SUMMARY

Honey is not vegan. Still, there is debate in some corners of the vegan community as to whether it’s an acceptable food for those who follow a plant-based lifestyle.

Fresh N’ Lean is the nation’s largest organic meal delivery service. Our tasty, chef-prepared cuisine is always fresh and never frozen, and we offer five convenient meal plans: Protein+, Keto, Paleo, Standard Vegan and Low-Carb Vegan. Choose Fresh N’ Lean for affordable nutrition, delivered to your doorstep. 

One of the most common questions about veganism is: can vegans eat honey?

There is a straightforward answer to this question – no – but it does generate a lot of debate among vegans and it isn’t a completely clear-cut issue.

Is honey actually vegan?

In practice, the question “is honey vegan?” depends on the definition of veganism, which the Vegan Society states as:

“Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.”

As this makes clear, the answer is no, honey is not vegan.

Can vegans eat honey?

Many people ask “do vegans eat honey?” because there is genuine confusion about what qualifies as vegan. The sticking-points for most people are the idea that bees aren’t really “animals,” or that honey is naturally-produced by bees (and so it isn’t exploitative) and humans taking it has no impact on them.

Firstly, bees are animals. Insects, small though they may be, are living creatures and are animals. So just like you couldn’t eat a bee (not that you’d want to) and call yourself a vegetarian, you can’t eat something produced by a bee and call yourself a vegan. Once you accept that bees are animals too, you can’t eat honey for essentially the same reason you couldn’t drink cow milk.

The size of the animal doesn’t matter, and this is a key reason why vegans don’t eat honey.

The other arguments need a little more detail to address, but the key point is that: honey is not vegan, at least by the conventional definition.

Why isn’t honey vegan?

• Aside from the basic point that bees are animals, and therefore honey is an animal product, there are many other reasons most vegans don’t eat honey. The main counter-argument that doesn’t depend on ranking insects as somehow “less” than other animals is the idea that producing honey for human consumption has no impact on the bees themselves.
• However, this isn’t the case at all. A single bee produces about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in its whole life. The production of a single pound of honey requires bees visiting about 2 million flowers.
• Bees actually have a stomach specifically to store the nectar they’ve gathered, and during the trip back to the hive they use enzymes to alter the pH of the nectar. When they get back to the hive, they regurgitate the honey and pass it on to a “house bee.” This bee finishes the process, transforming the nectar into honey and putting it into cells of beeswax.
• Why do they go through this long and fairly arduous process? Because the bees need the honey to survive.
• A colony of bees consumes between 120 and 200 pounds of honey per year. If humans take this honey, the bees need to be fed something else to survive through the winter. When they actually are fed something, it’s usually high-fructose corn syrup. Swapping honey for this syrup makes the bees less able to cope with pathogens and pesticides.

In summary, bees have evolved a complex set of behaviors and biological mechanisms to produce a food supply to maintain their hives through the winter. Humans then take this food supply and substitute something that isn’t as good for the bees. So the other part of the answer to “why is honey not vegan?” is because it’s exploitative and hinders bees’ ability to survive.

5 Uncomfortable facts about beekeeping

There are even more reasons most vegans don’t choose to eat honey when you look in more detail about the process of beekeeping for the purposes of harvesting honey. Some uncomfortable facts underpin the issues many vegans have with honey.

1 – Some bee farms “cull” the bees after harvest

To save on the cost of feeding the bees over the winter, some farms simply cull (i.e. kill) the whole hive of bees and create a new hive the next year. This is simply because the industry puts profits over the welfare of the animals: the bees don’t matter; only the product they produce.

2 – Queens may have their wings clipped or be killed and replaced

If the queen leaves the hive, the bees will swarm and follow her. Losing honeybees like this would be a downside for the industry, so in some cases beekeepers clip the wings of the queens, thus preventing them from leaving. Similarly, some kill the queen and replace her with a younger queen to prevent migration.

3 – Pesticide use and corn syrup are likely contributors to colony collapse disorder

The decline in bee populations – referred to as “colony collapse disorder” – likely has multiple causes, but some of them are particularly relevant to honey production. Firstly, the substitution of honey with high-fructose corn syrup reduces their resilience to pathogens and pesticides. Secondly, pesticides are often used to protect hives from mites, fungi or other intruders, but the pesticides themselves may have a role to play in colony collapse disorder. This isn’t clear-cut but there is a definite risk that this is the case.

4 – Honeybees displace keystone pollinators

Before honeybees arrived in North America in the 1600s, native or “keystone” pollinators, like moths, beetles, bats and birds, as well as native bees. However, as honeybees are used to produce honey, the large imported populations are taking this ecological role away from keystone pollinators. We essentially use the nectar these animals would consume for our honey, thus impacting their ability to survive and thrive.

5 – Harvesting methods

There are also relevant issues for vegans and honey relating to the process of harvesting. For a start, even the most careful beekeeper will accidentally kill some bees in the process of harvesting. This is bad enough, but many vegans also object to the use of smoke or chemical mixtures to make the bees docile during harvesting and less likely to sting the beekeeper. They have to do this because – from the bees’ perspective – humans are taking their hive’s resources. It’s like a stranger coming into your house and clearing your freezer out to take home and eat for themselves.

The honey vegan debate: differing perspectives

However, not all vegans consider honey to be an issue. This is why there is an intense debate around the question of “is honey vegan?” despite all of the arguments raised and addressed so far. There are a couple of points from the more permissive side that are worth talking about specifically.

One argument is one of pragmatism. Some vegans argue that not allowing honey contributes to the perception than veganism is too restrictive a lifestyle. In short, they say that banning honey for vegans risks putting would-be vegans off.

This doesn’t require a counter-argument as such, because most people are vegan for ethical and environmental reasons, and these guide their choices. Most vegans don’t eat honey because they take issue with the practices described above or what they see as the exploitation of animals. This moral reason generally takes precedence over any pragmatic concerns others raise: you want to do what’s right even if there’s a chance it would put some people off.

But the pragmatic concerns are still valid in some ways. To stop more obvious forms of exploitation of animals or direct harm, getting more people to be vegan is crucial. If this is easier to do if you allow honey, is that really a bad thing, overall?

