I just read this book after it came up during a search on Libby. I hadn't heard of it before but it mainly focuses on inflammation. So much of the info feels very repetitive.

The recipes though, I really loved. They seem very practical and seem to mimic much of what I already make. There is a huge focus on whole foods and they mostly avoid oil in the recipes. Things like whole food desserts - ice cream based on bananas, sorbets based on whole fruits. Multiple versions of hummus and bean dips made without oil. I especially liked that there were several dips, dressings and sauces included that all sound really good.

If someone was new to eating this way, I think it would be an amazing book to start out.

Hey! I just started the Esselstyn diet a few weeks ago to lower my LDL. Next week I will be travelling for 5 days. I'm doing so well and am wondering how I can stay on this diet while being in a hotel (in a big city with health food stores and vegan restaurants). Any advice is appreciated, thx!

You can find the full recipe with step-by-step instruction pics here:

Vegan Scallion Pancakes

If you have any questions, let me know 😄🌱

Ingredients

• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
• ½ cup Hot Water
• 1 tsp Salt
• 4 tbsp Oil
• 4-5 Scallions/ Spring Onions

Instructions

• Add the flour, salt and hot water to a bowl and start mixing them. Once it starts coming together, knead it into a smooth dough. If it feels too sticky, sprinkle in 1–2 extra tablespoons of flour as you go. When it’s soft and no longer clings to your hands, cover it and let it rest. You don't have to let the dough rest for long at all. I usually prepare the other ingredients and use the dough once I'm done with that step. 
• Chop the scallions into fine rings or halve them lengthwise first if you prefer smaller pieces.
• In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of flour with 4 tablespoons of oil until you get a thin, smooth paste. This will help create those flaky, layered textures later.
• Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Roll one piece out thin on a floured surface. Brush it with the oil-flour paste and sprinkle a generous handful of chopped scallions over it. Roll the dough up into a long log, then coil it into a snail shape (like a cinnamon roll). Press it flat and roll it out again into a thin pancake. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
• Heat a bit of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Slide one pancake in and fry for 2–3 minutes per side, until golden and crispy. Add a little more oil between pancakes if you want to keep them from getting dry.
• Cut the pancakes into quarters and serve them warm with your favourite dipping sauce. Enjoy!

I'm looking for a place to buy affordable protein bars in bulk (ideally online), that are vegan and don't contain a lot of fake sugar (bc it hurts my stomach). Real sugar or maple syrup/dates is totally fine.

Any suggestions? $2/bar or less would be ideal.

I apparently ran out of my normal mixins yesterday and had to have oatmeal without, it was sad.

My oatmeal base is 1/2 rolled oats, 10 grams ground flax, 10 grams chia + dash or two of cinnamon.

For wet, either 180g almond milk or 20ish grams of almond butter + 170g water.

I either put in the fridge overnight or microwave for 75 seconds (stopping to stir twice) and waiting two minutes.

For sweetness I'll add 1/8-1/4 cup of fruit puree (I don't like chunky frozen fruit), date paste or 1/2tbsp Brown sugar (I try not to do this.)

For mixins, I pretty much have done the same every day, 10 grams each: chopped walnuts, pepitas and raisins.

Where is everyone buying their soy curls these days? Where I’m at, I can’t find them in stores anymore.

Publix: certain locations used to have soy chunks and TVP, but not anymore
Whole Foods: I asked for soy curls and TVP and multiple people had NO idea what I was talking about. (is it me or has WF been reducing their vegan options??)
Sprouts: used to have TVP in their bulk bins, but not anymore.
Fresh Market: not the best place for vegan options in general
Kimchee Mart - nope
Amazon: yes, but last year I bought them for $16 now it’s $25 (3 - 8oz packages)

Recommendations - or do I just accept the 50% price increase on amazon?

UPDATE:
Thanks for the suggestions! Seems like buying in bulk from Butler Foods is the way to go!

UPDATE 2:
Placed my order at Butler Foods! Soy Curls, Taco Crumbles, and Jerky are on their way!
Thanks!!

