This Just In: Preggers and Vegan?

Hey I know you, you have adopted a plant-based diet to help save the animals, the planet and yourself. But now you’re knocked up–congrats! And you’re wondering, could a vegan diet be detrimental to your unborn child? New research claims that consuming milk and eggs during pregnancy can lower your baby’s risk of developing a stress-related illness as an adult.

I’m no doctor, and this is just a side note but: No matter who you are, as long as you have bills, deadlines and relationships… you’re going to be stressed. I do understand that stress-related illnesses are serious and prevention is important; especially when it comes to your own child.

Pregnant women who eat foods that are high in choline (meat and eggs) have babies with lower levels of cortisol which is a hormone that affects the response to stress in the body. Apparently, Natalie Portman tweaked her vegan diet and consumed dairy and eggs to provide this nourishment to her son. After she gave birth, she ditched the dairy.

On the other hand, according to the American Dietetic Association, a plant-based diet planned in accord with current dietary recommendations can easily meet the nutritional needs of pregnancy.

This photo is from my sister-in-law’s baby shower [she's in the pink & blue]. All the dishes in the photo are veg-friendly! 

Pregnancy is definitely a period of time in a woman’s life when nutritional needs increase. Obviously, as for pretty much every food known to man there are alternatives. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, the richest vegetarian source of choline is toasted wheat germ. Other sources include Brussels sprouts and broccoli. Peanut butter can do the trick as well.

If it makes you feel better, in a Q&A, Alicia Silverstone said that all of the vegan pregnancies she had witnessed have been way smoother than those of her non-vegan friends.  

Vegan or not, the diet you chose to stick to during pregnancy is probably the first of many decisions you will make as a parent. Make it easier on yourself, do the research to ensure that you provide your baby proper nourishment throughout your pregnancy as well as the rest your child’s life.

Comments? Share your thoughts, stories or experiences in a comment!

Check out the original post on iEatGrass! LOVE my internship!

McVeggies and salads and Fourthmeals — oh my!

Nowadays, pretty much all restaurants and fast-food chains offer salads, which are always an easy out for vegans and vegetarians. However, the leafy filled dish can get to be unsatisfying and boring. So don't settle — try something new.

Being a vegan doesn't mean you should avoid eating out. Just in case you end up around one of these establishments I listed, you know what to order.

 In order to persuade meat-eaters to eat healthier, vegan/vegetarian options must be available in the places where they dine. We must show that we support these places to get what we want in return. Even Burger King offers its BK Veggie; a vegetarian (not vegan) burger. Help by ordering these menu items at restaurants that you've been eating at for years.

Baskin-Robbins offers dairy and gelatin-free ices and sorbets. Enjoy them as you would ice cream, except without the horror of dairy — need I remind you of the hormones?

One of my favorites, at Cheeburger Cheeburger and Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, is a large, grilled vegan Boca burger. Enjoy a grilled Portobello mushroom sandwich at Cheeburger Cheeburger as well.

At Chili's, order the veggie quesadillas or fajitas and substitute the cheese and sour cream with extra vegetables and guacamole. In fact, you can create vegan quesadillas and fajitas in most restaurants. Also offered is a vegetarian black bean patty that can take place of any burger or sandwich meat on the menu. Chili's vegetarian menu cautions to avoid all fried food because the same fryer oil is used for animal products.

Chipotle also offers a vegetarian fajita burrito. Ask for black beans instead of the pinto beans, which are cooked with bacon.

If pizza is your go-to fast food,  make Little Caesars and Papa John's your choice. The pizza sauce and dough at both restaurants are vegan. Omit the cheese and choose your favorite vegetable toppings instead. You can easily create a tasteful vegan pizza.

A new find for me is  The Boston Coffee House, in the Waterford Lakes shopping plaza. I went for  the first time recently and ordered the Mango Salsa Salad with mandarin ginger dressing and asked them to stuff it into a pita for me. It was vegan-ly delicious! They allow you to fill any pita with a salad or roll it up into a wrap. Also offered is a roasted vegetable pita — leave out the cheese and substitute the cucumber sauce for a non-cream based dressing. Don't forget to ask for soy milk and hold the whip when ordering a coffee drink.

