If you are newly vegan or looking to go vegan, it can be a bit overwhelming at first. You might be used to eating whatever you want without having a second thought about it, but now you suddenly have to scrutinize ingredient lists. You probably had a handful of go-to easy recipes you could whip up and enjoy for when hunger strikes, but now some of those recipes might not be vegan.

I get a lot of emails and comments from new vegans so I wanted to help out with a collection of easy vegan recipes for beginners. If you are new to my blog, then be sure to check out my recipe index,my cookbook Fuss-Free Vegan, and subscribe to my mailing list. Quick and easy recipes are the name of the game here on this blog.

I put some of my favourite and easiest recipes in this collection post along with recipes from a whole bunch of other amazing bloggers. Most of the recipes in this collection require just a handful of ingredients, not too much cooking time, and will get you started on your new vegan adventure. Everything from breakfast, snacks, mains, and desserts.

These recipes are from amazing bloggers all across the web, so not only will you be sampling some deliciousness, but you might find a few awesome blogs along the way. To get the full recipe for any dish, simply click on the picture or the title of the recipe. I hope you like this collection of easy vegan recipes for beginners!

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Sweet Simple Vegan: Healthy 3-Ingredient Vegan Pancakes

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce

Beaming Banana: Vegan No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Bites

Evolving Table: Maple Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Overnight Oats

Serving Realness: Easy Vegan Peanut Butter Oat Bar

Gluten-Free Vegan Pantry: Avocado Toast 5 Ways

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): Vegan Banana Bread Oatmeal

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): Rosemary & Lemon Zest Popcorn

The Circus Gardeners Kitchen: Celery with Peanut Butter and Smoked Paprika

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): Crispy Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

Hummusapien: Easy Vegan Queso

Savory Tooth: Spicy Smoky Garlic Almonds

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): Quick & Easy Vegan Cottage Cheese

Vegan With Curves: 5 Ingredient Spicy Roasted Nuts

The Big Mans World: Oil-FreeBaked Veggie Chips

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): 10-Minute Peanut Butter Popcorn

Happy Kitchen Rocks: 5-Minute Easy Vegan Tacos

Veggies Save the Day: Lemon Cream Pasta Sauce

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): Creamy Lemon Pepper Chickpeas

Where You Get Your Protein: Hummus and Avocado Toast

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): Vegan Potato Pancakes

Healthy Liv: 5-Ingredient One-Pan Mexican Quinoa

Happy Healthy Mama: Simple Baked Apples

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): Smoky Vegan Beans on Toast

Strength& Sunshine: Microwave Gluten-Free + Vegan Mac & Cheese For One

VNutrition: Lemon One Pot Pasta

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): 10-Minute Thai Peanut Butter & Pumpkin Soup

Veggie Inspired: Super Simple Vegan Burrito Bowl

Moon and Spoon and Yum: Baked Garlic Pepper Polenta Fries

Vegan Huggs: Oil-Free Avocado Pesto

Vegan Heaven: Vegan Gnocchi with Spinach and Tomatoes

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): Sweet Korean Lentils

Rhians Recipes: Lazy Falafel

Intentionally Eat: Black Bean Soup Quick and Easy

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): Pantry Pasta Puttanesca

Sprouting Zen: 10-Ingredient Vegan Walnut Taco Meat

Beaming Banana: Vegan Chocolate Strawberry Shake

NamelyMarly: Easy Vegan Chocolate Croissants with Raspberries

Joy Food Sunshine: Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Cashew Clusters

Beaming Banana: Vegan Banana Coconut Cookies 2 Ingredients

Feasting on Fruit: 3-Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Pots

Strength & Sunshine: 3-Ingredient Maple Tahini Freezer Fudge

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): 5-Minute Vegan Creamsicles

It Doesnt Taste Like Chicken (thats me!): Easy Fruit & Nut Vegan Chocolates

Beaming Baker: No Bake Gluten Free Peanut Butter Fruit & Nut Cookies

Blissful Basil: 5-Minute Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Delightful Mom Food: 3-Ingredient Brownies

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50 Easy Vegan Recipes for Beginners It Doesn't Taste Like ...

This vegan meatloaf is a savory, healthy and gluten-free dish. Made with easy to find ingredients, its a delicious plant-based version of a classic recipe.

Heres another plant-based recipe, perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, special occasions or just to make on a daily basis. Ive never been a meatloaf-lover myself, but I do love this vegan meatloaf.

