Iron is crucial because women build up blood volume during pregnancy, and deficiencies can lead to anemia, which increases the risk of having a low birthweight baby, and increases the risk of preterm labor and delivery, explained Dr. Clark, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

Expecting women need double the iron a woman who isnt pregnant needs, according to A.C.O.G. So during pregnancy, vegetarians and vegans should take special care to eat plenty of iron-rich foods, like dried beans and peas and fortified cereals. Because the iron in plant-based foods is not as easily taken up by the body as the iron from meat, you should cook them, soak them or eat them with foods high in vitamin C to increase absorption, said Susan Levin, the director of nutrition education for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, an advocacy group that promotes a plant-based diet. Prune juice is also high in iron. Ms. Levin said shed encourage any pregnant woman to take the prenatal vitamin and focus on iron-rich foods such as spinach, lentils, beets and raisins.

B vitamins, including vitamin B12 and folic acid, are also critical in pregnancy. Vitamin B12 is not found in plants, but its in tofu, soy milk, some cereals and nutritional yeast, which some vegans eat as a cheese substitute. Folic acid prevents neural tube defects to the spine and brain, which occur in the first month of pregnancy, so the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that any woman of childbearing age take a daily supplement of folic acid of 400 micrograms daily, at least.

Being deficient both in vitamin B12 and folic acid has been shown to further increase the risk of having a baby with neural tube defects, Dr. Clark said. Physicians often advise women to take prenatal vitamins, which usually contain iron, vitamin B12, folic acid and other nutrients.

Not eating meat during gestation may even have upsides. A vegetarian diet in the first trimester was linked to a lower risk of excessive gestational weight gain, a 2010 study found. Furthermore, Ms. Levin said, Maternal diets high in plant foods may reduce risk of complications, including gestational diabetes. This includes both vegetarians and meat-eaters who eat a lot of vegetables during pregnancy, she said.

Still, pregnancy can throw curve balls, and not all women are able to continue on a vegetarian or vegan diet. When Dr. Clark discovered she was carrying twins, she was transitioning to a vegan diet after a year of vegetarianism but almost immediately experienced severe nausea and gastroesophageal reflux and lost her appetite. I couldnt look at salad or anything green, she said.

The only foods that she could stomach turned out to be mashed potatoes, eggs and chicken. I broke my vegetarian diet because I needed my babies to grow, she said. Being underweight can be just as detrimental to a pregnancy as being overweight.

See the article here:

Can You Have a Healthy Vegetarian or Vegan Pregnancy? - New York Times

Anthony has accepted a personal challenge to go Vegan, not only to eat more healthy, but to feel better & have more energy through the day!

Anthony Slaughter, KSDK 4:14 PM. CDT June 30, 2017

I decided to go Vegan this week after watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix called, 'What the Health.' After watching the documentary, I felt compelled to change my diet -- in a big way!

I usually would eat fast food at least five times a week and would consume very little vegetables, if any, in a given day. I work out about three to five times a week and have always been skinny, but skinny doesnt always mean healthy.

Working the morning shift, I would find myself struggling to stay awake throughout the entire day, even after I nap, I would still be tired. I felt like no matter what I was trying nothing was helping with the always sleepy feeling. So I decided to change my diet.

Never being a fan of vegetables, I knew if I was going to give this a shot, I was going to have to find a way to keep this fun and exciting. Basically, Ive got to find ways to keep what Im eating, tasting good! Good, would be key!

So, I have accepted the personal challenge to go Vegan, not only to eat more healthy, but to feel better and have more energy through the day!

While not fully there yet, Im in transition, still eating turkey and fish, but eventually hope to convert completely.

To follow my journey, you can follow me on my Facebook page.

2017 KSDK-TV

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BLOG: Anthony Slaughter's vegan journey - KSDK (blog)

Declare your independence from boring (and not-so-kind) slabs of meat, and try out some fresh new (and oh-so-kind) red, white, and blue vegan recipes that will have your Fourth of July soire shining bright like a sparkler.

