Vegetarianism and veganism - what's the difference?
All vegetarians avoid, to some degree, animal foods - fish, poultry, meat, and dairy - but to what degree is the one's choice. So-called semi-vegetarians avoid meat but still eat poultry and other animal foods. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians avoid poultry, fish and meat but do consume milk and eggs. Lacto-vegetarians don't eat any animal foods other than milk products.
In addition to being vegetarian, vegans do not use other animal products and by-products such as eggs, dairy products, honey, leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps derived from animal products. Many vegans choose this lifestyle to promote a more humane and caring world believing they have a responsibility to try to do their best to not support animal exploitation.
Vegans feel that consuming eggs and dairy products only promotes the livestock industry and supports the intensive rearing of animals in bad conditions. And these animals will be more likely be sold for meat purposes once egg and milk productivity drops off.
Common vegan foods include oatmeal, cereal, toast, orange juice, peanut butter on whole wheat bread, frozen fruit desserts, lentil soup, stir-fried vegetables, salads, dates, apples, macaroni, fruit smoothies, spaghetti, vegetarian baked beans, guacamole, chili and lots more tasty foods. Soy products often form the basis of many dishes including soy ice cream, soy yogurt, soy milk, soy hot dogs. Other treats include rice pudding, banana muffins, spinach pies, oat nut burgers, falafel, corn fritters, pumpkin casserole and scrambled tofu.
It really is a matter of planning your meals to exclude animal products altogether while ensuring you get proper nutrition, including proteins, fats minerals, and vitamins, from the alternative foods.
Three vegan recipes for springtime
Now that spring is here, people are hungering for something different to winter fare. Light springtime recipes are in vogue as we all take off our thick coats and start wondering where we left our sunglasses. There's even a spike in online dating registration and new purchases in shops as we all start to feel the seasonal need for change and development.
Whether you're a vegan looking for new recipes for springtime or a host looking to accommodate guests' dietary needs, here are three meals guaranteed to tickle anyone's taste buds...
Roasted asparagus with a spring herb grematola.
Asparagus is one of the foods that really let you know spring is here. These delicate green vegetables taste gorgeous when cooked fresh. Here, they’re accompanied by a special spring grematola:
· To prepare, preheat your oven to 450F. Then mix in a bowl: two tablespoons of fresh minced parsley, four teaspoons of finely grated lemon peel, and one minced garlic glove. This is your grematola.
· Next, toss your asparagus with vegetable, rapeseed or olive oil (not butter or margarine). Season them with fresh salt and pepper, and roast in the oven until the edges start to brown (about 20 minutes).
· Sprinkle the asparagus spears with grematola and roast for a further 5-10 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
Creamy avocado ‘pasta’
A lot of people think of pasta as the perfect vegetarian meal. However, it doesn't work for vegan diners, due to the egg content of pasta. Here’s an alternative 'pasta' that is sure to please:
· Courgettes are the 'pasta' here, peel them lengthways into thin spaghetti-like shapes (an electric grater might help here).
· After preparing the courgettes, make your sauce. Blend together in a food processor: the flesh of two medium-sized avocados, the zest and juice of one lemon, ¼ cup of fresh basil, two tablespoons of olive oil, two or three minced cloves of garlic, and one teaspoon of salt.
· Mix the sauce with the courgette "pasta" and add salt, pepper, and remaining lemon zest to taste.
Vegan potato salad
Potato salad is a springtime staple, but vegans often have to refuse it because of the generous amounts of mayonnaise usually present. Here's a version with enough interesting stuff going on so no one will notice the lack of mayo:
· Peel, chop small, and boil 8 russet potatoes until tender. Place in a large bowl.
· Add the following ingredients, chopped small or diced: half a cup of celery, three-quarters of a cup cup of red onion, one-quarter of a cup of green onion, half a cup of cup sweet relish, 3-4 tablespoons yellow mustard, pepper and salt to taste.
· Refrigerate the mixture for about an hour. Sprinkle paprika on top to taste, and serve.
You should be able to find more recipes on specialised vegan cookery blogs, or just on community sites such as the IMDB or eHarmony blog. Happy vegan springtime!