Groovy Vegetarian Blog [Video]
I created a short video on the fly to showcase key areas on the blog for new visitors, and to thank my readers, RSS subscribers and Twitter followers. It’s only about a minute and a half long and there’s a glitch at the end - so sorry about that!
A brief video highlighting key areas on my blog.
The video was created using my Flip Cam and although it’s a pretty cool camera, it doesn’t zoom very well. I was trying to highlight the different tabs and key areas on the blog, but the shots get blurry on close-up. I’ll try again some other day, but the point is thanxs for liking my blog! Appreciate it.
I also make a brief (very brief) appearance on the video. Yikes!
Top 5 Unexpected Dietary Habits
The following is a guest-post submitted by Jason from Rainbow Hearth.
I’m the manager of a Texas Hill Country Bed and Breakfast that caters to vegetarians, among other visitors.
One of the most interesting things about my time here has been observing people and their dietary habits. Of course, not everyone who comes here is vegetarian and not all vegetarians eat healthy. But most people interested in nutrition find this topic fascinating, so I thought I would contribute here, to Groovy Vegetarian, the top five unexpected dietary habits I have observed while working in a food service capacity.
- Lachanophobia: Or fear of vegetables. Some people are so afraid of vegetables that the mere mention of anything grown outside, like a carrot or tomato, gives them the shivers and causes their faces to crinkle in utter disgust. I once had a man need to be fed by his wife with an airplane-like motion because the omelet he was eating contained fresh, garden-grown rosemary!
- Super High Protein for Older Women: Some people who have had gastric bypass surgery or those on Atkins type diets must have higher amounts of protein, but these types of special restrictions are not what I am referring to. There is a segment of 50 to 60 year-old women who demand huge amounts of animal protein for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It does not matter what is served as long as the animal protein is there. The reasons they give tend to be either they are trying to maintain their strength or simply that they have always eaten that way.
- Anti-“Healthy” People: Words like “healthy”, “organic”, and “nutritious” can be enough to make some people refuse to even taste the food. For example, we serve Innocent Chocolate, which is some of the best tasting chocolate most people have ever tasted and it’s sugar-free and dairy-free. I learned early on that many people would refuse to eat the chocolate if I told them it did not contain sugar or dairy before they ate it. We once had a woman who had just complimented us on how good the food was, stop mid-chew and refuse to finish her meal. Why? We told her the vegetables were organic!
- Vegetarians Who Won’t Eat Vegetables: Typically, the reason they call themselves vegetarian is because they don’t eat meat. They still eat primarily processed foods like nachos, French fries and Twinkies. Vegetables, however, turn them off just as much as meat.
- Diet Soda Addiction: This is a huge problem. There are a number of people who are addicted to diet soda and many of these people are vegetarians. Almost every weekend we have people bring 12 or 24 packs of soda (usually diet) with them and they drink all of them during two-day stays. I’ve even seen vegetarians chug a diet soda, like it was water, everyday after a run.
The saddest part about most of these people is that they are usually somewhat overweight and when I speak with them, they complain about everything from diabetes and high cholesterol to cancer, but don’t make the connection between their health and their poor diet choices.
Editor Note: Thanxs for the interesting article, Jason.
image via culture feast
Question: Vegetarian-Friendly School Activity Ideas?
I received a question via email from a reader (Margaret) on ideas for vegetarian-friendly school activities. See below the full question and my answer. Please join in and share your ideas in the comment area.
Question?
I have been a vegetarian since 1981. I am raising my 7 year old son
vegetarian. I am looking for ideas to take to his public elementary school to offer as alternatives to Ice cream parites, pizza parties, Smores making, cupcakes for birshdays etc. Could be food or non food ideas. If you have some or know a resource you can recommend I wouild be very grateful. Thank you, Margaret.
My reply.
Hi, Margaret:Thanxs for your email. Appreciate the contact. Yes it’s abit of a challenge to navigate the school (food) system when you’re a veggie and or have a veg child. I hear ya.
As for alternatives - i would suggest the following:
- Bake Sale - with fruit type pastries, cookies, cakes, etc.
- Car Wash
- Library Trip
- Trail Hike
- Museum Days - many cities have free museum days.
- Veggie Burger Party - bring some or suggest a potluck type deal where other parents MAKE some. Or better yet have a Veggie Burger Bake-Off, turn it into a contest.
- Pet Day - where kids bring in their pets.
- Decorating Contest - have kids decorate something and again turn it into a contest - kids love to compete and be challenged. As American Idol has proved, kids LOVE TO VOTE on things.
- T-shirt Day - kids get to make a statement by wearing a groovy tee.
What say you? Share below.
20 More Vegetarian Iron Sources
Worried about iron? It’s a common concern among vegetarians, but there’s no reason to let it get you down, especially when there’s so many great iron-rich foods out there.
