Going to the theatre and sleeping in the nude are among some of the life changes people in their fifties are likely to make, according to research.

But for 53-year-old Sid Willett he decided to ditch the meat and dairy and become a fully-fledged vegan.

Sid, who works for the Cornwall Drug and Alcohol Team, hasn't had a morsel of mackerel, a leg of lamb or chomped on a cheese baguette for the last six months.

Read more: Truro's 108 Coffee has just opened a bigger cafe next door and we've taken a first look inside

And he says it has "changed my life for the better forever".

Ahead of the Cornwall Vegan Festival, which takes place at the new venue of the Mount Pleasant Eco Park, Porthtowan, on Saturday, April 22, Sid has been talking to Cornwall Live about why he made the switch.

The festival coincides with Earth Day a worldwide event to celebrate the planet and encourage people to be more environmentally friendly.

"The main reason for this change was that I realised that no animal need be exploited or to suffer for my benefit, whether that was for me to eat it, wear it or to have products that had been tested on animals for me to use.

Read more: Vegan food van Vood Bar is coming to Penzance prom and they want you to try their cakes for free

It wasn't a snap decision for Sid, he has described how he pored over books, researching farming and animal based products discovered the "massive impact on the environment" that some of these practices have, he told Cornwall Live.

"If it continues it will be the downfall of our beautiful planet and so the transition for me was unquestionable and easy," he said.

Not that it didn't prompt some quizzical remarks when he informed people he had become a vegan.

"'What do you eat?' 'Isn't it a bit extreme?' and 'where do you get your protein?' " were just a few of the comments he received when he told people of his decision to change his eating habits.

Read more: Co-op forced to hide steak from customers - because it keeps getting stolen

"This is because most only look upon it as having to give up things and don't realise or think about everything they have to gain.

"Food choices are usually the first thing people think about with veganism, but it goes way beyond that to a complete lifestyle change.

"My diet has never been richer in protein, iron, calcium and other essential vitamins and minerals. It's never been so low in saturated fats or higher in fibre and antioxidants. I have low cholesterol, clear and healthy skin; I have lost body fat and feel much more energised.

"If I want to eat curry I eat curry, same goes for lasagne, cottage pie, chilli, and a whole range of meat alternatives so it's a matter of using the recipes and replacing the meat.

"Once you've been through the 'detox' and erased the food memory of meat and dairy your palate changes so that it picks up on a lot more of the subtleties of fruit and vegetables. It's re-learning your food and it's exciting."

As he has transformed his diet so his body has also transformed losing 7lb in body fat.

Sid believes this is down to his improved diet, exercise and plenty of plant protein.

He added the health benefits of a vegan lifestyle "speak for themselves" and the benefits to non-human life are "immense".

If you decide to make the move to veganism Sid says there are many support groups and information available.

If you're not completely ready to give up the taste the dairy and meat there are lots of products that have a similar taste and texture, he explained.

He said: "The range of cakes and desserts is now very good and there is no doubt that a lot of them are completely indistinguishable from the animal based ones. I genuinely do not miss any foods and no food is worth eating if it comes at the expense of or to the detriment of another life.

"I urge everyone to consider their lifestyle choices and be informed on how they choose to live because our planet depends on this."

Saturday marks the fifth Cornwall Vegan Festival and runs from 11am to 5pm. For further details visit the festival website.

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Drug and alcohol worker Sid Willett: becoming a vegan has changed my life for the better forever - Cornwall Live

The Gold Leaf Collective will open as Fort Collins' first completely vegan restaurant at 120 W. Laurel St. on Saturday.(Photo: Jacob Laxen/The Coloradoan)Buy Photo

Taylor Smith became vegan about four years ago.

His passion for food then turned into a food truck called Silver Seed in 2014. And now on Saturday, Smith will open Fort Collins first completely vegan brick and mortar restaurant called Gold Leaf Collective at 120 W. Laurel St. in the old Ras-Ka Ethiopian restaurant.

We have magicians back in the kitchen, Smith said. If we didnt tell you it was vegan, you wouldnt even know.

Gold Leaf will serve separate breakfast lunch and dinner menus, and also plans to eventually sell retail veganbreads.

Porridge, bagels, tacos, English muffin melts and scrambled tofu dishes are among the morning offerings. The restaurant will serve paninis, salads, soups and flatbreads at lunch similar to Silver Seeds standard menu.

