tagged w/ Vegan Foods
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Europe's first vegan supermarket opens in Dortmund
Photo: Forget beer and bratwurst, Dortmund now houses Europe's only all-vegan supermarket. Offering chocolates, fake tuna and even dog food, the store is hoping to cash in on a small but rapidly growing market.
Renowned for its mining industry and blue-collar attitude, Dortmund is an unlikely choice for Europe's first vegan supermarket.
"If someone opens a supermarket that has no animal products in them, that seems crazy," said animal ethicist and store owner Ralf Kalkowski. "But people are celebrating."
Vegilicious, which opened on February 26, occupies over 100 square meters in the city-centre, technically making it the only vegan supermarket in Europe.
Using soy, spices, and oils to supplement traditional animal-based ingredients, the shelves are stacked with over 1500 products. Vegilicious offers chocolate bars, cereals, and even meat imitations, like fake chicken wings, which use cane sugar sticks to serve as 'bones.'
"People say they can't live without cheese, but we've got 30 different cheese alternatives," said Kalkowski, who co-owns Vegilicious with wife Kim. "You can have anything you think you might be missing, so there's no need to eat animal products anymore."
Starting with a café and online shop, the Kalkowski's and their 16 staff have so far maintained a customer flow of 120-150 people per day. They have even managed to attract non-human clients, selling vegan dog- and cat food.
"It's ridiculous if you rescue one animal, but feed them with another dead animal," he said.
Chickens are often artificially inseminated to produce large quantities of eggsWhat is veganism?
Vegans abstain from foods containing any animal products, including egg, honey and milk. This differs from vegetarians, who only renounce meat.
"Vegans believe animals should be left alone, it's not just about avoiding cruelty", said Amanda Baker, from the Vegan Society UK. "If animals are farmed, you have to take away their freedom."
Baker told Deutsche Welle that many male animals are killed at birth because they cannot reproduce, while females are exploited for artificial breeding, which dramatically decreases their life expectancy.
"For example, the dairy industry and the meat industry are the same industry. You can't separate one from the other," she said.
Aside from animal ethics, some turn to veganism to stem environmental problems. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector is responsible for 18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, as well as being a major cause of deforestation and water pollution.
Veganism can also reap health benefits, as high meat consumption has been linked to cardio-vascular diseases, which are responsible for 49% of European deaths annually.
Kalkowski explained that many older customers have shopped at Vegilicious for health reasons as his products are cholesterol free.
Veganism has been stigmatized as expensive and excessive and vegans are often regarded as extremists for going beyond vegetarianism, according to Kalkowski, who laments the reactions of some meat-eaters to the opening of Vegilicious.
He said that when his supermarket was first mentioned in the press, the paper was forced to remove online comments inciting a pro-meat flash mob before his store.
He thinks these prejudices are based on myths, of which the biggest is the assumption that a meatless diet deprives the body of vital nutrients.
"You can get all necessary nutrients from a plant based diet, except for vitamin B12," Kalkowski explained, "and that's one thing we supplement with a product from the UK."
Importing products from the UK, US and even Australia is common, but a significant portion of vegan merchandise is produced locally, according to Germany's biggest Vegan Wholesaler, AVE.
AVE owner Tobias Graf believes veganism's popularity is expanding, not least because his business is booming.
"In the last few years a lot of new products were established, produced and discovered," he said. "We've personally grown year by year, 100% for the past three years."
It is not only vegans who are catching onto the craze, "No, I'm not vegan," one Vegilicious shopper explained. "I have never tried real vegan food. I think it's good so I can now try."
Ralf Kalkowski hopes his supermarket will entice more people to buy animal-free food, but the question remains - how do vegan products truly taste?
"It even tastes better," he said, "because you have a good conscience."
Author: Hannah Wandel
Editor: Nathan WitkopEurope's first vegan supermarket opens in Dortmund
Photo: Forget beer and... more
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From February 28 - March 4, 2011, Vegan Mainstream's theme of the week is Sustainable Vegan. Our bloggers discuss sustainable vegan cooking, vegan restaurants, and vegan chefs as ways to improve animal rights and positively impact the environment.From February 28 - March 4, 2011, Vegan Mainstream's theme of the week is... more
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washingtonpost.com
By MICHAEL HILL
The Associated Press
Wednesday, January 5, 2011; 2:47 PM
-- You've come a long way, vegan.
Once mocked as a fringe diet for sandal-wearing health food store workers, veganism is moving from marginal to mainstream in the United States.