Vegan chocolate chip cookies, perfect for everyday baking and made with 9 ingredients. They are so crisp on

Vegan burger, a simple recipe that only requires 30 minutes. Its grillable, full of flavor, and a healthy

Cashew milk, a creamy and delicious plant-based drink. Its ready in 5 minutes and it only requires 2

Roasted chickpeas, the perfect snack or appetizer thats also full of protein. They are savory and crunchy, so

Homemade soy milk is a great alternative to cows milk. Its delicious, so inexpensive, easy to make and

This simple vegan jambalaya is a super tasty, satisfying and nutritious vegan recipe, and a delicious dinner dish

Read the rest here:

Simple Healthy Vegan Recipes - Simple Vegan Blog

What Vegans and Vegetarians Eat

Most vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or poultry, but they tend to consume dairy products (especially vegetarians in India) and eggs. Many vegetarians also do not eat products that contain gelatin or other animal-based products. Lacto-vegetarians consume dairy products, but not eggs; ovo-vegetarians eat eggs, but not dairy products; and lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat eggs as well as dairy products. There is also pescetarianism, a vegetarian-like diet that avoids meat and poultry but does include fish.

The vegan diet tends to be much stricter than most vegetarians' diets. Meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs, and all other animal-based products, like honey, are entirely avoided. Moreover, any food or other (sometimes inedible) product that makes use of animals is avoided. This often extends to clothing, medicines, and anything else in which animals or animal products are used. For example, a vegan would not use leather shoes or belts, cosmetics that have been tested on animals, down comforters, gelatin medicine capsules, woolen sweaters, or fur coats.

Fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts are staples of both the vegan and vegetarian diets. Sometimes tofu is used as a replacement for meat-based products.

While some vegans may cite nutritional concerns or food allergies as the primary reason for adhering to their diet (dietary vegans), most adopt a vegan lifestyle for moral and political reasons (ethical vegans). The vegan point of view tends to be that animals are not here to be exploited by man, and that commercialization of animals involves a fundamental, inhumane component and lack of respect for basic life.

There are many reasons one might be vegetarian. A prominent reason is for health concerns, as the vegetarian diet is often high in fiber while also being and low in sugar and saturated fats. Similarly, some adopt vegetarianism due to growing concerns about food safety when it comes to meat. Moral and/or political reasons are also common; for example, some have embraced vegetarianism (and veganism) for environmental reasons.[1] Some religions, like Hinduism and Jainism, prescribe or encourage vegetarianism. Others, like some Christian sects, practice abstinence from animal products during Lent.

In general, most studies show vegans and vegetarians are as healthy, if not healthier than, their meat-eating counterparts. Veganism, in particular, is very good at eliminating common food allergens, such as shellfish and dairy. A plant-based diet is high in complex carbs from whole grains and root vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, etc.

There is ongoing study of the advantages and disadvantages of the vegan and vegetarian diets. Many studies have found cardiovascular benefits to both diets, and some suggest there is a lower risk of cancer among vegans and vegetarians.

An extensive study published in June 2013 shows that vegetarians live longer than meat eaters and are 19% less likely to die from heart disease. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, a Journal of the American Medical Association, was covered by the Wall Street Journal. Other key findings from the study include:

A rebuttal of the media reports of this study argues that correlation does not imply causation, and that the longer life span of vegetarians found in the study could also be attributed to the fact that the vegetarian group tended to exercise more, be married, consume less alcohol, and smoke less compared with the meat-eating group.

Overall, determining whether these diets directly affect long-term health outcomes is difficult. The different types of vegetarians are rarely studied against each other, for instance, and vegans and vegetarians often tend to be more affluent or health-conscious, both of which positively affect long-term outcomes.

A notable downside to the vegan diet is that vegans often need to take B12 supplements and sometimes (depending upon how thoughtful you are to craft a well-balanced diet) other dietary supplements, such as amino acids, iron or vitamin D as their diet tends to lack these essential nutritional components.[2] There is also a risk that a meatless diet does not contain enough protein, which is especially concerning for growing children.

There are varying results of studies on the environmental impact of diets. While no two studies arrive on the exact same conclusions, it is widely accepted that cutting down on meats and moving to a more plant-based diet would be more environmentally-friendly.

A 2014 study found that moving to a meat-free lifestyle would help reduce carbon emissions.

However, this does not mean that a vegan diet is necessarily the most environmentally friendly. Another study in 2016 analyzed the carrying capacity of ten diet scenarios, i.e., how much land would be required to feed 1 person under a particular dietary regime.

The study found that while a vegan diet is significantly more efficient than our current diet, it's not the most efficient diet there can be. That's because not all land is suitable for agricultural use. If grazing land can be used for cattle, and a certain portion of human nutritional needs are fulfilled by dairy, then a significant number of people can be fed.

A 2008 study by Vegetarian Times found that 7.3 million people, or 3.2% of the U.S. population, is vegetarian; even more are partly vegetarian, eating meat only on occasion. A majority of vegetarians are female (59% of women vs. 41% of men), and most are younger (42% are in the 18-34 demographic).

