Plant-Based

Following a plant-based diet is the best thing you can do for your health, the environment, and of course for the animals being killed for food. If you haven’t seen the documentaries Forks Over Knives, What The Health or The Game Changers, they are all on Netflix and focus on plant-based eating. If you want to learn about the health benefits of a plant-based diet NutritionFacts.org and Center for Nutrition Studies are two websites packed with valuable information.

Here are a selection of articles I have written about plant-based food. It’s never too late transition to a plant-based diet. Bon Appetite!

 

• The 6 Best Veggie Burgers To Buy That Are Actually Healthy: 2021 “We taste-tested the whole crop of healthy plant-based veggie burgers to consider which ones to buy from the lineup of those loaded with clean ingredients such as vegetables, beans, grains, chia seeds, split peas, lentils, sunflower seeds, and even walnuts.”
• Want More Energy? Here Are 7 Healthy Foods That Boost Productivity: 2021 “In light of the stress caused by the pandemic, most of us can agree that we frequently feel uninspired, low on energy, and sometimes experience brain fog. Keeping energy levels high depends on the quality of food you’re eating. Whole, plant-based foods are converted to long-lasting energy that you can burn all day long, whereas simple carbs are quickly burned and may cause you to crash early on in the day.
• 4 Quick And Healthy Plant-Based Recipes To Make In Your Air Fryer: 2021 “My friend recently bought me an air fryer as a surprise gift and at first, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted it. I know, I know, what was I thinking? I had heard the hype and it sounded great in theory, but I was hesitant about welcoming a new appliance into my already small condo-sized kitchen. But the temptation of delicious air-fried tofu was too strong to resist so I got busy and cleared off space on my counter. For the first week, it was all about the tofu.”
• The 10 Best Vegan Cheeses That Taste Like The Real Thing: 2020 “Vegan cheese has come a long way since the first time I tried soy cream cheese in the late nineties living in Los Angeles. I remember gagging at the taste and thinking there was no way that spread was going on my precious toasted bagel. Flash forward several decades and plant-based cheeses are better than ever: These days many innovative ingredients like cashews, almond milk, coconut cream, smoky flavor and fermented foods are being utilized by top chefs in the plant-based industry to create plant-based cheeses that far surpasses anything the dairy industry makes.”
• Everything You Need For A Successful Vegan Camping Trip: 2020 ” With travel looking very different this summer, people who may have never considered camping are pitching tents and exploring locations close to home. My camping (and glamping!) experiences have spanned decades, and there is something to be said for sleeping in the wilderness, cooking your meals over a fire, and paddling along the shore while powering off your electronic devices.”
• The 7 Best Places to Eat Vegan in Toronto, Canada: 2020 “Toronto, the capital of Ontario, has become the go-to Canadian city for all things plant-based. The vegan restaurants on this list are scattered among unique and eclectic neighborhoods of Toronto, or “The Six” as it’s fondly nicknamed. After your meal, explore this bustling city and learn why Toronto’s motto, “Diversity is our Strength”, is true. Learn more about vegan-friendly Toronto at Toronto Vegetarian Association, Toronto’s resource for all things veg whose mission is to inspire people to live compassionately through plant-based eating.”

   

• Thanksgiving The Vegan Way: Celebrate Turkeys As Friends, Not Food:  2018 “Have you seen the photo of a turkey and a human at a table with a large feast spread out before them? The caption reads, “The only way to have a turkey for dinner.” Instead of being dead on a plate all carved up next to side dishes, the turkey is happily sitting at the table enjoying a vegan meal with the human. My son Noah would be thrilled if a real turkey showed up to enjoy a nice home cooked meal with us.”
• 5 Tips For Making Your Halloween More Vegan Friendly: 2018 “We have been vegan for more than seven years. I became a vegetarian at 7, when I realized cows, pigs, and chickens are killed for food. I raised Noah, now 12, as vegetarian, but when he was 5 I began to learn the truth about the dairy and egg industries and was horrified. Noah is passionate about helping animals and even at that young age refused to participate in their suffering after I shared basic age appropriate information with him.”

• Vegan Meat and Cheese for Your Charcuterie Board: 2018 (Print Magazine / Online) “As the vegan lifestyle continues to gain popularity, creative businesses across Canada are offering up a variety of delicious, plant-based cheeses and meat alternatives. “

• Eating bacon can kill you. Here’s how my kid eats a plant based diet:  2015 “What do hot dogs and bacon have in common with cigarettes, arsenic and asbestos? Well, according to a recent report by the World Health Organization they have one main thing in common – they are all carcinogenic and can kill you.”

• Everything You Need to Know About Vegan Wine: 2016 “Veganism is on the rise around the world. There are meat alternatives for everything from bacon to fish sticks, dozens of dairy-free milks, and even vegan eggs have been invented. But if you want a glass of wine with your plant-based meal, get ready to do your research.”

• I Make A Passover Seder Without Hurting Any Animals: 2017 “Passover is a celebration of freedom from slavery and the end of oppression. How does it make sense to exploit and eat animals that have been oppressed and held captive for a holiday celebrating freedom?”
• 4 Quick And Easy Vegan Dinners: 2016 “You will be saving lives every time you choose to make a vegan meal.”

• 7 Meals To Celebrate Meatless Mondays: 2017 “Raising animals for food produces more greenhouse gas emissions than cars and planes combined. Which means even small steps toward vegetarianism can preserve water and other resources, and also reduce the effects of climate change, deforestation, and pollution. It’s why the nonprofit initiative Meatless Mondays launched in 2003. Now a global movement spanning 44 countries, the idea is that everyone should go meatless at least one day a week—for their own, and for the planet’s, health.”

• 7 Vegan Versions Of Your Favourite Comfort Foods: 2017 “The vegan culture scene is thriving. Vegan restaurants are becoming mainstream hot spots to enjoy a meal – and not just by vegans. Carnivores and omnivores are blending in among the herbivores and trying new foods that go way beyond a meat-free hot dog.”
• These Delicious Halloween Treats Are Completely Vegan: 2016 (International Website) “These days many families follow a vegan plant-based diet and abstain from eating meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, gelatin, whey, or anything else taken from animals, and therefore don’t eat everything they bring home on Halloween.”
• 5 Healthy Plant Powered Mason Jar Lunches To Make This Week: 2016 (International Website) “Mason jar lunches are the latest trend. If you want delicious and Instragram-worthy midday pick-me-ups your coworkers will drool over in envy, read on.”

• Seven Delicious Vegan Cheeses You Can Make At Home : 2017 “These talented, all-female recipe developers, bloggers, cookbook authors and chefs have created some magnificent vegan cheese recipes that stretch, melt and taste great. Each one uses healthy ingredients that are good for your body and your soul. So whether you choose to avoid cheese because you know the truth about the dairy industry, you’re lactose intolerant or just want to be a bit more health-conscious, you’re in for a tasty treat with these plant-based cheese recipes.”