More:Farmers market season starts Saturday

At dinner, Gold Leaf will offer a variety of seasonally rotating small plate dishes available a la carte or as a multi-course meal. Many of the dinner options were tested out at ticketed tasting dinners before the restaurant opened.

Among the initial offerings are a grilled salad, baked beans, pine bark pierogies, baked potato soup and homemade dairy-free ice cream.

It has really been a process developing the menu, Smith said.

Tasty Harmony, Rainbow Restaurant, Avogadros Number are among other Fort Collins restaurants that have long catered to the local vegan community.

They certainly did pave the way, Smith said. Vegan is hard to do.

More:Tapas and beer bar to replace Old Town deli

A look at spots where former restaurants stood Jacob Laxen

Gold Leaf will be one of the few restaurants in town that doesnt source its food through major distributors Sysco and Shamrock. Instead, the establishment is partnering with five local farms for a majority of its ingredients.

We have to think just like a farmer would, Smith said. We have to plan everything meticulously. We will have to be able to preserve food and make it last through the winter.

Silver Seed will continue to operate and is booked throughout the summer. The food truck will use the new restaurant as its commissary kitchen. The entire operation now has 22 employees.

More:Dining scene history: 7 past restaurants of Fort Collins

Gold Leaf will officially debut at 5 p.m. on Saturday with a gold ribbon cutting a grand opening that coincides with Earth Day. The restaurant will also serve brunch on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The restaurant will start its normal hours on Tuesday: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays.

Follow Jacob Laxen on Twitter and Instagram @jacoblaxen

The Silver Seed food truck will become a brick and mortar restaurant called The Golden Leaf Collective.(Photo: Morgan Spiehs/The Coloradoan)

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Fort Collins' first entirely vegan restaurant to open Saturday - The Coloradoan

The Farby with curly fries and horsey sauce | Courtesy of Morels

Vegans and open-minded foodies have been waiting for Stanley Chase, Louisvilles vegan jerky king, to open his Highlands brick-and-mortar restaurant since hisannouncement earlier this year. Were happy to reportMorels Cafeis on track to open Tuesday, May 2, with counter service, cold sandwiches and an array of take-home vegan meats and cheeses, as well as small batch vegan jerkies.

Louisville will have to wait just a little while longer for some of Morelshot items, asChase has decided to roll those items out June 1 to assure smooth service as the business and kitchen get accustomed to dealing with live customers.

But those hot sandwiches are something to look forward to. Insider recently attended an invite-only test run for some of those hot items, and we sampled a variety of vegan cheeses and pastries as well. This all happened in Morels beautifully renovated space at 619 Baxter Ave., which formerly housed For Goodness Crepes.

The evening was scheduled to start at 6 p.m., but Chases social media teases of pictures of the food had my wife and I sitting in our car waiting just around the corner from the location at 5:45. We sat patiently for all of six minutes before we decided to just go loiter hungrily in front of the building.

As we walked up, we saw we werent the only impatient ones, as several people were getting out of their cars, and we all found the doors unlocked. The interior is a toned-down hipster chic, attractive and subtle.

The food was still being put out, which seemed fair; we were early.

We started with a gorgeous, miniature, strawberry Pop Tart-like pastry. They were as tasty as the were pretty, and I managed to only eat one, which I consider a personal victory.

Those confections came courtesy of Ashley Bender, who was mingling with the crowd.

The evening was set up in courses, and more food rolled out, starting with an appetizer-style cheese plate.I consider myself more of an aspirational vegan, so while I go through relatively long stretches with no dairy in my life, I had an egg and cheese biscuit and some ice cream yesterday. So when I eat vegan cheese, I know if its good or not.

Many vegan cheeses especially those created with processed soy seem to have to choose between taste and texture. While the smoked cheddar from Miyokos Kitchen served by Chase is still a little softer than a block of cow cheddar, it nailed the taste, and the slightly creamier texture was perfect on a cracker.

I sampled each of the cheeses from Miyokos, and for me, the cheddar was the standout, but Im looking forward to exploring the rest.

As I finished the selection of cheeses, Chase was putting out a new plate of cheese, which he urged me to try with a conspiratorial wink. This cheese, he told me, was for rock stars.

Cheezehound, located in the Catskill Mountains, doesnt even have an online store its so niche. Its currently only available at four shops in New York City and one in Brooklyn. And I would fight you for a block of it. My favorite from the companywas the bleu cheese creamy and funky. There also was something smooth, with peppadew, that I would marry if it were legal.

(I admit my notes on the cheeses wereincomplete because I was stuffing my face.)