A 2012 Gallup poll found the number of American vegans and vegetarians to be even higher than what Vegetarian Times found, with 5% of the population identifying as vegetarian and 2% identifying as vegan. Most vegans and vegetarians in this poll were found to be female, single, liberal, and older in contrast to what Vegetarian Times found.

In 2010, the UK's National Center for Social Research released data from a 2008 social attitudes survey. They found vegetarians and vegans were much more likely to have higher incomes. They also found non-whites were more likely to be vegetarian or vegan than whites, and often for religious reasons.

Many well-known celebrities, activists and politicians, artists, and sports figures adhere to vegan or vegetarian diets. Famous vegans include singers Carrie Underwood and Erykah Badu, Olympic sprinter Carl Lewis, actor and musician Jared Leto, and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez. Among vegetarians, there is Coldplay singer Chris Martin, comedian Ellen DeGeneres, Indian independence leader Mohandas Gandhi, and actors Natalie Portman and Peter Dinklage.

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Vegan vs Vegetarian - Difference and Comparison | Diffen

This simple vegan jambalaya is a super tasty, satisfying and nutritious vegan recipe, and a delicious dinner dish made with beans instead of meat.

Jambalaya is a dish from Lousiana, which has its origins in the Spanish and French cuisines, especially in the Spanish dish paella and jambalaia, a French dish from Provence.

Classic recipe is not vegan and is made with some meat or seafood, veggies, and rice, but Ive made a plant-based version using chickpeas and beans instead of an animal-based protein.

Its a super nutritious dish because it contains vegetables, protein (legumes), and a healthy source carbohydrates (rice), and also so tasty because of the spices Ive used.

I used to saute my veggies in water and then I added tahini along with the legumes, but I prefer to saute my veggies in oil now and I also omit the tahini. Both versions are so good, so make the one you prefer!

No, I dont, but you could if you want or you could also use leftover rice. In that case, just omit the water or vegetable stock and add more oil or tahini if needed.

You could eat it by itself as it includes veggies, carbs, and protein, but here are some side dishes that pair very well with jambalaya:

Please leave a comment below, share it or rate it. You can also FOLLOW ME onFACEBOOK,INSTAGRAM,andPINTEREST. Id love to see what you cook!

This simple vegan jambalaya is a super tasty, satisfying and nutritious vegan recipe, and a delicious dinner dish made with beans instead of meat.

Update Notes:This post was originally published in September of 2017, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions and tips in January of 2020.

Hey, Im Iosune! I am a recipe developer, writer, and author of Simple Vegan Meals and Simple Vegan Smoothies CookBooks.

Find me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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Vegan Jambalaya - Simple Vegan Blog

I am besotted with the vegan caesar at Lodge Bread in Culver City. Lodge is always my first stop when Im visiting my parents, and I miss the salad almost as much as I miss them when I leave L.A. Im not exaggerating when I say that I would eat this salad every day if I could. How do they build such a well balanced and addictive salad?

Lex G, Oakland

Classic Caesar salads rely on the umami punch of Parmesan and anchovies and on the fattiness of eggs for a creamy dressing. This totally plant-based version blends nutritional yeast with miso and tahini to make it as delicious as the original and combines lemon juice and cider vinegar to balance the richness. And as with the standard, raw garlic brightens the mix with its sharpness.

Although the dressing comes together in minutes, it gets even better after a day or two in the fridge. In that chill time, the flavors meld and umami deepens into a truer Caesar. Because this mix is vegan, it keeps well in the fridge for a whole week.

At Lodge, the romaine comes speckled with parsley and dill. The herbs add a nice, fresh bite, but skip them if you prefer a typical Caesar. And if youre OK with cheese, swap the final sprinkle of nutritional yeast for Parmesan shavings. Just dont skimp on the cracked black pepper at the end. Those pops of heat tie everything together.

15 minutes. Serves 8.

The proportions below make one cup of dressing. You can use it all at once with the amounts of lettuce and croutons below for eight generous salad servings or divvy it up as you want. A quarter cup will coat the chopped leaves of one romaine heart nicely.

Ingredients

Instructions

Make ahead: The dressing can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Adapted from Lodge Bread.

45 minutes. Makes as much as you want.

Homemade croutons taste way better than store-bought. They take time to bake but little effort to put together. And they dont require exact measurements: crisp up as many or as few as youd like and adjust the other quantities as needed. The timing depends largely on the bread and your crunch preference. Heres how to do it.

Ingredients

Instructions

Make ahead: The croutons will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

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Excerpt from:

The Lodge Bread vegan caesar salad recipe is fast and easy - Los Angeles Times

Veganism is on the rise worldwide and pop culture, retail and sports have taken notice.