Here’s a short list of 20 of the top (in terms of iron density per calories) iron-containing fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, beans, and nuts, with the amount of iron per 200 calorie portion:
1. Spinach (cooked) 31 mg
2. Pumpkin Leaves (cooked) 30 mg
3. Beet Greens (raw), 23 mg
4. Swiss Chard (cooked), 23 mg
5. Hearts of Palm, 22 mg
(Note: Try to buy from sustainable sources, many sources promote clearing of tropical forests for palm cores)
6. Spirulina Seaweed (dry), 19.6 mg
7. Asparagus (raw), 21 mg.
8. Butterhead Lettuce (includes Boston and Bibb varieties), 19 mg
9. Chinese Cabbage (pak-choi, cooked), 17 mg
10. Potatoes (cooked), 16 mg
11. Red Leaf Lettuce, 15 mg
12. Scotch Kale (raw), 14 mg
13. Tofu (raw), 14 mg
14. Jalapeno Peppers, 14 mg
15. Dandelion Greens (raw), 14 mg
16. Mushrooms (cooked), 12 mg
17. Green Beans, 12 mg
18. Beets, 1.3 mg
19. Arugula, 12 mg
20. Tomatoes (canned), 12 mg
Honorable Mention: Summer Squash, Peas, Onions, Peppers, Olives
An adult man needs approximately 10 mg/day, while an adult woman needs approximately 15 mg/day (according to the FDA). Pregnant women need 30 mg/day, and those who work out extensively may need slightly more as well.
Note: Again, these numbers are for a 200 calorie portion, which is often significantly more than the serving size. For example — the tomatoes’ serving size is 41 calories, so a single serving would only have 2.4 mg of iron, appr. Still, I feel that the 200 calorie comparison gives the best feel for iron density, which is useful when you combine multiple veggies in a recipe.
Also note, all the veggie sources are non-heme iron, which is harder for the body to absorb, though cruelty free. To combat this - eat along with Vitamin C rich foods.
A big thanks to Nutrition Data for all the nutritional information!
Oatmeal Health Benefits
When you wake up in the morning, one of the best ways to start your day is with a nice bowl of oatmeal.
Oatmeal + Blueberries = One Happy Breakfast!
Some cool oatmeal health benefits is that it contains large amounts of fiber and complex carbs, making it a great way to get your 6 or more recommended daily servings of grains. It also has a lot of protein and iron, to boot. What it doesn’t have much of are sugars and fats. If you’re watching you’re weight and or fat intake, oatmeal is 100% cholesterol-free.
Another good thing about oatmeal is that its so ubiquitous — you can find it everywhere. This means its easy to find organic oatmeal, or get your favorite kind, be it instant oatmeal or Irish Oats (my personal fav.). If you’re making oatmeal from scratch, its an easy food to spice up, by simply adding some nuts or berries (try walnuts and blueberries — my favorite).
To recap this ode to oatmeal, see below some of the health benefits:
- Packed with nutrition
- Low in sugar
- Low in fat
- Easy to buy organic
- Easy to spice up
- Cheap
- Cholesterol-free
- Good source of calcium
- Good source of iron
- Good source of fiber (40% of your daily fiber requirement)
- Great with fruits (such as blueberries)
- Tasty!
Finally, one more great thing about oatmeal is the price. Oatmeal tends to be a pretty cheap breakfast food. And that’s something we can all appreciate right now.
Have You Heard About Matt’s Munchies?
I received an email last month alerting me to a new vegetarian product called Matt’s Munchies. And samples were sent to me.
Matt's Munchies (Apple Pie Flavor)
Matt’s Munchies are all natural vegan fruit roll ups made in New York by catering company Chef Robert’s.
The fruit snack is:
- dairy-free
- soy-free
- nut-free
- egg-free
- gluten-free
- low calorie
- Kosher
- all natural
- certified VEGAN
I received some samples in the mail and in the package were several flavors including Mango, Banana, Choco Mama, Ginger Zest, Island Mango, and Apple Pie.
Each flavor comes in its own package and inside are about 6 strips - these aren’t really rolled up. Each fruit strip is flat. As one opens the package the flavor really stands out. The texture is smooth but firm.
I tried each flavor and my favorite Matt Munchie’s is Apple Pie. Yummo! Aside from the fact that it got stuck to the roof of my mouth - like all fruit roll ups do - the texture, smell, and fruitiness was snacky good.
I give them a groovy thumbs up.
If you’re looking for a healthy LOW CALORIE afternoon cruelty-free snack give Matt’s Munchies a try.
Book Giveaway: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World
Vegan Vanilla Cupcake
Are you ready for our big great giveaway? In honor of Cinco De Mayo and the fact that we love any excuse to throw a party - we are giving away a copy of the best selling book by vegan chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz - Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. The book is a compilation of vegan cupcake recipes and features great photographs of dozens of cruelty-free and divine cupcakes.
The book is based on this blog and has been on the best-sellers list over at Amazon for a gazillion weeks. Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World has over 75 dairy-free vegan cupcake recipes such as:
* Brooklyn Brownie Cupcakes
* Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cupcakes
* S’mores Cupcakes
* Lemon Macadamia Cupcakes
* Mucho Margarita Cupcakes
* Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
* Cappuccino Cupcakes filled with Espresso Crème
Basically the book is 144 pages of awesome. Thanks Isa and Terry!
Win The Book!
Want To Win A Copy? I hope you said yes, because we have one copy to giveaway. To win a copy of this book, simply leave a comment answering the following question:
What’s your favorite vegetarian or vegan dessert recipe? (discuss below)
Guidelines: Open to US residents only. Deadline to enter is May26th at midnight. Winner announced here on the blog.
Tell your Friends!
Hey why not spread the word - write about it on your blog or tweet it!
image via Marni Molina
