Category: Nutrition and Food

bottles in refrigerator
Nutrition and Food

Dairy Dilemma

Sarah Miller, RD

If you are converting to a plant-based diet, you might find it difficult to decide which animal products to continue consuming, if any. Dairy products, which are among my husband’s favorites (????????????) can be among the hardest to navigate, in part because of the valuable nutrition they provide, but also the way that dairy cows are treated in modern agriculture. Let’s take a closer look.

Nutrition

Dairy can be a part of a balanced diet. Nutritionally dairy products can be a good source of protein, vitamins/minerals, and carbohydrates. Choosing low or non-fat dairy provides all of the benefits of dairy products while minimizing the saturated fat you’re consuming. You can read more about the nutrient and health benefits of dairy products here. Within the dairy category there is organic and conventional. Nutritionally they provide almost exactly the same- for reference, 1c of low fat (2%) milk contains about 100calories, 8g protein, 107mg sodium, 13g sugar (naturally occurring as lactose), 366mg potassium, calcium and vitamin D.

The spectrum of dairy substitutes such as vegan cheeses or plant-based milks makes it difficult to lump them all into one category. Within the dairy substitutions category there are numerous differences in their nutrition profiles. For our purposes we’ll compare using the non-dairy option Ripple Milk (amazon link). Ripple milk is a pea protein based milk substitute. The unsweetened original flavor provides 8g of protein, 0g sugar, calcium, vitamin D, DHA omega-3s all while being lactose-, nut-, and gluten-free. Ripple as a brand is also concerned about sustainability and how their business practices affect the world.

Looking only at the nutrition content of dairy and comparing it to non-dairy substitutions, you can see there are now more options on the market with food makers creating alternatives that rival their dairy counterparts. Therefore, deciding based on nutrition alone you can see that dairy isn’t inherently “bad” for you but can provide a lot of essential nutrients in your diet. The non-dairy options on the market are not all nutritionally equal, but there are products available that provide a comparable nutritional profile to dairy.

Organic vs Conventional Dairy

The organic label on milk/dairy tells you about the practices and how the cows are cared for- nothing about nutritional content. But even with the organic farm requirements, according to a study conducted at Oregon State University, “many organic and conventional dairies in the study did not meet standards set by three commonly used cattle welfare programs.” Additionally they found that the overall health outcomes for the cows were similar in both organic and conventional dairy farms even though the standards for how the cows were treated are different.

Vegan Lifestyle

Veganism is a lifestyle. Vegans avoid all animal foods, dairy, eggs, honey and any animal derived materials. Following veganism beliefs also means that any products tested on animals or products made from animals are not acceptable. The Vegan Society has a great history and thorough explanation on veganism available to review.

Many people choose to avoid dairy because they’re vegan- they both eat vegan and follow vegan ethical beliefs. Vegans believe that exploitation of animals for any purpose is unacceptable. In addition to the mistreatment of cows, dairy farming is considered a form of animal exploitation. Choosing to avoid dairy products tends to be more about beliefs and ethics rather than the nutrition provided by dairy products.

As with anything in life there will be caveats. Being vegan isn’t black and white, but has a lot of gray. For example, many medications use gel capsules which contain gelatin. Gelatin is not a vegan-friendly ingredient. Assuming there is no other substitution and an individual is prescribed a potentially life-saving medication that contains gelatin, I think we can all agree that the individual should take the medication. Individuals following veganism would likely ask their Pharmacist or their Doctor if there’s an alternative or another form of the medication that does not contain animal products, but sometimes there is no substitute available. In that case, The Vegan Society and Vegans around the world would agree that this is an exception to the rule. This is one of many examples of the shades of gray within the vegan belief system.

The decision of whether or not to consume dairy has multiple factors. There are also environmental impacts to consider, but we’ll discuss those another time. As you can see there is no clear right or wrong answer, but there are tradeoffs. It really depends on what your personal belief system is about the consumption of dairy products and whether or not you are okay with those decisions. This is not a place for judgement, but instead a place for you to find credible information to help you make the most informed decision possible. I hope that this was helpful in your decision making process! ????

