How to convince your parents.

You want to go vegan but your parents say:
1. It's not healthy.
2. It's expensive.
3. I'm not cooking something separate just for you you.

You say:
1. It is entirely possible to survive and thrive on a vegan diet, I've researched the nutritional needs of vegans (for help check out the nutrition post on this blog) and I've made a list of foods I need to eat to stay healthy.
2. While some vegan products are more expensive, the staples of a vegan diet like beans, lentils, soy, fruits, and vegtables are relatively inexpensive. If your parents are really worried about expenses tell them to give you a budget, offer to give something up, or pay for your own food
3. Many vegan recipes are appealing to vegans and nonvegans alike, but if you need me to I can cook my own food.

Recipe Mushroom Onion Sandwich

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
-1/4 chopped onion
-fresh veggies
-any kind of bread

Directions:

1. Sautee the mushrooms and onions in olive oil.
2. Add salt and pepper and assemble the sandwich with fresh veggies.
   

Recipe: Mediterranean Delight Sandwich

Ingredients:
-1/4 sliced bell pepper
-1/2 sliced tomato
-2 slices of red onion
-1 tbsp hummus
-salad veggies or basil
-rosemary olive oil bread or any kind of crusty bread

Directions:

1. Spread the hummus over the bread then just assemble it like any sandwich.
2. You could also add salt and pepper and drizle it it with olive oil or a vinaigrette.

Nutritional needs of Vegans

Here are nutrients that may be deficient in a vegetarian diet and how you can get these nutrients from nonmeat sources:

1. Protein. Your body needs protein to maintain healthy skin, bones, muscles and organs. Vegetarians who eat eggs or dairy products have convenient sources of protein. Other sources of protein include soy products, meat substitutes, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
   
2. Calcium. This mineral helps build and maintain strong teeth and bones. Low-fat dairy foods and dark green vegetables, such as spinach, turnip and collard greens, kale, and broccoli, are good sources of calcium. Tofu enriched with calcium and fortified soy milk and fruit juices are other options.
   
3. Vitamin B-12. Your body needs vitamin B-12 to produce red blood cells and prevent anemia. This vitamin is found almost exclusively in animal products, including milk, eggs and cheese. Vegans can get vitamin B-12 from some enriched cereals, fortified soy products or by taking a supplement that contains this vitamin.
   
4. Iron. Like vitamin B-12, iron is a crucial component of red blood cells. Dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole-grain products, dark leafy green vegetables, and dried fruit are good sources of iron. To help your body absorb nonanimal sources of iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C — such as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli — at the same time you consume iron-containing foods.
   
5. Zinc. This mineral is an essential component of many enzymes and plays a role in cell division and in the formation of proteins. Good sources of zinc include whole grains, soy products, nuts and wheat germ.
   
   Source:
   http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vegetarian-diet/HQ01596/NSECTIONGROUP=2

Recipe: Vegan Pot Pie

Ingredients:
-2 cups mixed veggies (like carrots, peas, beans, broccoli, bell pepper, etc.)
-1 or2 fully cooked diced potatoes
-1 cup chopped kale or spinach
-1 small chopped zuchini
-1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
-1 onion
-2 or 3 cloves of garlic
-1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs (like tarragon, rosemary, green onions, basil, etc.)
-2 tbsp nutritional yeast(otional)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 vegan pie crusts thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook the bottom crust for 8- 10 minutes.
3. Mix together the first to ingredients and slow cook with cornstarch,1 cup water, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until tender.
4. Meanwhile sautee the rest of the ingredients.
5. When the veggies are tender add them to the sautee pan and mix thoroughly.
6. Transfer the veggies to the cooked crust and flip the uncooked crust on top.
7. Bake for 30- 45 minutes.
8. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Day 4 Eating Out

On day 4 of being vegan I had vegan pancakes topped berry sauce, 2 sheets of nori, vegan pad thai (you can ask for it at Thai spice, they have little green stars by their vegetarian options). Little Caesar's has a vegan pizza. You can ask many places to simply not prepare your food with meat. I will list more options for eating vegan in restaurants soon!

Diary 1

Today was my first day of being vegan. It wasn't hard. I ate a banana, a veggie burger, bean stew, and the peaches and cream from the posted recipe. And an apple. And I finally downloaded Ubuntu to my mom's screwed up former laptop (its mine now (^_^)). And I didn't have any meat, dairy, or fish :D!

Dessert: Peaches and Cream

Servings 4

Ingredients:
-1/4 tsp. each of nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne pepper
-2 cups diced canned peaches (well drained)
-1/4 cup syrup from peaches
-3/4 cup soymilk
-1 tbsp cornstarch
-1/2 cup crushed crackers
-1 tbsp. brown sugar

Directions

1. Cook peaches with the three spices in a pan until hot.
2. Transfer cooked peaches into a shallow serving bowl.
3. Add soymilk, syrup, and cornstarch into the pan and cook until thickened.
4. Pour soymilk mixture over peaches and top with crushed crackers and brown sugar.

Why go vegan?

1. Eating animals and animal byproducts causes animal suffering.
Q:What about free range farms?
A:Poultry can be labeled free range as long as they have an "opportunity" to access the outdoors. It doesn't matter if its an hour on a verdant pasture or a minute on a muddy strip of land covered with droppings.

Q:How does drinking milk hurt cows?
A:Most milk is produced by cows in intensive production systems. These systems cram alot of cows in a little space and feed them on high grain diets. Dairy cows are forced to give birth before they reach maturity, and the male calves are slaughtered early for veal and the female calves are colostrum, then either a milk replacer or unsaleable waste milk.

Q:How can farmers profit if the animals are sick or dying?
A:It is more profitable to have the biggest bird and have higher mortality.

2. Being vegan is better for the environment.

Q: What causes more greenhouse gas emissions rearing cattle or driving cars?
A: You guessed it! Rearing cattle does. http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html
http://www.activeg.org/articles/437.html

3. 6 months of showers= 1 pound of meat

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/52266917.html