Tips for Going Plant Based - It's a choice.

"Tips For Going Plant Based" will be a series of tips to help you make the move toward a plant based diet. First up, it's a choice.

Going vegan can be scary and daunting or exciting and fun! It all depends how you choose to take on the challenge. The most important thing to remember is that you have the choice to eat right, you have the choice to change your life and health, you have the choice to take control of your future and you can do it with food.

Every day we make hundreds of choices. You choose which shirt to wear with which pants. You choose your makeup for the day, your fragrance, your accessories, your route to work, the list of errands you need to do, where to buy your groceries or which items you mark off on that to do list. Our most important choices are often the ones we hardly think about – food.

What you put into your body will determine what you get from your body.  If you put in junky food, you’ll get junky results. If you put in healthy and nourishing food, your body will reward you with more energy, better digestion, more restorative sleep, a balanced weight, less ailments, a longer life, and the list goes on!

When you decide to change to a plant based diet, you need to remember that you are choosing to do it, No one is forcing you. Even if you’ve had a heart attack or have high blood pressure or diabetes and your doctor says you have to make a change, it is still your choice to do it or not. You can choose to embrace health and well-being or you can choose to feel sorry for yourself and choose to feel deprived.

You choose your reality.

Your attitude will directly influence whether you are successful or not. If you make the statements ‘I cannot live without cheese’ or ‘I will never stop eating burgers’ then you won’t. You’ve already decided to be unsuccessful. You’ve decided that eating correctly is depriving yourself instead of enriching yourself. You’ve decided to fail. You’ve chosen to make things difficult.

Things are only as hard as you make them.

If you want to do it, you will.

If you think it’s going to be difficult, it will be.

What Going Vegan Has Taught Me.... People are obsessed with protein.

The number one question I get when people find out I'm vegan is 'what do you do for protein?'. This question makes me laugh because protein is in almost every food, not just animal foods. You will even find protein in fruit!

I won't get into the nitty gritty about protein because you can go and read books or surf the net if you really want to know the details on why animal protein is bad for you. This blog entry is just meant to alert you to the fact that you do not need to eat animal protein for any health reason.

The average American eats three times the amount of protein that is recommended in a given day. Excess protein can't be stored; it's either broken down and burned for energy, or stored as fat (FYI - extra calories from any source are stored as fat). Animal protein also contains saturated fat, hormones, and cholesterol. Animal protein contains zero fiber. Honestly, it's doing nothing but bad things for you.

The RDA recommends that we eat 0.36 grams of protein per pound that we weigh. If you weigh 150 pounds you should eat 54 grams of protein a day. The numbers change slightly if you are a nursing mother or an active athlete. (fun fact - did you know many famous athletes are vegan?)

Let's look at some protein numbers from animal protein:

3 oz chicken - 29 grams protein
1 egg - 6 grams protein
4 oz of steak  - 24 grams protein
1 cup milk - 8 grams protein
6 oz Porterhouse - 38 grams protein
1 ounce cheese  - 25 grams protein
3 ounces baked cod - 21 grams protein

When was the last time you sat down and only had 1 oz of cheese or 3 ounces of meat? Probably never. If you walk into a restaurant the smallest serving of meat you'll see is probably 8 ounces.
You'll sometimes see a 6 oz filet.

Restaurants serve 2 to 3 times an actual serving on average... but what about those 16 oz t-bones? I've even seen 3 and 4 POUND steaks on the menu.  You can see that getting three times the protein you need is really easy if you eat animals. You are overdosing on protein! Just imagine what that is doing to your body and your arteries. Yuck.

Too much protein is very bad for your body. Eating excess protein has been linked with a shorter life expectancy, increased cancer and heart disease risks, obesity and diabetes, osteoporosis (yes, dairy can cause osteoporosis!), stress on the kidneys and bad digestion. It also makes you feel sluggish, tired and heavy.

Plant protein is full of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, healthy fats and fiber! You can get all the protein you need easily in a balanced, plant based diet. All veggies, fruit, nuts, legumes (beans) and grains have protein!

Really!

Another fun fact... plant foods are full of calcium too! I'll cover that another day!

It's nearly impossible to be protein deficient on a vegan diet. The only way it could happen is if you were eating only highly processed foods that were so devoid of nutrition that you were basically living on high fructose corn syrup and simple sugars contained in things like white bread!