There are also vegans who value different things. For example, if you’re a vegan because you want to avoid animal products, then honey is a definite no-no. However, if you’re a vegan because you don’t agree with cruelty to animals, then it’s not as clear-cut. Some beekeepers are “balanced” keepers, meaning that they only take honey when there is excess. Arguably, this reduces the negative effects on the bees substantially and could be permissible.

Finally, there is an interesting argument that seems unrelated to the vegan debate about honey at first, but it isn’t. Honeybees are “rented out” to pollinate crops, travelling around the country (likely eating high-fructose corn syrup on the way) and pollinating plants such as almonds, cucumbers, cauliflower, cherries, avocados, peaches, pears, plums, blueberries, cranberries and more. This is effectively farming the bees in the same way as they’re farmed for honey.

As Victoria Moran, author of Main Street Vegan puts it,

“Vegans are eating these foods, and it’s a little tricky to say that honey from a small beekeeper who is in love with bees is less vegan-friendly than the blueberries and almonds grown with the help of bees.”

Vegan alternatives to honey

If you’ve decided to cut out honey, for whatever reason, then there are tons of great alternatives that are unambiguously vegan-friendly. These include:

• Maple syrup
• Agave nectar
• Molasses
• Brown rice syrup
• Barley malt syrup
• Coconut nectar
• And even more focused alternatives like “Bee Free Honee”

If you struggle to find the time to source things like vegan honey alternatives and make fresh meals every day, Fresh n’ Lean has a selection of vegan meals as part of our vegan meal prep delivery service. We source local, plant-based ingredients and handle all of the details so you can just enjoy the food.

Related:

• Why some vegans choose to eat Oreos?
• 20 vegan myths dispelled

The post Is Honey Vegan? appeared first on Fresh n' Lean.

Fresh N’ Lean is the nation’s largest organic meal delivery service. Our tasty, chef-prepared cuisine is always fresh and never frozen, and we offer five convenient meal plans: Protein+, Keto, Paleo, Standard Vegan and Low-Carb Vegan. Choose Fresh N’ Lean for affordable nutrition, delivered to your doorstep. 

Many of us grew up eating Oreos as kids, breaking apart the creamy middle from one half of the cookie and dunking it into a tall glass of milk.

Little did we know that these favorite childhood treats contain no animal products.

Are Oreos really vegan?

Oreo cookies do not contain any animal-derived ingredients and are safe to eat for vegans. If you have a dairy allergy, keep in mind that Oreos have milk as cross-contact.

Oreo ingredients

The ingredients listed on the Oreos packaging are: unbleached enriched flour, sugar, palm and/or canola oil, cocoa, high fructose corn syrup, leavening, corn starch, salt, soy lecithin, vanillin, and unsweetened chocolate.

There is no mention of dairy or eggs, yet the Oreo company itself says they do not consider the cookie “suitable for vegans” on the FAQ page: “Oreos have milk as cross-contact and therefore are not suitable for vegans.”

Oreos were not always vegan

In the past, Oreos definitely weren’t vegan. In the early twentieth century, they were made with lard (pig fat). It was only in the mid-1990s, over concerns about the healthfulness of animal fat, that Nabisco, Oreo’s parent company, decided to replace lard with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. That change lasted another decade until further health concerns. So in January 2006, under pressure from the public, Oreo replaced the trans fat in the biscuits with non-hydrogenated oils. Still, the recipe included whey protein, which is derived from dairy, until 2013 in the UK and 2014 in the US. When that ingredient was removed, the cookies finally became animal-free.

Can vegans eat Oreos?

Given that most products are made in facilities that contain animal products, does a trace amount of milk make something definitively not vegan?

For an answer, we turn to PETA, the organization many would consider the authority on what counts as vegan. They have a whole statement about foods containing small amounts of animal products with a sticky note that reads “Don’t worry”. The statement reads:

“Some packaged foods have a long list of ingredients. The farther an ingredient is down the list, the less of that ingredient is in the food. People who have made the compassionate decision to stop eating animal flesh, eggs, and dairy products may wonder if they need to read every ingredient to check for tiny amounts of obscure animal products. Our general advice is not to worry too much…The goal of sticking to a vegetarian or vegan diet is to help animals and reduce suffering; this is done by choosing a bean burrito or a veggie burger over chicken flesh, or choosing tofu scramble over eggs, not by refusing to eat an otherwise vegan food because it has 0.001 grams of monoglycerides that may possibly be animal-derived.”

“Our general advice is not to worry too much…The goal of sticking to a vegetarian or vegan diet is to help animals and reduce suffering.”

— PETA.

Indeed, PETA complies a whole list of “Accidentally Vegan” foods, which contains such items as Life Original Cereal, Lay’s Barbecue Potato Chips, Jolly Rancher Hard Candy, Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup, Aunt Jemima Pancake/Waffle Mix, and Old El Paso Fajita Dinner Kit.

Related: Most popular vegan snacks

Now that we have determined that Oreos are technically vegan, should you be eating them?

Unfortunately, the fact that Oreos are vegan is more a testament to the ingenuity of fast food producers than any moral or health claims. None of the ingredients found in an Oreo cookie are whole, real foods. Like other processed foods, Oreos contain many genetically engineered and harmful ingredients, including high fructose corn syrup, an omnipresent sweetener, and soy lecithin, an emulsifier extracted from soybeans. While both of these ingredients are derived originally from plants, they are a far cry from healthfulness. Indeed, Oreos are a perfect example of that fact that just because something is vegan does not make it healthy.

Nor does it make it ethical in a broader sense than solely animal welfare. One of the main ingredients is palm oil, which is not only a processed food that is bad for our health, but is also disastrous for the environment. The vast majority of palm oil produced today is grown unsustainably in developing countries where large swaths of tropical forests have been cleared to make room for palm oil plantations. Given that it’s cheaper to produce palm oil than animal fat, this ingredient has become almost ubiquitous in processed food today.