If youre asked to bring cookies, you could go for classic chocolate chipor you could make The Veg Lifes show-stopping Independence Day Tri-Color Cookies, which will guarantee that youll be taking home an empty dish.

For a fresh take on salsa, toss some tofu on the grill and serve it with Fatfree Vegan Kitchens tangy, sweet, and fiery Blueberry-Peach Salsa.

And classic fruit is made cute with Sweet Simple Vegans watermelon pizza.

Chili cook-off on the agenda? Vegan Insanity has your ace-in-the-bowl: Smoky Barbecue Chili with Vegan Sour Cream and blue corn chips.

Win the official grill master title with red-and-blue burgers. VegKitchens Beet and Brown Rice Burgers deliver fun on a bun.

No pool at the party? Cool off with Blueberry Coconut Popsicles from our friends at Beaming Baker

or with Patriotic Fruit Pops from Sweet Simple Vegan.

For easy-peasy kid-friendly snacks, steal this idea for patriotic Grilled Granola from The Big Mans World (try it with the new I Cant Believe Its Not Butter spread, Its Vegan)

or this one for berry and cashew-cream parfaits in mason jars from Vegan Insanity.

And get the kids involved in meal prep by letting them help make fun, simple desserts such as PETAs Red, White, and Blue Rice Crispy Treats

or Four-Ingredient Berry Tarts.

Surprise your friends and family by saying that youll bring the pulled-pork sandwiches. And surprise them again with these beauties from Minimalist Baker, which get their stringy texture courtesy of lentils and shredded carrots and their flavor from barbecue sauce and a sprinkle of spices. (We may have cheated a little on the red, white, and blue theme with this one, but the taste makes up for the quasi-blueness.)

If youre the lucky duck who draws the easiest cookout dish assignment everthe vegetable platemake it one to remember (quasi-blueness aside). Five-Minute Macadamia Cheese is the star of Minimalist Bakers Vegan Cruditand you may even win over the I cant live without cheese crowd.

See more great cookout ideas for a four-star Fourth of July, and raise your forks to liberty and justice for all.

If these recipes look great to you, why not make a pledge to go vegan? Already vegan? Order a free vegan starter kit for a friend today.

Order a Vegan Starter Kit for a Friend!

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Red, White, and Blue-tiful: Pretty Vegan Dishes Fit for the Fourth - PETA (blog) (press release)

Supplying a well-balanced meal for childrens school or camp lunches is crucial in helping them grow and have energy for the days activities.

Registered dietitian and nutritionist Jill Patterson works with many Newtown clients and has created a variety of fun, easy vegan options for children.

Ms Patterson describes a vegan diet as not eating meat, poultry, fish, or anything that comes from an animal, like eggs, milk, or dairy products.

People choose a vegan lifestyle for a number of reasons ranging from wanting to reduce their environmental impact to wanting to prevent the exploitation of animals. Many, however, look to veganism for its health benefits like increased energy and decreased risk of obesity, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

When switching over to a vegan diet and removing certain food groups, it is important to continue to receive adequate nutrients everyday, Ms Patterson notes, adding, Growing children will need the same nutrients, whether they are vegan or non-vegans.

Common concerns when transitioning to a plant-based diet are how to find enough protein, iron, and calcium to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Ms Patterson advised, When substituting for milk and making sure they have the calcium needs met, soy milk is a good alternative. She also recommended calcium-fortified juice and almond milk for helping reach daily calcium needs.

When replacing eggs and meat products, protein and iron can be found in many accessible substitutes.

For protein theres tofu, nuts, beans, also the meatless products like soy crumbles and meatless meatballs, Ms Patterson said. For iron, youd be looking at iron-fortified cereals, black beans, spinach, and also raisins.

These foods can be easily found in grocery stores, some stocked in the health food section, which is commonly found on the perimeter of supermarkets.

The Fun Lunch

When looking to create vegan school or camp lunches for children, Ms Patterson suggests making the meal interactive and fun.

Kids like to dip things, Ms Patterson said.

