What's The Difference Between A Vegan And A Vegetarian?

By Kate R Winston  

Photo: images.wisegeek.com
 
A true vegan is a person who does not eat or use animal products of any kind. This not only includes honey, eggs, dairy products and meat, it also includes the choice to not use any animal products such as leather and. feathers.

You'll find that there are many different degrees of the vegetarian diet, but a true vegetarian does not eat animal products. Often they do wear or use products that are made from animals. Some vegetarians eat fish or eggs. Others will eat dairy products. There are as many reasons as there are vegetarians why people decide to give up dairy products, meat, and fish.

There is now terminology which defines different degrees of the vegetarian diet. For example, a pescatarian still eats seafood, a lacto eats dairy products, an ovo eats eggs and a lacto-ovo vegetarian includes both dairy and eggs in their diet. The newest term floating around is a flexitarian which is someone who chooses to be vegetarian or vegan only on certain days. Should you decide to eliminate all animal food products and byproducts completely, you'll be known as vegan.
Let's take a look at some of the reasons why people choose this lifestyle.

Health Concerns Are Often A Major Factor When Choosing A Vegan Or Vegetarian Diet:
Often people choose a vegetarian diet because of concerns over their health. A vegan or vegetarian diet can sometimes be helpful in treating certain diseases and conditions. This diet choice may also be a significant factor in prevention.

A good example of how a vegetarian or vegan diet can be beneficial is this: If you become a vegan, you stop adding cholesterol to your diet because vegetables and fruits don't contain cholesterol. If a person has high cholesterol and combines exercise with a vegan diet, it can help lower cholesterol.

Saturated fat is added to the diet by eating meat. Meat consumption can cause stress on your kidneys. Semi-vegetarians who consume both eggs and dairy are more likely to improve their cholesterol and overall health than they would by continuing to eat meat. Generally, people who stick to vegan and vegetarian diets reduce their risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke caused by excess fat and cholesterol.
Vegan and vegetarian diets have also been known to be beneficial when managing other conditions as well. It may also increase longevity and may help control obesity.

Vegans and vegetarians may experience a lower risk of certain types of cancer and type 2 diabetes. The vegan and vegetarian diet may also reduce the risk of contracting food borne illnesses such as salmonella and listeria.

The vegan and vegetarian diets generally contain a high fiber content which helps the body eliminate waste and aids in the prevention of constipation. It also reduces the risk of suffering from spastic colon and hemorrhoids.

Vegan and vegetarian diets also help to strengthen bones, boost immunity and increase your strength and stamina.

Vegans and vegetarians are less likely to suffer from diabetes. They also have a reduced risk of gall bladder problems and gallstones. Some people become vegans or vegetarians in an attempt to ward off a full-blown case of diabetes. It has been found that people who are vegans or vegetarians experience fewer health problems than people who eat meat.

Dairy Intolerance And Allergy:
As surprising as it may seem, there isn't any evidence that humans require milk from cows. There are many delicious alternatives for dairy milk available in the marketplace. Soy, hemp, almond and rice milks are ideal for people with dairy intolerance or allergies. Tofu is made from soybeans. Soy products are available in many delicious options including products such as soy yogurt, vegan butter and soy cheese.

Animal Rights:
Another reason many people become vegans or vegetarians is because they are against the practices of the meat producing industry as well as the common practice of using hormones, antibiotics and other drugs. Animal cruelty is often also a major deciding factor when choosing to become vegan or vegetarian.Certain religions are also an influencing factor as they have guidelines about eating meat. Buddhists are vegetarians. Hindus usually don't eat meat and never eat beef. As much as 80% of the population of India is vegetarian.

Environmental Factors:
Environmental consciousness is another reason people choose to become vegans and vegetarians. Raising animals requires much more water than raising grains and vegetables. Concerns over deforestation and the extinction of species are other reasons people choose to become vegan or vegetarian.
Raising animals uses natural resources in larger quantities than raising crops of grains and beans. Raising cattle for beef destroys the topsoil,which is not as thick as it once was. Another concern is the run off of pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides used to grow food for cattle leaching into the groundwater and causing contamination.

World Hunger:
The decision to become vegan or vegetarian sometimes comes with the awareness that raising meat costs more than raising grain. Grain used to feed animals destined for slaughter could be used to help alleviate hunger around the world.

There really aren't any hard and fast rules when it comes to choosing a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. The path you choose to follow will ultimately be uniquely your own.