So, while you should consider Oreos vegan, you should not consider them healthy, nor necessarily ethical. At Fresh n’ Lean, we believe in more than providing you with vegan meals, but also providing you home-cooked wholesome goodness made of real plants from the earth, rather than processed foods. That being said, you can still eat Oreo cookies on occasion, and consider it a nostalgic indulgence.

Just make sure to dunk it in a glass of plant-based milk.

What makes a product vegan?

Veganism goes a step beyond vegetarianism. Whereas vegetarians avoid eating meat, vegans try to avoid all animal product consumption. This includes dairy, honey, and eggs.

Things get a bit more complicated when you ask different vegans whether this product or that product counts. For example, some people are just dietary vegans and they’re fine with animal products as long as they aren’t eating them. Others are lifestyle vegans and try to avoid animal products that include fur and leather.

There’s also the question of what constitutes an animal. For example, B12 comes from meat, hemp seeds, and bacteria. Some vegans feel that the bacteria produced B12 found in supplements goes against their style of veganism while others do not. Additionally, insulin is made from yeast and other bacteria.

Some people would say that taking insulin is non-vegan-friendly whereas others say that exceptions have to be made in specific medical situations.

Others go as far as to say that certain plants are not vegan-friendly because they harm more animals than other plants. Palm oil, found in Oreos, is an example of this. Although palm oil comes from palm trees, many vegans feel like they should avoid this ingredient because it has a very negative impact on the environment and hurts animals who depend on palm trees in their ecosystem.

So although all vegans agree that veganism is about avoiding animal products, it’s clear that vegans draw the line differently one from another.

With Fresh n’ Lean, you don’t have to worry if your food is vegan

No matter where you fall on the great Oreo debate, there is one thing we should all be able to agree on. Being vegan can be hard sometimes and questions like, “Are Oreos vegan,” just add unnecessary complications to breakfast, lunch, and dinner that don’t need to be there. Fresh n’ Lean can take away all of that and make eating simple again.

Our Fresh n’ Lean chefs make amazing meals out of in-season ingredients that are suitable for vegans of all stripes and standards. Our vegan meal delivery service has been a real blessing to those who are trying to keep vegan while not spending all of their spare time planning their next meal. Our food is organic, in-season, healthy, and vegan, basically it’s everything you need and nothing that you’re trying to avoid.

Forget about the Oreos and check out our menu instead to see if going vegan with Fresh n’ Lean is the right choice for you.

The post Are Oreos Vegan? appeared first on Fresh n' Lean.

SUMMARY

Typically, peanut butter is made entirely with plant-based ingredients. However, check the label — some companies may include honey (which isn’t vegan) in their ingredient list.

Fresh N’ Lean is the nation’s largest organic meal delivery service. Our tasty, chef-prepared cuisine is always fresh and never frozen, and we offer five convenient meal plans: Protein+, Keto, Paleo, Standard Vegan and Low-Carb Vegan. Choose Fresh N’ Lean for affordable nutrition, delivered to your doorstep. 

If you’re wondering whether or not peanut butter is vegan, you’ve come to the right place.

The easy answer is, yes. Peanut butter is vegan. But sometimes it’s not that clear-cut.

There are a lot of hidden animal products in so many of the foods that we eat. Milk, butter, and honey are so pervasive in the creamy sweet foods that we eat that sometimes it can feel as if there’s nothing left for those of us that are vegan.

Although peanut butter is usually safe for vegans, sometimes, you have to watch out for additional ingredients.

Is Peanut Butter Vegan-Friendly?

As we’ve said previously, yes, peanut butter is vegan-friendly.

Most kinds of peanut butter are a simple combination of peanuts, oil, and salt. Some peanut butter mixes will contain added sugar but most kinds of peanut butter are totally safe for a vegan diet.

Despite peanut butter’s name, there is no actual butter in peanut butter.

So if you’re looking to get some extra protein in your vegan diet, peanut butter will make it really easy.

However, there are some ingredients you’ll want to still watch out for.

What Non-Vegan Ingredients Are In Peanut Butter?

Some kinds of peanut butter add honey instead of sugar to their recipes. If you’re a vegetarian this is obviously not a problem, but if you’re vegan then anything that contains animal products is instantly off limits.

It isn’t very common for companies to add honey to peanut butter, but if you’re going to buy some honey, you might as well double check just to be safe.

What Are Some Good Vegan Recipes That Use Peanut Butter?

Peanut butter is absolutely amazing. It’s a great ingredient to add in either a dessert or breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes. Peanuts and peanut butter are also great ways to get protein.

Here are a couple of fantastic, vegan recipes that we just know you’ll love.

Tofu Peanut Lettuce Wraps – This might sound strange at first but peanuts are actually incredibly common in different kinds of Asian cuisines. These delicious tofu peanut lettuce wraps are low on calories, but full of protein and flavor. The bell pepper, mushrooms, water chestnuts, soy sauce, maple syrup, peanut butter, rice vinegar, and spicy chili sauce make for an interesting combination. We just know you’ll love if you try it.

Get the recipe here.

No-cook Peanut Butter Fudge – Sometimes you don’t need a full-blown meal and just need a tasty vegan snack or dessert. This healthy, no-cook, peanut butter fudge is just the thing you need in cases like those. This fudge only takes 12 minutes to prep but it 2 hours to freeze and set, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to make it.

Get the recipe here.

Soba Noodle Bowl – Soba is a Japanese noodle made of buckwheat flour. Combine soba with some vegetables, peanut sauce, and marinated tofu, and you have a deliciously healthy meal that’s great for either lunch or dinner. This means is equal parts sweet, citrusy, and spicy. The tofu and peanuts make for an excellent source of protein as well.

Get the recipe here.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes – There are few combinations in this world that are better than chocolate and peanut butter. And luckily, if you have the right ingredients, you can still enjoy this flavor combination while vegan. This recipe takes approximately 30 minutes to make and comes with another recipe for a peanut butter caramel sauce which is absolutely amazing.

Get the recipe here.

Peanut Butter Noodles – Here’s another delicious Asian-inspired peanuts, noodles and vegetable dish which is just fantastic. The peanut butter, soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic, ginger, peppers, cilantro, and peanuts make for a fantastic flavor profile that you’ll just love.

