The Nonjudgmental Vegan

As I stated in an earlier blog post, I became vegan for a number of reasons, but my primary reason at the beginning was for health. I had lost my greatest hero, my father to cancer (Brain tumor) and it was devastating.  I had lost my favorite uncle, my Dad's twin brother to cancer (pancreatic cancer) as well.  I couldn't help but start to wonder if there was a correlation between nutrition and one's risk of cancer. I started to research and it all made perfect sense.  Now there are lots of bloggers who will share their insight, but I'm not a doctor, so I leave this to the professionals by sharing some resources to read for yourself.  Everyone comes to veganism or a plant-based diet/lifestyle for many different reasons--it may be for health, the environment, the animals or all of the above.  Whatever your reason for examining this lifestyle, find your 'why' because when you do, you will adhere to your plan and will less likely stray from it if you have a st...

Comfort Food Easy Vegan Salisbury Steak  I grew up eating certain comfort foods, and Salisbury Steak was one of them.  I'm always looking for tasty meals that can be made quickly and easily.  You'll be surprised at just how easy this is, and I'll link some of the ingredients you can order via Amazon.  Ingredients: Don Lee Farms Better Than Beef  (I found these are CostCo) Simply Organic Vegetarian Brown Gravy Packets   Trader Joe's Organic Rainbow Cauliflower (Frozen)  (but you can use any other frozen veggies) Daiya Vegan Alfredo Cheeze Sauce   Mushrooms Seasoned Salt & Pepper (to your liking), I also like to use some Unami seasoning  to add a depth of savory flavor to most of my dishes How To: Salisbury Steak & Veggies with Cheeze Sauce 1) I thawed four patties and placed them in between two sheets of wax paper and used a rolling pin to make thinner patties.  2) Chop one small to medium onion...

Now that you're on your way to eating a more vegan diet, you're confronted with the holiday season and wondering how you're going to navigate it all from going to parties, hosting your own Thanksgiving and your family. There are many ways to handle each situation so let's discuss each one.   Parties You're invited to a holiday party, so this is a great opportunity for you to share some delicious vegan dishes with your friends.  If it's a potluck or not, perhaps chat with the host of the party and ask if you could bring a vegan dish to share.  Usually, most hosts are happy to have more dishes to share and this may also give your host a chance to consider offering more vegan-friendly options.   Family Gatherings This one can be tricky and I'm fully aware of that.  Not everyone may welcome your new lifestyle choices, so I say tread lightly if you know you may face difficulty here, but who knows, they may surprise you!  Again, I s...

As you transform your kitchen to cater to a more plant-based diet, you want to consider planning for success by always having staple items readily available.  The best part about the list I'm about to share is most are shelf-stable, so you don't have to worry about using them right away or spoilage.  I'll organize these items into separate categories & provide a Google Doc of the list for downloads. I'll provide links to my personal product favorites--most are either available on Amazon, Trader Joe's, CostCo or a national grocery retailer. Grains/Pasta Pasta--make sure to get different shapes & sizes to make things interesting Quinoa Couscous Rice Wild Rice Oatmeal-- Steel Cut or Old Fashion Pancake & Waffle Mix--My favorite is Birch Benders Plant-Based Protein Bread Crumbs Protein Tofu Tempeh Dried and Canned Beans of all kinds (Black, Red, Kidney, Chickpeas) Lentils Protein Powder, my favorite is YourSuperfoods  ( click he...

Let's Cook...Vegan!  Look, I understand most who are reading this are new to this whole vegan/plant based thing and probably wondering; "What the hell am I going cook and eat?"   It can seem overwhelming to make such a change because we are creatures of habit and tend to make things we grew up eating. The next question after asking for resources on going vegan is related to cookbooks and cooking websites. While I will share some recipes and ideas on my blog, I'm a freestyle kind of cook and tend to just wing it, but I do like to refer to recipes for ideas to get my creative cooking juices flowing.  Here are some cookbooks I think you'll enjoy. Click on any of the links or photos to read more about each book on Amazon The Plant-Based Diet Meal Plan: A 3-Week Kickstart Guide to Eat & Live Your Best Start healthier eating and living with this guide to a plant-based diet. To realize the benefits of a plant based diet, you need two ...

World Vegan Day  is an annual event celebrated by  vegans  around the world every 1 November. The benefits of veganism for humans, non-human animals, and the natural environment are celebrated through activities such as setting up stalls, hosting potlucks, and planting memorial trees. The event was established in 1994 by  Louise Wallis , then Chair of  The Vegan Society  in the United Kingdom, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the organization and the coining of the terms "vegan" and "veganism." Speaking in 2011, Louise Wallis said: "We knew the Society had been founded in November 1944, but didn’t know the exact date, so I decided to go for 1 November, partly because I liked the idea of this date coinciding with  Samhain / Halloween  and the  Day of the Dead  – traditional times for feasting and celebration, both apt and auspicious." [1]    So, what does that mean for you? Well, if you're veg...

As we get bombarded with ads on Facebook and Instagram, every once in a while I click "Shop Now" and Veggiecraft Farms Pasta was my most recent purchase! As my husband and I get ready for our work trips (he's a pilot and I'm a flight attendant), I like to make meals that not only hold up over a 3-4 day trip, but can be eaten hot or cold as we don't always have access to microwaves or ovens. I'm not much of a recipe girl, I generally take what I have and mix up some sort of meal...thankfully, most of them are tasty! What's in the pasta? Marinaded artichoke hearts from CostCo Kalamata olives from Costco Vegan Tomato Pesto from Costco Organic Green Vegetable Foursome from Trader Joe's  Chopped sundried tomatoes Chopped green onions Cooked Black lentils Organic No Salt Seasoning from Costco Johnny's Seasoned Salt  Taste?  It is a denser, firmer tasting pasta then traditional pasta, and that may take some getting used to. ...

Hi and welcome to my new blog, The Nonjudgmental Vegan!   Let me tell you why I am here and what I plan to share with you. I've been vegan/plant-based (whatever you want to call it) for the last 6+ years and I've encountered all sorts of judgment throughout the years for just being vegan to not being vegan enough.  I've decided to start this blog as a way to unite us in our imperfections!  I want more people to become vegan, but I'm not going to judge you if you're not ready or may never be 100% vegan.  My goal is to get more people to choose to eat more plants over animals, so if you do that, it's a win in my book! Can we all agree this is a judgment-free zone? Yes--then, great!   It's taken me a long time to get here--I grew up eating meat, I was once married to a hunter, I've been on extreme meal plans while I was a fitness competitor (low carb, tons of meat-based protein, etc), so I've gone through just about every way of...