Accentuate the Positive

It’s already day three! If you’re having doubts, just keep your eye on the prize: each time you eat a meat-free meal, you’re creating a kinder, greener, and healthier world. Rather than thinking about what you’re giving up, focus on the exciting new foods you’ve found. If you’ve crafted a vegan version of a family favorite or old stand-by, tell us on Facebook or Twitter. Now, congratulate yourself for reaching the three-day checkpoint with a tasty dessert:

See more sweet treats in Chloe’s Vegan Desserts

DID YOU KNOW?

Bill Gates and Twitter co-founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams are just a few big names investing in plant-based food innovation for its potential impact on animals, the environment, health, and hunger. Learn how venture-capital funded Beyond Eggs supports that mission.

Veg Eating on a Budget

Choosing vegetarian foods isn’t just about being green. It’s about saving green! It’s easy - and affordable - to eat meat-free with these money-saving suggestions:

Consume whole foods, which are both cheaper and healthier.
Plan meals in advance so you buy only the groceries you need, then pack your lunch or cook dinner at home.
Buy grains and beans in bulk (try ethnic markets).
Shop at farmers markets or order from community supported agriculture (CSA) - local produce is often fresher and cheaper.
Grow your own tomatoes, mushrooms, and herbs in pots or window boxes.
Take advantage of US VegWeek specials.

Try these 13 healthy meal ideas that cost less than $2 and take less than 15 minutes to make.

More meals to please pigs AND your piggy bank.

Recipe: Cheddar Grilled Cheese with Pimento Mayonnaise and Spinach

Vegan cuisine can be as simple as you want (bean burritos) or as gourmet as you desire (three-bean burritos with heirloom tomatoes, mustard greens, and tomatillo salsa). For foodies with particular palates, it’s easy to dress up any dish with some seasonal veggies and thoughtfully-chosen spices. That’s why we love this adult spin on our childhood favorite, which adds iron- and calcium-rich spinach and vitamin C-loaded pimento for a surprising boost in flavor and nutrition (fun fact: eating vitamin C improves absorption of non-heme iron, the type found in plant foods).

Get GO Veggie Foods’ recipe now.

Warmly,

Jaya Bhumitra
Campaigns Director
Compassion Over Killing

UMAMI: NOT JUST A FUN WORD TO SAY

If you think you’re craving meat and cheese, you might just be missing umami, what scientists dub the “fifth taste” (the other four are sweet, salty, sour, and bitter). Umami is imparted by high levels of the amino acid glutamate, often found in meat and aged cheeses. However, we can easily add umami to vegan meals by using fermented foods like wine, miso, tamari, and balsamic vinegar. Tomatoes, ketchup, sea veggies, olives, mushrooms, sauerkraut, and pickles are also umami-rich.

MORE RECIPES FOR YOUR TABLE

Vegan Food Share just launched an e-cookbook with more than 30 recipes - from banana cream pancakes to coconut curry-stuffed squash. It’s “pay what you can,” and all proceeds benefit Compassion Over Killing! Choose your price and start cooking.

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