Get the recipe here.

Use Fresh n’ Lean And Never Worry About Vegan Meals Again

Although you could check the ingredient list for each and every product you’re thinking of buying at the grocery store, there is a better, easier way to do veganism.

Fresh n’ Lean offers a delicious vegan meal delivery system that helps you have ready-to-eat vegan meals delivered to your door. All of our meals are nutritious, organic, in-season, tasty, and vegan. That means they’re dairy-free, meat-free, honey-free, and low in fat.

If you are looking for an easy, affordable way to maintain a vegan diet, Fresh n’ Lean is the way to go.

The post Is Peanut Butter Vegan? appeared first on Fresh n' Lean.

SUMMARY

Need something in between meals, and want to stay healthy? Try these nutrient-dense, easy vegan snack ideas.

Fresh N’ Lean is the nation’s largest organic meal delivery service. Our tasty, chef-prepared cuisine is always fresh and never frozen, and we offer five convenient meal plans: Protein+, Keto, Paleo, Standard Vegan and Low-Carb Vegan. Choose Fresh N’ Lean for affordable nutrition, delivered to your doorstep. 

One of the questions people most often ask when they are trying to eat healthier is what do you do for snacks?

Fresh n’ Lean provides you with healthy premade vegan meals, but here are some vegan snack ideas when you need a little something extra and do not want to reach for the chips and cookies.

10 Super Easy Vegan Snacks

Filling your day with healthy snacks is important to keep your metabolism running and your blood sugar levels stable. We’ve curated a list of nutrient-dense plant-based snack ideas that will keep you energized until your next meal.

1. Dates & Nuts

This is truly a heavenly pairing and there is so much room for variation.

Get yourself a box of dates, open each up, take out the seed, and stuff with either nuts or nut butters. My favorite pairings are dates stuffed with almonds or walnuts or peanut, almond, sunflower seed, pumpkin seed, sesame seed (tahini), or other types of plant-based butters.

The largest and most indulgently delicious dates are Medjool, but there are many other varieties to explore.

Dates are an incredible source of energy, fiber, and lots of vitamins and minerals.

You can also store them for a long time, especially in the fridge or freezer.

The only thing to be aware of is that dates do pack a caloric punch, which may be perfect if you’re an athlete or someone in need of calories, especially paired with the nut butter. For others, moderation is key.

Two wonderful date farms in the US include 7 Hot Dates and The Date People, who harvest their produce in early fall and can ship directly to you throughout the year. There is no match for the quality.

2. Fruit & Veggie “Toast”

Nut and seed butters are also amazing paired with other fresh fruits and vegetables, including bananas, apples, pears, celery, carrots, and anything else you love.

One of the easiest vegan snacks you can make is cutting bananas into two lengthwise and then topping with peanut butter and coconut flakes or raisins, or slicing an apple into disks and topping with almond butter and cocoa nibs. Other topping ideas include cocoa powder, fresh berries, chia seeds, hemp hearts, sesame seeds, and once again, anything your heart desires.

Japanese yam toast: The best version of non-bread toasts are sweet potatoes. All sweet potato varieties work, but by the far the best are Japanese (sometimes called “Oriental” yams) which are purple on the outside and white on the inside because they are delicious, nutritious, and retain their shape when baked. If you cannot find them at your regular grocery store, try an Asian supermarket.

How to make fruit & veggie toast:

Wash, cut in half lengthwise, and place face down on parchment paper to bake at 400F for 45 minutes or until the faces are browned but not burned. Let cool (in fact they are absolutely delicious cold out of the fridge), and then top with nut butter and jam.

They legitimately taste like cake and yet are full of antioxidants and are fat-free! Top with anything you normally put on toast: avocado, peanut butter and jam, apple butter, etc.

3. Popcorn Chickpeas

One of the best plant-based snacks when you’re on the run or for traveling is what I call “popcorn” chickpeas.

How to make popcorn chickpeas:

They are super easy to make. Simply drain a can of chickpeas (or cook from scratch for larger volume), place on parchment-lined baking sheet, cover in any spices or herbs (I like paprika, turmeric, curry, dried basil, etc.) and then bake at 400F for 30 minutes or until the soft chickpeas harden. No need to add oil, as it does not need the excess fat. You can try this with other cooked beans as well, such as black bean or pinto for an easy, portable vegan snack.

4. Cinnamon-Dusted Plantains & Sweet Potatoes

Another easy and delicious vegan snack to try are cinnamon-dusted plantains or sweet potatoes.

These naturally sweet vegetables become even more so when dusted with cinnamon.

How to make cinnamon plantains:

Simply cut them up into any shape you like and then cover sparingly with cinnamon. Bake at 400F until cooked through. You can actually also do this with bananas, apples, and pears as well, but they will be mushier (still delicious!).

5. Homemade Hummus

There are many hummus “recipes” online, but in fact this is one of the easiest vegan snacks you can make at home, so it’s worth learning the basics to make your own. Chickpeas are the foundation of any hummus recipe, but you can actually use other beans as well to make various dips, and simply rotate around the different flavor combinations.

How to make your own hummus:

Generally, a simple hummus recipe is 1 can or 2 cups of chickpeas, 2 tablespoons of tahini (sesame seed paste), a clove of garlic, herbs and spices (e.g. paprika, cumin, coriander, etc.), lemon juice, and water added to create the desired consistency. Put everything in a blender or food processor and voila! It will last about 5 days in the fridge, shorter than the grocery store varieties which all contain preservatives.

With that basic recipe in mind, you can experiment with different flavor combinations. For an Indian twist, add turmeric and curry powder. For Mediterranean, add fresh or fire-roasted red pepper. For Italian, add sun-dried tomato and fresh basil. For Mexican, add black beans (on top of chickpeas or instead) and chipotle.

Depending on the season you could also try beet (fresh or cooked), spinach, carrot, sweet potato, or pumpkin. And you can also substitute tahini with any other healthy fat like pumpkin butter or sunflower seed butter or even experiment with peanut and other nut butters for a twist!