The vegan "Skinny Bitch" diet books are best-sellers, vegan staples like tempeh and tofu can be purchased at just about any supermarket, and some chain restaurants eagerly promote their plant-only menu items. Today's vegans are urban hipsters, suburban moms, college students, even professional athletes.
"It's definitely more diverse. It's not what you would picture 20 years ago, which is kind of hippie, crunchy," said Isa Chandra Moskowitz, author of vegan cookbooks like the new "Appetite for Reduction." She says it's easier being a vegan now because there is more local produce available and more interesting ways of cooking.
"It's not just steamed vegetables anymore and brown rice and lentils," she said.
Veganism is essentially hard-core vegetarianism. While a vegetarian might butter her bagel or eat a cake made with eggs, vegans shun all animal products: No meat, no cheese, no eggs, no honey, no mayonnaise. Ethical vegans have a moral aversion to harming animals for human consumption, be it for a flank steak or leather shoes, though the term often is used to describe people who follow the diet, not the larger philosophy.
It's difficult to come up with hard numbers of practicing vegans. There's a blurry line between people who define themselves as vegan and vegetarian and some eaters dip in and out plant-only diets. For instance, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman has described his "vegan till 6" health plan, in which he becomes more omnivorous in the evening.
In a 2009 survey, advocates at the not-for-profit Vegetarian Resource Group reported about 1 percent of Americans are vegan, roughly a third of the people who reported being vegetarians. A separate survey released last year by the same group found a similar breakdown for Americans aged 8 to 18.
That makes veganism something short of a fad sweeping the nation like low-carb once did. Consider that while Kraft Foods reports that it shipped out more Boca Original Vegan Burger Patties and Boca Ground Crumbles last year, the increase was a modest 1 percent. Still, there are plenty of signs that vegans have pushed beyond their old, exclusive cocoon that once inspired celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain to mock them as the "Hezbollah-like splinter faction" of vegetarians.
Exhibit A would be the "Skinny Bitch" diet books, which provide vegan lifestyle tips in a blunt, girlfriend-on-the-phone style (Sample passage: "Soda is liquid Satan. It is the devil."). Actress Alicia Silverstone added a dose of star power to the vegan cause more recently with "The Kind Diet," a No. 1 best-seller. Vegan diets also have been touted by other celebrities, including Emily Deschanel in "Bones" and Lea Michele of "Glee."
Veganism has been buoyed by the same health-conscious wave that has drawn Americans in unprecedented numbers to low-fat, vegetarian and organic foods. The idea of eating lower on the food chain is especially attractive to environmentally conscious consumers, since large-scale meat production is a major source of greenhouse gases.
Veganism also provides a safe harbor for the growing number of people concerned about where their supermarket meat comes from. Critics of industrial-scale food processing like writer Michael Pollan have been gaining a wider audience in recent years.
And - sign of the times - some famous guys are eating vegan now, too.
Bill Clinton, known for his burger-loving ways when president, has credited his trim build at his daughter Chelsea's wedding this summer to a "plant-based diet" (though he eats a little fish sometimes). Even former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has talked up his vegan diet.
And vegan cookbooks, once a niche product, are coming out at such a fast clip that there are now sub-niches. Da Capo Press' 20 vegan cookbooks in print include one on vegan soul food and another with Latin vegan recipes. A book of vegan recipes containing alcohol, "The Tipsy Vegan" is upcoming.
Abstaining from animal products is an ancient practice found in cultures worldwide. But veganism never got traction in meat-loving America. Tracye McQuirter, a vegan for 23 years and author of "By Any Greens Necessary," a vegan guide aimed at black women, said things were different until about a decade ago. While she was part of a vegan community in her hometown of Washington, she says there was little understanding beyond it.
"People did not know what it meant," McQuirter said. "There were not a lot of options in terms of grocery stores. There was no Whole Foods... We had to basically cook everything for ourselves."
That's changed. More than half the 1,500 chefs polled by the National Restaurant Association for its new "What's Hot in 2011" list included vegan entrees as a hot trend. Vegan entrees came in at No. 71 out of 226 trends (beating out organic beer and drinkable desserts) - that's far from No. 1, but evidence of veganism making inroads beyond urban strongholds like New York City and Los Angeles. Some chain restaurants like Souplantation and Pizza Fusion even mark vegan items on their menus.
In Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Roseann Marulli Rodriguez, a blogger for the SuperVegan website, said while there are not many vegan restaurants in her area, her local supermarket has "fake" chicken tenders and "fake" bacon.