Kate R. Winston is a professional Chef and a vegetarian of more than 30 years. For more information about transitioning to a plant based diet visit http://www.vegluncheonette.com

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How to Make Seitan: A Great Meat Substitute

 By Lynda Edwards 

Photo: media.npr.org

Even for a non-vegetarian, learning how to make seitan at home can be a skill worth learning. For one thing, it beats having to race out and catch a chicken or butcher a steer. And for another, seitan is fairly easy to make with the right ingredients on hand, notably gluten flour or vital wheat gluten (essentially the same). It's also relatively inexpensive. [Do please, however, stay away from this food if you're gluten intolerant. Even its great taste, high protein/low-carb content, and usability won't make up for the pain.]
What Is It?
For many people, seitan is a terrific source of vegetarian protein. Pronounced "say-tawn" or "see-tawn," it's sometimes referred to as "mock chicken" in Asian restaurants. But you can add seitan to dishes in virtually every cuisine, from Italian to Vietnamese and points in between. You can grind it to make sandwich mix, make delicious wraps with it, and even dehydrate little strips for snacks. In fact, dried seitan makes a great road food or trail mix when combined with seeds, nuts, and perhaps a little dried fruit.
By simply adding this great product to your larder, you'll broaden your protein options considerably. If you can buy it locally, lucky you! If you cannot, just make it at home. This, thanks to gluten flour or vital wheat gluten (essentially the same), is fairly easy to do. In fact, you can find quite simple recipes all over the Internet; with gluten flour and some seasonings, you're pretty much ready to go whenever the mood strikes.
Securing the Gluten Flour
When making seitan, you must have gluten, as it's the principal ingredient. This flour, treated to remove both bran and starch, can sometimes be found in supermarkets. But if your local market does not or will not stock it, you can also buy gluten flour and/or vital wheat gluten from Amazon if you live in North America.
If you do not, don't be dismayed. When gluten flour isn't readily available, you can actually make your own gluten, although it's considerably less convenient than simply buying the powder and going on from there. Still, it's perfectly do-able, and you can find instructions with visuals right here.
Putting the Seitan Together
When preparing the dough, you will first mix together a group of ingredients such as these: vital wheat gluten; perhaps some nutritional yeast; garlic, herbs and other seasonings; tamari, barbeque sauce, or ketchup; and a little wine, water, and/or broth. Then you'll knead the seitan for a short while and pop it into a pot of flavorful broth and simmer until it's thoroughly cooked. Nothing to it, really! And yet it tastes so good and is so versatile. You can find simple recipes all over the Internet.
At our house, we use it as a protein in pasta recipes and also as one of the filling ingredients for our vegetarian shepherd's pie recipe. We couldn't get along without it, and you may eventually feel the same-particularly if you're vegetarian or vegan. Plus, now you actually know how to make this stuff yourself, and how cool is that?

Running out of ideas for vegetarian meals? Give yourself a seven-day break from meal planning with the menus in our Free Report. Claim yours at http://www.vegetarian-diet-tips.com/

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Vegan Stewed Peas With Dumplings

By Susanne Kirlew  

Photo: mywholedeal.com
 
STEW PEAS
1lb /0.5kg dried kidney beans
6 cups water - 1 cup = 250ml
500ml coconut milk - coconut milk is Vegan
1 onion, minced and/or 2 spring onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced or diced
1 carrot, diced
1 ½ - 2 tsp salt or to taste
1 sprig thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme
1 whole scotch bonnet pepper (with stem intact)
¼ tsp ginger (optional)
¼ tsp ground all spice optional
DUMPLINGS
½ cup whole wheat flour /Plain flour
¼ cup water
pinch salt
METHOD for Stew Peas
Wash the beans thoroughly and soak in water overnight or for at least 8 hours. The following day you need to discard the water and thoroughly rinse the beans, place them in a saucepan with water and bring to the boil, lower the heat to a simmer until they are tender for about 1 hour or so. Add coconut milk and vegetables carrots, onion, garlic, and continue simmering. Add the dumplings (see below for method) and thyme and other seasonings, simmer for around another 30 minutes or so until the sauce is thick. Discard pepper before serving.
METHOD for Dumplings (Dumplings are key to this recipe)
Place flour and salt in a bowl. Add water and mix to make a stiff dough. Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll into the palm of hands to make long thin dumplings. Drop into simmering stew.
To lose weight and be healthy Vegans we sometimes need to cut down on the amount of calories we consume, the problem with eating less is we tend to feel even more hungry so the best way of reducing the amount of calories you eat is to choose good food. Instead of having smaller portions why don't we bulk up our meals with foods that will fill you up without weighing you down, like fruit and vegetables and healthy nuts and pulses, these food will fill you up without piling on the pounds.
Eat as many vegetables and as much fruit as you can with every meal, your five a day mean you can fill your meals with vegetables and fruit so there's less room for higher-calorie foods. At lunch, you can have salads with lettuce, tomato, onion, carrots, peppers or add these ingredients to a delicious sandwich. At dinner time, you can still enjoy your favourite meals like rice, vegan casseroles and pasta and fill them up with more veggies.
To book Kirly-Sue email info@kirlysuesKitchen.co.uk