For things to dip with, there’s always crackers (Mary’s Gone Crackers are amazing and oil-free, as are Engine2’s line), but you can literally use any fresh fruit or veggies you have on hand, including raw lettuce and greens such as collard greens which make an easy and deliciously crunchy wrap with nutritional bang for your buck.

6. Sweet Potato “Boats”

Sweet potatoes are also great for stuffing, and you can try both sweet and savory varieties (softer varieties like the regular orange and yellow sweet potatoes work well as they soften more than the Japanese variety).

How to make sweet potato boats:

Choose any type of sweet potato and then bake whole on parchment-lined sheets at 400F for 45 minutes. Let cool and then pierce with a knife just to open them up, keeping the bottom part of the potato intact. Take out the insides and place in a bowl. Add the other ingredients, combine well, and “stuff” the sweet potatoes back up with the filling and place in oven for a little longer until crispy.

Some savory ideas include adding baked chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, parsley, and herbs. A Mexican variation could be black or pinto beans and salsa and then topped with guacamole. An Indian version would be lentils and curry dressing and Italian might be fresh tomatoes, baked mushrooms, and pesto on top. The combinations are endless.

You can even do sweet versions! Japanese sweet potatoes in particular are so sweet that when you stuff them it’s almost like a dessert. Slice bananas and lay them inside the potato in a row, and once those are baked through, top with maple or date syrup, jam, nut butter, or anything else you fancy.

One easy way to make homemade jam is to heat up frozen berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc.) in a pot and then add maple syrup or date sugar until boiling and then turn off the stove and add chia seeds and place in mason jars. The chia seeds will expand and take on a jam-like consistency.

7. Easy Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a healthy vegan snack or breakfast idea that once again, can be modified in many different ways to suit your liking.

How to make overnight oats:

One of the most popular ways to have it is in the form of overnight oats. The basic idea is to take old-fashioned rolled oats, add in any spices (e.g. cinnamon, cardamom, cocoa powder), and then either water (for a lower-fat version) or plant milk (e.g. soy, almond, oat, etc.) and a tablespoon or so of chia seeds.

Mix it up in a mason jar and leave for a few hours or overnight until a thick mixture forms as the chia seeds expand. You can then top it with bananas, berries, or nut butter. You can also add nut butter right in the beginning for a thicker more indulgent vegan snack.

The thing that most people do not know about rolled oats is that unlike steel cut oats (which are less processed and therefore need to be cooked), rolled oats can actually be eaten “raw” (as they are already slightly cooked) if you’re in a pinch. Simply put some oats in a bowl, top with plant milk, and then bananas and peanut butter, or apples, applesauce, and cinnamon, or tahini and fresh or frozen berries.

You can even add savory ingredients like baked chickpeas with spinach which also works beautifully for steel cut oats you prepare ahead of time.

8. Frozen Mangoes

Frozen mangoes are available in almost any grocery stores, and they are an incredibly easy vegan snack especially in the summer months — simply take out of the freezer and enjoy. They truly do not need to be processed in any way, as they taste nearly like ice cream already.

If frozen fruit is too cold for you, simply boil some water and then pour into a metal bowl containing the frozen fruit, then drain and enjoy. A fast and easy way to eat healthily throughout the year. Enjoy the fruit by itself or on top of oatmeal, toast, or granola.

9. Sushi Burritos

Roasted nori sheets are easy to find, and you do not have to go to the trouble of making sushi to enjoy them (though it’s worth the time investment).

How to make vegan sushi burritos:

Simply cut up your favorite veggies (e.g. red pepper, cucumber, avocado, etc.) and wrap it inside the sheets. You can even add sweet potato mash or make an easy dressing on the side to dip into (look out for a post on easy dressings soon). If you’re short on time, simply dip into rice vinegar, tamari, or coconut aminos.

10. Rice Paper Rolls

Like roasted nori sheets, rice paper rolls (white or brown rice) are easily available and easy to work with.

How to make rice paper rolls:

Simply cut up some veggies (and even fruit like mango) and following the instructions on the package to soften the sheets, roll these up and dip in rice vinegar, tamari, or coconut aminos. You can also make a simple nut butter dressing based in peanut or almond butter with rice vinegar and coconut aminos plus water to thin it out. Some fresh cilantro also does the trick!

There you go — a few nutritious (and super easy) vegan snacks to keep you satisfied and healthy throughout the day.

Ready-Made Snacks You Can Find in the Store

Now, if even all of this seems a bit overwhelming, here are some great brands you can pick up at the grocery store to have on hand if you are feeling hungry. You can find most of these brands at Whole Foods, your local health food store, or online at Thrive Market.

