Agave, Good or Bad: More Truth About Agave Syrup

October 2nd, 2010 by Savvy Veg

Whether you’re an agave fan, or you’re leery because it’s “controversial”, and you don’t know who to believe, agave  syrup is here to stay, as a low glycemic, vegan, sometimes raw alternative to honey or other sweeteners.

Personally, I think that the agave controversy is a tempest in a teapot, drummed up by people who have a vested interest, an axe to grind, love attention, or have nothing better to do.

There are much worse things to be concerned about in the food industry than agave, believe me!

Unlike high fructose corn syrup, which is in just about everything, agave syrup is made from desert agave plants, non-gmo and organic by default. Agave isn’t contributing to the obesity epidemic, or having a serious impact on diabetics. I’m sceptical that it causes cancer in rats.

It seems unlikely that agave nectar will edge HFCS or sugar out of the market place any time soon.

The only real thing we should worry about is that agave syrup will become so popular that blue agave will become an endangered species. Don’t laugh, it could happen! Now that I’ve got that little rant out of the way, read on:

Glycemic Index & Agave: Compared to table sugar, honey, maple syrup, and date sugar, agave syrup has the lowest GI  - around 30.Insulin Release & Agave: Some agave products have fructans, a unique kind of fiber. According to a study in Mexico, a diet rich in fructans may stimulate production of the hormone GLP-1, which encourages the release of insulin.HFCS & Agave: On the other hand, because of the way it’s usually processed, agave nectar or syrup has as much or more fructose than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a leading cause of obesity in the U.S.Agave Processing: Some manufacturers use potentially harmful chemicals to process agave into syrup. A few small companies preserve nutrients in processing agave, by heating the crushed agave plant to extract and intensify the sweetness of the liquid, or by using enzymes.Raw Agave: The use of enzymes to process the agave plant produces the only “true” raw agave. Since it’s almost impossible to know whether a bottle of agave syrup labelled “raw” is actually raw, I guess you just have to take the manufacturer’s word for it.Vegan Agave: Since agave processing doesn’t involve any animal parts, it’s considered a vegan product, like brown rice syrup or maple syrup. Sugar processing commonly uses ash from animal bones for refining.Sweetness of Agave: Agave can be up to three times as sweet as table sugar, so you can use less. Agave syrup mixes easily and has a mild flavor, which makes it a favorite for adding to drinks. Unlike honey, which becomes toxic when heated, agave syrup can be safely added to hot drinks, or used in cooking.Blue Agave & Other Agave: According to XAgave, there are two types of agave plant used to make agave nectar or syrup: Agave Salmiana (White Agave Plant) and Agave Tequilana (Blue Agave Plant). White Agave has a clean sugar taste, and Blue Agave has a slightly ‘nutty’ aftertaste. Both can have the same consistency, depending upon processing.Popular Brands of Agave Syrup or Nectar: Volcanic Nectar’s Blue Agave Nectar is billed as raw, i.e. produced below 118 F, Organic and Kosher certified;  so is Wholesome Sweeteners Raw Blue Agave. Madhava is a popular brand of  light agave syrup, but doesn’t make any claims about rawness, which means they probably process agave in the usual way – i.e. with heat, and (gasp) chemicals. Grey Agave is another up and coming brand for which I couldn’t find any info.

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Drinking Fruit Juice Increases Heart Attack Risk

September 2nd, 2010 by Savvy Veg

The CARDIA study shows that all sugared drinks, including fruit juices, raise total cholesterol, the bad LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August 13,  2010).

People who drink fruit juice also have much larger waist circumferences. Abdominal obesity means that a person has high insulin levels and is at markedly increased risk for heart attacks and diabetes.

Taking sugar in drinks when you are not exercising increases risk for heart attacks, diabetes and premature death. Before food can pass from the stomach into the intestines, it must be converted to a liquid soup. No solid food passes into the intestines.

When solid food enters your stomach, the pyloric sphincter at the end of the stomach closes and the stomach continuously squeezes the food until it is turned into a liquid soup. This can take up to four hours which markedly delays the rise in blood sugar. Since fruit juice is already a liquid, it passes immediately into the bloodstream to cause a high rise in blood sugar.

