Raising Vegan Babies

Many people wonder how safe it is raise their children on a vegan diet. We are all made to believe that we NEED meat and dairy for survival!! It can be a scary transition, because of course you want the absolute best for your child. Well, rest assured that a vegan diet is perfectly safe (and in fact much healthier than the standard American diet) for your children and for you.

Check out Keep Kids Healthy, a great website about all sorts of health issues for kids.
Another great resource is Veg Family, addressing all sorts of issues and ideas for raising a vegan family, from diet to activities to nutrition and health.
Parenthood.com has a great article, with tons of other links and resources for raising vegan/ vegetarian kids, too.

Also, check out the books I've recommended in previous posts, which all have sections on raising vegan kids!!!

You might be asking, "will my child get everything he or she needs?" The answer is a resounding yes. First, the main thing meat has to offer is cholesterol. Your bodies external intake of cholesterol should be zero, as the body makes all the cholesterol it needs to function on its own. Otherwise, the protein is the easiest thing to come by from non-animal sources. Everything is packed full of protein. Scroll halfway through this page for an excellent chart showing protein content in animal vs. plant foods.

Now on to dairy. Dairy and eggs also offer high levels of cholesterol. In addition, they can be packed full of harmful hormones and antibiotics which can actually harm your child's growing body. Otherwise, dairy is a source of calcium, and sometimes vitamin D or other added vitamins. Luckily, soy milk, and rice milk are fortified with the exact same amounts of vitamins and calcium, making for an easy switch. Even better are the natural sources of calcium and vitamins also known as fruits and vegetables. Dark leafy greens are excellent sources of calcium, as are almonds, figs, beans, rice, and many other fruits and vegetables.

It is easy to get all the nutrients/ vitamins you need on a plant based diet. The important thing is to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains. If your diet is balanced, then your children will be healthy too. Especially for nursing moms, as long as you are eating the right amounts of fruits and vegetables, and laying off the refined sugars, caffeine, added salts, alcohol, and processed foods, your baby will be super healthy and free of artificial hormones and antibiotics.

For more info on how to balance your diet and make sure you are getting the right servings, check out Vegan Health, and the many books I continually recommend (search the "vegan resources" tag on this page's side bar).

**Though I am neither a doctor nor a nutritionist, my knowledge and suggestions come from an accumulation of information acquired from the books listed in previous blogs and the many articles I reference on the blog.**

Vegan "Cheese"

For some people switching to a plant-based diet, giving up cheese can be trying. There are many substitutes out there, though none (obviously) are exactly like real cheese. If you're struggling, first think of how the cows must feel, and then check out your options for cheese alternatives.

There are tons and tons and tons of varieties of soy cheese. BEWARE, however, because many of these are packed full of animal products. Yes. Things like casein, whey, and even simply milk. So, check your labels.

I've tried several different brands, and the best (and one that comes most highly recommended by others) is Daiya. They offer shredded "cheeses" and also a list of other products that are made with these "cheeses," like frozen dinners, vegan pizzas, etc. You can find Daiya products at Whole Foods, and can check their website for other retail locations in your area.

Fake cheese isn't the only way to satisfy your cravings. I've heard some amazing things about cashew pizza, for instance. You'll be surprised how delicious things can be without the cheese. I've actually grown to prefer cheese-less pizzas. With a food processor and the wonders of tofu, you can make amazing onion, garlic, basil purees that make an excellent lasagna layer.



But my all time favorite discovery in this field is nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast produced by culturing with beet molasses and sugarcane. It comes in yellow flakes that can be purchased in bulk, or in small packages from most health food stores (Whole Foods has it in bulk, and in Tucson, New Life sells it as well).

There are so many ways to use it! Here are some recipes:

Cheesy Sprinkle

1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 tsp sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or clean coffee grinder until powdery. Store in airtight glass jar. Use as a topping for pastas, pizzas, popcorn, veggies, or anything you want.

Fake Cheese Sauce

1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup rice milk or soy milk
1 or 2 TBSP mustard
1 TBSP flour- soy or wheat (as thickener)

Heat all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened. Makes a great sauce for veggies, pasta, soups, etc.

Tofu Sandwich

2 TBSP nutritional yeast
1 tsp sea salt
1 lb firm tofu
bread- your choice
spinach
tomato
mustard
oil

Cut tofu into sandwich size slices. Mix nutritional yeast and salt together, and pour onto plate. Coat tofu in mixture on both sides. In oiled skillet, on medium heat, cook coated tofu 5 minutes on each side (or until browned). Place a slice of tofu, a couple slices of tomato, some spinach, and some mustard on toasted bread, and enjoy!!

You can experiment with any number of things to find your favorite cheese alternative. Having a food processor really helps get your creative juices flowing.

Let me know if you have any other recipes/ ideas!!

