VEGAN-ism

1. VEGAN-ism What is it? Why go vegan? How do vegans eat?

2. Outline of presentation • Introductions • Who are we • Who is our audience • Why are we here • Definition of veganism • Why go vegan • Health • Nutrition • Environmentalism • How do vegans eat • Health messages aimed to daily eating • Restaurant food is special and aims toward pleasing tastes • Substitutes for health, substitutes for taste and texture • Questions and Answers

3. What is Food? • Nutrition • Taste • Comfort • Our relationship with other living beings • Our relationship with the earth • Restaurant food offers all this to customers with convenience and ambience • Restaurant food offers a livelihood to its staff

4. WHAT IS “vegan”? • The abstinence of all animal products • That means NO to: • Meat (beef, pork, chicken), poultry, fish • Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt) • Honey (for some) • Leather, wool, silk, fur, etc in clothing… • And it means YES to: • Compassion • Health • Environmentalism

5. Why go vegan?Decreased risks of disease • Decreased incidence of heart disease • lower levels of dietary cholesterol • Prevents cancers : breast, prostate, colon , other • Lowers risk of arthritis • Anti-inflammatory- • Lower amounts of protein = lower amounts of calcium loss -> lower risk of osteoporosis • Treatment and prevention for type II diabetes

6. Why go vegan?Benefits to physical health • Supports weight loss • For vegans who carefully choose healthy foods • More energy • Healthy skin from the inside out • Longer life • Health benefits of compassion

7. Why vegan?Live our compassion • If we can limit the harm to other beings, we help to create a better world • We assume people understand the violence involved in slaughter for meat • Many don’t understand the suffering of dairy cows • Fed artificial diets with grains and other high protein animal based meals • Forced pregnant with artificial insemination • Attached to milking machine • Frequently infected; mastitis and other open sores • Separated from their calves • Lives shortened considerably • Many don’t understand how dairy production is linked to slaughter • Male calves confined in crates, raised and slaughtered for veal • Older dairy cows slaughtered for low grade meat • If we don’t consume meat and dairy, we remove the reason for the violence to continue

8. Why vegan?The environmental perspective • Vegans use the least amount of resources to produce food • 12-16 pounds of grain needed per pound of beef • 2500 – 5000 gallons of water needed per pound of beef • Only 25-50 gallons for tomatoes, wheat, apples • 3.25 acres of land needed per meat-eater • 1/3 acre for a vegetarian • 1/6 acre for a vegan • 78 calories of energy needed per calorie of beef protein • Only 2 calories needed for soybeans • Vegans pollute the least amount into the environment by avoiding the wastes from animal agriculture: 120 pounds of wet manure produced per day by average dairy cow resulting in water pollution, methane gas resulting in global warming, etc • Some have said the while going vegetarian is like driving a hybrid car, going vegan is like riding a bike – it’s that much better for the environment!

9. How can we go vegan?Common questions-- What can we eat besides fruits and vegetables? Can we get enough protein? Can we get enough calcium? Will it taste good?

10. Did you know? • That one pound of kale has more protein than one pound of beef? • That high amounts of meat intake causes calcium to leach from the bones? • That cow’s milk calcium is not usable by the body to make the bones stronger?

11. Protein needs and sources • How much? 0.8g/kg • People need less than they think; studies have shown that even US vegans get more protein than they need, vegetarians and meat eaters get way too much • Excess protein leaches Ca from bones • What kinds? • Beans: mung, adzuki, black, lentils • Nuts • Grains: quinoa (18g); brown rice (12g); millet (22g) • Vegetables: KALE • Tofu, Tempeh • Seaweed • Mushrooms -- shitake

12. RICE: the staple food Brown White • Higher Fiber content- slower blood sugar increase • Nutrients: Vitamin E, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron  • Higher in protein • Fiber husk removed • Nutrients removed- 1/4th to 1/6th of all nutrients in brown rice • More processed so takes more resources to produce • Higher in carbohydrate content • Turns into sugar in the body

