Great question! The reason people tell you that it’s bad to be a vegan when you’re a teen is because they don’t understand nutrition. Teens typically have a pretty bad diet, so it’s kind of hard to think that a well-rounded vegan diet is somehow worse than your peers that live off of chips, candy, chocolate and soda pop, right?

No matter what you choose, you want to have a healthy, well-rounded diet that includes a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes.

If you’re worried about specific nutrients, I recommend checking out the Nutrient Sneaks that I’ve included throughout this blog. Protein, iron and calcium are the ones I have so far and are probably the nutrients everyone freaks out about. Read ‘em, learn and educate your friends :)

Nachos are delicious and easy to make for yourself or for multiple people. Yes, vegans can certainly enjoy nachos! This recipe is incredibly quick to make and comes with ooey-gooey vegan cheese :)

You’ll Need

-Tortilla chips of your choice (as many as you think you’ll eat…or as many as you think your group will eat)

-Hot nacho fixin’s, like vegan meat, black beans, refried beans, vegan cheese (I used Daiya) or vegan cheese sauce (I like this recipe), diced onion, etc.

-Cold nacho fixin’s, like lettuce, diced tomato, sliced jalapeno, black olives, vegan sour cream, guacamole, avocado slices, hot sauce, salsa, etc.

-Oven safe container (I used a square cake pan but typically use a pie tin)

To Do

Step 1: Preheat oven to 205 degrees C (400 degrees F).

Step 2: Place tortilla chips and hot nacho fixin’s in the oven safe container. If making a lot of nachos, layer these to ensure all the chips have fixin’s on them. Otherwise, you end up with a pile of regular chips on below all the tasty fixin’s.

Step 3: Bake for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. If using a cheese sauce or no cheese, check by touching a tortilla chip: if it’s really hot, they’re ready to go! While baking, prep your cold nacho fixin’s.

Step 4: Remove nachos from oven, top with cold nacho fixin’s and serve!

Variations

-Until Daiya came out, I didn’t really care for vegan cheeses on my nachos so I typically went without. They are still super delicious, do don’t think you need cheese on your nachos!

Using the leftover chili and baked potatoes from this recipe, I made taco salad.

You’ll Need

-Chili (like found here)

-1 small baked potato (optional)

-Salad greens (I used fresh spinach)

-1 tomato

-Fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

-Green onions

-Lime juice (to taste)

-Tortilla chips of your choice, however many you’d like

-Vegan sour cream (optional)

-Vegan cheddar (optional)

To Do

Step 1: Cube the baked potato, add it to a pot or microwave-safe container with the chili. Heat through. I like to add in the vegan cheddar to help it melt.

Step 2: While potato and chili are heating up, combine your salad greens, lime juice, tomato (diced), a handful of cilantro (or less if you don’t really like cilantro) and sliced green onions.

Step 3: Top salad with the heated chili and potato mixture. Top with vegan sour cream and tortilla chips. Hot sauce wouldn’t hurt :)

This isn’t the penultimate chili recipe or anything, just something I whipped up with some ingredients I had to use. 

You’ll Need

-1 cup dried pinto beans (or 2-3 cups cooked beans)

-15oz green enchilada sauce

-1 potato per person, washed

-1 package tempeh

-Cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic powder, to taste

-Lime juice

-Fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

-1 small to medium onion

-Vegan cheddar cheese (optional)

-Vegan sour cream (optional)

To Do

Step 1: If using dried beans, measure out 1 cup and remove any stones. No, really, for those who haven’t worked with dried beans, you have to look for stones. Add about 3 cups of water, boil the beans, then cover and let sit (no heat) for an hour.

Step 2: While the beans are soaking, or if not using dried beans, chop your tempeh into cubes, then dice the onion. Place these in a container and then add the enchilada sauce. Cover and refrigerate.

Step 3: About 30 minutes into the marinating/soaking, wash your potatoes, poke holes in them with a fork, wrap in foil. Toss into an oven pre-heated to about 225 degrees C (about 450 degrees F).

Step 4: After the hour for the beans, drain off some of the bean water, reserving some to help make a broth. Add in the marinated tempeh/onions, sauce and all, into the pot. Add in the cumin, chili powder, coriander and garlic powder, adjusting to your tastes.

Step 5: Add in some of the cilantro and lime, let simmer about 20 minutes to let the flavors come together. Check on the potatoes. Using an oven mitt, give ‘em a squeeze. If there’s a little give, they’re ready. If still firm, they need to be cooked longer.