Scientific evidence shows that diets high in unrefined plant foods are associated with beneficial health outcomes, including general health, immune function, cardiovascular health and lifespan. It would appear logical that plant based diets have the ability to enhance performance in a variety of areas, including sports.

LONDON ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 02: Vegan strongman world record holder Patrik Baboumian poses for ... [+] portraits after talking about his veganism and the documentary Game Changers during Plant Powered Expo 2020 at Olympia London on February 2, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Ollie Millington/Getty Images).

Many critics have dismissed this shift in sports culture to a fad with no concrete scientific evidence to back it. And whether the merits can be substantiated or not, one thing is for sure plant based is a growing trend in the sports world with an increasing number of athletes advocating for its game changing qualities.

Here are five reasons why sports are going vegan.

Many plant-based products have more protein than meat

Traditionally athletes believed that the only way to meet their daily protein requirement was via meat consumption, but with increased awareness around nutrition, this has changed.

Many plant-based foods are actually richer in protein than meat. One ounce of meat protein contains 7 grams of protein, which is comparable to many plant based sources.

A 2019 German study, reported in the journal Nutrients found that athletes following a plant based diet with B-12 supplementation actually had marginally higher nutrient adequacy than athletes who were meat eaters.

With 15g of protein per serving, black beans for example, have more protein than a chicken drumstick and one cup of lentils has 18g of protein more than a hamburger. The need for other nutrients, such as calcium, iron, and vitamin B-12, can be met via plant based sources such as edemame which provides 27.6 per cent of the daily requirement of calcium, one cup of fortified orange juice which meets one half of the daily calcium requirement, spinach which carries more than twice the amount of iron than meat and dark chocolate which carries more than six times the amount of iron as meat. As for B-12, fortified foods and supplements can be used to ensure good health.

Sports drinks and performance enhancers are going plant based

According to research from Lumina Intelligence, 21 per cent of online bestselling protein powders in the USA are plant-based (March 2019).

A sharp increase in the availability of plant-based, performance enhancing products has made it easier and more enticing for athletes to embrace a plant-based lifestyle.

The sector is booming and is intensely competitive. Lumina reveals that there is an innovation race, as brands chase the elusive perfect plant protein with pea protein currently taking the number one spot.

Vegan sports nutrition is also coming in the form of pre-prepared meals and nutritional programs. In 2016 Tom Brady teamed up with Purple Carrot, a vegan meal delivery service to create a meatless, dairy-free TB12 performance meal plan.

Plant based gives endurance athletes an edge when it comes to heart health

In a 2019 review entitled, Plant-Based Diets for Cardiovascular Safety and Performance in Endurance Sports, it was reported that the elevated cardiovascular risks faced by endurance athletes, such as atherosclerosis (plaque building up inside arteries) and myocardial damage (decreased blood flow to the heart) can be reduced by a plant based dairy free diet.

Researchers at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine have also suggested that a vegan diet can enhance athletic performance due to enhanced cardiovascular health, reduced blood pressure and cholesterol and weight loss.

Plant based diets are more conducive to recovery

Armenian-German strongest man in the world and former body builder, Patrik Baboumian credited his body building success to a vegan lifestyle. My recovery time was so much faster so I could train more, he said.

Evidence from Harvard Medical School shows that plants antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties help to shorten recovery times, reduce delayed onset muscle soreness, lessen joint pain, and enable quicker healing from injuries. Plant based diets also improve blood viscosity, which helps to efficiently deliver oxygen around the body, promoting healing. All of these factors can also contribute to career longevity.

Pro athletes are endorsing the plant-based link to performance

The plant based shift in sports culture is evident in the Netflix documentary, The Game Changers produced by Arnold Schwarzenegger, that uses first hand testimonials from elite athletes to depict how a vegan diet improves athletic performance.

Venus Williams opted to transition to a raw, vegan diet when she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called Sjgrens syndrome that caused her to suffer from joint and muscle pain. In an interview with Health magazine, Williams revealed that her new diet was life changing, allowing her to return to tennis. I feel like Im doing the right thing for me," she said.

BEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 26: Venus Williams of the USA learns to make tanghulu (candied fruit) at ... [+] the 2019 China Open on September 26, 2019 in Beijing, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

Pro athletes are increasingly adopting vegan or vegetarian diets, while advocating for their overall health benefits, improved performance and enhanced recovery. Footballer, Tom Brady eats a predominantly plant based diet, the Williams sisters are vegan, elite rock climber, Steph Davis is vegan Lionel Messi, Novak Djokovic, Colin Kaepernick, Lewis Hamilton The list goes on.

