The Smoothie Vegetarians

Things are changing in the world of vegan food, and I think we are finally seeing a shift that pushes plant-based food products out there into the world of mainstream consumers. We no longer have to skulk around in the back corners of health food stores to find a non-dairy cheese, or sit in a restaurant with a sad bowl of iceberg lettuce for lunch. Product choices are absolutely exploding, and can now be found on all kinds of supermarket shelves, not just gourmet shops anymore. Personally, I shop at our bargain grocery store chain called No Frills. Nothing fancy, and not too cutting edge. A couple of weeks ago, I found one entire cooler section now dedicated to So Delicious non-dairy ice cream products, and one whole section filled with Daiya pizzas, more Yves products and a range of vegan Amy's entrees. There was some crazy dancing in the aisles that day. Latest hits from our No Frills store. So many more choices, and these 2 are favs in our house now.  ...

Valentine's Day is almost as bad as Easter for chocolate consumption, and you might be a little lost in trying to find the right vegan and ethical brands to satisfy your sweet tooth. Thankfully, it's not that hard to find good vegan chocolate because you just have to avoid milk chocolate. Yes, that means a lot of traditional goodies are not an option, but just look for anything with dark chocolate instead of milk and you're good to go. Well, you still have to avoid honey, egg and any of those weird bacon-containing hipster treats. Ok, so getting Valentine's treats with dark chocolate is a good solution for vegans. Except that your money is probably going to a company that still produces tons of non-vegan foods. One accidentally vegan product is a fine choice, but maybe you can do better? Why not choose a truly vegan brand for your Valentine? Endangered Species I love these because they have so many creative varieties, like chocolate with ...

If you're like me, after a hard day of trying to save the world, you like to settle down with a nice glass of wine. Or a cocktail or just some sort of alcoholic treat. Did you stop and think if your adult-only beverage is vegan? You might be surprised. Avoiding liquor with cream or honey is the first thing that comes to mind when trying to get vegan booze, and it's simple enough to do. Irish Cream is out, unless you can find a non-dairy version (more on that in a minute), and any traditional mead product that is fermented with honey. That still leaves you with a whole wide range of alcoholic delights to choose from. Just avoid the animal products in the ingredients, you're good to go. Or are you? Now you can enjoy creamy cocktails that are vegan and dairy-free! Sorry to say, that's not the whole story. Not by a long shot. Though the ingredient list may be free of animal products, the processing behind many beers and wines is not. The problem i...