerned about my protein intake lately.  I haven't been doing as much cooking as I was a few months back and at the end of the day, haven't had as many legumes and whole grains as I should have.  Time to start paying closer attention.

I was interested in figuring out the protein content of one of my favorite recipes and had heard about online calculators.  So I went out on a search and came back with this!  It's from the Calorie Count website.

I entered my recipe for Wheatberry and Wild Rice Salad and came up with all kinds of useful information (see above).  First, you have to enter the number of servings in the recipe, then type in the recipe.  You may have to look up a few of the ingredients on their database if the application doesn't recognize an ingredient.  But once that's done, it gives the calorie counts of all the ingredients (per serving).  It also gives a nutrition grade for each of the incredients.  My salad got straight As except for the B+ for the wild rice.



In addition, it gives a traditional nutrition label that lists protein, fat, carbos, sodium and cholesterol.  And finally, it gives you the good and the bad points about the recipe.  The only thing it doesn't do is give Omega 3 and 6 counts, which would be really great info for vegans and vegetarians.

It does have a few glitches.  I entered a 15 oz. CAN of garbanzos and it read it as 15 oz. of garbanzos, which isn't right.  So I had to go back and look for a can in the data base and figure out how many cups of garbanzos there were in a can.  And I needed to figure out if the app was reading the whole grains as cooked or uncooked.

Over the next week I'm going to try to keep better track of my protein intake and she where I'm at.  The subject of protein requirements is a whole can of worms that I'll open in my next post.  How much protein do I need every day? (And, as a good vegan, I'll let the can of worms go in my garden after opening, if anyone is asking.)

Friday, May 17, 2013

Day 141 -- I Guess It Had To Happen Sooner Or Later

I have now finished twenty weeks as a vegan and over these past twenty weeks, I've lost 57 pounds.  But this week, I didn't lose a pound.  Now, in all honesty, I haven't been as vigilant about watching what I eat.  I've been eating vegan and mostly low-fat vegan.  I've eaten out a few times and enjoyed some drinks.  And I did have a major pig-out last Sunday, a day that I spent eating everything I could find in the house -- all vegan, all low-fat, but more calories than I usually eat in three days.  I think I ate at least eight meals that day.



Since I told myself at the beginning of this vegan adventure, that I wasn't going to watch what I eat as long as it was healthy and vegan, I can't be upset with myself.  Everything I ate was wonderfully healthy.  However, I haven't been getting as much protein as I should lately.  I haven't been eating my greens or my beans.  So, I need to get those back in my diet and maybe I won't be tempted to have another Sunday vegan binge.  I think balance is the key and I definitely have't been balanced.  I reach the halfway mark in my year as a vegan in just six weeks -- June 27th!  It's hard to believe that after that date, I'm on the downward side of the curve.  Now is no time to give up on good health.  

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Day 140 - Superfood Breakfast Smoothie

I'm always on the lookout for new smoothie recipes.  Most vegans become experts at smoothie making over the course of years, but all this is new to me.  I'm still learning the best combinations to get the most nutrition into a 12 oz.glass.

I'm still searching for a way to get greens into my smoothie and still make it taste good.  That may take many years considering my aversion to eating greens.  But I came across this Bluebery-Chia Blaster smoothie recipe on the Vegetarian Times website and tried it and it was really good.  Plus it contains some important superfoods -- blueberries, organic non-GMO tofu, chia seeds and coconut milk.  This one is going in the recipe binder.  And since I have some silken tofu leftover, I'm going to be making this one for the rest of the week.  Of course, I did make a few changes to the recipe.  This is my version with the calorie/fat/protein counts behind each ingredient.  Calorie count is 260 with 12.5 grams of fat and 8 grams of protein.



Blueberry-Chia Breakfast Smoothie
Makes 12 oz./ 1 serving  

1 cup coconut milk beverage (unsweetened)  60/5/0
½ cup soft organic silken tofu  60/3/5
2 t. honey or vegan sweetener  40/0/0
1 T. chia seeds  60/4.5/3
½ cup  frozen blueberries  40/0/0

Add a few ice cubes and blend thoroughly.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Day 139 -- The Surgical Option

Gastric bypass surgery is in the news.  The governor of New Jersey has just admitted that he had it in February and comedian Lisa Lampinelli lost 106 pounds after having the surgery a year ago.  These two bits of news got me to thinking about my own decisions regarding weight and diet.

