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q&a
Q
your eats White Bean Chili
What is the biggest misconception people have about your vegan diet, and how do you respond?
A | “Being 19, people ask me all the time where I get my protein. I like to tell them I get my protein straight from the source, rather than pre-digested, and from the same place animals get theirs: plants. The only difference between plant protein and animal protein is that plant protein has no cholesterol or fat, and in turn, causes less heart problems for the consumer.” — Mariah Priest, 19, Laingsburg A | “One of the biggest misconceptions my friends have about my vegan diet is that I will languish if someone serves me food into which non-vegan ingredients were inadvertently included or that was prepared on the same grill as their meat. I am not going to refuse to eat the food that someone (knowing that I was at least vegetarian) graciously prepared for me just because it has eggs, milk or butter in it. Of course that isn’t ideal, but at the end of the day, I make my best effort to avoid purchasing those products with my wallet and to educate people as to why I do so. As vegans, we need to set an example that we are not irrational, difficult people who will have a meltdown if
family or friends accidentally incorporate the wrong ingredients. It isn’t all about us, and we need to set an example that we are kind and cooperative people who love food just as much as omnivores.” — Liz Throckmorton, 28, Lansing A | “The biggest misconception people have about my vegan diet is that it’s a low-calorie diet. I find this a lot with desserts. People assume because it’s vegan that it’s low-calorie diet food, when actually it’s not. It is just as tasty, and the calorie content can be just as high. The difference is it has quality ingredients, instead of the preservatives and animal products (eggs, butter, etc.) that are in regular baked goods. I try to explain that to people as best as I can, and usually, if I don’t mention something is vegan, people can’t tell. — Morgan Rapley, 26, Grand Rapids A | I guess the biggest misconception is that vegans have to work really hard to get enough protein in their diet, when that isn’t the case. When I first became a vegetarian, that dietary choice was considered pretty fringe, and these days it’s mainstream. Still, people aren’t well informed about the nutritional aspects of it. — Chris Moyer, 51, Okemos
Serves 6-8
A | The biggest issue I run into is people are really misinformed about nutrition. They assume since I don’t eat dairy, meat and eggs, etc., I am missing some sort of dietary necessity. They don’t realize that all food is made up of all sorts of nutrients. I receive things like calcium and protein from tofu and spinach. Vitamins like B12, which is often assumed only to come from animal products, I find in leafy greens. Whenever I mention I’m vegan, all of a sudden, people around me become nutrient experts. Calcium and protein are the biggest examples they use. They don’t realize we’re overfed calcium and protein because of our animal-reliant diets. Eating too much protein leads to weight gain, and too much animal-based calcium can lead to cancer, osteoporosis, etc. Plant-based diets are cholesterol-free, so while people try to get me to eat animal-based protein or calcium, they don’t necessarily realize they are filling themselves with lots of cholesterol and fats from animals while consuming those nutrients. — Alysa Hodgson, 21, Haslett Our next Q&A question is: What is your favorite farm animal and why? Submit answers along with your full name, age and city to info@ plantedmagazine.com. Photos are welcome but not required.
54 ounces canned great northern beans 32 ounces vegetable broth 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes 7 ounces canned diced green chilis 2 cups frozen sweet corn 2 small yellow onions, chopped 2-3 garlic cloves, minced 10-12 small sweet peppers, chopped 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons cumin 1 bay leaf 4 ounces Tofutti sour cream 1 /4 cup all purpose flour 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil 1. In a large stock pot, sauté chopped onions, sweet peppers, corn and garlic with oil until onions are transparent and peppers are slightly soft. 2. Add in vegetable broth, tomatoes and green chilis. Bring to a boil. 3. Reduce to a simmer. Add beans, nutritional yeast, bay leaf, red pepper flakes and cumin. Stir well. 4. Stir in sour cream until well blended. Sift flour in slowly, while stirring, to thicken. 5. Add salt, to taste. Let simmer for about 10 minutes or until flavors blend. — Megan Shoup, 26, Eaton Rapids
quotable “When it comes to animals in the food industry, it’s all about exploitation. I would even argue that it’s bad for everybody.” — Gene Baur, Page 19
Your picks Send us your favorite vegan and/or farm animal protection-related picks. Email info@plantedmagazine.com.
BOOK: “Foods That Cause You To Lose Weight” by Neal Barnard. This book has sound advice by a well-known medical doctor, and simple and good-tasting vegan recipes. It shows how to take favorite recipes and make them vegan. There is a very good strategy in this book for becoming vegan. It answers all the questions about protein, B12, etc., that most people misunderstand about veganism. — Laurie Bischoff, East Lansing
food item: My favorite vegan food item is avocados. I eat at least one a day, not only because they are delicious, but also because they contain nearly 20 vitamins and minerals. They are a super food, especially for people who choose a plant-based diet, because they are a good source of B vitamins. I put them on salads and toast, and in my smoothies. The healthy fat they contain keeps me full and energized. — Gabrielle Emery, 19, East Lansing
Planted | 4
movie: “Forks Over Knives.” We were inspired by the firefighters in the film who converted to a whole-foods, plant-based diet. That is amazing because many firefighters eat a catch-can diet, and they may suffer from weight gain or obesity after retiring because of that diet and a lack of exercise. These firefighters became healthier and stronger due to their vegan diet. — Valerie and Gary Riggs, 61 and 64, Lansing