Step 6: When ready, remove potatoes from the oven. Slice into one, pull apart to expose the flesh. Top with the chili, more cilantro, more lime, vegan sour cream and vegan cheddar…up to you how much you want. Hot sauce is also a good idea :)

Variations

-If you have some whiskey, scotch, tequila or clear rum on hand, adding in a shot wouldn’t be a terrible idea. A splash of dark beer would also be awesome. This would be added during step 4.

This is a vegan version of the fishsticks and homemade tartar sauce I used to eat when I was a kid. Very satisfying in the ate-this-as-a-kid sense.

You’ll Need

-Vegan fish fillets/steaks (mine are Finest brand purchased at an Asian market)

-Vegan mayonnaise of your choice, about 1 heaping tablespoon

-Mustard, about 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon

-Dill relish, about 1 teaspoon

-Pepper, to taste

To Do

Step 1: Cook vegan fish according to the package. I prefer a toaster oven.

Step 2: Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, relish and pepper. Adjust to your tastes.

Step 3: Serve together…nom nom nom :)

Variations

-Some make tuno-fish salad (tuna fish salad minus the fish) and this would make a great base for it instead of using plain vegan mayonnaise.

This is so delicious and gives me a great way to use up eggplant. The salad is simple and just fabulous.

You’ll Need

-Some kind of salad greens (I used three leaves each green cabbage and red-leaf lettuce)

-1 small tomato

-1/3 cup cucumber

-1 ring of capsicum (bell pepper)

-2 to 3 slices of eggplant

-3 or 4 mushrooms (I used white button)

-1 cabbage leaf (optional)

-2 teaspoons sesame oil

-1 tablespoon rice vinegar

-1/2 teaspoon chili oil (optional)

To Do

Step 1: Cut eggplant into cubes, thickly slice mushrooms. Heat a pan on medium high heat, add in 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and then add in the eggplant and mushrooms.

Step 2: Chop the greens, slice the cucumber, cube the tomato and dice the capsicum (bell pepper). Set these into a bowl and rinse them. Set aside.

Step 3: As the eggplant and mushrooms cook, slice up the single cabbage leaf and add to the pan. When the cabbage leaf slices become very green, remove the pan from heat and add its contents to the salad you set aside.

Step 4: Using the rice vinegar, remaining sesame oil and chili oil, dress the salad and enjoy. :)

With some of the carbophobia out there I wanted to post this. I have already received a question asking me how I could feel good about myself eating so many carbohydrates and I know many people who go on low-carb diets. To preface, these pieces of information were taken from the November 2010 issue of Muscular Development magazine, not some vegan-friendly source/propaganda. I am reprinting them in their entirety as they appeared in the magazine.

Muscle Recovery Impaired by Low-Carb Diets

The strongest and biggest guys in the gym recover quickly from training. Gaining strength and mass depends on training intensity. Athletes who can train hard and recover quickly without getting sick or injured make the most progress in their training programs.

Linda Lamont and colleagues from the University of Rhode Island found that post-exercise dietary carbohydrates, rather than proteins, were the most important nutrients for promoting recovery in novice weightlifters. They studied the effects of a five-day low-carbohydrate, higher-protein diet (3.4 grams carbohydrate per kilogram of body-weight; 1.5 grams protein/kg) or a high-carbohydrate, lower-protein diet (5.0 g/kg; 1.2g/kg) following 50 reps of knee extensions and flexions at 100 percent of maximum effort.

During recovery, the low-carbohydrate diet group showed a greater strength loss and reduced protein turnover, synthesis, and breakdown. Eat more carbs to speed recovery from intense weight training. (Journal of Exercise Physiology, online 12: 33-39, 2009)

Testosterone Sinks With Lower-Carb Diets

Testosterone is a highly anabolic hormone that maximizes gains in muscle mass and strength. Studies by Shalander Bhasin from Boston University showed that gains in muscle size were proportional to blood testosterone levels. Cortisol is a catabolic hormone that breaks down muscle tissue and increases the use of amino acids for fuel. Ideally, athletes want a high testosterone-to-cortisol ratio. Sophisticated sports medicine programs measure these hormones to help plan training and supplement programs.

Anthony Hackney and colleagues from the University of North Carolina found that a lower-carbohydrate (30 percent) diet, compared to a higher-carb (60 percent) diet, reduced the testosterone-to-cortisol ratio. In the lower-carb diet, the free testosterone dropped 36.1 percent and the cortisol increased by 14.8 percent!

Studies have shown that low-carb and ketogenic diets increase the stress hormone, cortisol. Intense exercise is a form of stress and in a glycogen-depleted state, will further exacerbate cortisol levels and enhance the suppression of testosterone.