I have to admit that there were times when I thought about having the surgery.  It came at a point when I was really convinced that I couldn't do this on my own, that there was no way I could stick to a diet for more than a month or two.  I was stuck in a spot where there just didn't seem to be any way to make a positive change and that was a pretty dark place for an optimistic person like me.  Believe me, I'd looked at it from all different angles and the surgery seemed to be my last best option.



There was one very big problem, though.  I couldn't afford the surgery.  My insurance wouldn't cover it and I didn't have an extra $20,000 in my bank account.  So my last best option wasn't an option at all.  And I'm really thankful that the diet gods conspired to make that so.  Because it forced me to look at other options.  And I found a way to do it without putting my health at risk.

I decided to go vegan for several reasons.  My friend, E, was always posting yummy vegetarian and vegan recipes on her Facebook page and I found myself thinking, I should make that.  I'd really like that.  I've known a few vegans and one thing I'd noticed was that I'd never really come across an overweight vegan.  I know some overweight vegetarians, but it's difficult to be an overweight vegan.  You really have to work at it.  And I knew if I went straight vegetarian, the cheese and the sour cream would be too tempting.

Once I made the decision to try vegan, low-fat vegan to be precise, I decided that I wasn't going to limit the amount of food I ate.  I'd been through point-counting and calorie-watching and carbo-minding.  As long as I was eating vegan, I'd allow myself to eat as much as I wanted.  I wasn't going to eat less food, I was going to eat better food.  And it worked.  It worked just as well as the surgery option.

Along the way, I've learned more about food and nutrition than I ever thought I could learn.  The great thing is, I'm still learning and discovering new things every day.  Food has become something fun again, something positive.  Eating is no longer accompanied by a massive amount of guilt.  I'm happy that I didn't have the option to take the surgical option.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Day 138 -- VB6 (Vegan Before 6)

I just seem to be finding such interesting things on the interwebz lately.  Six years ago, Mark Bittman, a New York Times food writer, was 30 pounds overweight, had high cholesterol and blood sugar, and was told by doctors that he needed to lose weight.  He struggled to decide how to do his job and listen to his doctors at the same time. Then one of his doctors suggested that he eat vegan.  When he claimed it would be impossible, the doctor said, "You're a smart guy, figure it out."  And so he came up with a plan to eat vegan before 6 p.m.  Or, VB6 as it is now called.  This article on Huffington Post talks about his diet plan.

What he discovered was that even eating vegan for 80% of the day was enough to bring on healthy benefits. This really is kind of a no-brainer.  I'm surprised that a guy who knows so much about food wouldn't realize that eating vegan, even if it was just before 6 p.m. wouldn't be of benefit to his health.

I don't have any plans to abandon my vegan diet right now, or in the near future.  But there may come a point when I decide to add dairy or eggs back into my diet and leaving them both until after six would make a lot of sense.  Or maybe I'll just eat vegan at home and add dairy and eggs in when I eat out.  I find it strange that I don't think much about adding meat back into my diet.  Right now, I don't miss meat.  I do miss cheese -- a lot.  And baked goods.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Day 137 -- A Week's Worth Of Groceries

A friend of mine posted this link on Facebook and I found it so intriguing that I had to write about it.  The story, What A Week Of Groceries Looks Like Around The World, comes out of a photo project by Peter Menzel.  He and Faith D'Aluisio collaborated on a book called Hungry Planet: What the World Eats. I'm going to post two photos from the article, but you need to see the rest.  The first is a week's worth of groceries from an American family.


And then we have a photo of a family from Guatemala.


The rest of the photos are so enlightening.  The reliance on packaged and processed foods in some countries is stunning.  It's not just the U.S., but Australia and Canada, too, along with some European countries.  Though the photos may not represent an entire culture (maybe they just show a family who doesn't eat that well), it's still difficult to find the fruits and veggies and whole grains in many of these photos.  And then look at the family from Guatemala.  Virtually no processed food. A diet full of whole foods.

