Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [172]
Try something new. Experiment with a new recipe at least once a week. Countless vegan recipes from every ethnic background are available on the Internet. Many of these recipes have comments from other home cooks, which can help you avoid possible mistakes in the original recipe. If you need some ideas to get started, try recipes from www.vegweb.com, www.veganchef.com, or www.fatfreevegan.com.
Start a Vegan Victory Garden
The idea to contribute to your own health and the environment was given a huge boost in March 2009 when President and Mrs. Obama participated in planning a large organic garden on the White House lawn. Large plots of land like the one at the White House aren’t necessary, however; even the smallest apartment can house a mini-farm. Container gardening can produce lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, green beans, carrots, and berries (and virtually any other type of veggie, as long as you choose the proper variety and have a big enough pot).
If you have access to more land and are inclined to get busy in the garden, you can grow a considerable amount of food with a little research and a few seasons worth of patience. An acre of arable land can produce thousands of pounds of strawberries, potatoes, corn, or lettuce. For an amazing selection of organic and heirloom seeds, look around www.seedsofchange.com.
A great resource for getting to know the local land and what you can expect when you start your own Victory Garden are local County Extension offices. Every state has offices staffed with experts who supply useful information to the public regarding planting season, local native varieties, information on soil health, and sources for seeds and tools.
Be More Free-Gan with Used Goods
Vegans can get even more eco street cred by looking for ways to be free-gan, or buying, borrowing, and finding used items instead of buying brand-new goods. Start looking for used items that are free — in New York City we call this dumpster diving or trash picking. Instead of buying new or used items, you often can find a free item that someone else doesn’t need anymore. Why is dumpster diving a great thing to do? Picking up that old bookshelf from the curb keeps it out of the landfill, saves you money, and prevents natural resources from being overused to create new items.
Some communities have scheduled “clean out” weekends where people put items out on their curbs or sidewalks. The stuff is then fair game for anyone who wants to pick it up and take it home. Not only does it save everyone money by reducing garbage collection fees, it redistributes goods to people who are in need and can’t necessarily afford to buy new things.
You also can go online and join Freecycle.org to post items you want to part with. Other users will then respond and schedule a time to pick up that old sofa bed that’s clogging your walking path through the living room.
Table of Contents
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Introduction
Part I: "Ve-gan" at the Beginning
Chapter 1: The Lowdown on Vegan Eating and Living
Chapter 2: Understanding the Impact of Vegan Living
Chapter 3: Transforming to Veganism
Part II: Building a Healthy Vegan Diet
Chapter 4: Essential Nutrients for Healthy Success
Chapter 5: Protein Protocols
Chapter 6: Transforming Food into Health-Supportive Meals
Part III: Sticking to Your Guns: Staying Vegan
Chapter 7: Cooking and Shopping Like a Vegan
Chapter 8: Coexisting with the Meat Eaters in Your Home
Chapter 9: Planning Your Meals to Stay on Track
Chapter 10: Comfort Foods: Veganizing Meat, Dairy, and Other Old Favorites
Chapter 11: Beyond Food: Embracing the Whole Vegan Lifestyle
Part IV: Tasting Is Believing: Vegan Recipes
Chapter 12: Breakfasts of Vegan Champions