According to Barny du Plessis, the worlds first vegan bodybuilder and Mr Universe 2014, These days I train half as much, do half as much but get better results. Why? Only one answer, going vegan, GMO free, and organic. My body is running perfectly."

Read more from the original source:

Five Reasons Why Sport Is Going Vegan - Forbes

Are you an athlete or an active person looking to build muscle? The High-Protein Vegan Cookbook: 125+ Hearty Plant-Based Recipes is perfect for you. It offers 129 recipes from soup to nuts that prove you dont need meat to get your full allotment of protein.

Author Ginny Kay McMeans, a food blogger (veganinthefreezer.com), writes that to make protein-filled vegan dishes, you need to include a variety of food in all the colors of the rainbow. She gives a big shout-out to seitan (made from grains, vegetables and vital wheat gluten), as well as tofu and tempeh (both made from soybeans). But even if your diet or your preference is, like mine, soy-free, youll still find plenty of healthful, intriguing recipes.

The cookbooks handy chart of protein-rich foods for vegans is a fascinating resource. Who knew a half cup of alfalfa sprouts gives you 14 grams of protein? Or that 1 cup of potatoes is good for 4 grams of protein? Mix a cup of peas in your soup, and youre gaining 8 grams of protein.

McMeans also explains how much protein we need: .5 to 1 gram per pound of body weight each day depending on your goals. So a sedentary person who weighs 130 pounds needs 65 grams of protein a day, she writes, but an athlete who weighs the same really should get 130 grams of protein.

That may sound daunting, but McMeans makes it easy to achieve through a variety of recipes covering many meals and occasions from appetizers, breakfast bites, lunch bowls and sandwiches to protein-packed dinners and desserts. Each recipe has a photo.

With recipes for treats full of peanut butter, bananas, nuts and lentils, the portable snack chapter reads like a hikers bible. Whats better at the top of a mountain youve just climbed than a sweet high-protein treat to refuel you? Come hiking season, Ill definitely crack open this book for the rich chocolate energy bars (6.5 grams protein) or orange cranberry power cookies (6 grams protein).

My curiosity also will lead me to test if the meat mimics, like the portabella mushroom gyro or the burger lookalike spiced green lentil sandwich, are as good as their meat counterparts. That said, some of the recipes for vegetable sandwiches sound more delicious than your standard ham and cheese. Consider the broccoli and spinach stuffed baguette with warm gooey cashew cheese or the loaded chickpea salad sandwich with avocado and baby spinach.

Other recipes look like perfect freeze-and-serve lunches for the office, like the veggie stuffed calzone, or stacked enchilada casserole loaded with sweet potatoes and black beans that McMeans bills as a quadruple win.

At our house, we tried the Caribbean Chili. It was too hot for my partner, too hot even for me though Im known as a spice girl to friends. On the plus side, it was ridiculously easy, taking just a half hour to prepare. The chili was loaded with vegetables tomatoes, carrots, green peppers and corn as well as 10 different spices, making it not just protein-packed but also flavor-packed.

The High-Protein Vegan Cookbook didnt persuade this deer hunter to give up meat, but it did make a case for my mixing it up with plant-based creations like these.

Caribbean Chili

Recipe from The High-Protein Vegan Cookbook: 125+ Hearty Plant-Based Recipes. The dish has 13 grams of protein per serving.Serves 4

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

3 Roma tomatoes, chopped

2 carrots, diced

5 ounces tomato paste

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 ear corn, kernels cut from the cob

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the onion and green pepper. Saute until the onion is translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, carrots, tomato paste and 1/2 cup of water. Add the spices and herbs. Bring to a boil, cover and turn down to simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the kidney beans and corn. Cook on a low simmer for another 15 minutes.

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With 'The High-Protein Vegan Cookbook,' even the most active athlete can fuel up without meat - Press Herald

In March, the first nationalvegan milk delivery service will be coming to British doorsteps, a clear sign that veganism is on the rise in the United Kingdom.

One opinion survey suggested that 3.5 million Brits, around 5% of the population, now identify as vegan and avoid consuming or using animal by-products.

Their motivations range from worries about animal welfare to considerations about human healthand a concern that methane emissions from cattle are contributing significantly to climate change.

Richard Eckersley, co-director of ReRooted, the company launching the new doorstep delivery service, refuses to drink cows milk for ethical reasons.

I dont think we should be impregnating cowsand then taking their milk away from their babies, he said. Were in the 21st century. Lets use plants instead.

His company, based in Totnes in the southwestern county of Devon, currently produces around 700 liters, or 1,225 pints, of both coconut and almond milk per day in reusable glass bottles,which are deliveredlocally by electric van. Eckersley is confident that there is enough demand for a national service.

Every day people are switching from dairy milk to no-dairy milk, he said. I think theres a massive demand for it. The markets opening up and what were moving into is a new ballpark.

