by Michaela Kennedy | Nov 7, 2015 | Food Guide
How to buy fruit when it’s fresh and seasonal
I’m having such an amazing odyssey this fall that I just wanted to tell you about what I’m doing. I’m learning a lot about how to buy fruit from the locals on this tropical island where I am currently living.
This winter snowbird season 2015-16 I am spending on the Spanish island Tenerife. The weather is great! But the real reason I stay there is for the wine and fresh fruits and vegetables. I have been here for more than a month now. But I haven´t visited one of the outdoor farmers´ markets yet. It´s a bit embarrassing, as one of them is only 2 km from our house.
How to buy fruit: visit farmers’ markets
A Finnish couple who is staying in the same village as we told us about the local farmers’ market. You can find loads of fresh produce from the local farmers. It’s open every Saturday and Sunday. At the moment bananas, or plátanos as they are called here, are in season. In fact, it seems they are in season all year round. Must be this amazing climate.
My dear readers in more northern climates are moving into the winter season. From what many of you tell me, Saturday morning farmers’ markets are quite popular through the winter. As the weather gets colder the weekend market moves inside.
Back here in Tenerife, mangos are nearing the end of their season. The end of November will be the last harvest this season. My American friend in Hawaii told me she’d buy a big bag of them, chop them up into chunks, and then freeze them. She put them separately into serving-size plastic bags and containers.
For the most part, I buy fresh whenever I can. I’m not a big fan of pre-frozen anything. That’s just my personal preference. Nevertheless, frozen fruit – as long as you don’t leave it in there forever – still holds nutrients and taste, a welcome addition to a smoothie. Or consider buying a dehydrator – dried fruit is loaded with nutrients and just as healthy as fresh.
COSORI Premium Dehydrator (50 Recipes) for Food Jerky, Fruit, Dog Treats, and Herbs, Dryer Machine with Temperature Control, 6 Stainless Steel Trays, Christmas Gift, ETL Listed
Ask the farm experts for tips on how to buy fruit
When you go to the farmers’ market, ask questions at the stands about recipes, and how to choose fruit to buy. Depending on the fruit, you may want to smell it and see if it is hard or gives a little to your touch. Color may make a difference as well.
- Cherimoyas, or Buddha fruits, are grown here. They are also called Ice cream fruit because they do taste like ice cream. I bet they are great in fruit salads, too.
- Dragon fruit is the most exotic fruit I have ever tasted. They are commonly grown in private gardens. But if you are lucky, you can find them at farmers’ markets, too.
- Tomatoes here have a special, crisp, and romantic flavor. The pineapple tomato is what I use when I make salsa. And last but not least is the…
- Avocado. It also grows all year round. If you go to a fruteria (special fruit and veggie shop) you can always ask for “avocados to eat today” and the owner will have a few put away for you.
COSORI Premium Dehydrator (50 Recipes) for Food Jerky, Fruit, Dog Treats, and Herbs, Dryer Machine with Temperature Control, 6 Stainless Steel Trays, Christmas Gift, ETL Listed
Well, I don’t know what the chances are of you coming to lovely Tenerife. Wherever you are, you can make a similar list of local produce. If your region is challenged to find fresh, frozen is the next best thing. It lasts longer, and the nutrients last.
Life is good.
by Michaela Kennedy | Oct 29, 2015 | Lifestyle
Deficiencies in our diet is not something many of us think about until we get sick. The more committed I become to a vegan lifestyle, the more people I meet say they are ex-vegan because it was not a healthy way to live. What? Check out the sexy young woman here below who is committed not only to compassionate living, but to keeping herself healthy, too. Yes, it does matter what we eat. Take care of your vitamin and mineral deficiencies (if you have any). It’s the best way to feel great, stay healthy, and preserve your vegan sexy self.