Nutrition and Food, Recipes

Easy Vegan Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Sarah Miller, RD

Ingredients

  • 1, 15.5 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
  • 2 tbsp vegan mayo
  • 1-2 celery stalks, cut into bite size chunks
  • 1/4-1/2 orange bell pepper, cut into bite size chunks
  • 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Mash drained chickpeas in a medium bowl using a potato masher or fork. Mash until beans make a sort of paste with themselves- ok to have some larger chunks.
  2. Stir in vegan mayo, celery, and orange bell pepper.
  3. Mix in smoked paprika and pepper. Add more smoked paprika and pepper if needed. ????
  4. Serve on whole wheat bread or bread of choice with a side salad and your favorite vegetable chips ????

Tips

  1. Toasting your bread gives a whole new dimension to your sandwiches; I highly recommend it.
  2. Don’t be afraid to add more smoked paprika or pepper. Seasonings should be adjusted to what you like! ????
  3. Try this between 2 pieces of bread and your favorite melted vegan cheese. ????
  4. Try leftovers on crackers for a snack the next day.
agriculture cows curious pasture
Nutrition and Food

Animal-Sourced Ingredients

Sarah Miller, RD

Eliminating animal products from your diet is a process. The more you learn the easier it becomes to be label savvy. Here are some common ingredients in some foods that you may not realize are not vegetarian and/or vegan friendly. Checking for ingredients requires reading the ingredients portion of the nutrition label. This is not a comprehensive list of all animal ingredients, but is instead a curated short list for those new to plant-based eating and deciding which category they fall into.

Gelatin

Gelatin is the collagen from animal body parts. Gelatin is used as a gelling agent in foods and also as a thickener or stabilizer. Gelatin can be found in Jell-o, marshmallows, many gummy candies including candy corn, gelatinous desserts, most gel capsule medications, and even sometimes in ice cream and yogurts! Luckily there are vegan and vegetarian friendly options for some of these foods including vegan marshmallows, yogurts and ice creams.

Rennet

Rennet is found in many cheeses and is derived from the stomach of a calf. It is used to thicken the milk during the cheesemaking process. This means that many cheese options available on the market are not vegetarian friendly. To know if a cheese product has animal rennet or a microbial or vegetable rennet requires reading the ingredients label. If the rennet the cheesemaker used is vegetarian friendly, it will say whether it’s microbial or vegetable rennet. Another tip is that usually if the ingredients label uses the word “enzymes” or simply “rennet”, this is likely animal rennet and not vegetarian friendly.

Honey

Honey is produced by honey bees. This makes it an animal product. Bees produce it and we steal it. Therefore consuming honey exploits the work of bees. There’s also issues with how the bees are treated. Many large scale bee operations can harm the bees, which would again be an argument against the use of honey. But within the vegan community you will find that some individuals allow honey. Remember that when someone identifies themselves as vegan, this includes their lifestyle. Like anything in life there are elements that make a vegan lifestyle contradictory, but that’s for another post. I firmly believe that individuals can make exceptions for certain products without being considered fake or not truly vegan. But I digress. For now just know that honey is technically not vegan but is vegetarian friendly.

Shellac / Confectioner’s Glaze

Confectioner’s glaze (also known as shellac) is used to give foods a shiny appearance. Shellac is hardened Kerria lace bug secretions and therefore not vegan friendly. You can find shellac in many candies like jelly beans and malted milk balls. Whether or not this ingredient is vegetarian friendly is somewhat up for debate. Shellac isn’t made from the Kerria bug bodies but from the bug’s secretion. This makes it similar to honey as honey isn’t made from bee bodies but from the work the bees have conducted.

Want more?

Two of the most comprehensive lists I’ve found are available on vegan.com and peta.com. Remember that lists of animal products are meant to be a guide and not necessarily a rule. You ultimately decide what ingredients are acceptable for you.