Starting today, I'm going to keep track of everything I eat in a week and then imagine what my photo would look like.  Or maybe I'll try to take a photo.  I'm interested to know what my groceries would look like displayed against the rest of the world's.    

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Day 136 -- People Are Starting To Notice

I've lost about 57 pounds so far and it's become impossible to keep wearing my old clothes.  I look ridiculous in them, so I've started dipping into my box of old clothes that used to fit . . . a long time ago.  I now have three almost new pairs of pants.  And some tops that fit pretty well, too.  And because of these new, tighter clothes, people are starting to notice that I've lost a little weight.

I still do a pretty good job of hiding my body and I expected I might be able to go a little bit longer wearing my old clothes, but now that it's getting warm outside, I don't want to wear a bunch of heavy, long-sleeved shirts and baggy pants.    


No, that's not me in the photo.  I'm not that thin yet.  But I hope to be at some point in the future, sometime around Christmas, maybe?  By that time, the clothes I'm wearing now should be really baggy.      

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Day 135 -- My Summer Sandwich Generator

As I was searching for tasty vegan sandwiches, I came across this Holiday Finger Food Generator, published a few years ago in the New York Times Magazine.  I thought it was pretty clever and realized that it could do the same type of thing for vegan sandwiches.  You don't have to choose from every column.  But this will help me come up with new combinations


Column A - The Bread
Whole grain bread
Whole grain wraps or tortillas
Whole grain crackers

Column B - The Spread
Hummus
Vegan Cream Cheese
Vegan Sour Cream
Pesto
White Bean Paste
Roasted Garlic
Fat-Free Italian Dressing

Column C - The Veggies
Avocado
Red Peppers (roasted or raw)
Tomatoes (roasted or raw)
Cauliflower (roasted)
Vidalia Onions (roasted)
Carrots (shredded if raw)
Beets, Rutabaga, Parsnips (roasted only)

Column D -- The Crunch
Lettuce or herb mix
Baby Spinach
Kale
Sliced cucumbers
Brocolli slaw
Sprouts

Column E -- The Punch
Greek Olives
Pickles
Kimchi
Capers
Jalapenos

Of course, you can add some marinated tofu or some seeds or nuts, but more than five columns made this a little clumsy.  So, I'd like to have a Roasted Tomato and Hummus Sandwich on Whole Grain Bread with Sprouts and Greek Olives.  It works!!!!

Friday, May 10, 2013

Day 134 -- Summer Is The Season For Sammiches!

Summer is quickly approaching and now that the weather is warm, I'm looking for some cooler alternatives when it comes to lunch and dinner.  The same old soups and stews just don't seem that appealing on a hot summer day.  So, I've been on the lookout for some good sandwich recipes.

Once of my favorite sandwiches is a roasted veggie sandwich.  I usually roast up some red peppers and sweet onions, then add some roasted portobellos or root veggies (beets or rutabaga are good) or a slab of roasted cauliflower and spread on some home-made hummus.  I blogged about that tasty sandwich on Day 73.



The first step to a superior sammich is to find a really good whole grain bread.  My local grocery store bakes a nice whole grain rustic loaf.  Sliced thin and toasted, it's the perfect foil to a good sandwich interior.  Today, I tried a recipe from Vegetarian Times -- Baguette with Roasted Red Pepper Spread.  I have to say that it was the picture that hooked me, but as soon as I read the ingredients, I was anxious to make it.

I made my very first purchase of vegan cream cheese (Tofutti brand) and whipped this up.  Instead of the radicchio and romaine, I used an herb mix and discovered that dill tastes really good on this sammich!  Next time, I'm going to pick out the dill from my herb mix for a little extra taste.  This would also be good with a bit of diced celery, too.  

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Day 133 -- Let Us Spray!