She suggests making crudits fresh cut veggies like celery sticks, carrot sticks, pepper strips and pairing it with hummus, peanut butter, and/or SunButter (sunflower seed butter) for a protein source.

For the sides, raisins make for an excellent source of iron and a whole-grain roll, bread, or muffin can be included for a grain component.

When transporting the lunch, Ms Patterson recommend, Youll want to put a little cold pack in there to keep the vegetables cold.

Pinwheels, Meatless Meat, Snacks

Sometimes making meals that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are delicious can be the best way to encourage children to eat healthy vegan foods.

In a meal that Ms Patterson calls the Pinwheels, she suggests getting a whole grain tortilla and spreading peanut butter or SunButter all over one side.

Then take a banana and roll the wrap around it and slice it, so its bite-sized pinwheels, Ms Patterson said. This meal can also be paired with whole grain and fruit components, as mentioned above.

Utilizing leftovers is always a convenient and economically smart way of creating lunches for children. Ms Patterson advises using any extra pasta at home, like whole grain noodles, and pairing it with a meat substitute like meatless meatballs and sauce. This option is typically preferred when there is a way to reheat the food beforehand.

Packing snacks foods with childrens school or camp lunches are important to help them get additional nutrients throughout the day. Ms Patterson suggests making a trail mix version customized for vegans.

She explained it can include nuts for the protein, dry fruits like raisins for the iron, and if they want to mix in some cereal for grains plus additional iron.

To learn more information about Jill Pattersons employee, school/childcare centers, fitness, and wellness programs, e-mail jillpattersonwellness@gmail.com. Ms Patterson is also an AFAA-certified personal trainer and certified aerobics instructor.

More here:

Nutritionist-Approved Vegan Lunches For Children - The Newtown Bee

If you like reading cookbooks for more than the recipes, you need to read Ann Hodgman, one of the few cookbook writers whose introductions (we call them headnotes) and even recipe names regularly make me chuckle, if not guffaw. Her latest book, "Vegan Food for the Rest of Us: Recipes Even You Will Love," (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017) is no exception, except now, as you can tell by that title, Hodgman, 60, is bringing her matter-of-fact sense of humor to the topic of vegan cooking, something she has been trying to master since becoming vegetarian in 2009.

Take the introduction to a recipe she calls Cauliflower Steaks (but Let's Not Go Nuts Here): "You can cut a cauliflower into thick slices and call them steaks, but they are not steak and will never be steak, no matter how brown and caramelized they get. So why not call them slices? Well, because 'steak' is a sexier word."

I talked with Hodgman about her experiments in vegan cooking. Edited excerpts follow:

Q: There are vegetable-forward cookbooks, but this isn't that. In fact, you include a funny quote from Peg Bracken about the lack of appeal of vegetables.

A: I love vegetables. But when people say all "I need is fresh vegetables" on that desert island, how can they mean it? If you imagine the taste of cabbage, which I like very much, compared to, say, candy, how can it compete?

There's one thing vegan food doesn't naturally have enough of, and it's fat. If you depend only on vegetables, you have to have a source of a kind of vegetable enricher, or it won't taste as good. Vegetables just don't have as much sugar or fat as other foods. Unfortunately, vegetable fats melt more easily, so you have to figure out ways to not turn your cake into a pool of oil.

Q: This book is a journey of experimentation. Why did you approach it that way?

A: I went into the assignment thinking I had to learn to make tofu taste good, to make nondairy cheese taste good. I was dehydrating things, I was sprouting seeds. For a year, I was foundering, and my house was completely filled with vegan products and ingredients. It was when my husband said, "I wouldn't mind never tasting this again" after I tried to make my own seitan that I realized I was going about it the wrong way. I realized, "I'm thinking of this as chemistry, so no wonder I'm tense. This isn't the way Ann Hodgman cooks." When I decided to make only things I knew I wanted to eat, it got much easier. But I had acquired a certain amount of biochemical knowledge, which I needed.

Q: What's your thinking about meat substitutes?

