The Veggie Blog

I think this Law Firm should be taken to the court!

Read their post - Vegan Diet - A Case of Malnutrition

They do make a point that parents that don’t feed their children right should be punishable under the law. BUT there is a major distinction here. Parents who choose a Vegan diet for thier children have every right to do so. The article makes numerous accusations without any evidence whatsoever and they are a law firm! Can you believe that? Well, here’s why I think this law firm is a disgrace:

1. Artilcle says - There have been studies that show that when women avoid animal food their babies are born small with a slow growth process and retarded. 

Says who? What study? I understand that it’s debatable that babies not be given breast milk and fed supplements instead. But I know many many people that grew up Vegans (I grew up vegetarian) and are very healthy and fine. Honestly, how many sick/malnourished vegan children do you know compared to sick/obese meat-eating children? There is no such study - this law firm is blowing up smoke.

2. The article says - Even though it may look nutritious and healthy, following this diet will lead to serious cases of malnutrition. Recently, the parents of a five-year old girl are facing first-degree assault charges for the seriousness of the malnourishment state that their child presents.

OK. First of all,I thought attorneys and politicians were diplomatic. Look at the wording on this sentence. This is ground enough for charging this law firm for false accusations and misuse of their status as the protectors of the law to make false claims. They never say whether the parents were charged. Anyone can get sued, it is a different matter altogether whether they were actuallyheld guilty.

Anyway, I could go on and on. The point is the Veganism is a choice that some people make just like others choose to eat meat. There are pros and cons to both, just like most other things in life. However, for some Veganism is right for them. In my humble opinion, this group of people is the majority of human beings. Caring for animals, conserving on the planet’s resources, following one’s instinct (that torture and killing are bad) apply to most human beings, regardless of what biased shallow law firms say.

They call it the land of innovation. Where every market is saturated with competition. All products that can be made are already there. Well, I am telling you that’s not true. I’ve lived in the US for the last 5 years. And from day 1 when I landed at Cincinnatti airport and went scurrying to find some vegetarian food, I have wondered time and again why there isn’t a nice vegetarian burger widely available in the US? Not just the US, in fact, it is almost everywhere else in the world, except the metro cities in India. I have looked for them at airports in Franfurt, at Singapore, Paris, Abu Dhabi, Bharain, Kuwait and a few more. Nothing. Nada. No sign of the elusive veggie burger.

Now you might be thinking that you’ve seen veggie burgers at the grocery store and at other burger places, so WTH am I blabbering about!? Well, you are right that those are available. But compared to the good ones that I’ve had, they are just so bad that I don’t even count them in.

Veggie burgers can have a Soy base, Gluten base, Rice four base, and the best of them all, a potato curry base. I have not seen a single place in the US that sells the potato-based veggie burger. McDonald’s in India sells them and they are amazing. My mouth waters at the mere thought of those juicy spicy veggie burgers with the fresh warm bun, molten cheese, crispy lettuce and a hint of mayo. Why don’t they make it here? I am almost sure the Americans will love it too. So, that one’s still a mystery to me.

Even the soy ones like the ones at Burger King are usually pretty bad. Instead of the meat-based cheeseburger, they just replace that with an old stale under-cooked burger piece. For Soy burgers, sprouts go really well with it and I’ve seen that in a couple of places including The Habit Burger Grill in the Los Angeles area (Ventura, Encino and a few others) and the Veneetian Resort and Casino at Las Vegas. So the next time you visit LA or Vegas, try them out, they are a delight. Image Courtesy of RosevilleRestaurants.net.

So here’s my requrest/plea/challenge to all the burger fanatics out there - make a veggie burger in the US and I think you will be surprised how much demand there is for it. If you do make a million with this idea, make sure you post a comment here and let me know

OK that’s a rhetorical question and we both know that. However, there is a point here that I want to make. I am a born vegetarian (never eaten meat in my life) and owing to that, I have had several conversations (dozens, no hundreds, hey, may be even thousands, yes I AM that crazy of a vegetarian) with several different kinds of people about this topic. My world is divided into 4 kinds of people:

1. Meat eaters debating how they do not believe or understand vegetarians
2. Fellow born-vegetarians/vegans
3. Meat-eaters who converted to be a vegetarian
4. Those that are considering to make the switch

