Healthy Vegan on a Budget

When people are giving excuses for why they choose not to eat a healthy, plant-based diet, often the issue of money comes up first. I’m the first to admit that I can easily blow $500 on food in a flash, but with a little thought and planning, it doesn’t have to be this way.

I could harp on about how the Government subsidizes the meat industry but let me simply point out some facts about how we do spend money…

The average Australian household spends more on fast food than fruit and vegetables and five times more on recreation than healthy foods. As a result of our poor eating habits, we then spend nearly twice as much on medical expenses as we do on fruit and vegetables. It’s not as though we can’t afford to eat or feed our children- Australia is the only country in the world where childhood obesity is increasing faster than that of adults.

However, none of this changes the fact that it’s cheaper to feed the family at Maccas than to cook an organic nutritious meal. So, the Vegan Era Crew have been looking at ways to make it easier and cheaper to live a healthy, vegan lifestyle.

BUDGET
First of all, sit down and decide how much money you have to spend and go through how you spend it now. What are you splurging on? What do you really need?

WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Decide on what you will and won’t compromise on. There’s no point deciding to stop buying all of your favourite things because you won’t stick to it!

For example:
I will only buy organic greens and fruit
I will not compromise on choosing organic and GMO free soy products

ORGANIC OR NOT?
Organic produce is notoriously more expensive. Depending on what you are comfortable with, you can choose organic for some things and not others. To help you decide, consider the following:

Most supermarkets now offer an affordable range of organic canned goods that are handy to keep in the pantry, such as tomatoes, chick peas, etc.

The Dirty Dozen
The following fruits and vegetables are known as 'the dirty dozen' because they are contaminated with the most amount of pesticides. Therefore, it's best to choose organic wherever possible.
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet bell peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes
11. Carrots
12. Pears

The following items are considered the 'cleanest' fruit and vegetables, so you could consider buying these non-organic.
1. Onions
2. Avocados
3. Sweet corn
4. Pineapples
5. Mangoes
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet peas
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papayas
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomatoes
15. Sweet potatoes


WASH YOUR PRODUCE PROPERLY
Whether you purchase organic or not, it is important to wash all of your fruit and vegetables. You do not need to purchase a specialty wash, which will often add to the chemical load of your produce and cost you money. Simple household ingredients such as vinegar or salt will remove many of the pesticides and bacteria. 

Rinse your produce first in cold water and then prepare a mix of approximately 1 teaspoon of sea salt to 1 cup of water.  Soak the produce for a couple of minutes and then rinse thoroughly with water.  Dry off the fruit and vegetables before putting them away to ensure freshness or wash them as you go, just before using.  

BUY IN SEASON

Just because you love strawberries all year round doesn’t mean you should eat them all year round! When you buy fruits and veggies when they are in season you will find them in abundance, at a reasonable price, and it is much healthier for you. Eating in tune with nature will provide the most nourishment for your body.

FARMER’S MARKETS

There are many benefits to shopping at your local markets. As you are often buying directly from the farmer or producer then it is often cheaper than the store. It is also often better for the environment as the produce usually hasn’t traveled as far. As you can chat to the stall holders and compare prices you can usually get great deals and great advice.

WHOLESALERS

Check out local wholesalers near you that sell direct to the public. They sell bulk products at a reduced price and you can find all sorts of things. Products such as nuts, canned goods, olives, legumes, olive oil, pasta, flour and spices are all things that you can save money on. For example, you can usually pick up a 1 litre can of cold-pressed olive oil for around $20 and then keep it in your pantry and refill your olive oil bottle as necessary. Wholesalers often specialize in certain cuisine, such as Indian, Greek, etc which have lovely surprises that you can’t find in your supermarket, and often at a fraction of the cost.

BE CAREFUL IN HEALTH FOOD STORES

It is very easy to spend a fortune in health food stores.  Make sure you know what you want before you go in there.  For example, you may choose to splurge on raw sprouted rye bread each week, which can cost close to $10 but it is much healthier than a regular loaf of bread and is so dense that you will only need a small amount.  It also lasts a long time in the fridge, rather than going stale in a day or two.  

MAKE YOUR OWN

We have certainly become a society that demands quick, easy and convenient. If you do have the time though, there are many things that you can make yourself at home. Simple things that take only 5 minutes or so include your own hummus. All you need is a can of chickpeas, some tahini, garlic and lemon juice and a food processor. Other dips you can make easily and cheaply include guacamole, pesto, olive tapenade, salad dressings, tomato salsa, almond butter etc. It is much cheaper than constantly buying dips and spreads and much healthier for you too as they are fresh and contain no preservatives. If you have more time then making your own breads, crackers, almond milk, etc are also more economical and much healthier.

