Health conscious people are concerned about their diet. Information about nutritional guidelines and healthy eating is easily found; the hard part is taking what we know and putting it into practice. A growing number of Americans are turning towards vegetarianism as a path of good health practices. The basic principle of being a vegetarian is giving up meat and fish and then generally replacing it with more fresh fruit, vegetables, and grains. The most common form is a lacto-ovo vegetarian, which means that you eat milk (lacto) and egg (ovo) products. The more extreme options cut out one or both of these types of products. When both are restricted it is called vegan.One factor in your decision may be money. It is true that the United States sells meat cheaper than most other places in the world, but it is still what people spend the most on in grocery stores. Another factor is time. If you choose to become a vegetarian you will most likely go to the supermarket more frequently because you will buy more fresh products at lower quantities to keep them from going bad. It will also take longer to prepare fresh food than if you were to just pop a frozen chimichanga in the microwave. The main issue however, is health. The American Dietetic Association said the following: “appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, are nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.” Planning is essential to vegetarianism. You need to think about the nutrients you are forgoing in taking meat out of your diet and make a plan to compensate for them. Some of the major deficiencies that can occur in vegetarianism are with iron, calcium, essential fatty acids, vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc, and protein. You need to research what foods are rich in these nutrients so can alter your diet and maintain your health. You will also need to take a multivitamin because some of these nutrients are difficult to get good amounts of even when you do eat meat.Many diseases have been shown to be prevented or aided by eating more fruits and vegetables. The obvious side effect of this healthy lifestyle is to reduce obesity. Some factors relating to weight are genetic but diet and exercise play the biggest role in control of this disease. Another finding is that eating many fruits and vegetables helps prevent cancer. Dozens of plant foods have cancer fighting agents that could save your life someday. Other diseases affected are diabetes, strokes, and heart disease. There are surely other effects and benefits that we have not yet studied or do not fully understand.Other considerations such as culture, environmental concerns, or taste may also affect your decision but it is really a choice that is up to you. Vegetarianism is one option of healthy living, and as long as you find a good multivitamin and are careful with your nutritional needs, you will find it to be beneficial to your health.
This one is a classic among vegan candy recipes. The combo of peanuts and crispy popcorn in a glistening golden sugar glaze has a tantalizing sweet-and-salty crunch that’s irresistible.Choosing the right butter substituteThe sugar glaze has a buttery richness, but it’s dairy free. There are a number of butter substitute options for vegans, but success depends on choosing the one that’s right for the dish you’re making. Vegan butter substitutes are smooth and flavorful, but though they can be substituted directly for butter in recipes (1 cup vegan butter substitute = 1 cup butter) they tend to be less dense than dairy butter. In many recipes (including this one), a butter-flavored vegetable shortening such as Butter-Flavor Crisco is an excellent choice because it melts beautifully and adds both a golden low and a distinctly buttery backround flavor to the glaze.Since there are times when this recipe requires working quickly, it’s a good one to do with company in the kitchen; the glaze tends to firm up quickly so having an extra pair of hands available to speed the shaping process along could come in handy. If you’re working alone, remember to get your cookie sheet prepared before you add the glaze to the peanut-popcorn mix.You’ll get the best results from this (or any!) candy recipe if you use a candy thermometer. “Guesstimating” is always a risky business when you’re working with sugar syrupsHoliday Candyshop Popcorn
Keep the popped corn crisp in the oven, at about 300 degrees.Use vegan butter substitute to thinly coat one large bowl, and two cookie sheets or platters. Set aside.In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, syrup, water, vegan butter subsitiute and salt. Attach thermometer and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the syrup reaches 290 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.Mix the popcorn and nuts in the prepared bowl and pour the syrup in a fine stream over the mixture. Work quickly to mix well until the popcorn and nuts are completely coated, and then spread the mixture out in a thin layer on the prepared cookie sheets. Quickly seperate into bite-sized clusters with two forks dipped in a little vegan butter substitute.This recipe makes about 3 1/2 quarts of delicious, old-fashioned candy popcorn, vegan-style.
These dairy-free vegan Christmas cookies will melt in your mouth! But be sure to make plenty – they’re real crowd pleasers.Like most vegan baking recipes, this one calls for an egg substitute. For these cookies a mashed banana mixed with baking soda does the job admirably, adding a delicious moistness and tenderness to the cookies. However if you prefer, a commercial powdered daily-free egg replacer works fine too.Ingredients:2/3 C Butter-Flavored Crisco or Nucoa Margarine3/4 C sugar1 tsp vanilla1/2 banana mashed with 1/4 tsp baking soda OR 1 “egg” made with powdered dairy-free egg replacer1 tsp lemon rind, grated4 tsp soymilk2 C flour1 1/2 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp salt1/4 tsp nutmegHave one or two greased cookie sheets, plastic wrap, waxed paper, a rolling pin and cookie cutters on hand before beginning.Use an electric mixer to cream shortening, sugar and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl. Add banana/baking soda mixture or dairy-free “egg” and lemon rind, and beat until fluffy. Add soymilk and mix on low speed until blended.In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Blend the flour mixture into the creamed ingredients, using hands if necessary, to form a soft dough. Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for one hour.Place several sheets of waxed paper on a large kitchen surface, and sprinkle them with flour. Remove one of the balls of dough from the refrigerator and center it on the waxed paper. Dust the dough lightly with flour, and flatten it slightly with your hands. Place another sheet of waxed paper on top of the dough and roll it to about 1/4-inch thick.Remove the top sheet of paper and cut the dough in desired shapes, forming the cookies as close to one another as possible. Place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees. Let cookies cool slightly after removing from the oven, then transfer to a baking rack or plate to cool completely. Repeat the process with the other ball of dough. Decorate the finished cookies with Vanilla Decorator’s Frosting.Vanilla Decorator’s Frosting2 C powdered sugar2-4 Tbs soymilk1 tsp vanillaAssorted food coloringsIn a medium bowl, stir sugar, vanilla, and just enough soymilk together until frosting is of spreading consistency. Divide into smaller bowls and add desired colors. Sprinkle your frosted cookies with a little granulated sugar for extra sparkle.