The first 2 categories are pretty boring. They’ve been doing it all their lives. It doesn’t take all that much courage to do what you’ve been raised to do and done forever. I have a lot of respect for the third category of people that actually made the choice to avoid eating meat either for health reasons or because they were conscientious. Hey, if you’ve ever tried sacrificing something that you find pleasurable because it is the right thing to do, you know what I am talking about. THIS IS NOT EASY AT ALL. If you loved eating sweets, let alone quitting all sweets, can you quit eating just donuts? 99% would say no. It takes courage, discipline to make the switch.

I have two colleagues at work who made the switch. The first one was a female who did it in her mid 40’s because she got medical advice that doing so might help get rid of her allergies and improve her health. And she is certainly one of those people that sticks to it once she makes the decision to switch. Before the switch, her allergies were so bad she was told she may not even survive more than a few years. After a few years into quitting meat, she not only got completely cured of her allergies but feels that her overall health had dramatically improved. She is now in her early 50’s but looks more like 40.

The million dollar question. Can this happen to anyone? Well, I believe that avoiding meat can certainly have long-term health benefits but I personally have no data to prove it. However, avoiding meat is obviously not the only thing one needs to do to stay healthy. A vegetarian that eats donuts all day, drinks 14 cups of coffee and 8 bottles of coke every day and eats fried appetizers for breakfast lunch and dinner and I bet this guy or gal will be 300 pounds in no time. So, it really is only a piece of the puzzle. For some, it can be a very crucial one though.

The other guy at work who quit meat actually did so for no real apparent reason. Just stopped the meat one fine day. He did mention that he hopes this will improve his health, but that wasn’t his primary reason. He is THE only person I know who did that. He has been a vegetarian for almost a year now. But he says his weight has not reduced and neither does he know if he feels and healthier than earlier. He weighs around 200 lbs and wasn’t really unhealthy earlier either. His example shows that you don’t necessarily lose weight by quitting meat.

Anyway, I know that a lot of people have asked me these questions. Tons of people will tell you different things. But these are two examples of people that I have had close contact with and seen over the years. Whether you choose to quit meat or not is your call, but this hopefully gave you some perspective.

For the benefit of those that are not from India, or from a cricket-playing nation, Ishant Sharma is a member of the Indian cricket team that recently beat the world-champions Australia at thier home-turf without breaking a sweat. Ishaant had a major contribution in this effort, and took 14 wickets in the series with an average just above 20.

Now this post is not about how good Ishaant did. It’s about his coach’s comments that he wants Ishaant to eat meat to put on some bulk.

http://sify.com/sports/fullstory.php?id=14618614

I find that disturbing. I guess he has no idea that noone really needs to eat meat. Take a look at  vegetarian body builder Mike Mahler’s comments in his site:

One of the biggest problems that people tell me about on a vegan diet is the difficulty in gaining muscle. They usually state that they could not find enough high calorie sources to consume to put on weight rapidly and got discouraged. The bottom line is that they were not consuming enough protein and fat. To gain weight rapidly, eat 1-1.5 grams of protein for each lb of lean bodyweight. Thus, if you weigh 200lbs and have 10% bodyfat, eat 190 to 285 grams of protein per day, every day. Start off on the lower end of the scale and work your way up.

Next, get an ample supply of quality fats in your diet. Almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and pistachios, are all high quality sources and are loaded with both protein and fat. Also, add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil to your salads and protein shakes. Next, unlike the weight loss advice, eat several servings of rice, potatoes, and bread. The key to gaining weight rapidly is an abundance of calories. Thus, do not hold back and have 6-7 high quality meals a day. Also consider having a protein shake before and after workout as well as before bedtime. When you go shopping load up on tofu, tempeh, lentils, avocadoes, nuts and seeds, and high calorie fruits such as bananas, tropical fruits, and try adding some coconut milk to your routine as well.

SO, there you go Mr. Coach, ask Ishaant to be what he believes in and guide him on what he needs to do on the field instead of coaching him about changing his diet. Well, at least that’s my opinion.