• Mary’s Gone Crackers: Delicious oil-free seed-based crackers which are perfect for dipping into hummus. They are gluten-free and vegan too. The superseed collection is especially good, in particular the Seaweed & Black Sesame and Chia & Hemp. Mmm!
• Engine 2 “Plant Strong” Food Line: Offering everything from breakfast granolas, frozen burgers and burritos, tomato sauces, crispbread, and tortillas and burger buns, this company makes oil-free vegan snacking a piece of cake. Found only in Whole Foods.
• Oil-Free Hummus: A few different brands offer this popular dip in an oil-free version, including Engine2, Cedar’s, and probably a local brand you can find at your health food store. Just check the ingredients and make sure there is no added oil, including olive or canola.
• Fig Food Co: This company makes delicious organic soups, as well as pre-cooked beans that you could easily beak or eat as is. Soup flavors include: Nonna’s Minestrone, Split Pea & Potato, and Tuscan White Bean.
• Larabars: These delicious date- and nut-based bars are the ultimate life-saver as they are popular and widely available, and a relatively healthy snack for in-between meals. They are all vegan and gluten free, and contain no egg, honey, or oil like most other bars. You can also of course just grab unsalted nuts and dried fruit as well, but why would you when you can grab a Peanut Butter Chocolate Larabar instead? Other flavors include Blueberry Muffin, Banana Bread, and one of the originals, Apple Pie.
• Go Raw: This company has a great selection or quite healthy snacks including crackers, chips, and bars which are all sprouted and entirely raw. Check out their amazingly diverse set of products which make great travel snacks.
• Natierra: This company does a whole line of free-dried fruit including banana, apple, and mango slices which are an amazing product if you are traveling and cannot transport fresh fruit easily.
• Bare: These amazing oil-free these vegetable and fruit-based snacks are a great way to get some nutrition even while you may not have access to fresh produce. Given that most such products contain a ton of added oil, these are a fat-free (guilt-free!) way to enjoy a healthy snack break.
• Made in Nature Figgy Pops: Although not entirely oil-free, these snacks are like healthy desserts made of dried dates and figs. A good on-the-go snack to keep you happy between meals. A few of the delectable flavors include Nana Nut Butter Filled, Razzy Pops, Mocha Almond Nut Butter Filled. I mean, those sound almost sinful.
• Lundberg Rice Cakes: These organic crackers are the perfect thing to top with nut butter and banana, jam, or avocado and lime. They have a few different flavor profiles, but our favorites are Salt-Free Brown Rice, Cinnamon Toast, and Sesame Tamari.
• Hippeas: Cleverly crafted chickpea snacks, these are a better alternative to chips and Doritos. Although they are not healthy per se, they will satisfy any salty craving with their Sriracha or Bohemian BBQ flavors.
• Saffron Road: If you do not have time to make your own oil-free baked chickpeas, these are a good second bet. Although not oil-free, they are still a good way to get an amazing load of nutrition into an afternoon snack. Flavors include the classic Falafel and the unconventional Korean BBQ and Bombay Spice.

The post 10 Easy Vegan Snack Ideas appeared first on Fresh n' Lean.

Fresh N’ Lean is the nation’s largest organic meal delivery service. Our tasty, chef-prepared cuisine is always fresh and never frozen, and we offer five convenient meal plans: Protein+, Keto, Paleo, Standard Vegan and Low-Carb Vegan. Choose Fresh N’ Lean for affordable nutrition, delivered to your doorstep. 

Who doesn’t love ice cream?

What if I told you there is a way to eat ice cream all day, even for breakfast, and stray trim and healthy?

Sounds like a gimmick, I know, but it’s true.

If you’re tuned into the Instagram universe, you have likely seen “nicecream” — vegan ice cream made out of bananas. That’s right, this magical fruit takes on a creamy and delicious soft serve-like consistency when frozen and processed in a powerful blender.

The concept is easy enough, but you have to know how to do it right to get the perfect consistency for your banana ice cream.

In this simple how-to guide, we teach you how to make nicecream and get it right every time.

Why “nice”? Because it’s healthy, delicious, and vegan too!

*Note: You will need a powerful blender or food processor for this nice cream recipe. Other more specialized appliances can also be used, as described below.

Step 1: Get yourself some ripe bananas.

This step seems easy enough, but in fact it can be tricky since most people do not know what a ripe banana actually looks like.

Grocery stores sell mostly unripe green or yellow bananas, and most people think bananas are ripe when they only have a few brown spots.

In fact, a fully ripe banana is covered in spots, like a cheetah’s coat, and are browned too (though not fully brown or black as that is overripe). The more spots, the more sugar concentration, which means sweet and delicious (rather than indigestible) banana ice cream.

Here’s a scale to help you out.

If you become a true nicecream connoisseur, I suggest buying bananas by the box, as you can get a discount that way. You will probably have to wait a long while for them to ripen properly (up to a month), but it will be well worth it.

Whole Foods gives a 10% discount on a box of 100 bananas (that seems like a lot unless you eat nicecream every day in the summer, plus the weird looks from employees are well worth it).

Grubmarket (which unfortunately only ships in some parts of the US), even offers “cosmetically challenged” bananas which should seriously be renamed “nicecream-ready bananas” for a more positive spin on their perfectly ripe state.

Step 2: Peel and freeze.

When your bananas are ready, get your compost bin ready and begin peeling (I suggest taking out the compost after, otherwise it will attract fruit flies).

I once explained how to make banana ice cream to a friend, and forgot to mention that she should peel the bananas before freezing (this is seemed obvious to me at the time), but she neglected this step and was left with frozen peeled bananas which was a pretty hilarious situation.

In any case, make sure to peel the bananas and then break them up into chunks (thirds or smaller) and put them into reusable cotton bags or else plastic bags or boxes and then the freezer.

Some people cut the bananas up with a knife and pre-freeze the chunks so they don’t stick together, but I find this step unnecessary as you will blend them later anyway.

Step 3: Wait at least 24 hours.

Now, wait for at least a day and night, since it takes a while for the bananas to truly freeze.

This depends, of course, on your freezer. Make sure the setting is not too high (as they will be too hard and lose their magical consistency when thawing) nor too low (they will be like mush).

Step 4: Power time!

As mentioned above, you will need a powerful blender (e.g. Vitamix) or food processor (e.g. Magimix) to make nicecream.

However, you can always use this specialized Yonanas machine, which was made for nicecream, or else a powerful juicer, which will both create slightly different consistencies.

The description below focuses how to make nicecream in a Vitamix, but you can adapt the technique depending on the appliance you have at home.

The proportions below are for one large serving (meal size) or two small servings.

1. Put on our headphones. A Vitamix is very loud, and making nicecream daily is probably not the best way to keep your ears safe. Wear a pair of headphones if you have them. You’ll feel like a pilot on a mission!
2. Place the frozen bananas into the blender. If the bananas are too frozen, let them thaw for a few minutes before blending. A Vitamix should be powerful enough to process even fully frozen fruit. Put in about a dozen chunks, or four bananas, enough for the tamper (the thing you use to blend with which comes with the blender) to reach the chunks comfortably.
3. First round of blending. Using the tamper (make sure to only use with the Vitamix cover on to protect the machine and your fingers), turn up the power halfway, and then furiously beat down the bananas (and other ingredients if using) down into the blade.
4. Second round of blending. Once most of the chunks have been processed, now comes time for the arm workout. Turn up the power all the way and stick the tamper into the four corners of the Vitamix as quickly as you can in successive motions to keep the blade processing the bananas. You do not want the blade to get stuck as it will overheat the motor and turn off the machine (temporarily for about 5 min, but it can ruin the nicecream consistency and your blender so the key is to keep pushing down).
5. Finish blending. Once all the banana chunks have been processed, you should have a mixture that has the consistency of soft serve ice cream. I personally prefer my nicecream slightly chunky and thick, but others prefer it more runny, so if you wish you can add some plant-based milk (e.g. soy, oat, rice, almond, etc.) which also helps with blending if you have trouble.
6. Serve in your favorite bowl. I love to serve mine in a wooden or repurposed coconut bowl.