Here are the protein grams in various plant foods, legumes, nuts and grains:

3 oz walnuts  - 11 grams
3 oz peanuts - 24 grams
3 oz almonds  - 17 grams
3 oz cashews  - 18 grams
1 cup chickpeas - 8 grams
3 oz Soybeans (tofu and tempeh) - 11 grams
1 cup baked beans - 12 grams
2 slices of whole wheat bread - 5 grams
1 cup soymilk - 7 grams
1 cup oatmeal - 6 grams
1 cup broccoli - 4 grams
1 cup brown rice - 5 grams
2 tbsp peanut butter - 8 grams
1 cup lentils - 18 grams
1 baked potato - 4 grams
1 cup black beans - 15 grams
1 veggie burgers  - 10 to 15 grams
1 cup spinach - 5 grams
3 oz seitan - 31 grams
1 cup tempeh - 41 grams
1 cup whole grain spaghetti - 8 grams
1 scoop soy protein powder - 25 grams (not all are the same)

So, the next time you hear about someone being vegan.. you can skip the protein question because now you know the real story!

Things You Should Make Yourself - 'Instant' Oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of the most perfect and nutritious foods you can eat  and it's perfect for breakfast. It's fast, easy and filling. I don't really understand why people pay money for packets of that instant oatmeal when all oatmeal is essentially instant.

You can have cooked, old-fashioned oatmeal from a microwave in 40 seconds. You can make your own 'instant' oatmeal packets very inexpensively.

It takes me under 2 minutes to make oatmeal in the morning.

You take 1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats and 2/3 cup water and place that in a microwave safe bowl. Micro for about 40 seconds and it's a blank canvas ready for your creativity!

My favorite oatmeal recipe:

Banana-Maple-Walnut:
Cut a banana in half, take one half and dice it into small chunks and add it to the cooked oatmeal.  Take the other and save it for tomorrow or pop it in the freezer for a smoothie later on. Take a couple tablespoons of walnuts and toss those in, sprinkle in a little cinnamon and a tsp or two of real maple syrup.

To make packets, just measure out the 1/2 cup oats, add in some powdered sweetener like sucanat or evaporated cane juice (not a lot!), cinnamon and if you like dried fruit and nuts, add those. You can dehydrate your own fruits or buy them. These days you can even find more exotic dried fruits like strawberries and mango if you know where to look. Of course, you can also take fresh fruit with you and toss that in.

Then all you need is access to some water and a microwave. Think of how much money you'll save, not to mention the benefits of not eating preservatives and a ton of sugar.

Original Recipe - Shelly's Vegan Parmesan

I don't make up recipes that often but when I do, I will post them here.


This is a recipe for a vegan 'parmesan' that you can use in caesar salads, on pasta or pizza and even veggies!

You'll want to use a high powered blender. I tried this in my food processor and I couldn't get it fine enough. Also, I made it kinda salty because to me, that is what parmesan is so if you don't like salt, cut back on it and add it in while you're taste testing. But.. you probably aren't eating this by the spoonful so salty is ok in that regard. LOL

I used a crystallized lemon powder in mine for tanginess but you could probably leave it out if you wanted to.

Shelly's Vegan Parmesan

1/2 cup raw cashews
1 tsp Garlic Gold Nuggets (or sub in garlic powder or garlic flakes)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 sugar packet size True Lemon or citric acid
1/8 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Blend ingredients in blender until it is fine like parmesan cheese. Store in a jar.

Things You Should Make Yourself - Granola

Granola is a healthy and delicious snack and it can also double as a quick bowl of cereal with your homemade almond milk or as a topping for fresh fruit! Try it mixed into non-dairy yogurt!

Granola can be pricey if you buy it in a store but it's super easy to make and you can modify it to suit your individual taste. Plus, this makes your house smell amazing! This is a great thing to take traveling too. I take a container of this when I have to get on a plane.

I know that tastes vary when it comes to nuts and dried fruits so feel free to sub in whatever you like... just keep the measurements the same.  You want a total of 2 cups of nuts/dried fruit.

I do encourage you to try and do a nice variety of flavors and textures. It's good to expand your horizons and different nuts give you different vitamins, minerals and benefits. You may want to make this as it is written the first time and then decide how to change it later on.

Give it a chance.

If you like the salty-sweet angle... you may want to add large flake sea salt to taste. I like to get a nice spot of saltiness once in awhile so I do add larger flaked salt in addition to the 1 tsp of fine sea salt in the recipe.