A: Most of the fake meats I've tried have a grain quality that I find icky when you eat them straight up. I'd rather use a small amount of textured vegetable protein or wheat gluten to create the sensation you're biting into a hamburger. On their own, I don't think they work very well.

Legumes are satisfying, but I think you can't make a good legume burger without including wheat gluten. With hamburgers, what are you looking for? Substance, a crispy exterior and for it not to feel like a mashed-potato patty.

Q: I loved your idea to use vital wheat gluten to add texture to the vegan burgers. It works!

A: I don't think my vegan burgers taste exactly like burgers, but to me they seem as good as burgers.

Q: Any words of advice for aspiring vegans?

A: I can say uncompromisingly that the moral edge goes to those who don't eat meat. That said, food is very important to people emotionally, and it's important to recognize that. Giving up food that has meant so much to you your whole life is a very big project. So do it gradually.

People should become morally more rigorous in their thinking, but better about cutting themselves slack. Food means more to us than sustenance - it's comfort and family. You're asking a lot of yourself to make dietary changes. So honor yourself and do your best.

Serve on buns, with your favorite accompaniments.

MAKE AHEAD: The uncooked burger mixture can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. The formed, baked patties can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 year; reheat them in the microwave or pan-fry them.

Vital wheat gluten, by companies such as Bob's Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills, can be found in natural foods stores and some Whole Foods Markets, or online.

Adapted from "Vegan Food for the Rest of Us: Recipes Even You Will Love," by Ann Hodgman (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017).

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add 4 tablespoons of the oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and well browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the onions to a large mixing bowl. Wipe out the skillet but no need to wash it; you'll be using it again soon.

Rinse the mushrooms and use dish towels to dry them thoroughly. Trim and coarsely chop them, then transfer to a food processor. Puree, working in batches, and add them to the onions as you work.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add the rice, soy sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, white miso, dried basil, pepper, thyme and liquid smoke to the mixing bowl, blending them in thoroughly with your clean hands. Sprinkle the wheat gluten evenly over the mix. Immediately and vigorously work in the gluten, again using your hands. (Gluten starts to set up almost instantly when it comes into contact with moisture, so work as fast -- and as thoroughly -- as you can.) The mixture will very quickly change texture and become stretchy. If the mixture seems too wet and not stretchy enough, sprinkle on a more wheat gluten, 1/4 cup at a time, and knead it in until the desired texture is achieved.

Use a heaping 1/2 cup of the mixture to form patties about 1/2 inch thick, arranging them on baking sheets as you work. Bake until they firm up slightly, about 20 minutes (see NOTE).

Set your skillet over medium-high heat, then add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil shimmers, use a spatula to gently transfer three or four patties to the pan (working in batches, as needed) and cook until the undersides are dark brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip them carefully and repeat.

NOTE: In testing, we found that the burgers held better together when baked first, then pan-fried, but you can skip the pan-frying step for the burgers you want to make immediately, then bake the remainder before refrigerating or freezing for another time.

Nutrition | Per burger: 260 calories, 18 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar

Original post:

Want to go vegan? One author's advice: Do it gradually - SCNow

Photo of Kelly Thompson by Wendy Madore/Legacy Lens

Kelly Thompson, owner of the Whole Grain Bakeshop in Brewer, became so overwhelmed with orders last fall that this year, she decided to move her vegan and gluten-free bakery into larger, permanent digs.

Thompson spent all of May moving out of the kitchen at St. Patricks Episcopal Church in Brewer and into a larger commercial kitchen and storefront at 231 North Main St. in Brewer. A grand opening was held last week.

Ive always said that I wanted a place of my own, some help, and a line out the door, said Thompson. [I now] have a larger, more well-equipped kitchen to increase production and be able to meet the demand.

Thompson makes a wide array of gluten-free and vegan treats, including breads, cookies, coffee cakes, whoopie pies, muffins, biscuits and more, as well as cakes and cupcakes to order.

