My Top 8 Vegan/Vegetarian Products!

These are some of my favorite alternative products that I've found that taste like the real thing!

Morning Star "Hotdogs" and "Corndogs"- I literally will give these to my friends or family and they don't even know the difference.

Trader Joe's Chicken-less Mandarin Morsels (vegan version)- So freaking good! A little more like chicken nuggets though.

Yves Meat Crumbles (vegan)- These are amazing for tacos and burritos, they have good texture and flavor, just add taco seasoning and yum!

Morning Star Black Bean Burgers and Chick Pea Burgers- These are great for burger substitutes and are filled with flavor!

Yves Pepperoni Slices (vegan)- Best tasting brand along with texture that I've found. 

Daiya Cheddar Wedge (vegan)- Creamy and tastes like the American cheese slices.  I also like the shreds, which stretch, but I like the wedge better.

Vegenaise Garlic Mayo (vegan)- Tastes even better than real mayo and has a very similar texture! 

Quorn Turk'y Roast- I had this for Thanksgiving and I could not believe how similar the taste and texture was to real turkey....I actually prefer it over the real thing!! 

Common Assumption: We're meant to eat meat

Last night I got yet another common comment from someone after I had told them I was vegetarian and against the killing of animals, so I thought I'd post s a response to this one which is; "we're meant to eat meat, that's what we're built for"...I get this often and its not so true...when compared were actually built like herbivores not carnivores. We have longer intestines, have different amounts of stomach bile, shorter canines, and jaws that move side to side rather than just up and down. 

This is how I feel about it: CAN we eat and Process meat? Yes. obviously we can. BUT that doesn't mean we NEED to, or were BUILT to, or can process it Easily.

Other Links:

• More on How Our Bodies Made

• For the Men out There That Think You Have to Eat Meat to be Manly

• In-depth Information on This Topic as Well as Counter Arguments

• Article by Cardiologist William C. Roberts and Dr. Milton R. Mills, associate director of preventive medicine for the Washington, D.C.

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog, these are my opinions, I am not a doctor, nor a specialist. This is all information I've learned from multiple books, documentaries, and researching online.

What? These Contain Animal Products!?

Here are some things I was surprised to find out that contain and don't contain animal products:

Candies Commonly Containing Gelatin (Made by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones with water)
Peeps
Starburst
Candy Corn
Junior Mints
Mentos
Most Marshmallows
Most Jello
Pop Tarts (the frosting)
And many other gummy candies so read your labels!

Common Candies NOT Containing Animal Products-
Airheads Taffy 
Swedish Fish
Sweet Tarts
Twizzlers
Jolly Ranchers (lollipops and hard candy)
Laffy Taffy (some varieties)
Lemon heads
Mambas
Mike and Ike
Now and Later
Sour Patch Kids

Other Random Products Usually Containing Animal Products-
Worcestershire sauce (anchovy)
Some Tortillas (lard)
Most Cesear Dressings (anchovy)
Ding Dongs (beef fat)
BBQ Baked Lays(chicken fat)
Old El Paso Re-fried Beans (lard)
Velveeta Cheese (gelatin)
Many Cambells and Progresso Vegetable Soups

Surprising Products NOT Containing Animal Products-
BacO's Bacon Bits
Oreo's
Jello Instant Pudding (not the gelatin kind)

Feel free to add to the list...just make sure to check your labels!! :)

Vegan Awareness Weekend!

I came across this and thought it was pretty cool especially since it's in my town!!! Eugene Mayor, Kitty Piercy, has officially declared September 29 and 30 as Vegan Awareness Weekend in the City of Eugene Oregon.

Guiltless "junk food!"

Here are some of my favorite vegetarian/vegan friendly go-to recipes when I'm craving something bad for me that won't break my calorie bank!

My Guiltless "Chili" dog-
1 veggie hot dog (Morning Star 50cal)
1 slice of 100 calorie wheat bread slightly toasted (so its 50cal)
1/3 cup of vegetarian chili (about 65cal)
(I use a little vegan cheese like Daiya, or you can use a low-cal regular cheese, and onion on top)
Ends up only being around 170 calories verses around 450 and tastes like the real thing!

Guiltless Enchiladas-
Corn tortillas (Guerrero 40cal each)
Enchilada sauce (Old El Paso 20cal per 1/4c)
Filling-
black beans (50cal per 1/4c)

corn (30cal per 1/4c)

bell pepper (5cal per 1/8c)

onion (3cal per 1/8c)

Jalapenos (2cal per 1/8c)
Mix all with a little enchilada sauce, taco seasoning, cumin,
and salt and pepper to taste.
Top with enchilada sauce and black olives (25cal per 1/4c)
(you can add cheese if you want, I use vegan cheese if I do to make them healthier)
Ends up being around 130 calories per enchilada compared to around 250-300 calories!

Vegan Pizza-
Whole wheat pizza crust (about 100cal per slice)

-I buy dough and stretch myself
Tomato sauce of choice (around 45cal per 1/2c)

Vegan cheese  (90 cal per 1/4c)

-I suggest Daiya it stretches/melts well and I mix pepper jack with cheddar

Top With-

mushrooms (2cal per 1/8c)

bell peppers (5cal per 1/8c)

onions (3cal per 1/8c)

olives (25cal per 1/4c)

Ends up being around 215 calories per slice compared to a pepperoni pizza of around 300 calories! 

Vegan Quesadilla- 
Wheat Tortilla- Trader Joe's Brand brand 60cal
Daiya Cheese (cheddar wedge)- About 45cal 1/2 ounce
Bac-o-bits- 8cal per 1/2tbs
A couple dashes of Franks Hot Sauce and there's a delicious quesadillla for about 115 calories rather than 350! 
  

A Few Other Ideas- but not quite as Low-Cal : ) 

Vegan Mac and Cheese

Black Bean Burgers Topped With Guac.

Vegan Hot Wings

Vegan Fried Chicken

Where To Get Protein!

 Veggie Sources of Protein

Another common question I get from people is "where do you get your protein" I never realized how many other healthier sources of protein there were until I became veggie.

 

I thought this was pretty funny :)

 Here are some of my favorite sources of protein, which also

happen to be mostly vegan as well: (amounts of protein are estimated)

• Black beans (or black bean burgers) 
  •  15 g of protein per cup
• Kidney/Garbanzo Beans (good for salads)   
• 14 g of protein per cup
• Vegetarian chili (good on top of a vegetarian hot dog!)  
• 11 g of protein per cup
• Quinoa/Barley (good combined as a main or side dish)
• 8 g of protein per cup
• Tofu (Good pan fried or in stir fry's)   
• 20 g of protein per cup 
• Almonds ( Great snack--I always carry in my purse)
• 20 grams per cup
• Sunflower Seeds (good on salads or just as a snack)
• 6 g per 1/4 cup
• Veggie burgers (just sub one in for your old favorites!)
• 11 g of protein   

I also like some alternative meat products like veggie dogs and breakfast 
"sausage" from Morning Star and Yves taco crumbles! 

 Here are some other vegan/vegetarian sources

of protein as well:

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog, these are my opinions, I am not a doctor, nor a specialist. This is all information I've obtained from multiple books, documentaries, and researching online.