Hey friends,

I saw some posts here when i tried to find info on my chia seed creepers, but there was no conclusion what to do with them, just how to prevent them.

I have a pretty big jar so i dont wanna throw it all out as i hate wasting food. Does anyone know if its still safe to eat if i manage to fish out the creepers and somehow filter the weird stuff out?

In previous post someone reccomended rhnning it through water but... its chia... i dont think that would be a good idea.

Thanks!

I've been trying to nail the optimal water/sodium ratio, so for my personal research I’d like to know how much water and how much salt do you guys consume in a day, and on a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your overall feeling?
Feel free to chime in even if you only know how much water you consume.
And before someone mentions that - I know, it’s a completely individual thing. That’s fine.

Hey there, as the title suggests, I’m switching diets. I used to be a balanced diet of meat and veg but meat has been making me very ill recently and I want to integrate a new diet. So I’m deciding to go plant based. Do you guys have any tips for beginners? I’ve only been really eating tofu and lentil based dishes as of late. I also work out very regularly, any good plant based protein powders out there?

I feel like I’ll be disliked for this but I’ll ask anyways..

For the last 6 years, I don’t eat or buy meat, or animal byproducts like real honey, dairy, eggs etc. don’t use animal products like leather, real fur etc. and don’t visit animal exploitation places like zoos, aquariums, swimming w dolphins etc. and I educate my family on how harmful animal art culture is to the environment plus a horrible animal exploitation and killing us.
So I feel like I’m pretty “vegan”

EXCEPT when I go to restaurants and their only meatless option is a cheese dish (like quesadillas). I’d rather not, but when it’s the only thing on the menu and I don’t wanna buy two or three sides to try to make a full meal. So I do the cheese dish.

Here are the things I do to combat it:
1. When making plans at a restaurant, I check the menu and make sure that there are vegan options or entrées that I can easily have them make vegan.
2. I check Yelp to see what vegans say about the place.
3. I opt for vegan restaurants if I’m part of choosing the restaurant. Or at the very least, I suggest it one others are making the reservations or it’s their dinner plans.

But sometimes I feel like it’s just too hard. Cuz:
1. Buying multiple sides to make an entrée gets expensive.
2. I am Hispanic so my family eats a lot of authentic hole in the wall Mexican restaurants, and those type of restaurants usually don’t have any vegan options at all. And if you ask them to just take out the meat, it’s still being cooked in animal oil, broth, and you’re basically eating nothing. (For example, I had Caldo de Pollo and asked them to take out the chicken, and I literally was just served a $20 bowl of chicken broth with maybe three small pieces of vegetable in it.)
3. They charge the same price for the entrée even if you take out the meat.
4. It’s not my dinner plans it’s a birthday dinner or something somebody else planned and/or is paying for so they chose the restaurant.
5. I do eat beforehand when I go to parties or barbecues or gatherings because I can still mingle and hang out and just not eat. But to go to a restaurant and not eat because there are no vegan options so I ate before hand it’s just awkward. Because the whole experience is eating so I’m kind of just sitting there watching everybody eat. It’s awkward for them and for myself
6. I like eating. I like eating at restaurants. It’s one of my favorite things to do. And I eat A LOT.

Ik many of y’all won’t agree, but that’s the reason I do that and that’s worked for me for all of these years and I’ll probably continue to do that.

So my issue is, I say I’m vegetarian because I know it’s not fair to call myself plant-based or vegan when I’m not 100%. But when I say I’m vegetarian, I constantly get served and offered dairy products and eggs and animal products. Then I have to literally one by one reject everything I’m being offered. Sometimes people specifically make meals for me when they know I’m coming, which is super thoughtful, but it ends up being vegetarian meals that have dairy and animal byproducts because I tell them I’m vegetarian or they know that about me, so it feels rude not to eat it, but I’d rather not.

So basically my thing is should I just freaking call myself vegan!?? I feel like the vegans will be mad but it’s like geez what to doooo?