In my never-ending quest to rid my diet of any crappy food products, I've decided that it's about time to get rid of the PAM cooking spray.  Especially after reading about the propellant used to get the oil from the can to my frying pan.  According to some things I've read, the manufacturer does not have to list the individual elements in the propellant if they aren't food.  However, they do end up in your mouth.  So what makes up the propellant in PAM and other cooking sprays?  According to wikipedia, it's food-grade alcohol, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide or propane.

Really?  Propane?  Isn't that what you burn in a campstove?  And other sources say there could be butane in cooking spray.  Butane is what you fill a cigarette lighter with.  Not something I want to eat.

There are other reasons for ditching the cooking spray.  Some of the propellants contribute to greenhouse gases.  And if that's not bad enough for the environment, there's all those empty cans going into a landfill.  And then, to top it all off,  some health advocates fear that using aerosol products is risky since the long-term effects of inhaling the particles and vapors of other artificial ingredients isn’t known.



This is leading up to my shopping trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond, in search of a Misto.  Misto is a can for cooking spray that you fill with your favorite olive oil.  Plain, old olive oil without any artificial ingredients.  You pump it full of pressure and out comes a fine mist of pure olive oil -- without propane.  The Misto was only nine dollars, a good buy in my mind.  It's also available through Amazon.com and their listing includes a lot of great reviews and advice for use.

Everyntime I take something bad out of my diet, I do a little happy dance.  Bye-bye, PAM!  It was nice knowing you, but I won't miss you.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Day 132 -- Meatless Meatballs And Other Musings

Today, I took a trip to my local natural foods store to pick up a few items -- organic wheatberries, a couple jars of my favorite kimchi (Sunja's), and some nutritional yeast.  As I was browsing the freezer section, I came across a package of vegan "meat" balls.



Now, I have to say that back in my former life as an omnivore, I loved spaghetti and meatballs.  The truth be told, I made some killer meatballs.  I was also really good at making meatloaf.  But now I've come to the realization, that I probably won't be making either of these dishes for a very long time -- maybe even forever.

Is it possible to make a meatless meatloaf or meatball that tastes good?  I don't expect it to taste close to what a meat meatball tastes like, but covered with pasta sauce and some vegan Parmesan-like "cheese" (see Day 128)  it might be pretty yummy.  So, I set off on a search of my favorite vegan websites, looking for a recipe.

The FatFree Vegan Kitchen blog has a recipe that's made with walnuts, rolled oats and kasha.  Oh She Glows has a lentil-walnut burger recipe that could be rolled into meatballs and it sounds like it might be pretty good.  And the Post Punk Kitchen has a recipe for lentil meatballs that sounds interesting.  The the Whole Foods website has a recipe that includes black beans, mushrooms and spinach.

I think I'm going to give the Whole Foods recipe a try, mainly because I like the fact that it includes spinach in the meatball.  I've already found a nice organic pasta sauce that has 1 gram of fat per serving and some good whole wheat pasta.  I'll check back after I've made the recipe and let you know how it tasted.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Day 131 -- I Love My Sweeties -- Seeds and Roots

In the second installment of my study of sweets, I'm going to explore sweets made from seeds and roots.

The starchy seeds of certain plants can be transformed into sweeteners by using the enzymes formed during germination or from bacterian cultures.  Corn  is the most popular type of seed sweetener and high fructose corn syrup can be found in a wide range of foods.  Some studies link HFCS to health problems, with fructose as the culprit.  HFCS has more fructose than regular cane sugar which is a mix of fructose and glucose.  This article, on the Scientific American website, gives more info -- How Corn Syrup Might Be Making Us Hungry -- And Fat.  Since I don't eat much processed food anymore, I don't have to worry so much about HFCS!



Some other sweeteners made with seed starch are barley malt syrup, which is made from germinated barley grains and brown rice malt syrup, made from rice grains cooked and then cultured with malt enzymes.   Amazake is made from rice fermented with Koji (Aspergillus oryzae).

The juice extracted from the tuberous roots of certain plants is, much like sap, can be concentrated to make sweeteners, usually through drying or boiling.  Sugar beet syrup is made from the tuberous roots of the sugar beet.  Sugar beet molasses, a by-product of the processing to make refined sugar, also exists but is mainly used for animal feed.  Yacón syrup is made from the tuberous roots of yacón.