Nutrition and Food, Recipes

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake ???? Day?!

Sarah Miller, RD

OMG, apparently today is Pumpkin Cheesecake Day! I didn’t even know this is a thing, but the timing is perfect! Here is an amazing vegan no-bake pumpkin cheesecake recipe I followed last week that I highly recommend. It was so good that my husband and I devoured it quicker than I’d like to admit. ????

You won’t be sorry. This recipe definitely requires a good blender though and you all know I love my blendtec. It made preparation really easy. My particular model is full price but Amazon has this model on special for only $259.99 today! That’s almost 50% off!!

I didn’t know how much I missed a good cheesecake until I made this recipe. Not particularly interested in pumpkin spice stuff? Simply follow the recipe as is, omit the pumpkin spice and pumpkin, and use your favorite fruit for the top layer instead! ????

person holding sliced vegetable
Nutrition and Food

Getting Started on a Plant-Based Diet

Sarah Miller, RD

Switching your diet to being more plant-based can be overwhelming; there are numerous external factors and personal reasons for making a diet and lifestyle change. The first step is to critically analyze where you are with your current diet and decide what your goal is. Check out this post if you want to read a break down of the various types of plant-based diets. One size does not fit all and can even vary throughout our lifespan. 

Do you currently eat a mostly meat diet? Maybe a good start is becoming a flexitarian or pesco-vegetarian. Are you currently lacto-ovo vegetarian thinking about making the switch to vegan? Try eliminating dairy and eggs one at a time rather than both at once. No matter where you are on the plant-based diet spectrum, it’s important to be realistic with yourself and set achievable goals. Know which foods you’re just not ready to give up or try substitutions for.

How I transitioned to a vegan diet

Using myself as an example, I spent over a decade as a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I loved cheese and eggs and the substitutions on the market were not nearly as good as they are now. For many reasons I eventually decided that I wanted to eliminate those products from my diet. Having to choose between eggs and dairy, I decided removing eggs first was the best way for me to be successful in my quest to eating a diet free of all animal products. I mean honestly, eggs aren’t very appetizing if you really think about where they come from. But I’ll keep my personal opinions of foods to myself so that I don’t accidentally ruin one of your favorites. The point is I knew that I liked my dairy products more than eggs and wasn’t ready to use plant-based substitutions. Giving up the eggs first enabled me to continue working toward a vegan diet.

I also found it helpful to continuously remind myself why I was choosing to eliminate all animal products from my diet. Remembering your why for changes you’re making in your life helps to keep you going. There will be a time when someone starts asking you why you’re giving up animal products and you don’t have to explain yourself if you don’t want to. But if you do, please remember to explain your choice in a kind and non-judgmental way. The pretentious attitude, name calling and judgement that has traditionally been paired with veganism can unfortunately turn many people off from all of it’s good points. Be kind, always.

Is there a shortcut?

By simply increasing the amount of fruits/vegetables/legumes on your plate, you can work toward making plant-based eating your new diet choice. Increasing plants in your diet can mean for you that you’re increasing the quality of the plants you choose to eat. At mealtime take a quick inventory of your plate to make sure you have balance (think vegetables/fruit, protein, healthy fat). Cater your goals to where you are. If you’re still insisting that corn is the only vegetable you’ll eat, maybe start by making your first goal be to try having leafy greens or broccoli instead. Be realistic with yourself; you don’t have to change everything all at once to achieve your goal.

Working on your diet quality along with your diet label goals can help you find your optimum eating style without being overwhelmed. Lifestyle changes aren’t one size fits all; do what’s right for you. I strongly believe that if you don’t like a certain vegetable, you probably haven’t yet had it prepared in a way that you find appealing. Broccoli is a perfect example. Steamed broccoli is boring and gross. But roasted broccoli with some spices and a light amount of olive oil brings out a whole new flavor profile! You might have a new favorite food if you’re willing to try it prepared new ways. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your food.