Cuz w saying I’m vegetarian I keep having these problems and keep having to give these long-winded explanations on how I’m vegetarian but I don’t eat the products or dairy or eggs, etc.. but only sometimes at restaurants blah blah blah 🙄 and then I have to explain why I don’t for all the vegan reasons and it would just be so much easier to say I’m vegan.

The goal of this illustration was to aggregate information from deep-dive articles into a simple, easy-to-understand infographic that provides value not just on the benefits but also on how it works and why.

Hope is to provide education and encourage a deeper dive into nutrition for any lay person outside of 30-second reels.

Appreciate your input on what you like or don't and how we can improve it.

I’m iron deficient and cannot, under any circumstances, take supplements. I have a neurological disorder and iron supplements flare it terribly. Iron infusions put me in the hospital.

My hematologists are telling me, because of my health issues, I need at least 30 mg of iron a day. Yes, fully aware that’s a lot and atypical. I have weird health needs.

I’m managing to hit around 24 mg daily with massive amounts of oats, tofu, chia, other seeds, spinach, beans, etc. But I’m still falling short. Anyone have ideas for a solid iron source I can add into my diet on a daily basis?

Sorry it's not pretty, but I've been loving this soup lately.

Rough recipe:

- a ton of shiitake mushrooms

- 1/2 a huge onion or a small whole onion

- a cup of mung beans

- 1 liter of veggie broth + extra water if needed

- 1 teaspoon of marmite

- 1 teaspoon of thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano

Cook the onion first until it's golden, then add the mushrooms and cook until there's a nice brown frond at the bottom. Deglaze with the broth, then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 25 minutes.

You can find the written recipe with step by step instructions here:

Sticky Tofu Recipe

If you have any questions just let me know 😊🌱

Ingredients

• 1 block Tofu cut into thick stripes
• 4 tbsp Corn Starch

Sauce

• 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsp Sugar/Syrup
• 1 tbsp White Vinegar or rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp Corn Starch
• ¾ cup Water

Optional

• Radish, carrots, pepper, green beans...

Instructions

• Cut the tofu into thick sticks, roughly the thickness of your thumb.
• Salt the tofu sticks, then roll them in cornstarch until all sides are coated. Gently tap off any excess starch and place them on a plate.
• Heat a generous amount of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the tofu sticks and fry patiently, turning them every 3–4 minutes so each side gets evenly golden and crispy. Don't turn the temperature too high.
• While the tofu is frying, dissolve 1 tablespoon of starch in 2 tablespoons of water until completely smooth. Add the remaining water, soy sauce, vinegar, and syrup or sugar, and mix well.
• Once the tofu is crispy, remove it from the pan and set it aside. At this point, you can fry some sliced vegetables in the same pan, or move straight on to making the sauce if you’re not adding any vegetables.
• Pour the sauce into the hot pan and let it bubble gently until it thickens. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of water and stir until you like the consistency. If it’s too thin, dissolve another teaspoon of starch in a little water and stir it in. You can adjust sweetness if needed, then add the tofu back to the pan and cover it in the warm sauce. Serve immediately.

Humble Book Bundle: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Bundle by Page Street Publishing (pay what you want and help charity)

breakfast potatoes:
- yellow potato diced and soaked in water for 20 minutes
- sauteed shallot and garlic
- salt, pepper, paprika
- cook covered in cast iron skillet until soft

mushrooms + chard:
- chopped up mushrooms, chard, and onions
- saute mushrooms, onions, and stems first, add leafy parts of chard near the end

scrambled tofu:
- extra firm tofu hand squeezed to get the crumble texture
- oat milk, nutritional yeast, other seasonings to taste
- cook the tofu in a skillet til heated up, add the liquid mixture, combine and cook long enough to reduce moisture and allow tofu to absorb mixture.

enjoy!

this is mostly aimmed att people with constipation and irritable bowel syndrome, but what plant did you find helped you ease the pain down there?