13. Beans & Grains • Some higher in starch, some higher in protein • Carbohydrates also necessary for sustained energy. Whole grains and beans are not “bad guys”, refined ones are • Beans: Mung, Adkuzi, Black, Lentils • Grains: brown rice, quinoa, millet • Bread, pasta

14. How do I go Vegan?Meat substitutes • Tofu • Tempeh • Seiten (wheat gluten) • Textured vegetable protein gives meat like texture • Vada in Indian stores • More granular in health food stores • Soy and gluten products developed in Asian Buddhist culture • Soy and gluten products developed in modern America • Each one has its nutritional pros and cons. Best to eat processed products sparingly

15. How do I go Vegan?Milk and yogurt substitutes • Milk substitutes • Almond milk • Hazelnut milk • Oat milk • Hemp milk • Rice milk • Coconut milk • Soy milk • Some are more processed, some creamier with higher fat content, some have more protein. • Yogurt substitutes • Soy yogurt • Coconut yogurt • Sweeter than dairy yogurt to allow cultures to grow. • Each one has its nutritional pros and cons.

16. How do I go Vegan?Cheese and butter substitutes • Cheese substitutes • Tofu for paneer, feta and ricotta cheese • Daiya vegan cheese for cheddar and mozzerella • Tofutti cream cheese • Nutritional yeast for parmesan • The Un-Cheese cookbook gives recipes for many other types of cheese • Butter substitutes • Earth Balance spread • Oil • Olive oil for bread • Other oils for cooking • Avoid trans and saturated fat • Cream substitutes • Cashew cream (made from blended cashews) • Blended tofu • These are generally foods for taste, not health foods; best to use these sparingly in daily diet

17. How do I go Vegan?Ice cream substitutes • Many vegan ice cream varieties • Fruit based sorbets • Soy based ice creams • Nut based ice creams • Coconut based ice creams • Rice Dream • Vegan kulfi based on coconut and soy milk with nuts and spices • Like soy milk, each base has its pros and cons. • Like cheese and butter, these are not health foods and should be used sparingly.

18. How do I go Vegan?Egg substitutes • Scrambled tofu with kala namak= omelet • Banana, tofu, applesauce, soy yogurt, or soaked and blended flax seed= egg in baking • Ener-G egg replacer= non-perishable egg in baking • Special cake recipes with vinegar and baking soda to produce effect of rising

19. What’s next • Ask and understand why your customers choose vegan • Offer them choices and they’ll feel they are home • Think about your own and your families tastes and health situation and consider trying vegan options yourself! • Welcome to the world of veganism!!

20. Nutritional resources • The 57 Health Benefits of going Vegan • http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/19/57-health-benefits-of-going-vegan/ • Norris, Jack RD. www.veganhealth.com • Vegetarian Resource Group. www.vrg.org • Robbins, John, “What about Soy?” • http://www.vegfamily.com/health/is-soy-bad-for-you.htm • Robbins, John, “The Truth About Calcium and Osteoporosis,” Juice Matters, Nov 2009 • Dharmananda, Subhuti Ph.D.,“The Nutritional and Medicinal Value of seaweeds used in Chinese Medicine” • http://www.itmonline.org/arts/seaweed.htm

21. A few cookbooks and websites for recipes • Postpunk kitchen: has recipes, videos, etc • Vegetarian times: searchable recipe database with vegan limit option • Vegresource group • The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak • The Indian Vegan Kitchen by Madhu Dadia • CalciYum! By David & Rachelle Bronfman • The Candle Café Cookbook by Joy Pierson • Vegan World Fusion Cuisine by Mark Reinfield • Conveniently Vegan by Deborah Wasserman • Meatless Meals for Working People by Deborah Wasserman • The Single Vegan by Leah Leneman • Sinfully Vegan by Lois Dieterly