After the cheese course, sandwiches were served, starting with theMuffuletta.

I havent eaten beef or pork in several years, so all the sandwiches seemed pretty magical, but I guess you can take my thoughts with a grain of salt. Regardless, mad props to Tom Wilburn and Trevor DeCuir, who developed the menu and were running the kitchen.

The star of the Muffuletta was the tapenade, but the salt and umami of the meats and cheeses provided the solid grounding that a good tapenade needs to stand up and shine. As a cold sandwich, the muffuletta will be immediately available when Morels opens.

Next came the Farby. Its a roast beef and cheddar sandwich (think Arbys), and its exactly what you want it to be if youre a vegetarian whosbeen missing the meat version. When its offered in June, this item will come as a full-sized sandwich, but on preview night it was a slider. And thank goodness, because I was filling up fast.

The Farby was the sandwich I was most looking forward to, and it was good, but it didnt turn out to be my favorite.

The pulled pork sliders hit the same pleasure centers of the brain as their meaty counterpart, but the flavor combination, which I suspect involves a little curry, is more complex and interesting.

Its got a nice slaw on it that keeps the curry in check and adds an interesting sweet-tangy flavor. As such, I think its the sandwich Ill return to most often, and I bet it will have the biggest following among omnivores.

There are more hot items promised on the menu, including Philly cheesesteak fries and chicken wings. I eagerly look forward to them. Chase continues his pseudo-fast-food aesthetic by offering a Pepperoni Hot Pocket forkids, complete with tater tots, juice box and a toy. Ill eat that, too.

Chase has been talking big about his ability to deliver vegan food that doesnt suck. And if the sandwiches, cheeses and desserts I sampled are any indication, he can 100 percent deliver on his promises.

On our way out the door, Chase encouragedus to take bags of his special in-house only jerky flavors. Cherry Chipotle was the biggest winner, but I also destroyed the Sweet Chili. Hehas a taste for unique flavors, and Im excited to try his experiments as he rolls out differentcreations every month.

Morels, located at 619 Baxter Ave., is set to open Tuesday, May 2, with deli offerings. Hot foods roll out June 1. Keep up to date on the latest with their Facebook page.

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The Farby with curly fries and horsey sauce | Courtesy of Morels - Insider Louisville

The Sun

Mum furious after her toddler was BANNED from a vegan kid's birthday party - for wearing a cow onesie The Sun Mum Mille Hyde, from Southend, dressed her eight-month-old daughter Tanya in a cow patterned onesie before she set out to a friend's birthday party, not realising that the birthday boy's mother Esmeralda Soy-Abbinton is raising her son Eddie as a vegan.

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Mum furious after her toddler was BANNED from a vegan kid's birthday party - for wearing a cow onesie - The Sun

Somervilles Veggie Crust, a vegetarian- and vegan-friendly pizzeria that replaced A4 Pizza on Somerville Avenue, is now taking over a second pizzeria, expanding to the Grano Neapolitan Pizza space at 8 Cypress Street in Brookline, according to a sign in the window. The location is at the northern tip of Emerson Garden, a short walk from both the Brookline Hills and Brookline Village T stops. The original Somerville location of Veggie Crust opened in August 2016, next to sister restaurant Dosa N Curry, which serves vegetarian Indian and Indo-Chinese food.

Veggie Crust is a fully vegetarian pizzeria with ample vegan and gluten-free options. In addition to pre-set pizzas such as coconut corn (alfredo, corn, tomatoes, regular mozzarella and smoked mozzarella, basil) and paneer Manchurian (paneer, Manchurian sauce, cilantro, red onion, garlic, ginger), theres also a design-your-own pizza option. Choose a crust (regular, whole wheat thin crust, or gluten-free), a sauce (marinara, masala sauce, regular or vegan alfredo, and more), and toppings (a variety of vegetables, pineapple, paneer, and more).

The restaurant also serves pasta, panini, salads, juices, and vegan nice cream dairy-free, gluten-free ice cream made with a coconut milk base. Stay tuned for an opening date for the new Brookline location.

Update, 9 p.m.: The restaurant is targeting a late June 2017 opening.

Veggie Crust Coverage on Eater [EBOS] Veggie Crust [Official Site]

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Veggie Crust to Bring Vegan Pizza and 'Nice Cream' to Brookline Next - Eater Boston

Aquafaba, commonly made from chickpea water, can be whipped into a stiff foam for an excellent vegan replacement for egg whites. Kelly Jo Smart/NPR hide caption

Aquafaba, commonly made from chickpea water, can be whipped into a stiff foam for an excellent vegan replacement for egg whites.