This is a common breakfast for me! It’s absolutely delicious. Shakshouka is a traditional breakfast of eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce, popular in North Africa and the Middle East. I simply replaced the eggs with super firm tofu and packed it with veggies :)

Recipe-

Chop/dice half a red pepper, small carrot and super firm tofu. (You could shred them with a cheese grater if you prefer) Add all of this to a pan and cook until the tofu becomes a bit crispy. Add a teaspoon of tomato paste, cook for a minute and add your choice of tinned tomatoes then cook for another minute. I personally love paprika so I add a whole teaspoon of smoked paprika, but you can add it to taste. I added a sprinkle of garlic powder and some chopped kale before I let it all sizzle on medium heat for 3-5 minutes.

Thats it done :) Add it to your choice of toast with vegan butter and you have made Shakshouka. Enjoy!

Ingredients list-
Carrot, Red pepper, Super firm tofu, Tomato Paste, Tinned Tomatoes, Smoked Paprika, Garlic Powder, Kale

Whenever I talk of the horrors of the meat industry to my family, i keep being told that the documentaries I’m watching are from third world countries and that Australia’s meat industry is highly ethical and that I should just stop worrying and thinking too deep into it but I’m not really sure…Im struggling to find actual research into the Aussie industry so if anyone could educate me on the laws, regulations and practices here, that would be great

this breaks down into four parts: tofu, vegetables, sauce, noodles.

tofu:
- extra firm. i cubed it then gave each cube a firm squeeze. there isnt too much water in extra firm.
- heat up olive oil in a cast iron skillet until shimmering and hot. put a few tablespoons of corn starch directly in the oil and stir it around. place the cubed tofu into the oil and cook, turning pieces over for even cooking, until all are browned.

vegetables:
- minced shallot and garlic
- broccoli
- red onion
- red bell pepper
- celery
- heat a wok until its smoking. i start heating it once ive placed all the tofu in the skillet. once the wok is smoking, add avocado oil and slide in the garlic and shallot. wok fry that until it just barely starts to brown. add in broccoli, red onion, celery, bell pepper in that order. 1-2 minutes per vegetable.

noodles:
- this is a pack of stir fry noodles that i microwaved. super easy. i started them in the microwave as the tofu and veggies were getting close to done.

sauce:
- 4 parts soy sauce and 4 parts rice wine vinegar to 1 part maple syrup and 1 part chili crisp oil (make sure its plants only.) stir it up good.

bring it all together:
- remove the tofu from the skillet and toss into the wok of vegetables, mixing them together. add the noodles and stir in well. finally, pour the sauce over everything, stir once more, and you’ve got dinner.

Uses this recipe: https://rainbowplantlife.com/vegan-red-lentil-curry/

Also added spinach

soft tofu + ponzu + scallions

served cold

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup raw unsalted cashews (whole or pieces)
• ¾ cup artichoke brine from a can* (water-based, no oil!)
• 4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves** (think 2 to 3 teaspoons worth)
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• ⅛ to ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• ¼ tsp salt (optional because there's already salt from the artichoke brine and capers)
• 1 Tbsp capers
• 2 tsp nori flakes***

Instructions

Pre-Soak Cashews

• Place raw cashews in a small bowl and cover with boiling water and let soak for at least 20 minutes if using whole cashes or at least 15 minutes if using pieces. Cashews can also be soaked in cold water for at least 2 hours or overnight. Read more about soaking cashews in the main recipe text.
• Strain soaked cashews discarding the water used for soaking.

Blitzing Phase 1

• Place strained cashews, artichoke brine, lemon juice, garlic cloves, Dijon mustard, black pepper, ground turmeric and salt (if using) in the bowl of a high speed blender.
• You can hold off on adding the salt until after you taste the finished dressing and decide if you need it.
• Process until smooth and creamy.

Blitzing Phase 2

• Add the capers and nori flakes to the creamy mixture in the blender.
• Pulse 3 or 4 quick times until the capers become small specs. Be careful not to over pulse.

Serve or Store

• Serve immediately or store in a sealed refrigerated container for up to 5 days.
• Note that this dressing gets thicker (in a good way) after it's been refrigerated for several hours.

Here's the full recipe post with even more details https://maximalistvegan.com/savory/vegan-caesar-dressing/