Veganism does seem to be all the rage, with the annual monthlong promotion ofVeganuary, which encourages people to go vegan for all of January, gaining more and more recruits.

But the dairy industry is fighting back. It just had its own monthlong promotion called Februdairy, promoting the message that cows milk is healthy, ethically produced and ecologically benign.Some new dairy farmers like Olly Lee are determined to outgreen the vegans.

Weve gone for what we feel is the most environmentally friendly way of packaging milk, Lee of How Now Dairy said. Were using compostable packaging.

Lee says the pasture on which his cows graze captures far more greenhouse gases than the cattle emit.And his returnable, compostablepackaging helps.

We can spread it on our fields, Lee said. That compost will improve the soil health which improves the ability of the soil to then store carbon.

Lees organicmilk (also delivered locally by electric vehicle) is, he insists, every bit as green as the vegan variety. And he treats histiny herd with loving care.

We have only 20 cows, so we know every one of them by name, he said. We know her mothers name, and her grandmas name. We know the whole lineage. I take a real pride in looking after my cows.

In spite of the small herd, Lee is confident that when operating at full capacity his dairy will be profitable, because his milk is a premium product.

It certainly has a premium price tag: $1.30 per pint. Thats more than three times the price of ordinary milk.ReRootedsvegan coconut drink costs even more: $2.15 per pint. Eco-friendly milk dairy or non-dairy doesnt come cheap.

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As veganism grows more popular in the U.K., dairy industry fights back - Marketplace

Vegan meats and cheeses have had a great decade.

Plant-based meat substitutes are available at fast-food chains and nearly every grocery store, and vegan cheeses arent far behind. Ten years ago, plant-based faux meats and cheeses werent that appealing to omnivores, but the quality has improved so much that millions of consumers, even those who still eat some meat and dairy, seek out these products at least some of the time.

Although less than 2% of the U.S. population eats an exclusively vegan diet, recent studies have found that as many as one-third of Americans consider themselves flexitarians, which means they are incorporating more meat-, dairy- and egg-free meals into their diets.

Im one of those eaters and so is Amy Edwards, my friend and a DJ on Austin360Radio. She eats a mostly plant-based diet with a few exceptions here and there, so she was the first person I thought of when I wanted to check out Rebel Cheese, a vegan cheese shop and eatery at 2200 Aldrich St. in the Mueller development.

Although the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner (and brunch on the weekends), it also features a deli counter where you can buy vegan cheese and meat alternatives by the ounce, and theres also a small grocery market.

Rebel makes its own thinly sliced vegan meats, as well as more than a dozen plant-based cheeses, most of which are made with nuts or soy. The store also carries cheeses from a number of other high-end vegan cheesemakers, including Wendys Nutty Cheese and Rind, two companies that are pushing the boundaries of vegan cheese by using many traditional cheesemaking techniques, such as brining, aging and inoculating with mold or other cultures.

We ordered the full charcuterie board, which comes with two meats and three cheeses. For the full cheese experience, we added one extra cheese and a grilled cheese sandwich.

The thin slices of faux ham and salami didnt exactly look like meat, but they had the right layers of savory flavor and a decent texture that mimicked the pleasant chewiness of meat. Of the four cheeses, the faux Cheddar the only hard cheese on the board was the only one we didnt like. The planted-based chvre, boursin and a creamy semi-soft cheese from Wendys called Garden of Eden all exceeded any expectations we had coming in. Soft, well-balanced and lacking any off taste or texture, they were sophisticated plant-based cheeses unlike any wed had before.

We were mostly there to try the take-home products from the deli counter, but the grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough was just about perfect: crusty, buttery without the butter, cheesy without the cheese and savory without the weird tang that I remember from the last sandwich I had with melted vegan cheese.

The charcuterie board, complete with grapes, almonds, mustard, jam, roasted tomatoes, olives, dried fruit and crackers, cost $22, and you also can buy the cheeses and meats by the ounce to enjoy at home. Expect to pay what youd pay for high-end cheeses and cured meat at Whole Foods or Central Market, if not a little more, but if youve cut these items out of your diet (or never eaten them in the first place because there arent good plant-based options), Rebel is a great place to explore.

The market carries all kinds of vegan products, from nutritional yeast-based seasonings and gluten-free crackers to vegan chocolates and jam.

The store is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

The rest is here:

What happens when an omnivore walks into a vegan cheese shop? - austin360

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Whether you're a long-time vegan with zero time to grocery shop or curious about eating more plants but don't know where to start, you're in luck. Meal delivery services have taken note of the plant-based diet trend.

With existing brands now offering more plant-based options and a slew of new, entirely vegan meal delivery services cropping up, you can now pretty much have the herbivore lifestyle delivered straight to your door.