Beans, beans, the magical fruit

Healthy, tasty

And useful, to boot!

Save that canned water,

And whip it to foam

It's an egg-white replacement

Made right at home!

OK, so it's not the playground rhyme you grew up with. But with the avid following that canned bean water more appetizingly known as "aquafaba" has gained in just a few short years, maybe it's time that rhyme got rewritten.

Aquafaba is commonly made from chickpea water, though some people have used soy or neutral-tasting beans like cannellini as a base. Whipped into a stiff foam, it's an excellent replacement for egg whites and a cause for rejoicing among vegans.

The name aquafaba (loosely, a combination of the Latin words aqua, for water, and faba, for beans) comes courtesy of Goose Wohlt, a software engineer and vegan who stumbled across the magic ingredient in 2015, while looking for a way to make egg-free meringues for his mother's Seder. To crowdsource the process, Wohlt started working with a vegan Facebook group. Today, that group has more than 68,000 members, who post recipes and photos of dishes made with aquafaba, and the occasional "What am I doing wrong?" question.

After two years of rallying from the vegan community and others experimenting with "eggless" egg whites, these DIY recipes are now getting codified into cookbooks devoted solely to the pulse miracle that is aquafaba. In October 2016, vegan cookbook author and blogger Zsu Dever released the first of these books: Aquafaba. This month, vegan blogger Rebecca Coleman's Aquafabulous will also become available.

"The fact that we can take this liquid from beans and make it into a whole slew of delectable dishes is just incredible," Dever told NPR.

Egg whites are a culinary workhorse that omnivores frequently take for granted. Without them there are no foam-topped cocktails, no meringues, no mousses, macarons, or angel food cakes just to name a few. So the discovery of aquafaba has been like "an explosion in the vegan community," Dever writes.

Egg whites are a culinary workhorse that omnivores frequently take for granted. It took a lot of trial and error to figure out how to use aquafaba as an egg-free substitute in dishes from meringue to brioche breads and more, says vegan blogger and cookbook author Zsu Dever. Courtesy of Aquafaba/Zsu Dever hide caption

Egg whites are a culinary workhorse that omnivores frequently take for granted. It took a lot of trial and error to figure out how to use aquafaba as an egg-free substitute in dishes from meringue to brioche breads and more, says vegan blogger and cookbook author Zsu Dever.

In Aquafaba, Dever puts the not-so-secret ingredient through its paces, providing a variety of sweet and savory recipes, including vegan butter, cream cheese, doughnuts, challah and brioche breads and more.

Testing these recipes using aquafaba was no small task. Dever says there was a lot of experimentation: In total, she used 100 pounds of sugar and 150 pounds of chickpeas to test all of the recipes in her book.

"This wasn't something where [the recipes] just needed to taste good and look good," Dever says. "They needed to actually work and not just in my kitchen."

While making meringue, Dever discovered, aquafaba would refuse to whip if there was any oil in the bowl. If the mix was too diluted, Dever says, the meringue would deflate.

Coleman's Aquafabulous cookbook puts the ingredient to use in vegan coconut bacon, scrambled "eggs," vegan burgers, hummus and other dips. (Coleman says aquafaba makes them "even creamier.")

But what is it about bean water that makes it such a multifaceted addition to the kitchen?

Though Wohlt crowdfunded some nutritional information on aquafaba, his website devoted to the ingredient is clear about the fact that there's still very little understanding of its chemistry. "Aquafaba is unique among egg replacers in that it captures some but not all of the characteristics of both egg white and yolk," he writes. "It can be used as a thickener, binder, emulsifier, foaming agent, and more."

Likely because aquafaba is still very much a grassroots product (I have yet to see jars of aquafaba sans beans sold in grocery stores, though surely it's only a matter of time), there's been little reason for companies to analyze how it works.

Marshmellows made from aquafaba Courtesy of Aquafaba/Zsu Dever hide caption

Marshmellows made from aquafaba

So far, only Sir Kensington's condiments appears to have made a big brand commercial food from aquafaba: a bean-water mayonnaise called Fabanaise that went to market in early 2016. Chefs have been quicker to experiment with aquafaba. Dan Barber's Blue Hill restaurant in New York City used chickpea water in its 2015 wastED popup, which made dishes out of ingredients that usually go to waste. Bartenders have put a vegan spin on foamy cocktails like gin fizzes or pisco sours by substituting aquafaba for egg whites.