Here’s how high rises in blood sugar cause heart disease:

When blood sugar levels rise too high, *your pancreas releases huge amounts of insulin which *converts sugar to triglycerides (high triglycerides), which clog up your bloodstream to increase risk for clots, so *you use up huge amounts of your good HDL cholesterol (low HDL cholesterol) in carrying triglycerides and your bad LDL cholesterol from your bloodstream into your liver.

*Low HDL (good) cholesterol causes heart attacks because HDL is not available to carry cholesterol and triglycerides from your bloodstream.  *High insulin levels constrict arteries to cause heart attacks.  High blood sugar levels cause sugar to stick to the surface membranes of cells to destroy them and cause all the horrible side effects of diabetes. *High triglycerides in your liver cause a fatty liver that can lead to diabetes.

Comment from Savvy Vegetarian:

So what’s a body to do if you’re not ’sposed to drink juice? More than that, what’s the OJ industry to do? I’m not too concerned about them. What Real People can do is to drink water or herbal tea instead of OJ, and eat fresh fruit – which is a whole food containing fiber and complex carbohydrates, which means that it will digest much more slowly, and even diabetics can eat it.

Nutrition profile for a whole fresh California Valencia orange: 59 calories, 14 grams carbohydrate, sugars – not even mentioned, 3 grams fiber, 1 gram protein, 0 cholesterol, 0 fat, Vit. A 6% Daily Value, Vit. C 98% DV, Calcium 5% DV, Iron 1% DV

Nutrition profile for 8 ounces of unsweetened OJ without pulp: 112 calories, 27 grams total carbohydrate, including 21 grams sugars, 0 grams fiber, 3 grams protein, 0 cholesterol, 0 fat, , Vit. A 5% Daily Value, Vit. C 161% DV, Calcium 2% DV, Iron 1% DV

You can see for yourself the value of eating the orange instead of drinking the juice!

From Dr. Gabe Mirkin’s Health & Fitness Ezine, 9.2.10

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Insulin Insensitive Diabetes, Exercise & Plant Based Diet

September 9th, 2010 by Savvy Veg

Savvy Veg Note: Dr. Mirkin – who is himself diabetic - doesn’t just recommend vigorous exercise to control blood sugar and improve insulin response.

He also states that “insulin-insensitive diabetes can usually be cured” by losing weight, avoiding red meat, avoiding refined carbs when not exercising, and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.

You can do all of the above by eating a healthy vegetarian or plant-based diet which includes a variety of fresh whole foods.

Yes! “Insulin-insensitive” means that a diabetic has plenty of insulin, but lacks the ability to respond adequately to insulin that their body produces so blood sugar levels remain higher than normal.  Twenty-two insulin-insensitive diabetic women participated in a supervised group endurance and resistance exercise program for six months (European Journal of Internal Medicine, October 2010).  The more intensely they exercised, the better their bodies responded to insulin.  Even those who did not improve their exercise capacity were able to markedly improve their body’s ability to respond to insulin.

Diabetic control and cell damage is measured with a blood test called HBA1C that measures sugar stuck on cells.  The more they exercised, the lower and better their HBA1C.  More than 90 percent of diabetics are insulin-insensitive and have a potentially curable disease.   This study shows that the harder diabetics exercise, the better their bodies respond to insulin.  Insulin-insensitive diabetes can usually be cured by *losing weight, *avoiding red meat, *avoiding refined carbohydrates when not exercising, *growing larger muscles, *losing body fat, *getting blood levels of vitamin D3 above 75 nmol/L, *eating plenty of vegetables and fruits, and *EXERCISING INTENSELY.

Caution: Intense exercise can cause heart attacks in people with blocked arteries.  Check with your doctor BEFORE beginning any intense exercise program.

Free Reports: To help get you started on a healthy vegetarian or plant-based diet, check out our free reports: Vegetarian Nutrition and 10 Tips for Going Vegetarian

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Recipe Contest, Quesadillas, Apple Recipes, Agave

October 4th, 2010 by Savvy Veg

Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life, is holding a recipe contest, and Savvy Vegetarian is one of the judges.  So are Mollie Katzen and Martha Rose Shulman – we’re in good company!

Anyone may enter an original, healthy, vegan recipe. See Savor Recipe Contest Rules

Prizes: Winning entry published on Savvy Vegetarian Recipes, limited edition Savor tote bags, hardcover copies of ‘Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life’ cookbook.