GROW YOUR OWN

Even if it is simply having a pot or 2 of herbs on your balcony, this will save you money. Herbs are hearty so they often only need watering a couple of times a week and some sunshine and there is nothing better than the taste and aroma of fresh herbs in your food. The addition of fresh herbs can often mean that you don’t need additional flavour from unhealthy alternatives such as excess salt.

FOOD CO-OPS AND HOME DELIVERY OPTIONS

Do some research in your local area for co-ops and local food delivery options.  It saves you time and often saves you money.  

MEAL PLANNING

If you sit down at the start of the week and make a rough plan of the meals you'd like to have for the week, you can ensure that you only buy what you need. 

FEEDING YOUR PETS

Specialty dog food and other pet food can get expensive.  However, if you purchase a bag of vegan doggie biscuits and some treats, you can then make up some rice and canned vegetables to serve with it.  This way your dog biscuits will go much further, and your animal friend gets a nutritious, yummy meal!

MAKE YOUR PANTRY GO THE DISTANCE

It is a great exercise to try to make your pantry go the distance before going out shopping again.  Whether you make a decision not to purchase anything else for the next week or simply make a conscious decision to stretch everything a little further at each meal, you will be amazed at how far you can go and how much you can save.  Get creative and use up some of those items hidden at the back of the cupboard.  

There are many other ways that you can save money and keep a healthy diet.  Choosing to avoid meat and dairy products is a great start!  If you have any further tips for us, please don't hesitate to comment!  

Be Love: Be Peace: Be Vegan; Save Our Home

Reclaim Your Health Book Review Blog

I don’t know about you, but it seems more and more people in my circles are suffering from so many illnesses. Every second person I talk to also have a loved one with some sort of cancer or diabetes....and you only have to take a tiny peek into our hospitals to realise the huge health problems in our societies. "Reclaim Your Health" is a great mentor guide to not only those who are suffering from cancers, it is a huge wake up call for all of us to SLOW DOWN and start looking after our bodies, and to BE CONSCIOUS of what we feeding those "cells’ that we so desperately need for everyday existence.

I recently had a sobbing seventy-two year old doctor call me for some health information. Her eighty year old husband who was also a doctor had been suffering from prostate cancer and had changed to a plant based diet. Not only were they amazed at the cell recovery rate of excluding the foods mentioned in "Reclaim Your Health," they were also saddened by the advice they had been giving their patients for the past 40 years. They are still practising physicians, and are trying their best to share their first hand experience of a plant based diet to cancer patients, other doctors and the general public.

The wisdom found in "Reclaim Your Health" should be the compulsory medical manual for all cancer patients as well as for general illness prevention! Relax, stop eating meat, dairy, eggs and processed foods as they are toxic fuels that breed disease in your bodies. Give yourself a great big KISS, that's "Keep It Simple Stupid" and eat fresh fruits, legumes and vegetables to keep your "car" running smoothly for the rest of your life. ‘KISS’ yourself by slowing down and enjoying everyday moments, and feel happy and grateful for all that you have.

To me it seems that having cancer can also be a blessing, as the wisdom shared in this book soaks into your heart and soul. I too am now inspired to look after my "amazing house’ known as my body even more, and to be forever grateful to feeling healthy from a plant based diet….oh yes..and to be ‘Loosey Goosey', let go and go with the flow!

Accolade

"Reclaim your Health should be the compulsory medical manual for all cancer patients"

From Earth and Water

The Vegan Era Crew had the absolute pleasure of enjoying a scrumptious lunch at a new raw vegan cafe on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia last week. fRom eArth and Water is a gorgeous little place tucked away of James Street in Burleigh Heads. It is bright and airy with wooden, balinese inspired furnishings, and offers a simple, but oh-so-tasty menu.

This is what they have to say about their beautiful food:

"Our menu is a celebration of raw organic cuisine, 100% botanical with no animal products, gluten, dairy, refined sugars, or processed ingredients. Everything on our menu uses the purest seasonal ingredients locally sourced and organically grown. The result is vibrant rich deep flavour without guilt. The passion, commitment to detail, unique artistry food techniques and the use of exotic botanical ingredients is best experienced from the chefs table menu. this menu has been carefully constructed with your health in mind...Discover the inherent beauty and flavour of each ingredient in its natural raw state. Welcome, be well!"