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Caribbean Vegetarian Recipes

By Alexander Charlemont 

Photo: 0.tqn.com

So, the idea of like a vegetarian appears attractive to you but you are somewhat overcome. Are you currently presently racking your brains on just how to be a vegetarian? If you wish to change but aren't prepared to quit meat cold chicken, try progressively shifting.
Begin by getting rid of only one type of meat out of your diet (like beef). Then, before extended, drop another. And, throughout this method, begin integrating vegetarian foods for the schedule. Begin progressively, possess a couple vegetarian foods every week. Before extended, increase the amount of vegetarian foods until all meat is progressively removed the foods you eat.
Almost everyone has favorite dishes that could be easily transformed into meatless versions. These may be homemade foods or menu products inside the restaurant for example spaghetti with marinara sauce, vegetable lo mein, and bean burrito. Also, if you would like vegetable lasagne, stir-fried veggies, or pasta primavera, you can start your transition by thinking about making these foods more frequently. In addition, find high quality vegetarian prepare books to discover with to actually will keep a delicacy interesting acquiring a few exciting meatless dishes.
You've considered your options carefully, examined professionals together with the disadvantages, and made a decision the vegetarian lifestyle meets your needs. But where is it possible to start to make the modifications? Is it possible to go 'cold chicken?' Is it possible to adopt a much more gradual approach to shifting to vegetarianism? However you choose to make change, you can begin to possess health improvements of vegetarianism by substantially reducing on the amount of meat consumed, and making vegetables, fruits, beans, and bread toasted items the primary concentrate the meals.
Choose whole-grain products like whole wheat grains grains grains grains bread and flour, instead of refined or white-colored grains. Eat numerous foods, and book vegetables, fruits, grains, breads, nuts, or seed items you have not attempted before. Experiment and explore! You may uncover a completely new favorite or two, and learn brand-new techniques to boost classical vegetarian dishes. Many vegetarian foods can be found in any supermarket. Niche food stores may have many within the more uncommon items, additionally to several vegetarian convenience foods. When searching for food, plan ahead of time, shop acquiring an inventory and focused food labels. And if you select to consume milk items, choose non-body fat types, and limit your egg intake to 3-4 yolks every week.
As being a vegetarian is frequently as easy as you choose to ensure it's. Whether you'll need planning delectable, tasty meals or choose quick and easy ones, vegetarian meals can be very satisfying. When you are getting within the thought of keeping the following available, meal preparation time will complete easy: -Ready-to-eat, whole-grain whole wheat grains grains grains toast items, and quick-cooking whole-grain cereal items for instance oatmeal, whole-grain breads and crackers, for instance rye, whole wheat grains grains grains grains, and mixed grain together with other grains for instance barley and bulgur wheat
- Canned beans, for instance pinto, black beans, and garbanzo beans
- Grain (including brown, wild, etc.) and pasta (presently available entirely wheat, eco-friendly green spinach, together with other tastes) with tomato sauce and canned beans and/or chopped veggies
- Vegetarian sauces like lentil, navy bean, or minestrone
- Numerous plain frozen vegetables, and canned and frozen fruit
- Prepared soymilks and soy cheeses, if you choose to not eat dairy
- Numerous fruits and vegetables, which medicine core connected acquiring an eating plan system
In case you comprehend the simplest approach to test foods and uncover a meatless diet do not have to lack variety, you'll find your decision for vegetarianism wasn't only wise, but fun and simple come a delicacy
Check out some great vegetarian recipes and a free video at my blog: http://www.vegetarianmagic.com/vegetarian-recipe-blog/

http://www.vegetarianmagic.com/vegetarian-recipe-blog/
My recipe blog that has a free video showing several Caribbean Vegetarian Recipes

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