CLASS #1: Transitioning to Veganism

Veganism's Roots in Vegetarianism

Veganism came out of vegetarianism, which has been practiced by people since antiquity. Far from being a relatively new phenomenon, vegetarianism dates back to a time before recorded history. Many anthropologists believe that most early humans ate primarily plant foods, being more gatherers than hunters. This view is supported by the fact that the human digestive system resembles that of other plant-eaters rather than that of carnivores. (Forget about "canine" teeth, other herbivores have them too. But no meat-eater has molar teeth, like humans and the other plant-eaters.) The early human as plant-eater view is also supported by the fact that humans on meat-based diets contract major ailments such as heart disease and cancer much more frequently than people eating vegetarian diets.

Certainly humans started eating meat at some point before recorded history, but only because unlike animals, humans are capable of that kind of experimentation. However, this short period of meat-eating is not nearly long enough to have had an evolutionary impact on us — hence the fact, for example, that animal foods will raise human cholesterol while dogs fed solid bricks of butter maintain the same cholesterol level.

The Greek mathematician Pythagoras was a vegetarian, and vegetarians were often called Pythagoreans until the word was created. The term "vegetarian" was coined by the British Vegetarian Society in 1847; the American Vegetarian Society was formed in 1850. By the 1880s, vegetarian restaurants were popular in London, offering cheap and nutritious meals in respectable settings. Notable vegetarians of times past include Leonardo da Vinci, St. Francis of Assisi, Mahatma Gandhi, Leo Tolstoy, George Bernard Shaw, and toward the end of his life Albert Einstein.

The Vegan Movement Begins

Donald Watson (1910-2005), inventor of the word "vegan" and founder of the Vegan Society

There were always some members of the Vegetarian Society who ate no animal-derived foods at all, including eggs and dairy products, usually known as "non-dairy vegetarians." In 1944 they decided to formally organise themselves by launching a new organization, the Vegan Society, which is still thriving today.

Types of Vegetarians

LACTO OVO: A lacto ovo vegetarian diet excludes meat, fish, and poultry but includes dairy products and eggs. Most vegetarians in the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe fall into this category. Lacto ovo vegetarians eat such foods as cheese, ice cream, yogurt, milk, and eggs, as well as foods made with these ingredients.

PESCETARIAN: Same as lacto ovo, but also eats fish and seafood. 

LACTO VEGETARIAN: A lacto vegetarian diet excludes meat, fish, and poultry, as well as eggs and any foods containing eggs. A lacto vegetarian would, however, eat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.

VEGAN ("ethical vegan"): Technically, the term vegan refers to more than just the diet alone. A vegan is a vegetarian who avoids eating or using all animal products, including meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, honey, any foods containing by-products of these ingredients, wool, silk, leather, and any nonfood items made with animal byproducts. Most ethical vegans are opposed to the status of non-human animals as human property.

PLANT-BASED DIET ("health vegan"): Some people choose a vegan diet purely for health reasons and are less interested in issues of animal welfare and animal rights. Since veganism is a holistic philosophy and not just a diet, the term "plant-based" is useful to distinguish those whose focus is on the health benefits of a diet free of animal ingredients (but who may still wear leather, for example). However, it's common for people who start out as "health vegans" to eventually learn about the broader issues and gradually adopt a vegan lifestyle. 

Convenience Foods - Easy and Tasty!

Array of vegan convenience foods, found at Market Basket in Fitchburg, MA.

Once someone makes the decision to adopt, or experiment with, a vegan diet, the question that immediately arises is: What will I eat?

Most of us can't completely overhaul our diets overnight. This is where vegan convenience foods come into play. Nowadays, vegan versions of the most common foods — hot dogs, hamburgers, cold cuts, chicken nuggets, and more — are readily available in our neighborhood supermarket. These foods are an easy way to start eating vegan, without having to completely change your taste buds or deprive yourself or do any hard work. 

Dessert Recipe: Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread

Adapted from WishICouldCook recipe on Food.com. Makes 1 loaf (12 slices). 

The moist tastiness of classic Banana Bread, with a decadent swirl of chocolate...mmmmm!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup mashed banana, very ripe (about 3 bananas)

3/4 cup sugar, or to taste

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/3 cup plant-based milk (I used Blue Diamond Almond Breeze)

1 1/2 cups flour (I used King Arthur's white whole wheat)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cocoa powder and/or 1 ounce high quality chocolate (I used both)

hot water

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°; lightly spray or grease a standard loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, mash banana until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, canola oil, and milk. Whisk until well-blended.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. (I sift these though a metal sieve to avoid lumps.)

4. Add the blended dry ingredients to the wet banana mixture. Stir gently until no dry bits are remaining. (Do not over-stir, as this will create a tough loaf.) If batter seems too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons water to achieve desired consistency.***

5. Remove 3/4 cup of the batter and set aside in bowl. (I used the bowl that had the flour mixture in it).

6. In another small bowl, place cocoa powder and/or chocolate. Add 1-2 tablespoons very hot water, and stir to moisten the cocoa powder and/or soften the chocolate. (If using chocolate, it may be necessary to heat in microwave to soften completely.) If you like a sweeter loaf, you may add 1-2 tablespoons sugar in this step.

7. Add the chocolate/cocoa mixture to the 3/4 cup of batter you set aside. Blend well, creating a chocolatey batter.

8. Now for the fun part! Pour 1/3 of the plain banana batter into the greased loaf pan. Then pour 1/2 of the chocolate-banana mixture on top (it doesn’t need to completely cover the first layer). Continue to alternate between plain and chocolate batters. Once all of the batter is in, take a butter knife and, starting at one end of the loaf, move the knife in a figure-8 motion toward the opposite end to create the marbling effect.

9. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the center is no longer gooey. Insert a wooden toothpick to test this. Allow to cool (if you can wait that long) and enjoy!

*** For a simpler recipe, you may stop at this point (skipping the cocoa/chocolate marbling part) and just pour the banana bread batter into the pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until the center is no longer gooey.  

NOTE: To make a gluten-free version, try substituting Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Flour and adding 1 teaspoon Xantham Gum to the dry ingredients.