Browse other recipes and vote for your favorites on the Savor Facebook Wall. Enter and Vote

Want to know how to get your kids to eat beans? Black bean quesadillas are easy to make, kids love them, and they’re packed with nutrition.This is a satisfying vegetarian recipe to serve when you’re busy or tired and the kids are hungry right now! You can have this quesadilla recipe on the table in 20 minutes! And pack the left-overs for lunch.

Apple Crisp: What kind of apples should you use?
Some people like very tart apples like Granny Smith or Macintosh, others prefer the mellow sweetness of Golden Delicious. For us, Gala apples are just right. We also like to leave the peel on, and add just a tiny bit of sugar – but each to his own apple crisp!

Apple Muffins: This mouth-watering vegan muffin recipe, with the classic cinnamon apple combination, is loved by all, a favorite at brunches, for snacks, or for a quick dessert. They freeze extremely well, if there are any left to freeze! Better make a double batch.

Apple Sauce: It’s always wise to make lots of applesauce and hide it from your family and friends, because it’s addictive. Warning: Applesauce tends to disappear before you can use it in muffins or cakes.

Whether you’re an agave fan, or you’re leery because it’s “controversial”, and you don’t know who to believe, agave syrup is here to stay, as a low glycemic, vegan, sometimes raw alternative to honey or other sweeteners.

The “agave controversy” limps on, but the only thing we need to worry about is agave syrup becoming so popular that blue agave becomes an endangered species.

Read Agave, Good or Bad? Recently Discovered Truths About Agave Syrup

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Savvy Veg Joins Blog Action Day 10.15.10 – WATER

October 8th, 2010 by Savvy Veg

We’ve got just one week left until what’s shaping up to be the biggest event ever focused on clean water online. More than 2,200 bloggers from 113 different countries have already registered, with more and more joining every day.

Blog Action Day 2010 is such an important opportunity to raise awareness about the water issue. To get the conversation about water started, 5 facts that illustrate the severity of the global water problem:

Unsafe drinking water and lack of sanitation kills more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Unclean drinking water can incubate some pretty scary diseases, like E. coli, salmonella, cholera and hepatitis A. Given that bouquet of bacteria, it’s no surprise that water, or rather lack thereof, causes 42,000 deaths each week.More people have access to a cell phone than to a toilet. Today, 2.5 billion people lack access to toilets. This means that sewage spills into rivers and streams, contaminating drinking water and causing disease.Every day, women and children in Africa walk a combined total of 109 million hours to get water. They do this while carrying cisterns weighing around 40 pounds when filled in order to gather water that, in many cases, is still polluted. Aside from putting a great deal of strain on their bodies, walking such long distances keeps children out of school and women away from other endeavors that can help improve the quality of life in their communities.It takes 6.3 gallons of water to produce just one hamburger. That 6.3 gallons covers everything from watering the wheat for the bun and providing water for the cow to cooking the patty and baking the bun. And that’s just one meal! It would take over 184 billion gallons of water to make just one hamburger for every person in the United States.The average American uses 159 gallons of water every day – more than 15 times the average person in the developing world. From showering and washing our hands to watering our lawns and washing our cars, Americans use a lot of water. To put things into perspective, the average five-minute shower will use about 10 gallons of water. Now imagine using that same amount to bathe, wash your clothes, cook your meals and quench your thirst.

While these facts may be grim, there is hope for real solutions as more and more people around the world are waking up to the clean water crisis. Earlier this year, the UN declared access to clean water a human right and groups like charity: water and Water.org continue to work tirelessly to bring water access to the developing world.

And now, on October 15th we all have a chance to help shed more light on water issues around the world. Take a moment to make sure to register your blog and grab an action widget, and get ready for an amazing day of blog activism.

Thanks again for all of you support,

Maria & the Blog Action Day team

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Seasoning Vegetarian & Vegan Recipes with Herbs & Spices

October 22nd, 2010 by Savvy Veg

Message for Savvy Vegetarian:

Question regarding the use of the veggie bouillon cube in vegetarian recipes: Is there some other seasoning option? Bouillon cubes are so full of salt and even the low sodium option isn’t that great for you. Thanks, Ann S.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi Ann, I’m so glad you asked! Seasoning vegetarian and vegan recipes with herbs and spices is one of my favorite topics.