Here’s the video, where RawYogaNurse talks about what she discovered from her blood test. The two main deficiencies she found, B-12 and Vitamin D, are not only problems with vegans but meat eaters, too. Check out what she has to say:
[videoframes src=”https://allveganfoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/watch?v=1aoq5iqV10E” skin=”10″ autoplay=”1″ controls=”1″ ]
If you put flaxseed in your recipes, you may find yourself feeling healthier – and yes, more sexy. Do you know why some chicken egg cartons tout high levels of Omega-3 essential fatty acids? It’s because they are feeding all those chickens flaxseed! I think I’ll choose the flaxseed over the dead chicken.
According to WebMD, studies show that it may help fight heart disease, diabetes and breast cancer:
Although flaxseed contains all sorts of healthy components, it owes its primary healthy reputation to three of them:
- Omega-3 essential fatty acids, “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.
- Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75 to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods.
- Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types. [Read more at WebMD]
When we know our health deficiencies long before getting sick, we can ward off a number of preventable illnesses that plague our society today. It may make all the difference in enjoying life and keeping your vegan sexy.
by Michaela Kennedy | Oct 28, 2015 | Lifestyle
The road to a healthy lifestyle has not been an easy one for me. Sure, I love being active, but I can’t honestly say I’ve cared that much about my eating habits over the years. Then I started volunteering in an animal sanctuary and making friends with the exotics that, through whatever unfortunate circumstances, found themselves living there. These animals should be free. But because of human folly, they lost their rights to live in freedom.
The only things we volunteers been able to give these unfortunate beings is a safe place to live and a healthy diet. I saw transformations before my very eyes from animals who had come from homes whee all they were fed was junk. I found a great reason to care about healthy foods.
Changing focus to a healthy lifestyle
No, it’s not easy. Many of us see the horrific news shows and declare, “I’m a vegan now!” But then someone offers us ice cream, or we get sick and blame the illness on a lack of meat. Rubbish. Rationalization about why we should eat meat, or addictions to habits we are too lazy to break is just not good enough. I’m not preaching here. I’m the first to admit that I forget and enjoy a piece of cake that has eggs in it. There was a time when I kept my mouth shut and ate what was put in front of me, because I couldn’t stand the ridicule for not eating meat. Trust me, I’ve got plenty of weaknesses, and they don’t spell healthy lifestyle.
Yet, it’s a wonderful thing to start questioning our choices and trying new things. Habits do not change overnight (and I do wonder why so many vegans use the saying “cold turkey” — isn’t there a vegan alternative for the phrase?). We don’t need to beat ourselves up for making bad choices, nor beat others up for their choices. We can, nevertheless, help ourselves and help others to make baby steps towards a more healthy lifestyle.
On the next page (click that round 2 below) you’ll se what I’m talking about.
by Michaela Kennedy | Sep 18, 2015 | Lifestyle
A cake mix by itself is vegan, but often not the ingredients given in the directions. You can still use a cake mix and substitute your own vegan choices, like flaxseed for eggs and almond milk for milk, or just water. I couldn’t believe it when I read how to make a vegan cake using cake mix and Coca-Cola! I don’t drink Coke, but my thought was to try with orange juice and canned fruits. Coca-Cola is not strictly vegan, for it contains fish gelatine that stabilizes the color.
I’ve made an infographic. Check out my vegan cake mix substitutes below:
by Michaela Kennedy | Sep 15, 2015 | Food Guide
Introduction
When you eat healthy foods, you feel fuller longer. Some foods naturally deliver a smaller calorie investment while giving your stomach a full feeling. You feel full, so you eat less, your calorie count goes down, and you feel great.
When you eat foods that provide little nutritional value with their calories, your mind tells you to eat more. It says, “Hey, we need nutrients, minerals, and vitamins!” So you reach for more of the unhealthy food that is sitting in front of you. You eventually become full but take in way more calories, fat and processed nasties than your body needs.
The result? You pack on the weight and fat, your heart, circulatory system and entire body suffers, and you find yourself hungry again relatively quickly. Eat the following.
1 – Beans and Legumes
“Beans, beans, the magical fruit; the more you eat, the more you toot!” That children’s rhyme refers to the flatulence-causing property of most beans. Yes, they can give you gas, no doubt about it. But on the positive side, they are high in protein and dietary fiber.