With the move has come an expansion of the menu, including coffee and tea, weekly soups, stews and chowders made in the crock pot, and oven-baked casseroles to take home and re-heat. Thompson will also sell local products like Savage Coffee Company coffee, Highland Organics teas and blueberry products, Kinneys Sugarhouse maple products, and a variety of gluten-free and vegan candies.

Thompson, a 2010 UMaine graduate where she studied human nutrition, opened her business in June 2014, initially selling at local farmers markets and taking orders. She said there was a distinct lack of options in the Bangor area for gluten-free and vegan treats, and decided to fill the void with her goodies.

Through my extensive research, Ive identified a huge need in this area for healthier baked goods, as well as, the pressing need for more gluten-free options, she said.

For more information, visit wholegrainbakeshop.com.

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The Whole Grain Bakeshop, vegan and gluten-free bakery, has new location in Brewer - Bangor Daily News

The Root and Around The World In Seven Days are each popping up with vegan meals in July.

The Root's SummerVeganFeast takes place on July 13. Executive chef Nick Rodgers six-course, meat-free meal is anchored by fruits and vegetables from Ann Arbor's Sunseed Farms.

The menu includes:

Cedar planked summer vegetables

First Course

Beet and berries with red quinoa, avocado, and beet soil

Second Course

Grilled Radish salad with dates, apples, almonds, and onion

Third Course

Cream of celery soup with raisins, walnuts, and leafy tops.

Intermezzo

Bail granita with strawberry powder

Fourth Course

Cauliflower steak with pickled hot peppers, olives, caper, herbs, and lemon

Fifth Course

Sorbet trio with blueberry, plum, and apricot

A second pop up - Around The World In Seven Days - is planning two events for July 9 and July 23 that feature cuisine inspired by dishes from countries like France, Benin, and Dominican Republic.

One of its July 9 menus includes three courses with a crab cake served over a bed of arugula; plantain pancakes served with scrambled tofu; and apple crisp.

Around The World In Seven Days is held at1514 Washington Blvd., Detroit. Two seatings are available each day. Tickets are $37 and are available at http://www.aroundtheworldin7days.com

The Root is located at340 Town Center Blvd., White Lake.Tickets are $60 and are available at http://www.therootrestaurant.com.

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Two vegan pop ups in the works for early July - Detroit Metro Times

Doron Petersan, the owner of nearly 20-year-old vegan bakery and cafe Sticky Fingers, doubled the availability of her sugary seasonal cupcakes and walnut-studded sticky buns in the District last summer when she opened Fare Well. The Atlas District diner/bar/bakery has since gotten attention from visiting celebrities, including actress Edie Falco, and high-profile politicos. Petersan says New Jersey Democrat Cory Booker gave her a big hug when they first met.

Now, in honor of Fare Wells first anniversary, Eater checks in with Petersan about growing her empire (she just unveiled a new enclosed backyard patio on H Street), cultivating regulars with dessert, and figuring things out on the fly.

What has the first year been like?

Doron Petersan: Its always terrifying opening a restaurant, right? But we didnt really know exactly how people were gonna respond to not only a vegan concept, but also the combination diner/bakery/bar is not one that you see everyday. People walk by and they see the bakery case and theyre like, Oh youre a bakery! And then they see the bar and theyre like, Wait a minute, youre not just a bakery. Its interesting to see how people perceive it.

What have been your most popular menu items?

DP: Burger, pancakes, and pierogies have been our top sellers. And then our burrata. I mean where else can you get vegan burrata? And our desserts are really strong. I like that cake is our strong point.

With [the new] Whole Foods and so many of the condos and apartment buildings going up, weve had so much more foot traffic. People see the cases and they walk in and they grab a cookie. And theyre like, Wait its vegan? How do you do it? Then I hand them a cookbook and they buy it. Sometimes they come back the next day because they dont want to make it cause bakings hard (laughs).

Youre still operating Sticky Fingers in Columbia Heights. What has it been like to balance the two?

DP: I was [in my early twenties] when I started and I didnt know what I was doing. It took me a long time to figure out but also I didnt really have a plan other than to create a really strong bakery. Expansion and growth isnt only about a second store. I can make decisions left and right and come up with ideas all day long, but its really giving people what they want. We definitely want to grow and expand, we just want to figure out the best way to go about it.