Veggie bouillon cubes are used instead of soup stock for convenience in seasoning vegetarian or vegan recipes. You can buy aseptic packs of soup stock but you’ll run into the same problems. By the way, celery has a fair amount of natural sodium, so it’s a good salt substitute.

Mrs. Dash is a spice mix, sodium free, which is available at most groceries, and comes in half a dozen flavors. It’s useful for quickly flavoring any vegetarian recipe, or sprinkling on food at  the table. Spike is another one which comes in an unsalted version, plus Frontier Herbs makes a lot of organic unsalted herb and spice mixes.

You can also get other convenient seasoning mixes, like curries and masalas, Mediterranean herb mixes, poultry seasoning - which can be used in vegetarian recipes such as lentil loaf or vegan stuffing, pumpkin pie spice mix, chili powder, etc. You can also buy dried onion powder and garlic powder. Look for unsalted seasoning mixes and avoid any with “natural flavors” -  which could be MSG, or any other mystery ingredient. If an ingredient isn’t specified, or you can’t pronounce it, it probably isn’t something  you want to eat.

Using your favorite herbs and spices, you can make up and store your own seasoning mixes, for convenient every day use. And it’s very easy to make your own soup stock. Here’s a vegan soup stock recipe you can make in a crockpot. Freeze or fridge what you don’t use.

You can also add flavor to your vegetarian or vegan recipes with fresh or dried herbs (parsley, basil, dill, mint, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, oregano), scallions, ginger slices, minced garlic (heat in oil to mellow the flavor), curry spices like cumin, coriander, gr. fennel, paprika, gr ginger, pepper, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, green cardamom pods, lemon grass.

Other seasoning options are dried kombu (kelp), balsamic vinegar, lemon or lime juice, wine, soy sauce or Braggs liquid aminos, miso. Spices (not herbs) can be heated first, dry roasted or fried in a bit of oil, to bring out the full flavor, and remove any sharp, bitter or raw taste. Many Indian recipes call for frying or roasting herbs and spices, as in this recipe for Carrots & Peas with Cumin

The seasonings that you use in vegetarian or vegan recipes depends on what you’re cooking. For instance, tomato sauce needs seasonings that go well with tomatoes, e.g. basil, oregano, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, a bit of sugar. Some of my favorites for soups are thyme, rosemary, basil, bay leaf, kombu, Braggs liquid aminos, slices of fresh ginger. Without a variety of seasonings,  The Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe, for instance, would be very very boring!

All the best, Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

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Senior maintains healthy weight range with diet & exercise

September 24th, 2010 by Savvy Veg

 

Message for Savvy Vegetarian: I am a 68 year old male in much better than average condition; heart healthy, active all 4 seasons. I have “fought” the weight loss battle for 44 years. It seems if I’m not losing weight, I’m gaining. I’m 5'8?, weigh 165 today, and want to weigh 150 lbs.

I weighed 189 at age 22 at the beginning of 1967, so with my diet and exercise plans, I have been reasonably successful in maintaining a healthy weight range for 44 years. My problem is I’ve only been successful at weight loss with the Atkins diet or the Scarsdale diet. I choose to eat salman, trout, sardines, a little tuna and other salt water fish.

I can willingly sacrifice other forms of flesh, but tend to gain weight when I substitute meat protein with other forms, particuarly grains, such as quinoa, which I love. I make my own bread, usually whole grains and seeds, but I have abstained from bread for a month because my body gains weight easily when I eat carbs. Help! Thank you, Bill B.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Everybody’s weight loss story is different, because every body is different. Congratulations on fighting the good weight loss fight, maintaining a healthy weight range, and staying heart healthy over the past 44 years.

I’ve read that weight loss diets almost always boomerang. Something like 95% of the time, people gain back all of the weight they’ve lost and more after a diet is over. That’s because it ends. The weight loss industry loves this!

The best weight loss tip I’ve heard is to establish a life long healthy diet and exercise program, that works for you, so you can maintain a healthy weight range, enjoy eating and enjoy life. Sounds like you’re on the right track.

One thing that occurred to me though -  is that you might want to take a look at the serving sizes of fish and grains that you’re eating, compared to the recommended serving sizes. That’s where a lot of weight watchers trip up. E.G. One slice of bread is considered a serving! (that kills me – who ever wants to eat one slice of toast or a sandwich with one slice of bread!) Fish can be high in fat, and quinoa has more fat than most grains. Whether a healthy food is actually healthy so often depends on how much you eat, and how it’s prepared.