Find substitutions

Another important strategy is to find plant-based substitutions that you enjoy. Because the demand for vegan options has pushed the food industry to create more palatable options it’s a lot easier now to find one that you’ll like. A few years ago, I remember trying to eliminate dairy products from my diet, but the choices for plant-based milks and ice creams left me with mostly only soy to choose from. Now the options are endless! You can have oat milk, almond milk, pea milk (don’t knock it until you try it), and even hemp or hazelnut milk and the texture of many vegan products is just like the dairy equivalent you’re used to! Keeping an open mind to the options available on the market will improve your chances of success.

Create a community

Talk about your plant-based diet goals with your friends and family or others who may be supportive. Share with people why you want to make the switch, what changes you’ve made, and how you plan to keep yourself accountable. Talk about the awesome new products you found at your local store. Making permanent big lifestyle changes is less difficult when you have a solid support system.

My husband is a perfect example of the importance of keeping an open mind to new products. He refused to have vegan dairy products after he once caught me giving him Daiya shredded cheese in a quesadilla. No matter how much I tried to convince him that there might be another brand he would enjoy, he refused to try another vegan cheese. He insisted that all vegan cheeses are “gross”. I continued to buy dairy products for him and vegan dairy options for me. But I wasn’t giving up, and the day came that I decided to try being sneaky again. I made both of us vegan grilled cheese sandwiches and didn’t say anything. He thought it was so delicious that he didn’t believe me when I told him it was vegan cheese. The power of being open and not giving up after one bad experience can make all of the difference. For those curious, the grilled cheese that changed his mind was made with Miyoko’s pepper jack cheese.

Be kind to yourself

Remember that making any change requires patience. It takes time for your new diet and lifestyle changes to become your new habits. Don’t berate yourself if you make a “mistake.” No one is perfect and you’ll learn strategies and words along the way that will minimize plant-based diet blunders. You decide what plant-based diet works best for you and how to best incorporate it into your life.

Nutrition and Food, Recipes

Banana Nice Cream

Sarah Miller, RD

Ingredients

  • frozen banana ???? chunks
  • 1-2 tbsp of your favorite plant-based milk (I really like Ripple) ????

Add-ons

Instructions

  1. Place frozen banana chunks ???? in your blender (I recommend a Blendtec and I use the twister jar for this recipe). The quantity of banana pieces you use depends on total servings you’re trying to make. I recommend using 1/2-1 full banana per serving. For example to make enough for 2 people use at least 1-2 frozen bananas worth.
  2. Add about 1 tbsp of plant-based milk ???? of your choice to the blender. 
  3. Select the “batter” setting on your Blendtec and rotate the twister jar lid counter clockwise while it blends. Make sure to apply enough pressure to keep the lid on. If you don’t have a Blendtec, you can accomplish this step by blending your banana pieces ???? and milk ???? on a setting for your blender that effectively incorporates the 2 ingredients. Total blending time is about 45sec-1min but can vary depending on serving size, blender, and texture you’re trying to achieve.
  4. Blend until desired consistency is reached. You may need to take breaks and scrape the sides of the container. If the mixture is too thick, add more plant-based milk- but remember you can always add more plant-milk, you can’t remove it. If you find that you’ve added too much and now it’s too runny, add more frozen banana chunks to thicken it back up. I like to sometimes leave a few larger chunks of frozen banana just to give a nice chewy texture to the ice cream.
  5. If you’re using a powder mix-in like PBfit chocolate peanut butter ???? , mix that in now before removing everything from the blender. If you forget, you can always mix it in by hand later with a spoon.
  6. Once your desired consistency is reached, divide portions into your bowls or containers of choice. ????
  7. Add in any mix-ins you may like. I recommend Ben & Jerry’s vegan chocolate chip cookie dough bites ???? with a scoop of natural peanut butter ???? and some pretzel pieces ???? , but the sky’s the limit! Mix in anything you normally like in your ice cream and enjoy!