The small cafe is run by one beautiful lady called Nic who has a passion for nourishing your body and soul.

We enjoyed the following:

Sweet Vanilla Nut Mylk (fresh coconut water, home made almond mylk and vanilla pod)

Pistachio Pesto Ravioli (Ravioli made from fresh young coconuts and basil and filled with pistachio pesto, sun-dried tomato marinara and marinated vegetables)

Soft mini tacos (taco shells made from golden flax and zucchini and filled with spicy sun-dried tomato filling, guacamole, fresh tomato lime salsa and house made "sour cream")

Coconut wrap spring rolls (light wraps made from fresh coconut and filled with avocado, coriander, mint, cucumber, cashews and a stay dressing)

Baja Burrito Wrap (wrap made from golden flax and zucchini and filled with nut cheese, marinated vegetables, seasonal salad greens, avocado, cashews and sour cream)

Banana pancakes filled with a decadent cream and topped with chocolate and raspberry sauces.

I know what you are thinking - how in the world did 2 people eat all of that?? Well, we went slow and worked our way through the menu gently. We shared everything and took some meals home to enjoy for dinner. Although we were still full from lunch!

I think it's best I let the pics do the talking (please note that I tried my best to remember to take photos BEFORE devouring the meals but, alas, a couple of times I got half way through the meal before realizing that I had to take a picture!).

Sweet Vanilla Nut Mylk

This was served ice cold and was absolutely divine!

Soft Mini Tacos

The sour cream on these tacos was delicious! We were expecting the sun-dried tomato filling to be a little spicier but the flavours of this filling and the salsa and guac complemented each other beautifully. Much better than a 'real' taco!

Pistachio Pesto Ravioli

The marinara sauce in the ravioli was beautiful and we polished these off very quickly.

Coconut Wrap Spring Rolls

We had 1 spring roll each and that was definitely enough! These were so filling, choc full of grated carrot and other vegetables and the satay sauce was lovely and sweet.

Banana Pancakes filled with cashew cream

Dessert was AMAZING. The cream inside was beautiful and not too heavy, while the raspberry sauce gave it a really fresh taste.

We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and each and every dish. It is amazing how filling and tasty raw food is. Unfortunately, all the nuts in the creamy sauces gave Dave a few tummy problems, which I guess goes with eating a lot of raw foods. Nuts are just so versatile that they end up in everything!

It is one of those places we will certainly revisit, if only because we cannot be bothered making such beautiful creations ourselves! This is what dining out is all about! Thank you so much to Nic and her lovely staff for making our experience at From Earth and Water so enjoyable! Even Trudi was allowed to sit with us and enjoy!

Be Love; Be Peace; Be Vegan. Save Our Home

VEGANIZE your baking!

A friend of the Vegan Era Crew asked us recently about substituting animal products with vegan alternatives. The free Veg Starter Kit on our home page has a few ideas to get you started but we thought we'd go into more detail with our favourite meal time....DESSERT!

It's certainly becoming easier to find vegan desserts, especially if you have access to a good health food store. However, there is

nothing like baking up your own delights and giving vegan life to old favourites! "Veganizing" your desserts can often mean making these desserts much healthier too so that you can enjoy them guilt-free. Hooray!

In particular, cookies, brownies and muffins are quite easy to adjust, but cake recipes can be a little trickier. It is better to go with a vegan cake recipe unless you are already experienced with vegan baking techniques.

Some general guidelines:

To replace one egg:
a) Packaged Egg Replacer (1 1/2 t. egg replacer + 2 T. water for each egg)
b) 1 T. soy powder mixed with 2 T. water
c) 1 1/2 T. ground flax seeds soaked in 3 T. boiling water for 15 minutes. Pour off excess water and use the gelled flax seeds.
d) Half a mashed banana
e) 3 T. apple sauce
f) 1 T. arrowroot powder

To replace milk or cream:
a) Store-bought non-dairy milk (such as a thick, rich soy/rice/oat or nut milk) or non-dairy cream
b) Home-made tofu milk (made by blending tofu with water). To prepare: Rinse and drain 8 oz. (one cup) of tofu. Using a blender, blend tofu with one cup water. Puree until smooth. Add one more cup of water and blend. This will yield 2 1/2 – 3 cups of tofu milk.
c) Silken tofu, pureed in the food processor, makes a great base for a “cream filling.”

