It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to write. I’ve been insanely busy with school, selecting my fourth year rotation sites and preparing for finals. But all of that is over now and I can finally truly enjoy the holiday season! I can’t wait for all of the food, family and fun, but I have lots to do before then! I haven’t even had a chance to begin Christmas shopping, so I have a lot of catching up to do!
One of my favorite parts of the holiday season, second only to spending time with my amazing family and friends is the FOOD! But this holiday, I’m going to have to be a little inventive. I recently made the decision to become a vegan--I don’t consume any food prepared with animal products--No meat, no eggs, and no cow’s milk containing dairy. I decided to make the change about six months ago, and am very happy with my decision. Since then, I’ve tried lots of new foods and products including soy, almond, coconut, and rice milks, soy cheeses, and tofu. I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of the tofu yet, but I think that’s mostly because I haven’t really figured out how to cook it. The milks and cheeses are very good though!
I initially decided to go vegan in an attempt to live a healthier life. I was eating a ton of frozen, processed, high fat foods and snacks, and although I wasn’t gaining a lot of weight, I felt like the food I was eating was “weighing me down”. Because many frozen meals and processed foods contain cheeses, milk, chicken and beef (including their flavorings), I am limited on the products I can buy and eat, which as removed many of the “bad foods“ that I was eating from my diet. I am consuming lots more fruits and vegetables, and a much greater variety of them. I feel much healthier because of the change and look forward to growing further into my new lifestyle.
I also love the change not only because it is making me healthier, but because it has forced me to explore new foods, and helped me to expand my cooking abilities. Searching for vegan recipes and preparing those recipes is my favorite part of the change. I’m obsessed with cooking now, and prepare almost all of the food I eat at home. Our kitchen and all of the wonderful kitchen gadgets that we received for wedding gifts are being put to very good use!
So this holiday season I’m definitely going to have to put these websites to good use to come up with some vegan-friendly alternatives to my favorite holidays treats. I’ve already tried a few! One of my favorite foods is broccoli casserole and a few weeks ago I made a vegan version. I used a potato to give the casserole its creamy consistency and used vegan cheese in place of cow’s milk cheese. It turned out perfectly! I’ve also made pumpkin pie, vegetable-filled ravioli, and chocolate cake, all vegan and all delicious!
Some of my favorite vegan-friendly websites:
Vegan Action (http://www.vegan.org/going_vegan/eating_vegan/index.html) and ChooseVeg.com (http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-recipes.asp) are both great websites to explore what becoming vegan is all about. They offer lots of general information on veganism, as well as recipes, vegan product lists, and much more.
VegWeb.com (http://vegweb.com/) is a website full of vegan-friendly recipes. Most of the recipes are ones submitted by other vegans around the country.
VeganEatingOut (http://www.veganeatingout.com/) has been a life-saver for me during my transition. It offers a list of many nationwide restaurant chains and the vegan options that they offer.
Until next time…
One of my favorite parts of the holiday season, second only to spending time with my amazing family and friends is the FOOD! But this holiday, I’m going to have to be a little inventive. I recently made the decision to become a vegan--I don’t consume any food prepared with animal products--No meat, no eggs, and no cow’s milk containing dairy. I decided to make the change about six months ago, and am very happy with my decision. Since then, I’ve tried lots of new foods and products including soy, almond, coconut, and rice milks, soy cheeses, and tofu. I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of the tofu yet, but I think that’s mostly because I haven’t really figured out how to cook it. The milks and cheeses are very good though!
I initially decided to go vegan in an attempt to live a healthier life. I was eating a ton of frozen, processed, high fat foods and snacks, and although I wasn’t gaining a lot of weight, I felt like the food I was eating was “weighing me down”. Because many frozen meals and processed foods contain cheeses, milk, chicken and beef (including their flavorings), I am limited on the products I can buy and eat, which as removed many of the “bad foods“ that I was eating from my diet. I am consuming lots more fruits and vegetables, and a much greater variety of them. I feel much healthier because of the change and look forward to growing further into my new lifestyle.
I also love the change not only because it is making me healthier, but because it has forced me to explore new foods, and helped me to expand my cooking abilities. Searching for vegan recipes and preparing those recipes is my favorite part of the change. I’m obsessed with cooking now, and prepare almost all of the food I eat at home. Our kitchen and all of the wonderful kitchen gadgets that we received for wedding gifts are being put to very good use!
So this holiday season I’m definitely going to have to put these websites to good use to come up with some vegan-friendly alternatives to my favorite holidays treats. I’ve already tried a few! One of my favorite foods is broccoli casserole and a few weeks ago I made a vegan version. I used a potato to give the casserole its creamy consistency and used vegan cheese in place of cow’s milk cheese. It turned out perfectly! I’ve also made pumpkin pie, vegetable-filled ravioli, and chocolate cake, all vegan and all delicious!
Some of my favorite vegan-friendly websites:
Vegan Action (http://www.vegan.org/going_vegan/eating_vegan/index.html) and ChooseVeg.com (http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-recipes.asp) are both great websites to explore what becoming vegan is all about. They offer lots of general information on veganism, as well as recipes, vegan product lists, and much more.
VegWeb.com (http://vegweb.com/) is a website full of vegan-friendly recipes. Most of the recipes are ones submitted by other vegans around the country.
VeganEatingOut (http://www.veganeatingout.com/) has been a life-saver for me during my transition. It offers a list of many nationwide restaurant chains and the vegan options that they offer.
Until next time…
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