Vegans can also enjoy Denny's any time of the day. Denny's vegan foods include oatmeal, English muffins, bagels, grits, applesauce, fresh fruit, vegetable plates, seasoned French fries, baked potatoes with several vegetable toppings, garden salads with light Italian or oil-and-vinegar dressing, and sandwiches that can be made with several vegetable options.

Craving a good old fashioned fast food burger? Johnny Rockets features the Streamliner, a vegan Boca burger with grilled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mustard. And if you're visiting New York City or California, McDonald's is offering a McVeggie burger as a trial run.

Macaroni Grill has several vegan options, including all the pastas with garlic and oil and its Capellini Pomodoro. If you order Tomato Bruschetta and Penne Arrabbiata without cheese, you're golden.

My favorite bagel place of all time is Manhattan Bagel. Guess what? The bagels are vegan. Just use your judgment, obviously the jalapeño cheddar cheese and egg varieties are not vegan. The Manhattan Grille and Vegetable Garden sandwiches can be made on a bagel, a roll, or a tortilla and are vegan if you omit the spreads and cheese.

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill also offers a tremendous amount of vegan and vegetarian options. Order any veggie option on Mondays and receive 20 percent off your meal. Still craving Mexican? All of Moe's Southwest Grill's tacos, fajitas, salads and burritos can be made vegan by substituting tofu for meat and skipping the cheese. Double check and make sure it's being made with a vegan tortilla.

P.F. Chang's is one of the most vegan-friendly restaurant chains around. Its vegetarian menu is terrific, and everything can be made vegan; from appetizers such as Tofu Lettuce Wraps (I order it every time) to entrées like Orange Peel Tofu.

A local favorite is Pollo Tropical. Several vegan options are available such as the Vegetarian TropiChop entrée. Other vegan items include Balsamic Tomatoes and Bananas Tropical. The chain's black beans, French fries, white rice, yellow rice, boiled yucca and corn are vegan too.

An alternative to Subway's Veggie Delite is Quiznos's veggie sub. Order it filled with guacamole, black olives, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and mushrooms.

If you're in the theme parks  and your stomach starts growling after venturing through Animal Kingdom, the Rainforest Cafe offers The Natural Burger without the Safari Sauce and the Morningstar Garden Grill.

Feeling the Fourthmeal? Taco Bell's dishes can be veganized if you omit a few ingredients. The tacos, nachos, and Mexican pizzas are vegan when you order it without the meat, cheese and sour cream. Or stick with the bean burrito without the cheese. Same with Del Taco.

If you pass a Wendy's, go for a plain baked potato, the Deluxe Garden Salad with red Italian dressing and no cheese or French fries.

Do some research. You'll be surprised at what your favorite restaurants offer. Read the menu, use your judgment and ask questions if you need to. This is your chance to broaden your horizons and add more variety to your diet.

For more information on how to go out to eat vegan-style, visit peta.org/living/vegetarian-living.

Check out my column as seen in the Central Florida Future!

Healthy vegan and vegetarian recipes for Super bowl Sunday

Game time is approaching and party mode is in full effect. That means it's the first time since winter break that it's acceptable to pig out. Thank you, football gods!

Super bowl Sunday is all about the nachos, pizza, pigs in a blanket, pinwheels, soda, chips and dip, along with tons of other goodies. Being a vegan or a vegetarian doesn't mean you can't enjoy this great American tradition. You actually get to exceed enjoyment by being healthy at the same time. Score!

Traditional game day munchies are often packed with a lot of calories and a high fat content. According to research from the Calorie Control Council and Snack Food Association, the average viewer will consume 1,200 calories and 50 grams of fat just from snacking on Super Bowl Sunday. That does not include regular meals.  

Worry no more! Today is your lucky day. Vegetarian chef Cindi Avila has provided meatless recipes to satisfy hunger and junk-food cravings for the big day. These recipes are super easy to make and your guests will never know the difference. Few of these recipes are vegan. As I said, it is all about baby steps. Luckily, most of these recipes can be "vegan-ized." To do so, substitute cheese for Daya substitute cheeses, Tofutti substitute cream cheese and butter such as Earth Balance, as well as other tasty alternatives I suggested in previous posts! You can find all of these products in either Publix or Whole Foods stores which are both conveniently near campus.