The current hot idea in healthy eating plans is to focus your diet primarily on vegetables and fruit, with as much raw food as is comfortable, and drink lots of plain water and herbal teas. The theory is that you get the nutrition & hydration your body needs, which satisfies you & keeps you from craving refined carbs, sugar, fats, salt and other foods which are “Bad For You”.

That approach works for me in maintaining a healthy weight range –  if I don’t overdo the avocados, nuts, and coconut milk! :-). But - as you can testify – a daily and weekly exercise plan is essential for maintaining a healthy weight, no matter what healthy eating plan you follow.

Thanks for writing, Bill! All the best, Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

Read more weight loss advice from Savvy Vegetarian

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Stubborn Ignorant Teen Vegetarian Stepdaughter

September 18th, 2010 by Savvy Veg

Message for Savvy Vegetarian: My stepdaughter is vegetarian in the most ignorant, stubborn teenager way.

I have no problem with her eating a sensible vegetarian diet with lentils, chickpeas, quinoa or whatever it takes to keep her energy levels high, maybe some leafy greens for folate, even supplements if needed. I have a lot of problem with her just skipping meat and eating almost nothing.

My partner is worried she is undernourished, too skinny, low in energy and has bad moods because of her diet. I think he is probably right but I don’t think the problem is being vegetarian. The problem is being ignorant.

My SD does not like to read or do research. I have bought her several vegetarian cook books and given her all mine (I like to sometimes eat vegetarian even if I am not commited to it and don’t want to be). I have printed and photocopied recipes for her, emailed her and her father recipes and all to no avail. 

She has anxiety disorder, control issues, hates me (I am her stepmother after all and she’s been through a lot) and can barely read so she is not able to process the information on her own and does not want to do it with me.

Her dad gets angry if I try to involve him. He does not want to learn about vegetarian diet or help her cook. He wants me to do it, but he is not willing to help. I think if I were to show him a bit of what I know my SD would be willing to learn too.

I loved your tips on vegetarians and non-vegetarians eating together. That’s pretty much how we got through Christmas (a roast made from cashews and macadamia nuts costs even more than turkey…but at least people liked it.) Whenever I cook I make sure there is some vegetarian food as well as meat.

I got my SD a slow cooker for her birthday. I thought it would be useful to her to throw things in it and come home to a decent dinner. I thought she would be reassured by having her own cooking pot that had never cooked meat. I researched many simple and more elaborate recipes she could do and put them in a folder for her (this was how I found Savvy Vegetarian). She has not used any of the recipes or tried out her pot (it’s been months) because her dad is really not on side.

This kid is surviving on packet pasta with the odd tin of beans or frozen veg and far too many chocolate bars and junk food. I get shouted down by both if I say anything. Apparently getting the facts straight is me “putting her off” the few foods she will eat.

I don’t know how to get them to come to Savvy Vegetarian and find some stuff out, but I think her psychiatrist recommended she see a dietician which is a good thing!!

Hi S. R. Thanks for writing. It’s great that one of you knows something about vegetarian diet. It would be nice if the vegetarian and her Dad did too.

It’s hard when you live with a problem and can see the solution, but can’t convince anyone who needs convincing. And it’s sad but true that the more you push the less likely it is to happen, especially since your stepdaughter hates you, and your partner is a vegaphobe – and a guy!

At least her therapist has recommended a dietitian. That could help Dad become aware of the nutritional issues, and take more responsibility for her diet. A supplement which includes B12 and Vit D would be a great idea, if you could get him to buy it and her to take it.  A dietitian might have better luck.

I don’t know many parents who have succeeded in forcing their teens to eat properly. SHE has to want to, then it’ll happen, and YOU can’t make her get to that point. She’s made that clear by refusing to use the crockpot or cookbooks you’ve given her.

Many teens have worse diets and survive. She’ll grow up and figure things out, or not, but meanwhile, there’s no point in aggravating yourself or her.

My advice is to continue for now with what has worked for you – making delicious nutritious things that everyone will enjoy when you have the chance – and otherwise stay out of it. Don’t drop helpful hints, hand out reading assignments, nag, or lecture. Hard not to, I know, but do it for the sake of your relationship with your partner.