In other words, beans are growing up. Rather than being the butt of flatulence jokes, bean water is written about almost reverently on cooking blogs. For vegan cooks, its existence is nothing less than a miracle. Even lexicographers love the rebranding of leftover bean water. In recent months, "aquafaba" has been added to the Oxford Dictionaries database.

"As language nerds we were quite pleased by that because it is a compound of Latin words and sounds very nice," Angus Stevenson, Oxford Dictionaries' head of content development, told The Guardian.

Tove Danovich is a writer based in Portland, Ore.

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Vegan Cookbooks Spill The Beans About Aquafaba, The Eggless ... - NPR

Forbes

Vicki von Holzhausen Makes Vegan Leather Luxurious With Her Handbag Brand von Holzhausen Forbes Vicki von Holzhausen is the founder of von Holzhausen, a line of sustainable, minimally branded accessories that are aiming to be the Tesla of handbags. Von Holzhausen began her career as an automotive designer in Europe, working on advanced vehicles ...

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Vicki von Holzhausen Makes Vegan Leather Luxurious With Her Handbag Brand von Holzhausen - Forbes

Florida Times-Union

Vegan cinnamon roll bakery plans to open three locations in ... Florida Times-Union Cinnaholic could be serving up its vegan cinnamon rolls in Jacksonville as early as this summer. (Courtesy Cinnaholic). Jacksonville, we're getting not one, but ... and more »

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Vegan cinnamon roll bakery plans to open three locations in ... - Florida Times-Union

When The Tasty opened in May 2016, the South Philly diner specializing in vegan food cheeredPhilly vegans, but many were disappointed that it was not despite some nomenclature indicating otherwise a vegan restaurant.

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All of The Tasty's menu items were indeed vegan, but cow's milk was offered for coffees.

On Monday, the diner's Facebook page announced that the dairy option has now been eliminated, all the coffee milks are vegan and, boom, Philly has another vegan restaurant!

Yes, it might seem like a tiny, hairpsplitting detail to have one non-vegan item in a vegetarian venue, but for vegans it can be a quantum difference: A space that's "vegan," in terms of its offerings, is kind of a peaceful island within a noisily, violently nonvegan consumer culture. Sure, we enjoy going to regular places and trying/supporting their new vegan items, but we're in a different kind of space andthere's always some residual wariness we can't enjoy 100%. Now, at The Tasty, we can.

In a quick phone chat, Ben Pierce, a co-owner with Sofia Baltopoulos and Kate Hiltz, said the low-key removal had been effected over the course of the past couple weeks, as they had hit critical mass of "regulars" who had been attached to dairy in their coffee who had now tried, and come to enjoy, alternates such as oat milk. (In addition to oat, The Tasty offers soy, almond, coconut, and macadamia milks.) "Yeah, they all pretty much converted after a while," he mused.

This was part of the "baby steps" strategy on which The Tasty embarked when it re-opened the 1401 S. 12th Street space within a community of old-school mainstream coffee-drinkers: Get them in the door, excite, educate, and change gradually.

I was among the skeptical hearing about this in early 2016, and I still don't endorse the serving of cow's milk (more properly calves' milk, of course), but The Tasty is kind of like a new vegan: Whatever got them to this point, this is where they are now. All of us not born vegan have done nonvegan things the point is what we're doing now and what we're going to do.

So as of this week I'd like to welcome The Tasty to Philly's legendary lineup of all-vegan eateries by my count we now have 22 within city limits and to encourage all the vegans who said, "I won't set foot in there as long as they're serving dairy" to go ahead and set your feet in there, bring your mouth along and treat it to something Tasty!

What's up in Philadelphia's food world? We have you covered in our new food newsletter, launching soon. We'll answer your burning (and simmering) questions: Where should I eat? Where are the new restaurants? Where should I drink? Where are the best values? SIGN UP NOW to reserve your seat at the table.

Blackbird Pizzeria, the vegan landmark, opening a location in Northern Liberties Mar 24 - 2:50 PM

Free cheesesteaks! It's National Cheesesteak Day Mar 24 - 2:28 PM

Published: April 19, 2017 5:00 AM EDT | Updated: April 19, 2017 1:45 PM EDT

We recently asked you to support our journalism. The response, in a word, is heartening. You have encouraged us in our mission to provide quality news and watchdog journalism. Some of you have even followed through with subscriptions, which is especially gratifying. Our role as an independent, fact-based news organization has never been clearer. And our promise to you is that we will always strive to provide indispensable journalism to our community. Subscriptions are available for home delivery of the print edition and for a digital replica viewable on your mobile device or computer. Subscriptions start as low as 25 per day. We're thankful for your support in every way.