Mini Calzones with Lightlife Smart Deli Pepperoni

Serves 6
Ingredients:

1 package of Lightlife Smart Deli Pepperoni (diced)

8-ounce package of pizza dough

8 ounces ricotta cheese

4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Flour (for flouring surface only)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Flour surface. Roll out pizza dough from package and cut out 12 circles with large biscuit cutter. Put two tablespoons of ricotta cheese in center of circles, then sprinkle one tablespoon of chopped Lightlife Smart Deli Pepperoni over ricotta cheese and top with one tablespoon of mozzarella cheese. Fold dough in half and seal by pressing two sides together (can use a fork over the edges to pinch side). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve with marinara or tomato sauce on the side.

Smart Dogs in a Blanket

Serves 8
Ingredients

1 package of Lightlife Smart Dogs

8-ounce package of crescent roll dough

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out triangles of dough. Wrap each Lightlife Smart Dog into one triangle. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 13 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into bite-sized quarters and serve with mustard, ketchup and Veganaise Vegan Mayonnaise on the side. 


Lightlife Smart Deli® Turkey Pinwheels

Makes 32 Pinwheels

Ingredients

2 packages of Lightlife Smart Deli Turkey

1 package vegan cream cheese (softened)  

4 tablespoons relish

1 package small, soft tortillas (you can always substitute flower tortillas for whole grain ones.)

Directions
Mix cream cheese with relish. Slather mixture onto tortillas. Top with three pieces of Lightlife Smart Deli Turkey. Roll tightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Put in refrigerator for approximately two hours. Remove and cut in one-inch slices, serve and enjoy. 

Chips and salsa is my favorite super bowl snack by far. I think I am addicted. I like to believe that I have perfected my own salsa and guacamole recipes. They are so incredibly simple to make. Give me a chance and try it out yourself. I won't let you down.

    

Killer Guacamole

Ingredients

Either a few Hass avocados or two large Fuerte avocados. Both can be found at Publix or Walmart stores.

1 lime

Fresh garlic

1 Tomato

1 purple onion

Any spices you desire (salt, organic garlic powder, organic onion powder etc.)

Directions

Remove skin and pit from avocados. Either puree in food processor or place avocado chunks in a bowl that has a lid (like Tupperware for example) and shake it up as hard as you can until most of the chunks are gone. Dice tomato and onion. Mix with avocado. Dice garlic as small as you can and add to mixture. Cut up the lime and squeeze in as much as you'd like.

I don't really have to many rules when it comes to cooking. Don't worry about measuring; measuring is for weenies. Just add ingredients little by little and keep tasting along the way to make sure it will satisfy your taste buds along with your guests. Spice to taste.

Salsa

Ingredients

2 "Trifectas" (Look for a package of pre-cut tomatoes/peppers. Green, yellow and red. Found in produce section at Publix and Walmart)

1 lime

Small chopped onion (optional)

Cilantro (optional)

Any spices you desire (salt, pepper, garlic, etc.)

Directions

Throw the Trifectas in a bowl, squeeze in as much lime as desired along with cilantro and spices and voila! Fresh homemade salsa! Of course you can also cut up your own vegetables -- but who has time for that? There's a game to watch!

Don't forget to pair these dips with organic tortilla chips from Publix's GreenWise section. Whole Foods and Super Target also offer some great chip options.

Combine the chips, salsa and guac with melted vegan cheese, Tofutti Sour Cream, Morning Star Meatless Crumbles, vegetarian refried beans, jalapeños, olives, onions, chives and whatever else you choose to top it with. You should always find a way to personalize your cooking. A Super Bowl party is the perfect way to show that off! Have fun with your new vegan or vegetarian ingredients.

Remember, you can have a fully satisfying meal without meat. These are just a few suggestions but Google will help you find more. There will always be a vegetarian substitute for your favorite food, and it will most likely be better. Try to improve your eating habits by adding a few more substitutions each week. Once again, your body will thank you.

The excitement of the Super Bowl is enough to get you to go crazy loco. Just thinking about all of this delicious yet extremely healthy food just makes me bounce of the walls with excitement. I love the game just as much as the next football fan, however, that doesn't mean I want to devour twice my average daily caloric intake in just one sitting.

Be smart; make positive and intelligent choices whatever the situation may be. More importantly, go Packers!

