Category Archives: Specific Food

NO EGGS – How to Substitute

I consider myself a plant based eater and 99.9% vegan, however I do eat eggs about once a month and honey will cross my lips on occasion…those are the ONLY exceptions.  While I no longer have them, I used to be the proud caretaker of two very sweet chickens and I know that while with my family they led happy lives (and continue to do so on a farm with our friends) and were not being mistreated or exploited for their eggs.  My husband used to joke that we had the best fed and well taken care of chickens he could imagine…I would make their food (no buying prepared chicken food for me), and see to it that they got all of the good mango scraps, etc. Seeing as we did not have a rooster, the eggs were never destined to become baby chicks.

I believe it was this situation that made my daughter fall in love with eating eggs.  Fortunately for her health we learned that eggs do not love her.  It was this that forced me to find appropriate substitutes for eggs in her diet.

I know many of you are looking for appropriate egg substitutes.  Eggs are generally used either in baking or for eating straight-up.  Different substitutes work for different applications.

APPLICATION

SUBSTITUTION

Scrambled Eggs Crumbled firm tofu
Eggs for Quiche Regular or firm tofu
Egg Whites 1 egg white = 1 Tbs plain agar powder with 1 tbsp water. Whip together, chill and whip again
Baking Energ Egg Replacer (directions on box)
  Flax eggs:1 egg = 1 Tbs. flax meal mixed w/3 Tbs. warm waterLet sit for approx. 8-10 minutes to thicken
  Salba meal: same directions
  Chia meal: same directions
  1 egg = ¼ cup of mashed banana or applesauce
  1 egg = ¼ cup blended silken tofu
  1 egg = ¼ cup non-dairy yogurt
For Loafs – need binding agent Bread crumbs, mashed potatoes, oatmeal, tomato paste – start with ¼ cup per egg and work from there.  You will need to play with the amount until you reach the right consistency

 Additional egg substitutes available by clicking here.

Image courtesy of gfreefoodie.com

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Filed under Education, Food Substitutions, General Vegan, Recipes, Specific Food, Vegan, Vegetarian

GRANDE STRAWBERRIES and CREME FRAPPUCCINO or 87 MEDIUM STRAWBERRIES

On occasion I will saunter into Starbucks for a Grande Decaf Soy Latte because they taste so darn good.  The last time my hubby and I had a date night we stopped in for a coffee between dinner and a movie.  I noticed their pamphlet, “Nutrition by the Cup” and grabbed it on my way out.  We arrived at the movie a bit early, so I pulled out the pamphlet and took a look.  My drink wasn’t awful weighing in at 170 calories, 4.5 grams fat, and 17 sugars (a bit high), but is definitely categorized as a treat.

I instinctively knew that a lot of their blended drinks were akin to milkshakes, however I was still SHOCKED by how much sugar they contain.  A Venti Green Tea Frappuccino Blended Crème (WITHOUT WHIPPED CREAM…and how many people do you see walking out of Starbucks WITHOUT the whipped cream???) weighs in at 440 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 86 grams of sugar!!!  Say what?!??!?!?!?

This pamphlet provided for great conversation with my husband.  We zeroed in on the Strawberries and Crème Frappuccino Blended Crème.  In his infinite wisdom my husband suggested I compare the nutrition of real strawberries with the Strawberries and Crème Frappuccino Blended Crème drinks.  How many strawberries would it take to meet the sugar equivalent of a Strawberries and Crème Frappuccino Blended Crème

GRANDE STRAWBERRIES & CREME FRAPPUCCINO BLENDED CRÈME

Calories Fat (g) Sugars (g) Fiber (g)
250 2 52 1

NUTRITION INFORMATION FOR 1 MEDIUM (1 ¼” across) STRAWBERRY

Calories Fat (g) Sugars (g) Fiber (g)
4 <0.1 0.6 O.2

Based on this information, for the same sugars amount of sugar in the Starbucks drink I can eat 87 strawberries!!!  If I were to eat those 87 strawberries I would have given my body countless phytonutrients and over 17 grams of fiber.  Yes, I would have eaten 348 strawberry calories vs. the 250 Frappuccino calories, but studies have also shown that your body burns up to 50% more calories when eating WHOLE versus processed foods due to the extra workload created when breaking them down.  If this is true, the net calories you are truly consuming are 174…76 calories LESS than the Frappuccino.  I personally would much rather consume real strawberries or make my own blended Frappuccino at home with vegan vanilla protein powder and real strawberries.  Yikes!

image of Starbucks courtesy of simonleong.com

image of Strawberry Frappuccino courtesy of sugarscape.com

image of strawberry sign courtesy of artcanyon.com

Nutritional information for strawberries from Calorie King.

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Filed under Education, Investigations, Junk Food, Product Reviews, Specific Food, Sugar, Vegan, Vegetarian

HAPPY BELATED ALMOND DAY!

Visuals in this post courtesy of The Almond Board of CA

Visuals in this post courtesy of The Almond Board of CA

Yesterday was Almond Day, so Happy Belated Almond Day!

When eaten in moderation, almonds are a great addition to your diet.  Here are some ideas on how to incorporate more almonds into your diet from the Almond Board of California (Yep, California has an Almond Board):

  • Tossed in a salad
  • Topping a bowl of porridge
  • Before or after a workout
  • In a tasty trail mix
  • Why not include in the trail mix at the office?
  • In a delicious, healthy dessert
  • In the glove compartment
  • As a late-night snack
  • As appetizers at parties
  • Sprinkled over entrées
  • Don’t forget the Maple Almond Granola recipe I posted from Earthbound Farms!
  • Also remember to use almond milk as a good dairy milk alternative

Below is a visual of what one ounce of almonds looks like:

1 handful= 23 almonds = 1 ounce

1 handful= 23 almonds = 1 ounce

One serving of almonds 28(g) has 13g of unsaturated fat and only 1g of saturated fat. 

Almond Nutrition Facts

Almond Nutrition Facts

Just make sure you don’t overdo it.  Limit your daily consumption to an ounce.  If you have heart disease it is best to avoid nuts due to their high fat content.

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Filed under Education, Gluten Free, Specific Food, Vegan, Vegetarian