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Philly adds another vegan restaurant to its tally - Philly.com (blog)

Source: Avery Yale Kamila

Avery Yale Kamila is a freelance food writer. Her son just turned 4. Hes eaten a plant-based diet since birth and continues to be taller than average for his age. Avery was kind enough to answer some questions about being vegan from Catching Health Associate Editor Jen Boggs.

Americans whether we eat meat or eat vegan tend to get more protein than we need. Vegetarians and vegans are no exception. Protein exists in all foods, with plant-based foods such as beans, grains, nuts and seeds being particularly high in protein. Plant-based meats, milks and cheeses tend to be high in protein just like their animal-based counterparts. The key to eating a balanced plant-based diet is to center meals on beans and grains instead of chicken or beef.

Plant-based eating means eating mostly plants. What this means in practical terms varies from person to person. To some, this means a strict vegan style of eating without any animal-based foods, while at the other end of the plant-based spectrum people include very small portions of meat, cheese, milk or eggs in their meals. In either case, plant-based eating focuses on eating whole plant foods with minimal amounts of added sugar and fat.

Over the years, Ive interviewed dozens and dozens of vegetarians and vegans. One of the reasons people decide to eat this way is because of health. There is a considerable body of medical research linking plant-based diets to disease reversal and prevention. The benefits of plant-based eating can be seen with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart attacks, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, strokes, and many types of cancer. Ive talked to many people whose health was transformed by centering their diet around plants.

Ive even interviewed two women who say theyve controlled and reversed their multiple sclerosis through a plant-based diet. The mainstream medical community considers MS an incurable, degenerative disease and the science on a connection between eating plant-based and controlling MS is lacking, but one of the people Ive interviewed is a physician. So it will be interesting to see how the science around MS develops in coming years.

A growing number of people are actively reducing their meat consumption and tilting toward a plant-based style of eating because plant-based eating treads much more lightly on the planet. Animal agriculture is well known as one of the leading sources of climate-altering emissions (even more so than the transportation sector). It is also resource intensive you can feed more people with the grain fed to cattle than you can feed from the bodies of the cattle and heavily polluting of air and water.

Also, with the rise of social media, many more people have seen video footage from factory farms and slaughterhouses. For instance, lately, weve seen a wave of videos shared online showing the reality of dairy farming, where newborn calves are taken from their mothers and devices farmers call rape racks are used to keep the cows constantly pregnant or lactating. For some, eating a plant-based diet is a choice to align their food with their ethics.

As with any kind of meal, a lot depends on the child. Some children will willingly gobble up any green vegetable put in front of them. Others have strong likes and dislikes. Some shy away from certain textures or dont like their food to touch other food. For so-called picky kids, pureeing vegetables and finely dicing leafy greens is a big help. Whatever the case, it is possible for children to thrive on a plant-based diet.

The foundation of plant-based eating is beans and grains. For kids, this can be as simple as a bowl of oatmeal with soymilk or a plate of hummus with whole grain bread. Add fruit or vegetables and you have a complete meal.

Smoothies make excellent kid food, and theyre a great way to get extra fruits and even leafy greens into kids diets. My sons favorite snacks are dried fruit, particularly dates. We often make our own snack bars by mixing dates and cashews (and sometimes other dried fruits and seasonings) in a food processor and then shaping them into bars.

Pick one simple recipe say a stir fry or a veggie chili and make it one night this week instead of an animal-based meal. Then, in a week or so, try another plant-based recipe.

The sophistication of plant-based foods available in grocery stores and restaurants has jumped dramatically in the past few years. As one example, cultured nut-based cheeses have transformed the vegan cheese aisle. These are robust, fermented cheeses equal to dairy-based versions.

Many of the new plant-based products on the market are driven by a massive influx of investment capital into the plant-based food sector. Why the investment boom? Food marketers and trend forecasters are all saying that the food market is being radically transformed by the preferences of the Millennial generation. These younger people, much more so than older generations, gravitate toward healthful and sustainable choices such as whole grains, vegetables, and plant-based dishes. The result is that its never been easier or more delicious to eat a plant-based diet.

Tomorrow on the Catching Health blog, well share a recipe from Avery for Build-Your-Own Stir Fry Bowls.

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How will I get enough protein and other questions about going vegan - Bangor Daily News