Still, just because a meal is vegan, doesn't mean it's healthy. Providing tasty, attractive vegan food is not [a meal service's] only important factor, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, nutritionist and author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You from Label to Table. The dishes should be nutritionally well-balanced, too.

After all, plant-only eaters need to be mindful of their intake of nutrients like vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and protein, Taub-Dix says. To do so, she recommends perusing meal services' menus to make sure you'll receive a variety of meals to vary your nutrient intake. (You'll also want to keep an eye out for added sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats like hydrogenated oils.)

If environmental sustainability is part of your motivation to eat more plants, you can also hunt for a brand that can confirm it uses sustainable farming practices.

Otherwise, just consider how much work you're willing to put into whipping up your meals. Many meal delivery services come with pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow cooking instructionsbut if you don't have the time or energy to whip out the cutting board, some services dish out fully-prepared meals.

Ready to eat all the plants without spending hours at the grocery store? These vegan meal delivery services are the best of the best.

1

With organic, award-winning, chef-created meals, sustainably-sourced produce, and a partnership with local food banks, Sun Basket is a meal delivery service you can feel good about supporting.

How it works: Use the dietary preference filter to select "Vegetarian" as your meal choice. Then choose two to four servings of at least two to four meals per week. The label below each meal you choose should read "vegan." (Options include mushroom tostadas and teriyaki tempeh.)

On orders of two dinners or more, you can also select from a wide array of add-ons, like coffee, green juice, vegan yogurt, and gluten-free crackers.

Pricing: Two servings of two meals costs $51.96, while four servings of four meals costs $175.84. (After your first week, you'll also pay $7.99 for shipping.)

2 Green Chef

If you don't want to order fully-cooked meals but want to keep prep as simple as possible, Green Chef sends you chopped, marinated, and portioned ingredients in color-coded packaging, so you can spend less time fussing over the details and more time savoring every bite.

Oh, and everythingfrom the arepas with baked quinoa and cashew crema to the vegan crab cakes with arugula slawis certified organic.

How it works: First, select the Plant-Powered menu to match your dietary preference. From there, you can opt for deliveries weekly, every other week, or once a month (which is more flexible than most services' once-a-week systems) and select from the rotating weekly menu. Depending on where you live, you can also choose what day of the week you want your food delivered.

Pricing: Plant-Powered meals start at $9.99 each, and each box (three meals for two people) costs $66.93, including shipping.

3 Daily Harvest

If you're a fan of smoothies, soups, and power bowls, you'll dig Daily Harvest, which serves up nutrient-packed meals and treats in convenient cups.

How it works: Choose between nine, 12, or 24 cups delivered weekly or 24 cups delivered monthly. Then, select what you want in your cups, from smoothies to savory bowls (like plant-based Bolognese), oat bowls, soups and more. One cool feature: You can specifically search for meals with certain benefits, like anti-inflammatory or immunity-boosting properties.

Pricing: For nine cups per week, you'll pay $7.75 per cup; at 12, you'll pay $7.49 per cup; and at 24 cups (either per week or month), you'll pay $6.99 per cup.

4 Sakara

Sakara is basically a holistic wellness service that also happens to deliver fully-prepared organic, plant-based meals.

With imaginative, upscale dishes like rose petal pancakes and sweet peach butter and lavender quesadillas with broccoli pesto and hibiscus salsa, its no wonder the brand has a steady celebrity following. Plus, you can also supplement your orders with products like detox teas, probiotics and more.

How it works: After selecting whether you want three or five meals per week, choose the number of meals you want per day. Then, choose meals from one of Sakara's programs, like their Level I Signature Program and Level II Detox Program. (This handy guide can help you choose which plan is best for you.) From there, mix and match breakfasts, lunches, and dinners from the rotating seasonal menus. Pricing: Prices vary based on the number of days and meals you choose. For example, five days of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners costs $70 per day. If youre not ready to commit to a subscription, get a taste of the program with two days for $177. Delivery is free.

5 Territory Foods

For adventurous eaters with gourmet taste, this chef-created meal delivery service will actually get you excited about eating your greens. Territory Food's data scientists compare diet and food trends with customer order patterns to bring you perfectly-curated offerings (like spicy chickpea and potato stew with sauted spinach or beet medley risotto with broccoli rabe) each week.

Thanks to their partnership with Feeding America, every Territory Foods order sends over a pound of recovered food to a local food bank.

How it works: After select the Vegan filter, choose from a rotating weekly menu, and select your preferred portion size based on your typical appetite. Have your meals delivered to a local grocery store or gym, or opt for Monday and/or Thursday delivery to your door for an added fee.