Maintain a calm, serene, pleasantly detached facade and keep your lip zipped. Generously offer to share your wonderful food, but don’t show that you’re offended when they don’t.

Try to stick with easy kid friendly recipes. I haven’t met anyone, veg or non-veg, who doesn’t like these easy recipes, and they’ll give her the calories and protein she needs: pasta tofu & veg, tofu burgers, or black bean quesadillas, hummus wraps, guacamole & corn chips, fruit salad, veggies & dip, or carrot salad.

She could make these simple vegetarian recipes  easily herself, if she wanted to, when you’re not around. But don’t mention that – let her make the first move. Leave one or two extra servings in the fridge or freezer for Dad to feed her – not too many; scarcity creates demand.

If they ask you about anything veg, say the minimum necessary, then drop the subject. They’ll come ’round – eventually. And you’ll be well on the way to sainthood!

All the best, Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

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The World Water Crisis – Raising Our Water Consciousness

October 15th, 2010 by Savvy Veg

In Fairfield IA, where I live, the city draws water from the Jordan Aquafer, and maintains a good sewer system which they are constantly upgrading. We pay for our water, but we can afford it, it’s clean, and it comes hot and cold out of taps in our house. An under-sink filter gets out the chlorine, any impurities, and the sulfur taste.

I was washing dishes the other day, and started thinking about all the ways I use water. Here’s what I did with water yesterday:

My husband and I each had a 5 minute shower, brushed our teeth twice, and flushed the toilet about a dozen times between us

It was a cleaning day, so I washed my car, washed the floors, did 3 large loads of laundry

I picked and washed 3 bunches of greens, cooked three meals and washed the dishes once by hand

We drank 1.5 gallons of water between us

I don’t know exactly how many gallons of water we used yesterday, but I’m sure it was close to 100.

Not a typical day, water wise – usually no laundry or cleaning, but still, clearly we use a luxurious amount of water in our day-to-day lives. We have low flow faucets, showerheads and toilets, turn off the water while we brush, fix water leaks, don’t water our lawn or garden, never drink bottled water, eat a vegan diet, don’t own cell phones or buy much stuff, but we could do a lot more to conserve water. I know that.

The thought rarely crosses our minds that we could ever get sick from our water. Compared to people living where water is scarce and polluted, we are extremely fortunate.

Contrast our water situation with that of most people in the world!

Water.org has a few sobering facts about water usage in the developing world, where much of the world’s human population lives.

The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.On average, women in developing countries walk 3.7 miles a day to collect water.When rain falls from the sky it’s free. To move it where families need it costs money or time.We know how to bring people clean water and improved sanitation. We’re not waiting for a magic cure. And the solutions are simple and cost-effective. On average, every $1 US dollar invested in water & sanitation provides an economic return of $3-34 US dollars.In just one day, women around the world spend more than 200 MILLION HOURS collecting water. This lost productivity is greater than the combined number of hours worked in a week by employees at Wal*Mart, United Parcel Service, McDonald’s, IBM, Target, and Kroger

It’s true that if we all conserved water better, didn’t eat meat, drink bottled water or buy a lot of manufactured goods, our own North American water future would be more secure, but it probably wouldn’t have much of an impact on the daily water realities of people in Africa, India and other places in water crisis. 

We have it in our power to improve the lives of those people dramatically, simply by donating a few dollars toward digging wells, or sanitizing the water that’s already available. Most of us will see that as a good thing to do, just on humanitarian principles.

But some of us might wonder, ”How can helping to improve water quality in Africa improve the quality of our lives in America?”

If you’re one of the “some”, I won’t waste your time explaining the laws of karma, the interconnectedness of all things, the golden rule, human rights, blah blah blah. But consider this:

Suppose lots of people in developing countries get wells in their villages and get on with living their lives instead of spending hours every day fetching a few gallons of bad water, then getting sick and dying? Suppose the adults could spend their time improving their lot in life, and were healthy enough to sustain those efforts, and the kids could go to school and get educated to do more useful things than carry water?

The economic condition of the people in that village and lots of other places would improve, right? Entrepreneurial Americans could surely turn that to their advantage in countless ways!

So whatever world view you embrace, it’s worth your while to help improve water quality in developing countries.