Athletes should make sure they eat adequate amounts of carbohydrates on a daily basis, especially post-exercise, to enhance recovery from high-intensity training and to maintain optimum testosterone levels. (European Journal of Applied Physiology, in press; published online December 20, 2009)

I bought some beets and turnips from a local market and…forgot about them. When I found them, half of them were mouldy and I needed something to do with them…quick! Borscht was the result. You’ll find that this recipe is hardly a traditional borscht recipe but you’re welcome to Google “vegan borscht recipe” and not follow this one. Borscht is gluten-free and soy-free, unless you choose to add in the vegan sour cream…and I can’t imagine why you would if you’re avoiding soy!

You’ll Need

-Beets (I had six on-hand)

-Turnips (I salvaged three)

-Water (enough to cover the beets/turnips)

-Onions (I used two)

-Potatoes (I used four)

-Dried dill, celery seed, garlic powder, pepper, to taste (salt if you’d like)

-White wine (a splash…would prefer red but didn’t have red)

-Frozen vegetables of your choice

-Vegan sour cream (optional)

-Vegan fish fillets (optional)

To Do

Step 1: Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (about 400 degrees F).

Step 2: Clean beets, set half aside. Clean turnips and slice into matchsticks and set half aside. Slice half of the beets into matchsticks.

Step 3: Place half of the turnips and the unsliced beets into the oven (on a cookie sheet) and roast for about 15 minutes.

Step 4: While beets and turnips are in the oven, place the sliced beets and other half of the sliced turnips into a large pot. Slice the potatoes into matchsticks and add to the pot as well. Add enough water to the pot just to cover the ingredients and set to low heat. Thinly slice the onions and add them to the pot.

Step 5: After about 15 minutes in the oven, add the turnips. Set the beets aside until they are just cool enough to handle, slice them into matchsticks and add them to the pot.

Step 6: Add more water to cover the added beets/turnips/onions/potatoes. Season to taste with the seasonings and wine. Cover and simmer about 40 minutes.

Step 7: Add in frozen vegetables, heat through. Do this at the end so they don’t get all squishy.

Step 8: Place borscht into a bowl and top with vegan sour cream if you’d like. I used vegan fish fillets that I cooked in a toaster oven and diced before adding them to the borscht. Yes, they tasted really awesome.

Variations

-You can really add whatever you’d like to this. Borscht is a soup to deal with all your root vegetables, so feel free to add things like celery or carrots to this.

-Beans and nuts would be a fine addition.

-A dallop of hummus would be pretty fine here in place of the vegan sour cream.

Not always…I find it’s too sweet. 

As usual, I used no recipe so I was rather pleased with how this came out. This whole dish came into being because I had some yam noodle bundles (the squiggly thing in the foreground) that I was itchin’ to use.

You’ll Need

-3 cups water 

-1 handful dried mushrooms of your choice

-3 to 5 beet greens and stems

-1 small onion, sliced

-1 small piece of ginger (about the size of the first knuckle on your thumb), sliced

-soy sauce or tamari (to taste…you’re just using a little here)

-fresh (or reconstituted) sliced mushrooms (I used crimini)

-yam noodles (I used the bundles, you can use the regular shirataki…or rice noodles)

-1 vegan cod filet (optional, buy at your local Asian market)

-about 1/2 cup thinly sliced cabbage (I used napa)

-vegetables of your choice (I used about 2 cups of yellow squash, green beans, water chestnuts, baby corn and red capsicum [bell pepper])

-sesame seeds (optional)

To Do

Step 1: Simmer dried mushrooms, beet greens, onion and ginger in the water. Once the flavors develop (about 30 minutes), add in soy sauce/tamari to taste. 

Step 2: Remove the beet greens and ginger, remove the mushrooms and onion if you’d like. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until heated through. Serve. 

Variations

-Instead of using a vegan cod fillet, feel free to use a large slice of soft tofu or a portabello mushrooms sliced horizontally instead of vertically. 

Leftover coffee comes in handy with this!

You’ll Need

-1 to 2 cups cold coffee/espresso (I used leftover coffee)

-1 to 2 scoops chocolate protein powder (I used pea)

-cinnamon, to taste (start with 1 teaspoon and go from there)

-any other powdered supplements you want (I used GNC brand powdered unflavored BCAAs)

-3 to 4 ice cubes (if using a blender)

To Do

Step 1: Combine and blend. Consume!

Variations

-Other supplements you can try adding are unflavored and powdered: creatine, glutamine, arginine, leucine, flax seed or chia seed. Really, anything you want as long as it’s not bringing in some strong flavor.