Pricing: The Standard plan starts at $13.95 per meal. (FYI: Home delivery costs $7.95 per order.)

6 Fresh N' Lean

If weekly meal prep has been sucking the life out of you, let all-organic delivery service Fresh N' Lean spice up your life. Their locally sourced meals come in microwave- and oven-safe containers you can have ready to eat in two to three minutes flat.

Bonus: The company donates all unused food from their kitchens to local charities through Feeding America.

How it works: After choosing between the Vegan Standard and Vegan Low-Carb menus, you can select how many meals per day you'd like for either the five- or seven-day plan. (You can also add snacks like nuts or granola.) Though Fit N' Lean chooses your meals for you, you do have the option to list up to three ingredients you want omitted from your meals (like cilantro, tomatoes, or peanuts) upon registration. If you want control over your eats, opt for the a la carte menu.

Pricing: Seven days of three Vegan Standard meals per day costs $8.40 per meal ($176.70 total.) The same amount of Vegan Low-Carb meals, meanwhile, costs $10 per meal ($210 total). If you opt for the a la carte option for one-off meals and snacks, you must spend a minimum of $85.

7 Foodflo

PETA-approved and spearheaded by celebrity chef and health coach Florence Bertheau, Southwest-based Foodflo goes the extra mile to deliver plant-based delicacies youd never think to whip up yourself, like green goddess cakes and spiced squash coconut soup. (All meals are creating using alkaline water, if you care about that.)

How it works: First, select your location (Foodflo currently only delivers to California, Nevada, and Arizona). Then, choose a one-, four-, or eight-week program. From there, you can select between a small package (six items) or a large package (nine items), which contains a variety of soups, salads, entrees, and side dishes.

Worth noting: Foodflo's website recommends ordering before noon on Saturdays, in the chance they sell out.

Pricing: One week of the small and large packages costs $109 and $149 (about $18 and $16.50 per item), respectively. Eight weeks of the small and large packages, meanwhile costs $778 and $978 (about $16 and $13.50 per item), respectively.

8 Purple Carrot

Purple Carrot is an entirely vegan meal delivery service, so you really can't go wrong. With recipes like General Tso's tofu and black bean avocado melts, you'll enjoy every balanced, plant-based bite.

How it works: Choose your preferred meals from categories like Quick and Easy (which are ready in under 30 minutes), Comfort Foods (think pumpkin mac and cheese), and Holiday Recipes (drool over the salted almond thumbprint cookies). You can browse by dietary concern (like gluten-free) and preferred ingredients. Need snacks? Bulk up your order with add-ons, like dry roasted dark chocolate chickpeas.

Pricing: Dinners cost $9.99 per serving for either two or four servings; breakfasts cost $4.49 per serving (either two or four servings); and lunches cost $8.99 per serving for two servings. Snack prices vary (a 3.5-ounce bag of those chickpeas costs $4.99).

9 Veestro

If you want to make plant-based eating as easy as possible,

Veestro's frozen meals keep being vegan simple. Your delivery arrives frozen in an insulated container, so you just have to thaw your eats (which include everything from breakfast burritos to soba noodles in peanut sauce) in the refrigerator, heat 'em up, and enjoy.

How it works: First, choose from three menu options: A La Carte (which allows you to select any 10 meals of your choice), Chefs Choice (which offers a wide array of chef-curated favorites), and Weight Loss (which goes light on calories). Within each category, you can select dietary preferences, like "high-protein" or "gluten-free." You can select from 10 to 30 days-worth of meals from the A La Carte and Chef's Choice plans, and either five or seven days from the Weight Loss plan.

Pricing: Billed every two weeks, 10 Chefs Choice meals (you can mix and match which you want) costs $117. Billed once a week, three meals a day for five or seven days on the Weight Loss plan costs $175.50 or $226.80, respectively.

If you opt for a one-time order of 10 A La Carte meals, you'll pay $130. However, make your order a recurring thing and you'll get a lower price of $117.

10 The Very Good Butchers

Dont let its name fool you: By loading you up with a wide variety of vegan "meats," The Very Good Butchers wont come close to butchering your plant-based diet. Made with foods you already have in your kitchen (like beans, grains, veggies, and herbs), their offerings (which include vegan pepperoni and taco meat) conquer any meaty cravings you have.

How it works: The Very Good Butchers' Monthly Meat Club boxes come stocked with enough plant-based meats for over 13 meals, and feature different specials from month to month. All you have to do is add whatever produce, nuts, or grains you need to round out the meal. All foods are pre-cooked and arrive frozen. Pricing: With a rolling subscription, The Monthly Meat Club costs $47.50 per month. One-time orders cost $50.

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The 10 Best Vegan Meal Delivery Services Of 2020 - Women's Health