That’s it, pretty simple one-ingredient nicecream recipe. But the fun part is making all the different flavor combinations so here are a few ideas to get you started.

Step 5: Nicecream flavors.

The best is when you make several flavors and then combine them together with different toppings.

But work fast, as the bananas begin to lose their consistency quite quickly and taste more and more like the bananas they are as they melt.

Remember, the fun is in experimenting, so go wild!

• Basic: vanilla (add vanilla extract or vanilla bean) or chocolate (add cocoa powder and top with cocoa nibs). I like making the vanilla first, then chocolate, and combining them together after in the bowl for a swirl effect. For fancier versions, try adding peanut/almond butter and dates and topping with pistachios, macadamia nuts, or raw dark chocolate (e.g. Rawmio).
• Berry: blackberry, raspberry, wild blueberry, strawberry, acai (can be found in the frozen section in packs) or a combo. I like adding hemp, chia, or flax seeds on top for a truly healthy summer breakfast, lunch, or dessert.
• Local: peach, nectarine, apricot, cherries, figs, and even apples and pears can work well when they are in season and with ginger and even turmeric. Top with dried figs, golden or goji berries.
• Tropical: mango, pineapple, dragonfruit (can be found in the frozen section in packs), or even jackfruit. Top with dried mangos, passion fruit, or coconut flakes.
• Nutty: Use one of the bases above and then add in almond/peanut/pumpkin/hazelnut/pistachio butter or tahini (sesame seed butter) and dates for more depth and a chewier consistency. Top with raw buckwheat groats.
• Wild: Think matcha, spirulina, mint, basil, persimmon, or even vegetables like spinach (which you can hardly taste but add a health punch) or pumpkin (in the fall topped with apple cinnamon granola).

Nina’s Favorite Nicecream Flavors

• Cherry-Chocolate: 4 bananas, 1 cup frozen sweet cherries, 2 tbsp cocoa powder. Topped with strawberries, cocoa nibs, and pistachios.
• Nutty-Chocolate: 3 bananas, 3 Medjool dates (or 6 smaller dates), 1 tbsp peanut/almond butter. Topped with almonds/peanuts, pistachios/macadamia nuts, cocoa nibs, and coconut flakes.
• Fancy-Strawberry: 3 bananas, 3 Medjool dates (or 6 smaller dates), 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1 tbsp tahini. Topped with fresh strawberries and walnuts.
• Blueberry-Fig: 4 bananas, 1 cup frozen blueberries. Topped with fresh figs and hemp seeds.
• Mango-Turmeric: 4 bananas, 1 cup frozen mango, 1 tbsp ground turmeric, piece of ginger to liking. Topped with fresh mango, dried mango, and raw buckwheat.
• Matcha-Mint: 3 bananas, 3 Medjool dates (or 6 smaller dates), 1 bunch spinach, 1 bunch mint, 1 tbsp matcha. Topped with cocoa nibs and golden berries.
• Apple Pie: 4 bananas, 1 cup apples, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg. Topped with oil-free granola and walnuts and maybe even a dollop of cashew cream.
• Carrot Cake: 4 bananas, 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 all-spice. Topped with oil-free granola and pecans and maybe even a dollop of coconut cream.
• Pistachio-Basil: 3 bananas, 3 Medjool dates (or 6 smaller dates), 1 bunch spinach, 1 bunch basil. Topped with pistachios and fresh basil.
• The Elvis: 3 bananas, 3 Medjool dates (or 6 smaller dates), 1 tbsp peanut butter. Topped with peanuts and sugar-free jam (you can also just melt frozen berries on a stovetop and add chia seeds for a jam-like consistency).

There you go! Nicecream is the easiest and most indulgent healthy food there is. Zero fat, dairy- and gluten-free, and vegan. Enjoy!

The post I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Nicecream appeared first on Fresh n' Lean.

Even artisan cheeses are becoming more and more popular, where you can buy or make your own versions of “fancy” types like Brie or Gruyere from nuts, seeds, tofu and more! Cookbooks are dedicated to the subject or including entire chapters to it.

What is Cheese?

From the Latin term, “caseus,” the Merriam-Webster Dictionary has three definitions for the word, “cheese” as follow:

1. A food consisting of the coagulated, compressed, and usually ripened curd of milk separated from the whey
2. An often cylindrical cake of this food
3. Something resembling cheese in shape or consistency
4. Something cheap or shabby: cheesy material <cinematic cheese>

The first definition points us to dairy. As vegans, we say, “No Whey!” Therefore, the second definition is geared towards us! While the lineage of Mr. Merriam and Mr. Webster probably didn’t have veganism in mind when they added “cheese” to the dictionary, advances in food technology have allowed just about anyone to become a cheesemonger or start a fromagerie.

Now, of course, the third definition all comes down to how the cheese (and other products) are made However, vegan cheese can be just as cheap or expensive as the time, effort and ingredients put into them.The game has indeed changed.

The Beginnings of Vegan Cheese

There isn’t much information on the exact origin of vegan cheese. There have been some daring people to try it from chefs to manufacturers. When non-dairy cheeses began hitting the market in the 1980s, it came with skepticism. The taste of these cheeses did not match the experience of dairy cheeses, being deemed not as good and having taste and texture of wax, chalk, and even plastic.

Another downside of these non-dairy cheeses was the majority containing casein. Casein is a protein in milk that used to aid in coagulation, acting as both a thickening and stretching agent. Casein being animal-derived would not be suitable for vegans.

What were vegans to do?

