Would You Eat Lab Grown Meat?

For over a year, there’s been talk of lab grown meat in the vegetarian and vegan communities as a possible solution to the global food crisis and as a means of substantially cutting the greenhouse gases associated with factory farming. However, a Dutch team from Maastricht University just announced that it plans on having the first in-vitro hamburger ready by October 2012, and even though it’ll take 10-20 years to make it available to the masses, we’ve got to ask: Would you eat in-vitro meat?

Posted in: Food Talks
Tags: grown meat growing meat in-vitro meat

Spice Up Your Valentine’s Day With These Vegan Recipes

Love is in the air, so even if there is still some snow on the ground where you live, Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate. But that doesn’t mean you need to go all out with an expensive dinner, dozens of roses, or the proverbial box of chocolates. Whether a night on the town just isn’t in the budget right now or you and your significant other prefer a more intimate affair, you’d do very well with any one of these delicious gluten free, vegan recipes, candlelight, and maybe a bottle of wine.

Posted in: Vegan Eating
Tags: vegan valentine gluten free vegan recipes easy vegan recipes

Ten Tips To Make Your Allergic or Vegan Valentine Swoon!

Many of the Valentine’s Day chocolate that’s been lining mainstream store shelves for weeks has milk, wheat flour, or other ingredients that don’t work for a vegan valentine or one with dietary restrictions caused by allergies, intolerances, or autoimmune disorders, like celiac disease. Buying any of these products for your significant other might produce a polite thank you, but little else. Similarly, if you take them out to a restaurant or prepare them a special dinner that doesn’t cater to their dietary needs, then you will have, at best, a disgruntled mate or, at worst, a trip to the hospital in your future. Not exactly the romantic evening you had in mind. Check out our top ten valentine suggestions to make sure your plans will illicit the appropriate swoonworthy conclusion:

Posted in: Food Talks
Tags: vegan valentine top ten valentine soyummi pudding recipes

DC Meat-Free Week 2012!

If you were going to ask random people about which American city they thought was the most amenable to the vegetarian diet, then most people would probably assume it was some place on the west coast. However, when LivingSocial did a survey in the fall of 2011, and D.C. was named the “Top Vegetarian City.” Is it any wonder then that they’d have an entire week dedicated to going meat free or that Soyummi Foods would be excited to support it?

Posted in: Vegan Eating
Tags: vegetarian week vegan week vegetarian special vegan deals

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, So Chocolaty Pudding Smoothie

Awhile back, Erica Black Reigh, one of our social media followers, gave us a simple recipe for a chocolaty way to start your day, keep the afternoon momentum going, or to finish off a delicious and healthy meal with something that only seems decadent. Despite it’s indulgent taste, you’ll have to agree that this smoothie is kind of perfect for those of us who resolved to eat healthier in 2012 or to lose those last few pounds. To make this gluten-free, dairy-free recipe, you'll need some Soyummi Dark Chocolate Pudding, but everything else should be in your kitchen already.

Posted in: Recipes
Tags: gluten free dairy free recipe soyummi dark chocolate pudding

Why Are Americans Eating Less Meat?

Whether you live in the Northeast, the Midwest, the South, the California coast or anywhere in between, vegetarians and vegans are in the minority. Americans are known as the people who eat more meat than anyone else in the world. In fact, according to some stats that The New York Times writer, Mark Bittman, found, the American diet consists of one-sixth of the world’s meat consumption, even though we’re less than one-twentieth of the population. Whoa…that’s a mouthful! He suggests that this is changing because by the end of 2012, the department of agriculture estimates that Americans will consume 12.2% less meat and poultry than we were back in 2007.

Posted in: Food Talks
Tags: american diet meat consumption flexitarians

New Year, New You: Recipes

When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions, eating better and losing weight (or keeping it off) are two of the most universally held ones. Some of you may also have plans to do more “good” for others, make more money, spend more time with family and friends, or learn something new in 2012, but after many of us might have overdone it a little over the holidays and during our NYE celebrations, battling the bulge is one of the prime focuses for the new year.

Posted in: Recipes
Tags: easy vegan recipes new year's resolutions eating better gluten free meals

Last Minute Gluten Free Holiday Gift Ideas

If you happen to be both a last minute shopper AND have a gluten free friend or family member, finding the perfect gluten free gift might be tough. Yeah, sure, gluten free people aren’t measured by their celiac or non-celiac gluten intolerance alone, but that doesn’t mean that food isn’t a big part of most people’s holiday celebrations nor does it negate the fact that the recipient will be happy that you took this extra effort for them. Believe me. Check out the gluten free gifts we recommend for this year's holiday shopping guide:

Posted in: Gluten Free Food
Tags: gluten free gifts gluten free gift holiday shopping guide

Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas For Vegans

Finding gifts for everyone on your holiday shopping list isn’t an easy task, and last minute shoppers find it even more difficult when all the stores are out of the one thing they wanted. However, if you think someone on your list would like vegan gifts, you might want to show your support for their decision by picking out something for them that relates to their new or long-standing lifestyle. For those moments, here are some gifts for vegans that may just make you their favorite person for the coming year.

Posted in: Vegan Eating
Tags: holiday shopping list vegan gifts gifts for vegans

Part 2 — How did gluten free food hit the mainstream?

Whether you’re part of the 1 in 133 Americans who have celiac disease, avoid gluten for some other reason, including gluten intolerance, or not, it’s hard to escape the fact that lately, gluten free food has become mainstream news. On November 25, 2011, Keith O’Brien added an impressive piece to the puzzle from one of the few compassionate perspectives on the issue in The New York Times Magazine. In Part 1, we discussed how O’Brien’s piece is mostly a celebration of the influx of high-quality, gluten free products and mentioned that some small and large companies are now coming to consumers and employees who follow this medically-prescribed diet to learn what kinds of products they want to see. Still one question remains, how did the medical community transform its teachings from claims that only 1 in 10,000 Americans have this autoimmune disease in 1999 to an understanding that it’s closer to 1 in 133?

Posted in: Gluten Free Food
Tags: gluten free 1 in 133 celiac disease