Don't ignore the flax and wheat germ in this recipe. It's really good for you and you won't even know it's there!  Quick note about the syrup.. I prefer to use mostly brown rice syrup as it doesn't affect blood sugar like maple syrup does. The maple syrup is there for it's distinct flavor, not sweetness.
Don't you dare use corn syrup or I will hunt you down and kill you. Seriously. (wink)

I adapted this from Alicia Silverstone's granola recipe in 'The Kind Diet' book.

6 cups quick oats
Cinnamon (as much as you think you want)
1/2 cup flax seed (ground)
3/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds or pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup walnuts (I like to break these into halves.. don't use chopped, you want texture)
1/3 cup dried fruit of choice (raisins, cherries, cranberries - mix or match)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup safflower or canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp sucanat or brown sugar
3/4 cup non-refined syrup (use real maple or brown rice syrup ONLY - I like a ratio of 2:1 brown rice syrup to maple syrup)
1 cup mini chocolate chips or carob chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Spread the oats on a cookie sheet and toast for 10 minutes.
2. In a LARGE bowl, combine oats, sugar, wheat germ, flax seed, cinnamon, nuts, fruits, salt and coconut. Mix well.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine oil, syrup, and extracts and mix to combine.
4. Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix well.
5. Using two large cookie sheets with sides, place half of the granola on each pan and bake for 10 minutes and then stir and keep baking in 5 minute increments, stirring after each session, until slightly browned but not overly done. Watch it carefully. Do not run off and read Facebook while it's baking!

Cool and then stir is the mini chocolate chips if you are using those. Store in an air-tight container.

Things You Should Make Yourself - Veggie Burgers

I think most people are first introduced to vegetarian or vegan food thru veggie burgers.

There are quite a few brands on the market - Boca, Gardenburger, Morningstar Farms, and Amy's, just to name a few.

They may tate ok but homemade burgers taste better, plus the price of boxed veggie burgers makes me insane. A box of veggie burgers runs $3 to $6 at the store for 4 patties.

Plus, they sometimes have ingredients that I'm really not interested in consuming.

Homemade is less expensive and 100% better tasting with no weird ingredients. Yes, you can even freeze them to reheat later! Plus, they are really simple to make.

The hardest part is deciding what type of veggie burger you want. There are a few basic varieties.

Grain based - these usually have brown rice or quinoa plus veggies and spices.

Bean based - these are most often black bean or chickpea based.

Veggie based - these are mostly veggies held together with a flour. A portabella mushroom can be a burger all on it's own!

Soy and TVP (textured vegetable protein) based -  tofu, TVP or tempeh burgers,

The reason I love veggie burgers is because they are versatile. I can eat them like a traditional burger, on a bun with fresh veggie toppings and a smear of vegan mayo, without a bun as my main dish or I can chop them up and use them as an ingredient is another dish, like black bean burgers are great in tacos!

You can google for hundreds of fabulous recipes for all different kinds of veggie burgers but here are two of my favorites from Josh at My Vegan Cookbook:

Black Bean Burger

Grain & Garden Burger

I like to make a double batch of the black bean burgers and then freeze them after I've cooked them.  Just put a piece of wax paper inbetween them and you can grab one anytime for a quick meal!

By the way, Josh has some fantastic recipes.. I don't think I've made a bad one yet!  In fact, his Chick Spread and his Vegan Meatballs are two of my most fave meals ever!

With the chick Spread, I leave out the tofu (and don't notice any difference) but i add in some nutritonal yeast and some vegan 'chicken' bouillon. The meatballs make a great meaty sauce by cooking the mixture up like burger in a pan and adding it to a pan of sauteed onions and mushrooms and a jar of your fave pasta sauce. I've also heard it's good in chili!

Most people would take the blue pill.

In the movie, The Matrix, Keanu Reeves’ character is given the choice between taking the red pill which will show him truth and reality or taking the blue pill, which will keep him in his dream-like world. Of course, he chooses the red pill and finds out that everything he thought was real and true .. isn’t.

I too have taken the red pill.  Once you take the red pill.. there is no turning back and you cannot stick your head back in the sand. You suddenly realize that everything you’ve been taught, doesn’t make sense anymore.