Tomorrow, I'll look at sweeteners that come from nectar and flowers, and fruits and leaves.


Monday, May 6, 2013

Day 130 -- I Ate It -- But Can I Say It?

In my quest to try the Holy Trinity of meat substitutes -- tofu, tempeh and seitan -- I ticked off tofu early and now I can tick off seitan.  But before I started blogging about it, I had to learn how to say it.  Was it see-tan?  Or say-tahn?  Or say-tin?  And where to place the accent.

According to this online dictionary with a handy "man in a can" announcer, the pronounciation is SAY-tan.  Kind of like the devil, Satan.  So, now that I figured out how to say it, I can talk about it.

I've tried many new foods over the course of the past four months, but my rate has sort of slowed over the past month.  But now I can add seitan to the list.  Seitan is wheat gluten flavored with soy sauce.  It's kind of rubbery and chewy, a bit like chunks of cooked steak.  I think it comes in a block but the only seitan I could find in the store came in bite size chunks.



I decided to try it in one of my favorite dishes, my Cremini Mushroom Stroganoff.   I stir-fried a sliced sweet onion and about a pound of sliced Cremini mushrooms, then added the drained seitan and 4 cloves of minced garlic.  My sauce was:

2.5 cups vegetable broth
1.5 T. cornstarch
4 T. nutritional yeast
3 T. tamari sauce

Add this at the end, bring to a boil to thicken and then serve over pasta or quinoa with a dollop of vegan sour cream.  Yum!

And just an interesting bit of info.  Did you know that white button, cremini and portobello mushrooms are all the exact same mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, just different stages of maturity?  Cremini and "Baby Bella" mushrooms are the same thing!  So white (button) mushrooms are the youngest, portobello are the oldest and cremini are in between.  I did not know this!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Day 129 -- You Can't Outrun Your Fork

Once again, my friend E posted a little tidbit that caught my eye and I just had to write about it.


Now, the first thing I love about this is that, according to this meme, I'm at least 80% fit.  I'm not a big one for exercise.  In truth, I hate exercise.  And it's nice to know that my efforts to eat healthy will have a more profound effect on my fitness than any attempts I make at exercise.   Yes, I do want to start exercising, but I'm going to focus on things that make me limber instead of things that get my heart pounding.  I'd like to try yoga because I think that's something that will complement my eating plan.  I'm also going to start lifting weights for my arms because the weight loss has given me some serious batwings.  And then, I want to exercise via recreation -- things that are fun to do.  I'll walk places I need to go rather than just go out walking for exercise.  But you won't see me running or hitting the gym anytime soon.  That has never worked for me in the past and it certainly won't now.  I find that way too boring.

I also love the last little bit -- You can't outrun your fork.  So very true.  It can mean that no amount of exercise, including running, will mitigate a diet filled with junk food. Or it can also mean what you put in your mouth stays with you.  It becomes part of your body and your being.  I'm satisfied that I'm doing good things for my body by eating well and I don't have to outrun my fork.  Good thing, because I really hate exercise.  Especially running.

BTW, I did come across another 80-20 rule on the Livestrong website.  This has to do with eating right 80 percent of the time and cheating on your diet 20 percent of the time.  I'll talk about that one later.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Day 128 - Hold The Phone! Vegan Parmesan Cheese??

Of all the things that I miss eating, cheese ranks number one on my "no-can-eat" list.  And parmesan cheese is at the top of that list. I hadn't come across a vegan/soy version of parmesan cheese in my local supermarket and just assumed that none existed.  However, today, I saw it mentioned on food blog and I immediately went to search it out.  Soy parmesan cheese???  Oh, boy!

The Vegan brand is soy-based and I'm working on finding a mail-order source where I don't have to buy a case.  Also, Parma is a parmesan-like topping made from walnuts and nutritional yeast.  But further research found that I can actually make my own parmesan-like topping out of nuts and nutritional yeast and salt.


