Vegan food is becoming deliriously fun. Forget dry lentil burgers and chewy kale smoothies, these days vegans have claimed mouth-watering pancakes, granola, raw salads, tacos, pies, sliders, cakes and ice-cream as their own. And they’re just warming up.
Veganism is also gaining wider acceptance as a part-time option. While some hold fast to a pure, 24-7 vegan lifestyle, many are choosing to embrace it in their own sweet way. “I love the term ‘plant-based’, rather than putting eating habits into a box,” says Lauren Glucina, raw foods chef, health coach and blogger at Ascension Kitchen. “It’s far broader, not as polarizing, and less restrictive. It simply means a diet filled with an abundance of plant-based foods.”
If moving to a liberal plant-based diet (which revolves around, but isn’t limited to, vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, legumes and nuts), rather than vegetarian diet (which eliminates all meat) or vegan one (which eliminates all animal products including dairy, eggs and honey) is appealing, you need to do so consciously and creatively, explains Lauren. This means not falling into the trap of excess carbohydrates and faux meats full of additives, but rather looking carefully to plants for your body’s needs, including your daily intake of protein, iron and calcium.
The health benefits – even if you’re not quite willing to morph into a complete vegan - are generous, especially a lighter more energised feeling, according to Lauren. And the more vegetables you pile on your plate, the more you’re increasing disease-fighting antioxidants and protective phytochemicals; all the while nourishing the digestive system, which boosts your overall health immensely.
No matter how often you get your vegan on, there are plenty of blissful, delicious, and easy recipes to keep you curious, thanks to clever bloggers like these…
Kitchen Farmacy’s top picks
1. Pink grapefruit, shaved fennel and avocado salad
2. Chargrilled vegetable shish kebabs
3. Chipotle black bean tacos with jalapeño slaw
4. Rainbow capsicum salad with quinoa and red kidney beans
5. Raw raspberry, ginger and chocolate tarts with passionfruit and dark chocolate sauce
Source: Benito Martin
Chargrilled vegetable shish kebabs Source: Benito Martin
The versatile taco works for a lot of special dietary needs. Source: Benito Martin
Source: Benito Martin
Is there something worth grasping from how someone handles tea and chocolate and raspberry tarts? Source: Benito Martin
Kitchen Farmacy Editor Kris Franken
Kitchen Farmacy is our food lover's blog where good health and great taste come together. Each fortnight we'll feature a health and wellbeing foodie blog, with recipes to nourish the soul and body. Here's to eating well (and satisfying all kinds of cravings). View previous Kitchen Farmacy blog entries.