When it comes to the animals and animal products we eat, most people will happily take the blue pill so they can go on living in their idyllic fantasy world. It’s a world where cows frolic happily in green pastures on sunny days and wander lazily across open acres. It’s where pigs roll around in mud puddles and sleep the days away under big trees. It’s where chickens are allowed to run free, roost in nests and enjoy taking dirt baths.


In truth, 99% of the animals and animal products you consume come from factory farms.  ‘Life’ on a factory farm is anything but idyllic.

For cows that will become steaks and hamburgers, they are packed into muddy, grass free feed lots and forced to eat grains, which is not their natural diet.  They are pumped full of antibiotics to fend off the diseases they get from not eating a proper diet and are given growth hormones so they get bigger than normal to produce more meat. They are stressed and frightened. When slaughter time comes they are herded thru a building where they get a bolt to the head (and if they are lucky it will knock them out but that isn’t always the case) and are hung from their feet, throat slit and allowed to bleed out and they are disemboweled while still alive. Pigs suffer a similar fate. Breeder pigs are kept in a small cage where they can’t even turn around and are forced to produce babies that enter the system.

For dairy cows, the horrors are two-fold … in order for a cow to give milk, they must be pregnant (just like a human) so they are forcibly raped and impregnated by a man with a syringe only to have their baby stolen from them at birth so humans can steal the baby’s milk. Mother and baby are distraught at the separation. The baby girls are put into the system to become milk cows and the baby boys are tossed into small, dark crates to become veal. When dairy cows are ‘spent’ after about 5 years (even though the average life span of a cow is over is 20 years) they will  be slaughtered for meat.

Chickens you eat are fattened up with hormones so they can’t even walk. They are packed into cages and taken to slaughter where they are first hung by their feet and are passed thru a neck slicing station (many chickens manage to survive that part) and are then dropped into scalding hot water (some are still alive), their feathers are torn out and then they are butchered.

Egg laying chickens lead an even more horrible life. Packed by pairs (or more) into crates no larger than a piece of paper, they are injected with hormones to over produce eggs. Wild hens naturally lay about 17 eggs a YEAR. Hens in a factory farm lay daily. Chickens are debeaked, a horrific practice where the sharp tips of their beaks are sliced off in order to prevent them from pecking one another to death in their close quarters due to the stress. In the hatchery, boy chickens are removed from the group and considered ‘by product’ since they cannot lay eggs and they are not profitable. They are tossed into large hoppers and ground up alive and used as feed meal in dog food and very often are fed back to the other chickens in their feed.

You may think ‘free range’ or ‘cage free’ is better but it really isn’t. Chickens are never housed outside in the fresh air. All cage free means is that they are housed in a large, enclosed building.  

There is no such thing as ‘humane slaughter’. Perhaps if we euthanized feed animals as we do our beloved pets and death row criminals, (a drug that puts them to sleep and another that stops their hearts), then maybe that would be a little easier to swallow but that would be expensive and time consuming. Killing something is never humane.

Some people think it’s ok to eat animals if they come from independent family farms. While it’s possible the smaller farms aren’t injecting their animals with hormones and aren’t cruel to their animals and may even have them housed in an outdoor pasture with real grass, the fact remains that the butchering is usually done by the same slaughterhouses that do the factory farming slaughters. Even if it isn’t, that animal is still terrified and treated in a cruel manner in the final moments of its life. I just don’t know how anyone can justify eating a being under that kind of stress and fear. That can’t be ok for your soul or your karma.

It might make you feel better eating eggs from a local farm where they don’t feed their chickens hormones or keep them in cages but the reality is that eggs are not healthy and shouldn’t be eaten anyway. Consuming flesh, milk, cheese and other dairy products is bad for your health. It’s documented. It’s fact. It’s killing you and the ones you love.

Take the red pill.

Educate and enlighten yourself.  Be brave enough to step up and be willing to really learn about the food you put into your body. Don’t be the person that sticks their head in the sand and says “I don’t want to know!” I’m not saying you have to give up eating animals and animal products but I’d like you to see the truth and the reality and then make an informed choice. I’m pretty sure anyone that has done that has switched to a plant based diet. The horrors are real. The science is real. The reality is shocking and sad but you can make a difference in your life and in your health and you can find a quiet peace within yourself if you stop contributing to slaughter and fear and suffering and pain.

There is no reason to eat animals or animal products. There is no health reason to eat animals or animal products. Whatever it is you want to eat, there is a plant based alternative.