To replace white refined sugar
(White sugar is not only very bad for your overall health, but it is often refined through animal bone char, especially in the US.)
a) Evaporated cane juice or other unrefined cane sugar such as Rapadura
b) Date sugar
c) Xylitol (birch sugar)

To replace honey
a) agave nectar
b) rice syrup
c) maple syrup*
d) barley malt extract
e) sorghum molasses

For some awesome vegan cookie recipes, check out The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur.

For any non-vegans who are just a little scared off eggs right now due to the massive recall in the US recently, here is a yummy egg free breakfast idea...

Vegan Breakfast Frittata

serves 8 (I got this recipe from VegetarianTimes.com)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small red onion, diced

2 small carrots, diced

1 small zucchini, diced

1 package extra firm tofu

3 Tbsp grated vegan mozzarella

3 Tbsp soy sauce

6 tomatoes, sliced

fresh or dried herbs and spring onions such as parsley and basil.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F or 190 degrees C. Coat a 10 inch casserole dish or 24 cup muffin tin wiht cooking spray if you would prefer to make mini frittatas.

2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and saute red onion for 3-4 minutes. Add carrots and zucchini and saute for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add herbs and then remove from heat.

3. Puree tofu, mozzarella and soy sauce for 2 minutes in a food processor until smooth and thick. Stir tofu mixture into vegetable mixture and spoon into casserole dish. Arrange tomato slices on top and bake for 40-45 minutes (until the top is firm to touch) or 25-30 minutes if making mini frittatas. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

For more information on eggs and the differences between free range eggs, caged eggs, etc check out Renata's earlier post here.

Be Love, Be Peace, Be Vegan; Save Our Home.

Build me up buttercup!

One of the Vegan Era Crew has started chemotherapy and so we've been very interested in how the vegan diet can support the body during this time. The usually high-raw vegan diet that we have become accustomed to, is not adequate for putting on the weight and protein that the body needs to handle periods of sickness and excess weightloss. Of course most doctors believe lots of dairy and meat are the key in this situation, so we have been researching ways to put on weight, vegan-style.

According to The Vegetarian Society, "In order to gain weight it is essential to increase the energy content of your diet. Also, in order for your body to make proper use of protein, you must ensure sufficient energy. The most concentrated form of energy in the diet is from fat. If you can tolerate fat then try and increase the fat content of your diet."

Have an Avo: Avocados are creamy and high in calories and nutrients. They are also soft and easy to eat during times when mouth ulcers and other nasty side-effects take hold.

Get Smooth: Smoothies are a great way to add extra protein in the form of a protein powder, and calories with the addition of soy or rice milk, soy yoghurt or ice-cream, nuts, seeds, bananas and even soft silken tofu.

Get Saucy: Have meals with a good sauce, made with pureed fried onions, perhaps with tomatoes or mushrooms. To increase the energy density of sauces use vegan margarine and add soya milk or silken tofu.

Beans: Cooked beans can be added to soups, stews, pies, salads, etc as well as being able to be pureed or used for dips such as hummus.

Soy Soy Soy: All of the over-processed soy products that we usually steer clear of are full of calories and protein. If you are looking to bulk up, delicious products such as Tofutti cream cheese will certainly help!

Go Nutty: Nut butters are a great way to get lots of the good fat and nutrients from nuts in an easily digestible way. Choose raw almond butter, sunflower butter, tahini, or hazelnut butter and add them to crackers, vegetable crudites, salads, deserts, baked goods or have them on toast.

Oily Goodness: Extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, etc are a healthy way to add good fats to the diet.

Rice, Pasta, Gnocchi, sprouted bread, vegan custard and yummy vegan cheese are some of the other things that spring to mind if you are looking to put on weight.

Unfortunately, there are not many vegan meal replacements, such as Sustagen, which offer all of the nutrients that the body needs in a liquid form for times when patients cannot eat. Vega Complete Meal Replacement is a powder that was formulated by a vegan triathlete and is available at www.pureprescriptions.com, but it contains some natural products that pharmacists and oncologists may not agree to.

If you are looking to put on weight as a cancer patient, then there will likely be other challenges that need to be addressed also, such as dry mouth, loss of appetite, sore throat and mouth ulcers, nausea, constipation or diarrhea and loss or change of taste. The most important thing is to get some form of nutrients in to the body each day, so whatever is tolerable and appealing is often the only consideration.