I looked at a number of recipes.  Raw unsalted cashews were used most often, but some cooks use a mix of raw cashews and raw almonds.  The most common ratio of yeast to nuts is 1:1, but I have seen a few recipes where the ratio is 1:4.  Add a little salt and whip it up in the blender until it has the consistency of grated parmesan and there it is.  It's best to store it in the fridge, or even in the freezer.  So, I'm going to pick up some raw cashews and give this a try.  Along with this wonderful Vegan Lasagna recipe from FatFree Vegan.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Day 128 -- My Microwave Can Make WHAT????

I've never used my microwave for anything but warming up food and drink.  I'm well aware that you can actually cook with it -- wait, I have made rice in my microwave -- but I've never really explored that side of the appliance.  But now, I may have to look at my microwave a little differently.  I found two recipes that sound very interesting.

Both recipes come from a new blog I discovered called Foodgal.  The first is an English Muffin Bread that you can bake in the microwave!  And the second is a recipe for Microwave Potato Chips.  Since I don't really eat a lot of bread anymore, I thought I'd give the Microwave Potato Chips a try, except I wanted to try sweet potato chips.


The great thing about this recipe is that it doesn't use a lot of fat -- just a spray of cooking oil -- and you've got a crispy, crunchy treat.  I"ll report back on how these taste.  The English Muffin Bread will have to wait until later.  Now, if only my microwave could load the dishwasher.  Then it would be my best friend.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Day 127 -- Happy Birthday, Sissies! And Bro!

Today, May 2nd, is the birthday of both of my sisters.  They aren't twins.  They were born exactly two yeaars apart on the same date.  Two years later, my brother was born on May 8th.  In honor of their birthdays, I went in search of a cake recipe that meets my vegan requirements and is also low in fat -- a tall order, but not impossible.

Vegan baking comes with it's own complex set of problems and most of those start with the eggs, butter and oil usually used in traditional baking.  How does one replace such important elements with plant-based alternatives.  I've used egg substitute for several attempts at baking, but bananas also work as well.  Applesauce is a good choice to use as a binder, but it can also be used to replace fat in a recipe.  For more info on vegan substitutes in baking, use this extensive list from VeganBaking.net!



This recipe for Vegan Chocolate Cake, from the CHOW website, uses all the goodies -- vegan margarine (a pound and a half between the cake and frosting!), but a birthday only comes once a year.  So I guess it's okay to just let 'er rip.  Happy Birthday, L and E and B!  I'm not going to make this cake for you, or for me, but it's the thought that counts.  For me, just looking at the picture is enough.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Day 126 -- Hooray, Hooray, It's The First Of May!

It's May Day!   After a long winter, I wondered if this day would ever come -- but it has!  May Day has been a traditional day of festivities throughout the centuries. The day is most associated with towns and villages celebrating springtime fertility (of the soil, livestock, and people) and revelry with village fetes and community gatherings.  I'm having my own little celebration today.

Though summer doesn't officially begin until June, I've always considered May to be the beginning of summer.  Spring is that time between the last snowstorm and the first really warm day.  Once I can go outside regularly without a coat, it is -- in my mind -- summer.  This is a good thing since our summers in the Midwest are always too short.


This is my first summer as a vegan (and hopefully not my last) and I'm looking forward to the bounty of fresh fruits and veggies that summer brings. The modern day supermarket can supply me over the winter months with a nice variety, but now I'll be able to find golden beets and zucchini and sweet corn and cukes.

My father plants a huge garden and is always happy to share.  And I'm ashamed to say that I've never visited our local farmers' market.  In truth, until I started eating vegan, I was never very interested in vegetables.  Vegetables were like vitamins -- something you should be eating but something that got pushed aside for something more tasty.  I hadn't yet learned to cook with the ingredients I had at hand.  Instead, I would always cook what I had a craving for -- often ignoring the veggies I had in the fridge.  Sad to say, man of them ended up in the trash.

This year, I'm going to dig up a corner of my perennial garden and plant a few tomatoes, some basil and maybe some peas.  Nothing big, but it will be nice to eat sun-warmed tomato and basil sandwiches.  I have the perfect whole grain bread!  The farmers' market doesn't open until the June 2nd, but I can wait.  It's not to early to start looking for new recipes, though.