Tips

  1. Freeze the bananas in chunks. Don’t try and blend an entire frozen banana- trust me.
  2. Add any solid mix-ins by hand after you’ve portioned out the banana ice cream.
  3. If using a powder mix-in, adding while still blending is easiest.
  4. This nice cream is best consumed immediately after making.
items organized on shelves
Nutrition and Food

Let’s Talk About Diet Quality

Sarah Miller, RD

Many foods have a health halo thanks to wonderful marketing teams. We’ve all seen the phrases like “super food” pasted all over the front of the food’s packaging, as if that phrase has any scientific meaning (it doesn’t). Having the “vegan” label on foods is also sometimes given that same health halo. It’s as if you are to believe that as long as a food product is free from animal products that it is inherently better for you.

Let’s talk about food deserts (???????? not ????????)

Living in the US, it’s pretty easy to have a nutrition-lacking diet. Many packaged/convenience foods are full of calories but void of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients our bodies need. Unfortunately some Americans live in what we call “food deserts” where access to fresh, whole foods is scarce. Hopefully that doesn’t apply to you, dear reader, but the reality is that many Americans only have liquor stores and quick stop shops to purchase the food they need. It is likely that individuals living in food deserts have a diet filled with processed, packaged foods and only minimal intake of nutritious fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods. (If you can’t stop thinking about desserts, then I have you covered).

For some of us, we don’t live in a food desert, but we still choose to consume highly processed fast foods for other reasons. My point today is that you can’t decide to start a plant-based diet assuming that it will “fix” the way that you eat. It’s very easy to eat a plant-based diet that is full of non-nutritious foods (like vegan protein bars), just like it’s easy to have a flexitarian diet full of overly processed foods (like cheez-its and cheetos). There are a ton of foods that are vegan that don’t provide a lot of nutrition (like oreos and vegan toaster pastries). If the bulk of your diet is filled with highly processed foods, it doesn’t matter what type of eating style you choose. Your body is starving for more nutrition.

What’s my point?

The take-away for going plant-based with your diet is that you should bring an awareness of the type of fuel you are putting into your body. I like to think of the human body as a high-end luxury car- because it is! Our bodies do amazing things every day and deserve to be treated well! You don’t want to put the cheap gas in a Ferrari, right? So then why would you put anything less than the best fuel into your body? Respecting yourself and your body enough to fuel it properly is a good foundation for any diet, whether you continue to include meat or exclude it completely (and you can eat healthy either way!)

So the next time you’re grocery shopping, take a moment to inventory your cart. Are the foods you’ve selected mostly whole and minimally processed? Are they something that someone from another culture would recognize as food? If the answer is yes, then you’re probably on the right track with your plant-based journey.

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Nutrition and Food, Recipes

Vegan Quiche

Sarah Miller, RD

Ingredients

  • 1 pre-made vegan pie crust (I like to use Wholly gluten free 9″ pie shells)
  • 14oz block firm tofu
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1-3 tbsp unflavored plant- based milk
  • 1c dairy or non-dairy shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 medium white onion chopped or diced into bite size pieces
  • 1 medium/large carrot or 6-10 baby carrots (whichever you have on hand) diced or sliced into bite size pieces

Instructions

  1. Press the tofu block to drain as much liquid as possible. I usually press for ~20min
  2. Remove frozen pie crust to allow to thaw for ~10-20min or per package instructions.
  3. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  4. Add tofu, nutritional yeast, turmeric, lemon juice, and salt to high powered blender. Blend until smooth. If your mixture needs help mixing add in 1tbsp of plant-based milk at a time to assist in blending.
  5. By hand, stir in the onion, carrot (or other vegetables), and cheese of choice.
  6. Spread mixture into pre-made crust.
  7. Bake for ~40-45min or until crust sides and top of quiche are golden brown and filling appears firm.
  8. Slice and enjoy!