While some of the Crew are enjoying pigging out on all of these vegan delicacies, we are looking forward to the end of treatment when a return to a healthy RAW vegan diet will help to detox the body!!

Here is a lovely recipe for Lemon Poppy Scones to get your taste buds drooling...

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup margarine

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1/2 cup soy milk

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Cut in margarine until the mixture is the consistency of large grains of sand. I like to use my hands to rub the margarine into the flour. Stir in poppy seeds, lemon zest and lemon juice. Combine the soy milk and water, and gradually stir into the dry ingredients until the batter is moistened, but still thick like biscuit dough. You may not need all of the liquid. Spoon 1/4 cup sized plops of batter onto the greased baking sheet so they are about 3 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes the preheated oven, until golden.

Mother's Day

As Mother's Day quickly approaches I thought I would bring your attention to the cruelty that some mothers are forced to endure. I know it's not the loveliest of subjects, but I was heartbroken to see how these mothers and their babies are treated and think it is important to share it. Ignorance is bliss sometimes but once you do know the truth about how these animals are treated, it's tough to consciously continue supporting it.

Take a look at this short video which shows a very gentle view of one aspect of what goes on in dairy farms. If you would like to know more you can simply go to You Tube and find many videos that are much more confronting than this one or go to PETA.org, who never fail to provide shocking, undercover footage.

I have to admit that even after becoming aware of these conditions, it took me a little while to actually cut out dairy altogether. Due to everything that has been put in our faces for most of our lives, I was convinced that dairy is a necessary part of our diet. I guess we are pretty good at finding excuses to justify whatever it is we wish to justify to ourselves!

It was not until I was diagnosed with cancer and did some research that I realised that this could not be further from the truth. Dairy products are constantly being linked to breast cancer and prostate cancer, among other diseases. The hormones present in milk can cause cancer cells and other abnormal cells to grow more rapidly. People in western societies who consume a lot of dairy products also have a higher rate of oesteoperosis. This is due to the fact that animal protein actually leaches calcium from the bones.

Humans are the only animals to drink a mother's breast milk past those first few formative months and the only ones to drink the milk of another animal. It's kinda gross when you think about it. Not to mention how fattening it is. I know I have mentioned these points before in a previous post so I won't harp on about it. :)

Spread some love to ALL mothers this Mother's Day and substitute your regular latte for a soy latte (it doesn't taste the same but I'm sure you can handle it!). You can also go to www.cowribbon.com to purchase a cow print ribbon to wear on Mother's Day, raising awareness of this cruelty, or send a cute Mother's Day ecard.

Vegan Doggies

Here at Vegan Era, we LOVE animals. That's a given. Our resident doggie is little Trudi and she is a beautiful Staffy. We rescued her from a local no-kill animal shelter when she was about 6 months old. Trudi is a happy little vegan also. She seems to be growing almost every day and is full of life and love.

Seeing how happy and healthy Trudi is, we always have people ask us how they can help their best friends to adopt the compassionate vegan diet. So we thought we'd share our experience and ideas with you.

First of all let me tell you how much Trudi LLOOVVVEESSS food. Like most doggies, food is her favourite thing. She loves toast in the mornings with avacado or left over porridge with extra milk. We met another gorgeous doggie the other day that loves soy banana smoothies so we'll have to see if Trudi likes that too. Our guess is she will love it!

For dinner, Trudi enjoys rice with vegetables and beans/lentils/vegan mince and some baked beans or some tomato pasta sauce for flavour. Trudi prefers just the canned veggies from the supermarket and she loves corn. We always make up a big batch for her so that it lasts at least a few days. As well as this, Trudi loves to mix her rice meal with some Vegan Pet doggie biscuits. She loves crunching on them!

We've heard that many staffy's are as fussy as Trudi so we usually don't adjust her dinner too much. It's funny watching her carefully remove the things that she doesn't like from the bowl, such as anything green!

Trudi also loves Vegan Pet treats such as the chocolate or peanut butter flavoured doggie biscuits. Yummy!!

When we first brought Trudi in to our home it took her a few days to get used to her new situation and she didn't eat much for the first few days. This is normal. So if you are trying to change your best friend's eating habits, please keep this in mind. After a few days your doggie will probably love the new food and you may start to notice differences such as a more gentle nature and a shinier coat.

I'm sure your happy little girl or boy will embrace the compassionate, vegan lifestyle just as much as you have!

If you have a vegan pet please let us know what food they love.

Be love : Be peace : Be vegan; Save Our Home.