Notes

-Coffee not only provides antioxidants but caffeine. Caffeine is great for working out because it provides energy, focuses your mind and reduces your perception of pain, which allows you to go longer and stronger. Awesome :)

Why yes, that IS ice on the fruit. These were leftover from my smoothie mixes. I had cut up some mango, coconut, banana and kiwi to freeze for smoothies, only to find that the coconut didn’t quite like being blended. This resulted in a gloopie instead of a smoothie, so I had about five baggies of frozen fruit just hanging out and decided to use them with some just-hit-the-expiration-date soy yogurt. 

You’ll Need

-1 banana, sliced

-1 kiwi, halved and sliced

-1/4 coconut, cubed (or 1/4 cup shredded coconut…preferably unsweetened)

-1 mango, cubed

-3/4 cup yogurt of your choice (I used vanilla soy yogurt, but make it soy-free by using rice or coconut milk yogurt)

To Do

Step 1: Combine fruit. 

Step 2: Layer the fruit and yogurt until you’re out of fruit or yogurt. Enjoy.

Notes

-You’ll see that I used frozen fruit here. I made this in the morning and took it to the gym to have as a post-workout. I left it in the car to defrost and it worked just fine. 

I love leftovers. They’re already seasoned and cooked, ready to go! For those of you who remember my Foul Meddames recipe (and click it for those who don’t remember the recipe), here’s a great picture of some leftovers making a comeback for tonight’s dinner:

Gorgeous, right? In this picture we have one full tomato, four napa cabbage leaves, two kinds of hummus (foreground) and a pile of foul meddames topped with sesame seeds and chili pepper. This was seriously delish and I suppose half raw. :)

If you read my Tweets you’ll notice I’ve been mentioning working out more and more. I have switched gears for workouts for two reasons which stem from one reason: I was accepted to teach English in South Korea. This is a head’s up to look for a post in a few months directing you to a blog I will keep while there, but my two workout goals are similar to what many people are trying to do this time of year so I figured I would post about that a bit.
First, I am trying to increase endurance. Previously, I have lifted for strength and size, which has been successful, fun and totally easy on a vegan diet (keep in mind it may be “totally easy” because I’m an easy-gainer). I realize that I won’t need to power clean kids but instead chase after them and may have to carry one if injured. I will be purchasing a bicycle in Korea and am biking almost daily in order to build up biking endurance.
Second, Koreans are smaller than the average westerner, and for that reason I am aiming to lose fat in order to fit into their clothes (the idea that I will be gone for a year and not encounter a need for clothes seems silly to me). Notice how I phrased that: fat loss, NOT weight loss. While one can be an indicator of the other, that’s not always the case. Do I weigh myself? Yes, but I do so in conjunction with maintaining a workout journal. If I lose weight and gain strength or endurance, I know it’s fat (I drink plenty of water throughout the day, starting each day with 32oz or a liter of water upon waking and continuing from there, so I know it’s not due to dehydration).

This is a food blog and I wish to keep it that way, but do want you to know that this food is helping me achieve fitness goals. This is also why I switched gears from eating fried foods or adding fat. Fat isn’t the enemy, your body does NEED fat, but I have turned from oils to more natural fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut). The body, MY body anyway, is happiest when it eats natural things. I don’t “diet” by limiting anything except artificial things as much as I can…and even then, I’m human. I don’t get hung up on it, so don’t you get hung up on it for me. :)

As I said, this is a food blog so if anyone is interested in my workouts you can absolutely email me or just ask a question here. Without going into detail and just so you know what my food is fueling, I workout twice a day, 5-6 days a week. The mornings are for weight training and the evenings for cardio. This works well for ME so don’t think you can or should do this. I workout a certain way that works for me to prevent overtraining while maximizing effectiveness, something that I figured out based on my body and how it responds to training. This took a few years to figure out, so don’t think I’m recommending it for anyone, and if you could avoid giving me your opinion on it that’d be swell :)

I made this with some leftover pieces from the Polenta-Potato Bake. Of course, you can just slice up a potato, some polenta, and make only half the amount of sauce. 

You’ll Need

For The Dip:

-1 can tomatoes (mine were seasoned with green peppers and onion)

-basil (fresh or dried), to taste

-spinach (raw, pre-cooked leftovers or frozen), to taste

-garlic cloves (I used 3)

-half a small onion

-1 teaspoon vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti brand), optional

For The Chips:

-1 potato per person, thinly sliced

-1 to 3 slices polenta per person, thinly sliced

To Do

Step 1: Place the potatoes and polenta in a toaster oven or on a pan in a conventional oven. Bake at 200 degrees C (about 400 degrees F) until crisp. Feel free to switch to broil at some point to toast the tops if you’d like.

Step 2: In a blender or food processor, blend the ingredients for the sauce. 

Step 3: Serve and enjoy!

Notes

-If you make too much sauce, that’s fine. You can use it later for a soup or a sauce for pasta.