I am a vegetarian living in Las Vegas and if you are a vegetarian in the US, you know how it can be pretty hard to find good vegetarian food at times. That’s when you need to get positive and creative. There truly are a ton of vegetarian dishes right around the corner that we often don’t think about because the restaurant is not exactly known for its vegetarian dishes. Hey, the reason why some restaurants are not famous for their vegetarian dishes is because vegetarians eating at those places are in a microscopic minority, and sometimes their vegetarian dishes can actually be better than their other offerings. Here are three dishes that you should most probably be able to find in your neighbourhood without a problem, so here you go:

1. Einstein Bros Bagels: They have a Vegetarian Sandwich that is to die for. The sprouts and the garlic-paste in gives is a very refreshing taste and texture. They can even make your sandwiches on a bagel and you will probably agree that they make one of the best bagels out there. The sandwich costs about $6 and comes with a side of potato salad or chips. The potato salad is vegetarian and pretty good as well. So the next time you are wondering what new to eat for lunch, give the bagel bros a try!

2. Vegetarian Thai Fried Rice: I have had Thai Fried Rice in several Thai restaurants and they never disappoint me. Restaurants have different styles and that makes it fun to try this at different Thai restaurants. You can usually tell them how spicy you want it to be so you can adjust it to your taste. My favorite Thai restaurant in Las Vegas is Kung Fu. Their Fried Rice is just $6 and is amazing value for that money. I honestly would pay $9 for it I think. They also have the Panang Vegetarian and the Pad Thai which are to die for as well. The Panang Vegetarian is a coconut milk and peanut butter sauce based dish with sauteed vegetables. Yummy! Try your local Thai place the next time and ask them what they can do for you in Vegetarian. You will be surprised how good they can be.

3. Chipotle Burrito: This is my favorite when I am really hungry. They have a HUGE vegetarian burrito. Like all other Chipotle stuff, the burrito is quite flavorful. I always ask them to add a few drops of lime or lemon because I like the citrus flavor with burrito. What I like about their burrito other than the fact that is is perhaps the biggest Burrito I’ve ever had is that the tortilla is moist and soft. And the ingredients are always fresh. The rice is always perfectly cooked and tastes quite yummy. Ask to add the guacamole and their medium corn salsa, and you have a $6.5 dish that will fill you up good

I hope you enjoyed reading about these 3 vegetarian ideas to try out in your neighborhood!

Jeff Popick has been writing articles and information about the benefits of the Vegan lifestyle. He assumes the title of the “Vegan Sage” which is kind of funny to me actually. But title aside, the things that he says are right on. He recently wrote a neat Ebook called “The Real Forbidden Fruit“. This book goes into the details of how a vegan lifestyle benefits both the Vegan as well as the entire world. He talks about how our farming and livestock practises have eroded the top soil in the US in just 300 years. He talks about how vegans contribute to stopping global warming. He also dedicates and entire section to talking about the myths surrounding vegetarianism and veganism and how and why they are false. Overall, a good read for any Vegetarian or Vegan or anyone considering to become one even partially. Read the Ebook - The Real Forbidden Fruit and let me know what you think.

He also has a neat Vegan Restaurant Search by zip code on his site, which actually works unlike many other similar restaurant searches on the ‘net. Also, the results were quite accurate for my zip code in Las Vegas.

Add to Onlywire

It has been a while since I wrote a post on this blog. I have been wanting to, but honestly, did not have too many ideas on what to write about :). Finally came across this guide today and thought that some of you might like totake a look at it.

The guide is a nice one, with quality vegetarian and vegan recipes. Sometimes I think it’s true when they say you get what you pay for. The guide does cost some money ($13.50) but if you are interested in a veggie lifestyle, I think you will find the guide useful. Note that I am in no way connected with the guide though.

They even give you a free gift just for signing up and including a ton of news and tips that are likely to make a vegetarian life easier.

Click Here to get the Vegetarian Secrets Revealed Guide directly!

Did you know what Brooke Shields, Kate Winslet, Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Gere, Clint Eastwood, Queen Sofia of Spain and Jesus Christ have in common? Well, no, they don’t all have millions (I don’t think Jesus made millions in 0 A.D ;)). They are all Vegetarians! I know what you are thinking - Jesus Christ was a vegetarian? Yep - says Wikipedia here.