More on Sweeteners

Many people whom I've recently spoken with about health/ diet/ nutrition are making me think more about artificial sweeteners. For people trying to give up sugar for whatever reason (calories, the use of animal products in its refinement, better overall health, etc.), it can be hard to find alternatives. I listed many options in my post about sugar, but feel the need to address aspartame in its many forms. From powdered drink mixes, to cereals, sodas, granola bars, and even juice, aspartame is a much-consumed alternative. Many products that you might be attracted to due to their "sugar-free" declaration, are in fact sweetened with aspartame.

I've always heard negative things about this sweetener, and I've done some more research on it. It has been linked to numerous health problems, and even the onset of several diseases. Although the FDA deems it safe, you should research it for yourself.

Check here and here for lists of health problems and dangers associated with aspartame.

So if you choose not to consume it anymore, what what can you replace it with?

Other than different types of sugars which might still contain those calories you are trying to avoid, the best option, in my opinion is Stevia.

To Order Stevia Leaf from Mountain Rose Herbs, Click on the Photo.

As found on wikipedia,

Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America. The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, stevia's taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations.

With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets.

Stevia is a natural sweetener, and though it has been questioned (as all sweeteners are) in terms of safety, it's dangers are minimal compared to those of other, artificial sweeteners. Reference this post for more information on the chemistry and safety of stevia.

Stevia is readily available at your local market or health food store, and will meet most of your sweetening needs. I've never baked with stevia, but I've heard that it works well.

If you are interested in convenience, like powdered drink mixes, or sodas, check these sites:

Stevita and Zevia

And I'm sure you can find more stevia products, if you look.

Happy, healthy sweetening to you all.

Chocolate lovers and veganism

I've had a lot of people ask me if I can still eat chocolate, being vegan. This is one thing that prevents many people from considering a lifestyle change- the fear that they can no longer have chocolate.

You CAN have chocolate. There are many, many, many vegan and delicious chocolates.

What you cannot have is milk chocolate. For obvious reasons. But companies like Sunspire, Trader Joe's and Green and Black make some delicious dark chocolate bars, many organic as well.


Other brands are vegan as well, but you have to really read the ingredients because many contain casein, whey, or non-vegetable lecithin. Don't forget about chocolate chips, either. Many of the most popular brands are full of animal ingredients. Trader Joe's makes delicious chocolate chips that happen to be vegan, and my other favorite is Sunspire organic chocolate chips.

To find out more about where chocolate comes from, and to see a list of vegan chocolate, check out this about.com article.

Also remember that dark chocolate is full of anti-oxidants, and is actually good for you!

Vegan Cornbread (southern style)

This one makes me think of home. I adapted it from the recipe my mom always made us.

2 cups yellow corn meal
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup sour soy milk (to make this, put 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice per 1 cup soy milk and let sit about 10 minutes. It is the perfect vegan buttermilk)
1/3 cup oil
egg replacer (I've found that using 1 heaping TBS soy flour plus 1 TBS corn starch plus 2 TBS water is the best for this recipe)

Mix all ingredients together. Coat the bottom of an iron skillet in olive oil, and place in oven while you preheat it to 400 degrees. Once hot, pour batter into hot skillet. Cook 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Best eaten with pinto beans and collard greens.

Vegan Health

When people start thinking about going vegan, some find it difficult to give up all the things they were brought up eating. So, they keep having the "occasional" meat, dairy, or egg meal. But you should rest easy: you can give it all up and still get ALL vitamins, nutrients, proteins, fats, amino acids, and flavor you need. That you ever need any amount of dairy, meat, or eggs is a myth.

Don't believe me? Do your research. The best thing I've seen lately is this amazing film called Eating. It will blow you away. And at the end is a complete list of really great resources where you can check everything out for yourself. You can order a copy for $10 here.

Also, check out these books.

Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating
by Erik Marcus

Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet
by Brenda Davis and Besanto Melina

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Living

It is seriously worth your time to consider all the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle. I really really don't like telling people what to do, and I've always had the "to each his own" mentality. But the more I learn about the standard American way of life, the more passionate I become. We are being lied to, poisoned, and deceived, and we should really take matters into our own hands.

Who doesn't care about what goes into their bodies? Our food is full of chemicals, dyes, artificial flavors, colorings, fillers, sweeteners, and animal products. Stop buying it. Let's vote with our dollars and support organic produce, whole foods, non-GMO vegetable crops. We eat for nutrition and health, and when our food is so bad that it gives us health problems that we in turn treat with tons and tons of medications, we know there are major problems. Take your life and your health back-- the holistic way. Treat yourself from the inside out. Support life in all it's facets- the life of the planet on which we live, the lives of the animals living here with us, and the lives of yourselves and your children.

::stepping down from the soapbox now::

Please, next time you put something in or on your body, really think about where it is coming from.