Category: Vegetarians

December 11, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lO254Ecgpo] Is soy healthy or not? Get the lowdown from a top dietitian by watching this video. Despite plant-based eating completely taking over the food scene right now, there’s still a lot of confusion around one major source: soy. Some healthy eaters are all about it and gladly fill their grocery carts with tofu and tempeh. Others stay far away, worried about the rumored affect it has on hormones. Fortunately, registered dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, sets the record straight on the protein in the latest episode of You Versus Food. “In general, soy is a good source of plant based protein for vegetarians and vegans,” Beckerman says, adding that it is one of the few nutritionally complete plant proteins (meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids). She also says that having soy as a regular part of your diet could help lower bad cholesterol in the body. As for all the dangers of soy you may have heard about, Beckerman says the vast majority of the rumors aren’t true, especially the idea that consumption is linked to breast cancer. That said, the healthy eating expert does have a few rules of thumb to keep in mind when it comes to reaping all the soy benefits. One: it should only be eaten occasionally, two servings a day tops. (She’s not into the idea of having a tofu scramble with a soy milk latte for breakfast, edamame as a snack, a

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December 10, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC Hummus has long been a wellness staple—a tub of it would be right at home beside a bag of home-cooked granola and a stick of Palo Santo in your wellness starter kit. But this is a new decade, and chickpeas are being transformed into healthier, high-protein versions of classic comfort foods, from pasta and rice to chips and ice cream. And consumers are eating it up. Kelly Landrieu, the global coordinator of local brands for Whole Foods, says she’s definitely seen an uptick in the number of chickpea-based products lining store shelves, from both new brands and established ones. To name just a few: Banza’s chickpea pasta and rice (a plant-based boxed mac-and-cheese is coming in January 2020), Hippeas’ and Biena Snacks’ chickpea puffs, Delighted By’s dessert hummus, Lebby Snacks’ chocolate-covered chickpeas (AKA the new Whoppers), Nutriati’s chickpea mylk, P.S. Snacks’ chickpea cookie dough, and Little Chickpea’s chickpea ice cream. In 2020, chickpea comfort foods will even be entering the restaurant space, a priority Banza co-founder Brian Rudolph announced after the brand secured $20 million in funding in November. Why the garbanzo explosion? “Chickpeas are versatile, nutritionally dense, allergen-friendly, and inexpensive as an ingredient,” Landrieu says. “They’re also familiar to consumers, so even if the product isn’t something they’ve seen before, it’s easier to convince them to give it a try.” (For the record, registered dietitian Shawn Wells, RD, says this trend gets his stamp of approval, citing the ingredient as a good

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December 10, 2019 at 02:30AM by CWC There’s no question that the U.S. market for CBD products is riding high—analysts believe it could be worth an estimated $23.7 billion by 2023. (To put this number into perspective, that’s almost as much as the alt-dairy market, which is tipped to be worth $29.6 billion.) But in a landscape that’s becoming saturated with CBD-rich tinctures, balms, and beauty products, how’s a brand to stand out? For many, it’s now about looking beyond CBD and elevating other non-psychoactive compounds in the hemp plant—namely, minor cannabinoids such as CBC, CBG, and CBN—to star-ingredient status. Although CBD, or cannabidiol, is the most abundant cannabinoid found in hemp, it’s just one of many that are thought to be supportive in the face of mental or physical stress. CBG (cannabigerol) and CBC (cannabichromene) have been touted as anti-inflammatory agents. CBN (cannabinol) shows some promise as a sleep aid. While CBD is also believed to have these benefits, some product developers believe they can create more nuanced, targeted solutions by incorporating higher levels of these secondary cannabinoids.   “CBC, CBG, and CBN are all being isolated and purified by formulators so they can reintroduce them into bespoke product formulations,” says Mills Miller, founder of hemp wellness brand Mineral. “We have created proprietary hemp genetics on our farm to produce plants which are higher in each of the different cannabinoids to serve our different products.” Mineral’s post-workout Recovery tincture and Maison salve include high concentrations of CBG alongside a broad

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December 10, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC It started with the alt-burgers. Meat eaters—who make up 70 percent of the people buying products from Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods—couldn’t believe the “bleeding” patties they were biting into were made from plants. While you can expect the burgers to continue to make headlines in 2020 (look for more fast food chains jumping on board), don’t expect the alt-meat conversation to end with beef. Consumers want variety in their plant-based proteins—and brands are innovating in never-done-before ways to meet the demand. In 2020, get ready to see plant-based chicken and fish alternatives reach alt-burger status. Established vegan brands, like Gardein, have changed their formulas to rely less heavily on soy, and new brands, like plant-based seafood company Good Catch, are joining the fray. Even restaurants are getting in on the trend. This month, vegan cult-favorite By Chloe launched “chicky,” plant-based chicken made from tempeh, which they added to the menu in the form of chicken nuggets, a crispy chicken salad, and chicken parm. Fast-casual chain Tender Greens has also introduced a soy-free vegan chicken (comprising only pea protein and wheat protein, plus spices) sourced from Abbot’s Butcher, and Chiptole investing in vegan seafood brand Sophie’s Kitchen, a hopeful hint of what’s to come. “When people are looking to go plant-based or meatless, they want more than just burgers,” says Tara Rozalowsky, the vice president and general manager of Gardein’s parent company Conagra Brands, of why the trend is taking off. “Chicken is