Tips

  1. You can use any vegetable you like. Carrots and onions are a little odd I know, but the flavor is really good and gives a great crunch texture. Be creative and try asparagus, mushrooms, parsnips, spinach, potatoes, any vegetable you like!
  2. Draining the tofu block is key! If your tofu is too watery this won’t work well- trust me. Consider buying a tofu press if you don’t already have one. I bought this one on Amazon and it makes draining tofu a breeze.
  3. If you’re feeling adventurous you can make your own pie crust instead of buying a frozen store bought option. 
  4. Sprinkle some hemp hearts on top for an extra dose of protein and omegas.
  5. I recommend a really good blender for this recipe. You all know I love my blendtec. I use it as a blender and a food processor. Check out the link if you’re interested in the model I use.
flat lay photography of vegetable salad on plate
Nutrition and Food

World’s Healthiest Diet?

Sarah Miller, RD

Once again scientists have agreed that a diet rich in plant foods with minimal processed foods, some fish, and minimal red meat is the healthiest choice for humans! Check out this article authored by Jessica Stillman on Apple News for the full story.

There’s no big news to announce but the reminder that eating more plants and whole foods is better for our bodies. Eating plant-based doesn’t mean you have to be vegan, so feel free to experiment with what works for you! Just remember to always include those veggies.

bowl of vegetable salad and fruits
Nutrition and Food

Protein and a Plant-Based Diet

Sarah Miller, RD

A common misconception persists that following a plant-based diet excluding most meat products will result in under consumption of protein. For the average American this is simply not the case.  Most Americans consume more protein than the recommended daily amount, especially if they allow for animal protein in their diet.

Flexitarian, pesco-vegetarian, and lacto-ovo vegetarians are probably the least likely of any eaters to have inadequate protein intake, assuming they’re also meeting their daily caloric needs. Fruit centered raw diets are generally inadequate in protein and many other nutrients. Due to their inadequacy, I won’t be commenting on the fruit centered and raw diets. It’s my professional opinion that you should re-consider your diet if you’re choosing to follow those types of meal patterns. If you need a reminder of the definitions of different types of plant-based eating, refer to my post “What do you mean you eat a plant-based diet?” for a refresher.

Do plant foods even have any protein?

Having all animal sources of protein and byproducts excluded with a vegan diet, it may require slightly more meal planning to ensure you’re meeting all of your nutrition needs. But this doesn’t mean eating has to be complicated. There are many plant foods that have protein. Soy (tofu, edamame), beans, lentils, quinoa, chia seeds, hemp hearts, and peanuts are all excellent sources of protein that are also vegan. 

The body prefers to have protein intake spread throughout the day rather than all at once at one main meal. For example, a quick way to help ensure you’re meeting your needs is to do a quick inventory of your plate/bowl whenever you sit down to eat. Make sure you have a protein, carbohydrate, and fat (mostly unsaturated) source. This can be a quick way to eyeball your plate without needing to track or measure your foods. Remember that protein doesn’t have to mean meat or eggs. Protein foods can also be tempeh, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, lentils, or even Ezekiel bread or peanut butter.

Don’t I have to eat them at the same time?

There is an old myth from the 1970s that persists today involving complementary protein combining at meals, for example beans and rice, because individually they’re incomplete proteins. The misconception is that the only way to have your body get all of the required amino acids (building blocks of protein) is to consume these foods that have complementary proteins at the same time. Most plant-based sources of protein are incomplete, meaning they don’t on their own contain all of the essential amino acids. But the human body is actually an amazing recycling center. The body can use the amino acids and recycle them into other amino acids and proteins, regardless of whether or not the foods providing the amino acids were consumed at the same time. This is another reason that having variety in your diet is helpful for meeting your nutrition needs.

Now more than ever there is a consumer demand driving innovation in the food industry to create delicious vegan options. I encourage you to try new products and see what items work for you.  Stay tuned for a follow-up post about alternative meat products and other hot vegan grocery items!