They can also fit into just about any budget and meal plan since they are inexpensive and versatile. Beans are also a heart healthy food.
2 – Fresh Fruits
Fresh fruits deliver fewer calories per gram, much fewer on a comparative basis. So you can eat several servings of superfood fruits blueberries
- apples
- bananas
- blackberries
- cantaloupes
- citrus fruits, grapes
- pomegranates
- plums
all without paying much of a calorie penalty.
You double your fat-burning when you replace foods like potato chips, chocolate bars and candy snacks with healthy fresh fruits.
3 – Soups
Make sure you avoid store-bought soups unless you are going to do some intelligent nutritional label research. A single can of soup that you buy at your favorite grocery store often delivers several times your daily-recommended of salt.
Homemade soups give you total control over their contents. It is fairly easy to make a large batch of soup, and then portion off individual serving sizes that you can keep in your refrigerator and freezer for easy access. Soup is also easy on the budget, and because of its liquid base, it makes you feel full. At the same time delivering a limited number of calories and loads of vitamins and minerals.
4 – Fermented Foods
Do you like crunching down on a crisp, tart pickle? That’s great because fermented foods send a signal to your brain that starts a production of hormones that makes you feel full. This is true because of the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in foods that have been fermented, like kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickles.
A side benefit is the healthy probiotics found in most fermented foods. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that promote proper digestion. They actually live in your gut! Some health experts and physicians also believe that probiotics reduce your appetite. So enjoy some sauerkraut or pickles. You will not only find yourself eating less, but your digestive system receives benefits as well.
5 – Nuts and Nut Butters
Nuts are packed full of healthy unsaturated fats. A healthy body needs fat, and the fats in nuts are just what you are looking for. On a per calorie basis, nuts and nut butter are rich in fiber and protein. What are the 2 leading natural components that make you feel fuller longer? You guessed it, fiber and protein.
Just don’t eat too many nuts or too much nut butters at one sitting. Those healthy fats are high quantity in nuts, and should not be over-consumed. So reach for a handful of almonds or walnuts the next time you are stuck between meals and craving something to eat. The heart healthy nature of nuts is just a wonderful side benefit of this versatile and tasty raw food.
6 – Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts
Repeat after me, “cruciferous vegetables”. Vegetables like brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower belong to the cruciferous family. Cabbage, bok choy, kale, collard greens and horseradish are also a part of this healthy vegetable subdivision. They deliver high levels of healthy dietary fiber.
As with other filling foods on this list, they are inexpensive and versatile. The antioxidants and cancer-fighting ingredients in cruciferous foods are also worthy of note. Another reason you need to be getting more of these healthy whole foods into your diet.
7 – Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries and Other Berries
Most berries are high in wonderful antioxidants that fight dangerous free radicals in your body. They are also heart healthy and deliver high levels of phytonutrients, minerals and vitamins that promote body health, inside and out. Your immunity system receives a huge boost when you eat berries regularly. This means that your natural defense system is much better prepared to ward off infections, disease, and sickness.
It also means that you recover from injuries and sickness fast. Berries contribute a few calories considering the amount of filling fiber they deliver. Just 1 cup of raspberries offers a full 8 g of fiber. (The average adult needs between 25 and 30 g of dietary fiber each day from food items, not supplements.)
Protein is the most satisfying type of food. More than carbohydrates and fats, protein satisfies your hunger more effectively than any other type of food. And guess what? Researchers are not even quite sure why protein acts like a stop sign, signaling your mind to stop eating. But it does. So make sure that you are getting the recommended 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight (about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram) every day.
And don’t forget filling, healthy, digestive track regulating fiber. The “modern-day” diet is lacking in dietary fiber. Foods like the brans, grains and oats listed above do a great job of delivering protein and dietary fiber. And limiting the number of carbohydrates and calories you consume.