Check out my column in the Central Florida Future!

Vegan options beat meat—in health and cleanliness

Since dairy products are now and forever crossed off your grocery list, it is time to reveal the next step. This probably should have been the first step, however, I feel in order to take baby steps it should come second.

By this point, I think you know what I'm talking about, so I'm just going to put it out there: Meat. It has become a staple in a majority of the worldwide population's diet. As I said before, certain groups of people need to hunt for food. However, I explained that we do not. Slaughterhouse workers are guilty of the most tragic crimes against animals. Hogs have been beaten to death with metal pipes and stabbed in the face with butcher knives.

According to Gail Eisnitz's book, Slaughterhouse, a former Perdue worker announced in a Congressional testimony that the poultry plants are filthy. Flies, rats and cockroaches were said to be covering the walls and floors. Believe it or not, insects are the least of my worries when it comes to meat.

The former Perdue worker said, "After they are hung, sometimes the chickens fall off into the drain that runs down the middle of the line. This is where roaches, intestines, diseased parts, fecal contamination, and blood are washed down. Workers vomit into the drain… employees are constantly chewing and spitting out snuff and tobacco on the floor… sometimes they have to relieve themselves on the floor… The Perdue supervisors told us to take the fallen chickens out of the drain and send them down the line."

Even though these chickens should be thrown away, they are sent down the line to be processed. It is nauseating. This excerpt is just a small taste of what goes on. If you feel that you are interested, research the book on the Internet and see what else you can find. I was basically scared away from eating meat. I know this may seem like a slap in the face, we all have the right to make our own life choices, but I'm just trying to save you from making a bad one.

Before I stopped eating meat, I knew what went on at slaughterhouses probably wasn't the most acceptable way of producing meat. But now I know just because I can't see what's happening, does not mean it doesn't exist.

According to Skinny Bitch authors Kim Barnouin and Rory Freedman, about 99 percent of the meat in our country comes from factory farms, where animals are raised in confined, cramped quarters. In order to prevent disease and promote growth, the animals are given hormones, steroids, pesticides, and antibiotics. We, in turn, are ingesting hormones, steroids, pesticides and antibiotics every time we eat meat.

Finally, on a lighter note, there are alternatives! Visit your local Publix and Whole Foods for a variety of meat alternatives. In the frozen food section you'll be able to find Boca Vegan burgers along with a wide selection of vegetarian burgers as well. Alongside the burgers, Boca has Chik'n patties, nuggets, breakfast "meats" and so on.

You may be questioning about protein. Think you won't get enough eating this way? Think again. Americans eat twice as much protein than we are supposed to. It's not our fault, the USDA brainwashed us into thinking we do. That's because they put business first. It has been hammered into our heads that we have to eat meat to get adequate protein and iron. The truth is all the protein and iron that we need comes from the natural foods that we eat. The only thing missing is the fat and cholesterol. Oh wait, that's a good thing. By eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes you will avoid health risks like mad cow disease, trichinosis and the bird flu.

Don't think of it as giving up foods, think of it as replacing food with even better food. For instance, you don't have to give up turkey sandwiches. Publix sells products such as Tofurky deli slices found in the produce section. On the same shelf you will find so many other meatless options.

Yes, eating like this can and will help you lose weight if need be. However, that is not the main goal. The main goal of taking on this way of life is to be the healthiest person you can possibly be.

OK, let's get real, I know you're probably thinking for the most part that you can do without the meat and dairy and that's a good thing. But what about the junk food? Oh boy, I can't wait to get into the junk food. Being a vegan does not mean that your pigging out days are over. Actually, it is far from it. The tasty desserts and other treats are practically endless. Anyway, there is a whole other day for that lesson, just know it is coming and you should keep up because you may find it quite satisfying.

    

You've already come so far! Super Bowl Sunday is creeping up on us and I couldn't be any more excited. I know the big game is all about stuffing your face with nachos, pizza, chips and dip. There is absolutely no way I am going to be sitting in the corner munching on a carrot stick. That's just not cool and not in the spirit of football. If you want to learn about vegan/vegetarian Super Bowl snack alternatives and recipes make sure to read next week! Don't miss out on the traditional pigs in a blanket and pinwheels. Your guests won't be able to taste the difference, promise.

Check this post out in the Central Florida Future!