There was soybean curd, commonly known as tofu. Tofu was, and still is, a pretty versatile food. As cheese, some of the ways it could be used were:

• Drained and sliced for sandwiches
• Mashed for soft cheeses like Ricotta
• Cubed and seasoned for Feta or Mozzarella
• Silken and blended to be used as a spread, like mayonnaise

Tofu had the texture and variety in firmness to get as close to a consistency of cheese as possible. It would take on the flavor of whatever you seasoned, marinated or cooked with it. However, tofu needed a lot of help to come close to the experienced people desired while eating cheese with their meals. Working with tofu is easy but, when replicating dairy cheese, it is not as smooth as it’s a highly textured product. There was also the issue of people who were sensitive to soy allergies.

It would be nearly 20 years before we would see a considerable shift in vegan cheese production in volume, variety and flavor.

Get Nutty about Cheese

Who would have thought that you could make cheese out of nuts? Well, someone did, and now many are in the know. Nuts, like tofu, are versatile. Whether you soak cashews with Rejuvelac (a fermented grain liquid) to make mozzarella, or you grind walnuts with nutritional yeast to make Parmesan cheese, nuts have shown to bring depth into vegan cheese-making. They also present an opportunity to deepen the alternatives for those with soy allergies.

Nut cheeses can take on the flavors made with them like tofu does. However, nuts have made it possible to create a variety of cheeses, reminiscent of the dairy ones some of us grew up eating. Nut cheeses can be made quickly with simple mixtures or aged for sharpness through fermentation (thanks to ingredients like Rejuvelac).

Nuts have shown to have health benefits, especially for those concerned about their soy intake. Some benefits include:

• Full of probiotics and natural enzymes to help with digestion
• Cholesterol-free
• Excellent source of minerals like magnesium and copper to promote heart and muscle health
• High in fiber

Fresh n’ Lean understands and has introduced cashew cheeses to their menu! We are very excited as it is something we know people exploring a plant-based diet will love.

The Vegan Cheese Market Today

As veganism hits the mainstream, more products and cookbooks to promote an animal-free lifestyle have hit the market. This has been true for vegan cheese. Taking a lead from natural and organic food stores, major supermarket chains are now carrying non-dairy cheese alternatives with numerous varieties in base, texture and flavor.

Food advancements have led to commercial and artisanal cheeses being made for home and food service. These cheeses are far surpassed the need to cater to only the lactose intolerant. Cheese has become a food for everyone from gluten-free to nut-free. The demand has shown that people want comfort that fits in with their health or dietary restrictions. The call is now being answered!

In 2014, vegan cheese sales accounted for $30M in the United States. That was a nearly 23% increase from 2013. The number of new brands and varieties is growing at a rapid pace. We see the media pay considerable attention. Technology firms are making substantial investments in food advancements with vegan cheeses, as seen on shows like Shark Tank.

“I’d Go Vegan, But I Can’t Give Up Cheese”

Even five years ago, it was very easy to dismiss a plant-based diet for being “cheese-free.” Scientific studies have shown that dairy cheese contains an addictive quality in the form of casomorphins, derived from casein! It is now understandable why it would be difficult to give up cheese or any dairy product because as Dr. Neal Barnard has described, it is “dairy ‘crack.’”

Vegan cheese is more readily available in stores. From deli slices to artisan rounds, these alternatives are giving consumers choices with creative spins and flavors. You do not need to be daring to give it a try in a grilled cheese sandwich or alfredo sauce.

Now, there are even cookbooks dedicated to vegan cheese-making! They show how to make vegan cheese and why it does not need to be difficult. It can be as simple or complex as you want. What you find in stores, you can make at home.

Some great cookbook titles include:

• Artisan Vegan Cheese by Miyoko Schinner
• The Cheese Vegan by John Schlimm
• Non-Dairy Formulary by Skye Michael Conroy

Today, there’s no excuse not to try “next level” vegan cheese, full of flavor with less of a negative impact on your health…and the world around you.That is something that Fresh n’ Lean supports, as we deliver our cashew cheese to you.

What’s Next for Plant-Based Cheese?

Over 25 years ago, the choices were slim and not very good. Now, cheeses can be made from soy/tofu, rice, nuts, coconuts, tapioca, and even potatoes. Cheeses can be raw or processed. Cheeses can be bought in a store or made at home from simple ingredients.

The game has changed, friends! The standards and expectations are now high, as the quality of vegan cheese has improved over the years. Companies are now partnering with vegan food producers to serve products like pizza, cream cheese, and even cheesecake!

The demand is shifting where vegan cheese is not just for vegans. Vegan cheese is for everyone. Non-vegans are expanding that market, as they learn about their health, the benefits of plant-based eating or just want to experiment with new foods.

So, what’s next for plant-based cheese? Only time will tell. What we do know is:

• Demand for animal products is decreasing
• Access to dairy-free cheese is growing
• Future cheeses will need to exceed the taste and texture
• The bar has been raised

Only time will tell who will come up with the next big thing in vegan cheese!

Vegan Cheese at Fresh n’ Lean

Non-dairy cheese is booming! We get this and are working to make our cashew-based cheese the best vegan cheese it can be for our vegan meal service. We hope you’re excited just as we are!

We have already started adding this amazing and revolutionary product into our dishes. Our cheese is so delicious you can’t even tell it’s imitation! With flavors such as American and Cheddar you are able to enjoy a snack without the guilt. Looking to try some slices? Snack packs are available on our A la Carte menu.

Resources:

• History of Tofu
• Soy Cheese vs. Real Cheese
• These 25 Vegan Cheeses Will Make You Quit Dairy Forever
• How To Make & Serve The Perfect Raw Vegan Cheese Board
• Artisanal Vegan Cheese Comes into Its Own
• Heidi Ho on ‘Shark Tank’: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
• 3 Rules for Stellar Homemade Vegan Cheese
• Addicted to Cheese? Here’s Why
• 14 Vegan Cheeses That Will Make You Forget About The Real Thing
• 4 Hot New Gourmet Vegan Cheeses You Should Try!

The post The Evolution of Vegan Cheese appeared first on Fresh n' Lean.