To summarize, for a solution to feeling full eat foods high in fiber and/or protein. They have high satiety index scores, which is a fancy way of saying they are healthy foods that make you feel fuller longer.
by Michaela Kennedy | Sep 7, 2015 | Food Guide
Cauliflower has a bad reputation because either it is considered to taste too cabbage-ish or being with no taste. Yes, it’s hard to be a cauliflower, from my childhood we only had it served (overly)boiled with a peculiar taste. As an adult, I learned that cauliflower is a versatile veggie, when it comes to cooking it. In the Indian kitchen, it is used as a potato & cauliflower dish called Aloo Gobi and in curries as well. In the vegan raw kitchen, you can make a lovely pizza.
Below are 5 suggestion for cooking with cauliflower
[huzzaz id=”vegan-cauliflower-recipes” vpp=”5″]
by Michaela Kennedy | Sep 2, 2015 | Lifestyle
Vegan Stereotypes Vs. Actual Vegan. Is a great and funny video about vegan stereotypes, yet it’s all about the diet. Let us not forget vegan is about a lifestyle. It’s not just a diet. It is boycotting leather clothing and about using environmentally safe cleaning products. It’s about having your friends and family follow your example. The comments are as one would expect diverted, some are cool, some are funny, some are plain stupid. Some ask the usual question “why is it wrong to kill plants but not animals?”. My answer is “‘I’d rather kill a cauliflower than a cow.
Enjoy the video!
[videoframes src=”https://allveganfoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/watch?v=RIcfrG9iIak” skin=”10″ autoplay=”1″ controls=”1″ headline_text=”Vegan Stereotypes – Not!” headline_color=”#000000″ headline_size=”22″]
by Michaela Kennedy | Aug 30, 2015 | Snacks
The sun is shining, it’s hot, I want a snack, I don’t want to cook. In my freezer I have chickpeas, in my fridge I have lemons, a cucumber, and tahini. Hummus comes to mind, why not add cucumber to a hummus? it would make it lighter and healthier. Yes, I’ll give that a try with crackers. Goes well with a glass of chill white wine. The best thing about this recipe is, you just toss everything in a mini chopper or a food processor.
Start – pulse – ready to serve.
I use avocado oil, you can of, course use your favorite or none at all.
[mpprecipe-recipe:69]
Photo credit Mattie Hagedorn I added the text, you have CC license to the photo.
by Michaela Kennedy | Aug 29, 2015 | Food Guide
The Vegan lingo can be hard to understand. If you are new to the vegan world or even have been here for a while you might wonder about some of the terms we use. I remember the first time I read the word ‘nooch’ in a recipe, and vegan margarine – I would never use ‘normal’ margarine, so why would I use the vegan version? and what’s Daiya? Cheeze anyone? Let me start this” Vegan Lingo Explained” series with Nooch.
- Nooch, is nutritional yeast, with no rising effect. It’s usual not easy to find in shops, yet it’s easy to use.
- It is a deactivated yeast.
- Nutritional yeast is produced by culturing a yeast in a nutrient medium for several days.
- While it contains trace amounts of several Vitamins and minerals, it is only a significant source of some B-complex vitamins. Sometimes nutritional yeast is fortified with vitamin B12.
- Nutritional yeast has a strong flavor that is described as nutty and cheesy.
- It is a complete protein, meaning it contains an adequate proportion of all nine essential amino acid that we need to function.
- It is low in fat and sodium and is free of sugar, dairy, and gluten
How to use Nooch, Nutritional Yeast
- Grind it in a mini chopper with an equal part of blanched almonds to fake Parmesan cheese, this is great sprinkled on pasta!
- Add a tablespoon or two to risotto, quiches, cannelloni, stuffed mushrooms. Anywhere you would use Parmesan
- Sprinkle it on popcorn
- Blend it with nuts to make a vegan cheese sauce and soft or hard cheese.
As always experiment with your foods – Enjoy!
by Michaela Kennedy | Aug 25, 2015 | Snacks
Why would you want to make a homemade Nutella? Because Nutella is not vegan, yet there are some Nutella-alike products for you to buy. If you are anything like me, you will spend endless hours reading the labels – yes I know you do, you love Nutella too. So Nutella is not vegan? no, read this ingredient list for the original Nutella Hazelnut Spread:
- Sugar (may or may not be vegan)
- Palm oil (vegan but not for the environment-friendly)
- Hazelnuts
- Cocoa
- Skim milk!