Whats on deck for next year?

DP: Were definitely going to be working on catering in some capacity; moving from bakery-cafe into full-service bakery/diner/bar. We have a years worth of numbers behind us and well work off of that. But the goal is always to feed the masses and to make sure that theres delicious food.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Read more:

Vegan Baker Doron Petersan's Still Got It After 20 Years - Eater DC

Jimmy Geurts checks out the downtown Sarasota restaurant after multiple reader recommendations

Thanks to everyone whos read Vegging Out so far and has shared some of their own favorite local vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants with me. Im keeping track of everyones recommendations for consideration for potential future columns.

So when I got multiple suggestions for Ionie and found all of its dishes are vegan, raw, organic and gluten-free not exactly the norm for restaurant menus I decided I needed to check it out.

Technically Ionie, which is located in downtown Sarasota at 1241 Fruitville Road, isnt strictly a restaurant. Its also a retreat that offers yoga, massage therapy, acupuncture and other wellness options.

But located within that is a small cafe, comprising six two-seat tables in a nook of the building. Its menu features casual lunch staples like pizza, salads and noodle dishes made considerably more eclectic by its all-vegan, all-raw approach.

The Greek pizza ($11) is a pretty representative example of the cafes menu. With a crunchy buckwheat, carrot and flax crust and creamy nut cheese spread, it almost feels more like a large cracker than a proper pizza. Yet the real attraction is the spinach, kale and olives that top the pizza, with the fresh greens contrasting with the saltiness of the olives.

The taco salad ($15) also offers an inspired take on a comfort food staple. The walnut meat topping may not much resemble the ground beef its replacing, but the vegan sour cream is remarkably convincing, and blended with romaine lettuce, tomato, pico de gallo and generous servings of avocado slices, its a strong approximation of the traditional meal.

The only item I tried that was a little too unconventional for my tastes was the veggie burger with fries ($13), which maybe I shouldve expected as the all-raw menu meant it couldnt be grilled or fried. The rutabaga fries are essentially rutabaga peeled and sliced like fries (though the honey mustard dipping sauce was tasty), and the dehydrated veggie burger wasnt to my taste.

Still, I enjoyed enough of what I had that I would consider coming back and exploring its selections further. And certainly its all-raw, vegan and gluten-free menu makes it a boon for anyone with those diets and a standout in local veggie-friendly restaurant options.

Thanks for the recommendation, readers.

What other Sarasota-Manatee restaurants offer tasty vegetarian dishes? Email me at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com.

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Vegging Out: Ionie and an all-raw, vegan menu - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Jun 29, 2017, 1:04 pm EDT |By William White, InvestorPlace Writer

Taco Bell, which is part ofYum! Brands, Inc.(NYSE:YUM), is now serving vegan rice again.

The new Taco Bell vegan rice is listed as Seasoned Rice on the companys menu. The menu item was available in April, but was removed and replaced with a vegetarian option. The Mexican food chain originally didnt plan to have the option back on the menu until the end of summer.

We worked closely with our supplier to make it happen as quickly as possible to let our vegan fans know we were committed, Alec Boyle, a Taco Bell spokesman, told VegNews. We recognize we have a lot of vegans and vegetarians who come to us, and that even meat-eaters and flexitarians come to us and enjoy our vegan products.

To cut down on confusion, Taco Bell now only serves Seasoned Rice to its customers. This makes it easier for vegans and vegetarians to keep track of what they are eating, without it being a bother to other customers.

Taco Bell actually has a full guide on how to eat vegan at its restaurants. This includes a full list of items on its menu that are vegan certified by theAmerican Vegetarian Association. That list is as follows.

You can learn more about Taco Bells vegan options by following this link.

As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, http://investorplace.com/2017/06/taco-bell-vegan-rice-yum/.

2017 InvestorPlace Media, LLC

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Taco Bell Vegan Rice Is Back - Investorplace.com