Donate Now

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Vegetarian, Non-Veg Mom, Birthday Party Menu Planning

September 23rd, 2010 by Savvy Veg

Message for Savvy Vegetarian:

I’m vegetarian, my 21st Birthday is in January and I’m planning a big party which my non-veg mum is very keen to have and pay for.

Birthday Party Menu Planning: I would love for the food at my birthday party to be ovo-lacto vegetarian with lots of vegan options, but I didn’t think my mum would like that very much. About 10 of the guests would be vegetarian or vegan, and I’ve found a local vegetarian caterer.

I asked my dad, also a vegetarian, if he thought my mum would mind having a vegetarian party menu and he said he didn’t think so, but I spoke to my mother about it last night and I was right, she isn’t keen, saying it might come across as self-centred. She comes from a country where meat is a real status symbol.

Even at home in Australia, barely a family party goes by without a whole roast pig on the table. I know some of my guests, even the non-vegetarians, would find that confronting. When I cook for my close friends it is always vegetarian and they make fun of me but are happy to eat it.

Is it unreasonable for me to want a vegetarian birthday party menu? My parents are paying for it after all. I could let my mum cook a bit of non-veg food. Really that’s not what I would prefer but if I must compromise, I must.

If it is NOT unreasonable to have a vegetarian party, do you have any advice on helping my mum be okay with my idea? I’d hate for her to be sour about it, but I do want the party to reflect me, and possibly show some of the guests that I eat more than salad and boiled vegetables. Vegetarian food at parties is usually terrible if there is any at all.

Any advice or information would be great. Thank you, K. C.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Veg-non-veg issues are covered in the free report, Veg and Non-Veg Eat Together, and I have answered similiar letters in the relationships veg advice section. But I haven’t come across this exact problem, so I’m happy to give you advice.

My personal view of birthday parties – well, any parties – is that they are held for the guests. As the birthday girl, you should shower love & gratitude on all of your guests who are gathering to celebrate your birthday with you. And so should your parents, as hosts.

It’s very nice of your Mum to want to give you a birthday party. On the other hand, even though she’s paying and hosting, the party is in your honor, so the party menu ideas should make you happy, too. I don’t think that it’s self-centered of you to want your 21st birthday party to reflect who you are to your guests, but the dominant birthday party theme should be that you’re 21 – yay!

So I suggest that you and your Mum compromise and produce a blended party menu plan. I recommend a buffet serving arrangement as the easiest way to do this.

Here are my party menu ideas:

Things To Keep In Mind: Of course, do not expect the vegetarians to “just pick out the meat” from non-veg dishes. And try to accommodate other dietary restrictions among your guests such as diabetic, or food allergies. So have a dessert & main dishes that are sugar-less, egg & dairy & gluten free, and don’t put peanuts in anything!

There should be a good variety of vegetarian and vegan foods, as you are a vegetarian, and 10 of your guests are vegetarians, plus your Dad. But they should be familiar tasty dishes that everybody, both vegetarian and non-veg, will enjoy. If you do that, the non-veggies won’t even notice that the meat is missing and that they are (gasp) eating vegetarian food. You won’t need to announce that these foods are veg, except to the vegetarians.

Some vegetarian party menu ideas: nut loaf with veggie gravy, lasagna, quiche, salads, rice pilaf, soups, breads, fruit, cheese or chocolate based desserts, hummus or guacamole, bowls of roasted nuts, a fruit platter. Of course there are recipes for almost all of the above on Savvy Veg! Avoid tofu and other exotic ingredients such as quinoa or buckwheat, as non-veg don’t usually enjoy them or even know what they are.

There should be a reasonable number of meat based dishes for whatever number of non-veg guests – nothing like a whole roasted hog, or a bloody haunch of beef that will gross out the vegetarians. These non vegetarian foods should be set together separately, or at least pointed out to the vegetarians so they can avoid them. They should be different from the veg dishes in ingredients and appearance (apart from the meat) to avoid confusion and add to the variety of the spread.

A word of caution: This won’t be the best time to introduce your non-veg guests to vegetarianism. At a party, everybody is supposed to enjoy themselves, and it may make your guests uncomfortable if you insist on telling them that you’re vegetarian and all the reasons why. So be diplomatic, spread your birthday magic around, and talk about other things. Maybe your veg friends will agree to do the same.

Hope this helps. Happy 21st birthday!

All the best, Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

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