- Reduced minerals whey (and that’s milk)
- Lecithin as emulsifier (soy, unless labeled “organic” it’s GMO)
- Vanillin: An artificial flavor (can contain anything)
Below the recipe is an infographic.
Home Made Vegan Nutella
This batch will be 2-1/2 cup.
1 cup = 2.3 dl.
[mpprecipe-recipe:71]
by Michaela Kennedy | Jul 22, 2015 | Vegan Soups
This healing white vegan gazpacho soup has many vitamins and minerals. It contains highly anti-inflammatory vitamin E and B and riboflavin in the almonds. The olive oil, cauliflower are also highly anti-inflammatory. The apple is rich in histamine, which lowers quercetin.
Apple cider vinegar is the lowest histamine of all vinegar. It is made from apples that have significant antihistamine and mast cell stabilizing activity. Garlic is not only anti-inflammatory but also anti-bacterial. Cucumber is an antioxidant that is good for your skin as well as an analgesic, which might decrease pain.
A healthy and cooling soup excellent to beat the summer heat.
[mpprecipe-recipe:64]
[bctt tweet=”Ever tried White Gazpacho? healthy and great in the summer heat.” username=”allveganfoods”]
Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18433135
and The World’s Healthiest Foods
by Michaela Kennedy | Jan 1, 2015 | Lifestyle
2016 as last year is the year I hope more and more to become – and stay – vegan. In the last few years, I started my vegan research journey simply to find more healthy vegetable and legume recipes. The more I eat vegan, the better I feel, not to mention how much my awareness for animal welfare has heightened. I want to make veganism a true commitment to myself and to the other beings on our Earth.
I started out one day at a time, and here is how you can do it, too if you are struggling to go 100 percent vegan. For example, Meatless Monday is an easy commitment. So is occasionally eating vegan. The challenge is to stay a vegan day in and day out – every single meal – and do it the healthy vegan way – with an occasionally unhealthy vegan snack or meal.
A solution that works for me is to do menu planning, But, yes, there’s a but! I suck at creating a proper menu plan – you (and I) don’t want to cook three different meals and two snacks from scratch every day, not to mention the time it takes. We want a plan that is simple to follow, with leftovers for the next day and with a good combination of vitamins and minerals that make meals nutrition rich. And I want – and I bet you want, too – a plan that includes a shopping list.
Free vegan starter kit menu planners
In order to help me with this goal, I have found three free vegan planners that I have reviewed below. Let me know which one you like the best!
The good news is that there are several free menu planners on the Internet for us to use. I’ve done a search to kickstart this year for at good start at Vegan Menu Planning the healthy way. This is what I found, and more is being added.
1. 21-day Vegan Kit Menu from PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine)
My all time favorite is the 21 Day Starter Menu. Not only do they have the menu kit with shopping lists, you can also sign up for a free account and make your own menus with your favorite foods.
When that’s done, not only a shopping list will be generated for you, but also the nutritional values in your meals are calculated. Doesn’t get much better than that. Get it here.
PCRM also has a kickstart program you can sign up for PMRC Kickstart (in English, Chinese and Spanish, there’s also Kickstart for India but in English)- they will send you daily emails with tips and recipes. And it starts the 1st of every month, so sign up Today!
2. “Eat This Much” is your personal meal planner and you will need to sign up for an account, which is free. When you set up your profile page you choose if you want to gain weight, maintain or lose weight, your gender, personal measure etc. you can even choose which price level your food budget is. Very cool – you also choose if you want metric or imperial measures! get it at EatThisMuch
3. PETA has a two week Vegan Meal Plan – it is a two-week sample menu. You can get it at PETA Meal Plan. Also, you can order a Vegan Starter Kit as well PETA Vegan Starter Kit
There you go, three free vegan meal planners for you to use.
Before I close I want to draw your attention to the good people at Veganuary, there’s no meal planning there but it’s so full of other fine vegan stuff that’s it well worth your time to check it out.
