This is the time of year when friends and family get together for visits. Maybe you have vegan friends coming to visit, and you’re not vegan. Or maybe you’re vegan and you’d like to share some tasty recipes with your non-vegan visitors.
Some non-vegans worry that vegans don’t get enough protein since they don’t eat any type of animal products. But getting enough protein is fairly easy, either from plant-based food sources, meat alternatives, or soy dairy products. Plant sources of protein include soy, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Meat alternatives include soy burgers, BOCA burgers, seitan (a thick-textured meat replacement made from wheat gluten), and many others. Soy dairy products include milk, cheese and yogurt along with other options.
Sometimes non-vegans think that vegan food must be unappealing – all tasteless vegetables. That may have seemed true many years ago when people didn’t know much about vegan cooking. In the last five or ten years there’s been an explosion of amazing vegan cookbooks and recipes, and the trend to become vegan is flourishing.
Dana Angelo White of Food Network Kitchens offers a typical day of meals for a vegan:
Breakfast: A basic bowl of oatmeal (without the butter or added milk) or a smoothie made with creamy silken tofu, soymilk and fresh fruit work well. It can be sweetened with either honey or agave nectar.
Snack: Fresh fruit, veggies, nuts, whole-grain pretzels and rice cakes are simple mid-meal snacks, the same as for everyone.
Lunch: Veggies are a vegan’s best friend, so try a large salad. Add some beans for extra nutrients and hunger-fighting protein.
Another easy option is a grilled “cheese” sandwich made with soy cheese, tomato, arugula and spicy red onion.
Dinner: Try a veggie stir-fry served with brown rice or quinoa, a protein-packed whole grain. Consider making:
• Chocolate Waffles
• N-English Muffin
• Avocado Bacon Burrito
• Banana Nut Muffins
• Huevos Rancheros
• Vanilla Strawberry Smoothie.
Happy, healthy, tasty holidays to you all!