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December 09, 2019 at 05:50PM by CWC Among the many reasons to love healthy breakfast smoothies is that they’re portable and refreshing. But making a smoothie from scratch is jsut so much work, especially in the morning when you’re cranky and half-asleep. My intention intentions to blend a smoothie often goes unfulfilled, giving way to a microwaved bowl of instant oatmeal or a protein bar before heading out the door. A new product coming out this month just might make things a little easier. Everipe is a new smoothie company that has ready-to-blend smoothie kits in five different flavors. It’s a similar concept to Daily Harvest (without the buzzy add-ins, like adaptogens or CBD), but Everipe smoothie kits will be available at your local Walmart. (You know, in the frozen food aisle, where so many wellness wins are sold. All you do is add a liquid base (milk, alt-milk, coconut water, etc.) to your blender, dump the smoothie kit ingredients in, blend for 60 seconds, and breakfast is served. What makes these smoothie kits so healthy is that the fruits and veggie ingredients are all freeze dried right when the nutrient density is at their peak. None of the nutrients are lost while they sit in the freezer until they’re ready to be bought and blended. A pack of four is $6.25, making it just $1.60 per smoothie—much cheaper than some alternatives. Everipe just might take smoothie-making from a healthy aspiration to an everyday ritual. What to eat to boost

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December 07, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC “Eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch, and a pauper at dinner.” The royal refrain has long been preached by healthy eating experts as one of the best ways to eat for maintaining a healthy metabolism, digestion, and overall health. The advice came up yet again in a recent Ask Me Anything in Well+Good’s Cook With Us Facebook group with Food: What The Heck Should I Cook? author Mark Hyman, MD. The resounding message: big breakfast, good. Big dinner, not so good. Normally I’m all about taking healthy eating advice from experts—but I have to admit, this didn’t seem like the most realistic thing to me. Our culture is not structured to accommodate this kind of eating schedule. Mornings are rushed—many people don’t even eat breakfast at all—and dinner is about socializing just as much as it is about eating. Even if it is more nutritious, it doesn’t seem very doable. But for the sake of better health, I decided to try reversing my meal sizes for a week and see what it was like. Why healthy eating experts want Americans to reverse their meal sizes Before getting started, I reached out to Dr. Hyman as well as registered dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick, RDN for more intel on the merits of eating your largest meal at the beginning of the day (and your smallest meal at the end of the day). “The more in alignment we eat with our circadian rhythms,

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December 07, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC If you head to the snack table the second you get to a party, you’re not alone. I mean, who doesn’t prefer a plateful of food over awkward convos? While bowls of tortilla chips are great, you know you’ve hit the jackpot when you spot a charcuterie board. And spoiler alert: The vegan versions are just as great as the originals. Unlike a crudités platter, which is primarily raw veggies and dip, a charcuterie board is a collection of prepared meats and fancy cheeses. (Not the most vegan-friendly appetizer in the world.) But by swapping in some tasty plant-based meats and dairy-free cheeses, then rounding everything out with an assortment of veggies, fruit, crackers, and delicious dips, you’ll have a combo that will be a hit at any party. Let these vegan charcuterie boards inspire you to create your own. These bloggers have the prettiest vegan charcuterie boards around Photo: Emilie Eats 1. Emilie Eats There’s no real meat needed when you have thinly-sliced vegan ham and veggie sausages. Photo: Fit Living Eats 2. Fit Living Eats The nutrient-rich crackers on this board are made from nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Photo: Well Vegan 3. Well Vegan Instead of making meat the center of this board, it’s all about the vegan smoked paprika basil goat cheese. Photo: Make Mary 4. Make Mary The secret to making an Insta-worthy board? Super-colorful veggies. Photo: Jillian Harris 5. Jillian Harris Alongside olives, nuts, and a pretty

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December 06, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC While it’s good news that eating sustainably isn’t at odds with eating well, navigating the grocery aisles with both yourself and the planet in mind is easier said than done. Deciding if you should go for grass-fed beef or one of the many plant-based alternatives, debating whether you should worry about the water resources it takes to make a carton of almond milk, Googling what all the different phrases on various egg carton means…it’s confusing. In an effort to gain a little clarity, I asked four experts—all of whom work in different areas of the sustainability space—to reveal what goes through their minds when they grocery shop. You’ll see that there isn’t just one way to live sustainably; what that means and looks like can vary. The big takeaway is that getting into the habit of thinking not only about what’s in your food but where it’s coming from is a major step in the right direction. Here, each person shares their grocery haul photos and also explains the thought process behind their choices. Keep reading to see what sustainable grocery shopping looks like for four experts. Photo by Lars and Alena Schowalter; Graphic by W+G Creative Lars and Alena Schowalter, co-founders of Nutritiously About the experts: Based in Germany, Lars and Alena Schowalter founded their company as a way to give people actionable ways to eat healthy and sustainably. For them, this means following a vegan diet. Alena is a recipe developer and

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