"It's definitely widening in scope," said Rodriguez, a recent New York City transplant who has been eating vegan for five years, "and I think that's why more people are doing it, because it's getting easier."washingtonpost.com
By MICHAEL HILL
The Associated Press
Wednesday, January 5,... more
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When asked to write a blog post about ways to live vegan, we immediately thought it was a great idea. When I say we, I am referring to my sisters and I, who have all been vegan since birth. Using the beliefs of Gandhi, (who proved the best path to peace was through truth and non-violent protest), we make up the social action rock band Truth on Earth. We write and perform original songs about major world problems and potential solutions such as Environment, Factory Farming, Animal Abuse, Media Distortion, Child Abuse, Starvation, and many other serious issues. Our mission is to leave a planet worth inheriting for future generations and that’s one of the reasons why we give 70% of our profits to organizations supporting the causes we sing about. Being vegan is not just another diet. It’s a lifestyle, a state of mind. Here at Greenopolis we’ve come aboard to share with you some simple, easy and effective ways to start living a vegan lifestyle today.
When you hear the word vegan, you probably think of vegetables, fruits or plants. Now those foods are all fine and dandy, but we’re here to tell you that at this day in age you can eat incredibly scrumptious foods without having to harm animals. We do eat vegetables and fruits, but vegans can now enjoy a wide variety of ”normal” foods. The great thing is nearly every vegan substitute on the market is so tasty – bonus is it’s good for you and the planet! The days of a vegan only having millet, quinoa, lumps of wheat dough and sprouts to eat are over!
Tip one: Veganize it!
It’s easy to Veganize your old favorite traditional recipes. Simply replace ingredients with vegan options. Here are a few examples of vegan products that you can use to substitute with: ice cream, cream cheese, sour cream, butter, milk, turkey, cheese, bbq’d chicken, hamburgers, shrimp, pepper steak, meatballs, marshmallows, chocolate chip cookies, key lime pie, pancakes, whipped cream, the list goes on and on. Some of our favorite brands are Earth Balance Soy Butter for butter, Silk Soymilk for milk (which you probably have heard of already, or might be using!), Tofutti Cream Cheese and sour cream, Follow Your Heart for mayo (this is the best mayo we've had after trying the countless brands out there), Amy’s Texas and All American Burgers for hamburgers and Purely Decadent Ice Cream (they have about twenty different flavors) for Ice Cream. Most of our non-vegan guests have said that our foods taste much better than the non-vegan foods they’re used to.
Tip two: Buy Organic:
Buying organic could be one of the most simple yet important things you can do. When you eat foods that are not organic, you are not only eating a nutrition deficient food, but you are also eating all of the pesticides and chemicals they use on the vegetables and fruits. Organic produce tastes better, looks better, and is better for you. It's as simple as that.
Tip three: Not buying or wearing fur or leather:
Part of being vegan and more "green", is not only abstaining from eating anything made from an animal, but also not wearing anything that is made from an animal. Not only is the suffering that the animals go through horrible, but the chemicals they use are bad for the environment. With unlimited options, including "leather" jackets – often referred to as pleather, faux suede (also called ultra suede) couches and shoes, the list is endless. The best part is that you can find these options almost anywhere. Just check your favorite store next time you go shopping.
continue reading at: http://3blmedia.com/theCSRfeed/Simple-Tips-Becoming-Vegan#When asked to write a blog post about ways to live vegan, we immediately thought it... more
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¿Qué es la Gastronomía Vegana?
Se excluyen los ingredientes de origen animal: carnes de todo tipo, lácteos, huevos, gelatinas, miel. Es una gastronomía diseñada en base al respeto por la vida de todas las especies, sana y exquisita, para quienes eligen una alimentación inteligente. A disfrutarla!
Ver todo mi perfil¿Qué es la Gastronomía Vegana?
Se excluyen los... more
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Unless otherwise stated all these recipes make a big pot of soup - good for four people to have seconds.Unless otherwise stated all these recipes make a big pot of soup - good for four... more
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Sprouting at home is a simple way to lower your food costs, increase the amount of raw food in your diet, and be assured that the sprouts you eat are safe.
Sprouting seeds to eat is a skill you can learn quickly, and a sprout garden takes very little time to maintain. All the sprouting supplies you need can be had for free or for a minimal investment. In no time at all, you’ll be enjoying the crunchy goodness of homegrown sprouts with every meal!
Easy and FUN to do!Sprouting at home is a simple way to lower your food costs, increase the amount of raw... more
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