In North America and Europe, on the surface, it appears as if everyone eats meat and vegetarians and vegans are perhaps in the microscopic minority. A closer look reveals that that may be just a myth. There are more vegetarians and vegans than we think. Stand for 5 minutes at The Raw Cafe in Las Vegas for Vegans and you will know what I am talking about. Moreover, there are hundreds taking up vegetarianism every day owing to its health benefits as well as to keep a clean conscience. I, personally, am a Vegetarian because I can’t tolerate torture and killing of animals, when I know that there are alternatives. I have a ton of theories and philosophies for my choice but I will leave that dry dissertation for another day :).

www.HappyCow.Net is a neat site that maintains reviews of Vegetarian restaurants. They have a detailed list of famous celebrity vegetarians. Check out their website today!

If you know any other famous vegetarian or vegan, feel free to post a comment here and add a little bit of spice to The Veggie Blog

Disha and I went to the Florida Keys recently and we had a GREAT time. It really felt like a vacation. This isthe first real vacation that we went to since we got married last year in May 2006. We tried a bunch of Vegetarian items but really most of the restaurants specialized in seafood. The only thing there that we could eat was the seaweed and it did not make much sense to go to a seafood restaurant just for that. We wanted to try the Key Lime Pie (Picture courtesy and copyright of www.andreasrecipes.com) but never got around to doing. I don’t know why. I guess it was so common there that we kept thinking that we would do it later and then never got around to doing it :(. Well, it’s alright, there’s always a next time :).

We ate at an Italian Restaurant there called the Keys Italian Cafe and their Eggplant Parmegan was to die for! We also ate at the local favorite breakfast place called The Doc’s Cafe. There are several Doctor clinics in that complex so I guess that’s where the ‘doc’ comes from. The name is weird but the food certainly is not. The breakfast was great, service was good too. Not a really great vegetarian selection but pretty fresh. I would certainly recommend both places.

We stayed at this new resort called The Manatee Bay Resort and they were THE BEST. The staff there - front desk Manager Robert was so friendly I was surprised. We got the place for a bargain and our room faced the ocean. The rooms were brand new. What more could we ask for. I am trying to find any cons but honestly can’t think of any.

Here are a couple of our pictures from the Florida Keys. We went there during the Fantasy Fest and trust me, KEY WEST IS CRAZY DURING FANTASY FEST. Everyone is dressed in costumes or paint their bodies. Clothes are hard to find but all in good taste. They know how to party man, that’s for sure! I would totally go there again!

Picture copyright owned by www.tigersandstrawberries.com

I just tried the Vegetarian Singapore Noodles at the 24/7 cafe at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and I think it was GREAT. I have eaten Veggie Singapore Noodles at several restaurants in different cities and countries (India, US, Germany - at the airport, Singapore) and almost every one of them has been a different dish altogether. All of them have been pretty good though so I am not complaining. Usually they are some kind of noodles mixed with curry and vegetables and I like it best with lots of vinegar and soya sauce. Added baby-corns makes it even better if they can do that.

The thing is that Chinese restaurants are usually not the best veggie friendly places. Over the years I have accidentally been subjected to various kinds of meats (mostly meat sauces) accidentally at chinese places. But singapore noodles are both available as veggie usually and also appeal to the Indian palette often.

You don’t even have to leave your home to try Singapore noodles. Order them online from The Veggie Plaza by clicking here. This is a Thai variation of the Singapore noodles and I love the way the coconut sauce enhances the flavor of the curry in this dish. Delicious!

But the best Singapore Noodles that I have eaten to this date are the ones that are sold in most chinese restaurants in India! I know what you are thinking - India, are you crazy? - Noodles from Sinagapore, sold in chinese restaurants in Mumbai? How can that be good? Well, I did not say “authentic”. It certainly is nothing like the Singapore Noodles I ate in Singapore. However, it tasted heavenly. I have had it at several Indian Chinese restaurants in Mumbai and they are almost always good. Something to do with the way Thai and Indian spices blend I guess. If you are in Mumbai and want a break from all the Indian food, well, there’s a bizarre option for you.

Have a great week!