SoyMilk Crossroads

The okara (soybean pulp) that I collect from making one pot of soymilk is usually enough for this recipe.  These are great pancakes for that late Sunday morning, early afternoon breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup okara
• 1 cup grated potatoes
• 3 eggs, beaten lightly (or egg substitutes)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 Tbsp minced onion
• Oil for frying
• Butter or Applesauce

Directions:

Press out as much moisture as possible from the grated potatoes via a towel.  Combined the ingredients in a bowl.  Mix it well and form into patties.  Fry in oil in heated skillet on both sides until golden brown.  Serve hot, topped with butter or applesauce.

Substitutions:

I’m always changing, replacing or adding ingredients.  You’ll want to experiment with this one and come up with some favorites of your own. 
 

For my egg substitutes, I use 2 Tbsp of soymilk with 1 Tbsp of cornstarch for one of the eggs.  For another, I use 1 Tbsp of flax seed, ground well with a mill, and mixed into 2 Tbsp of warm water.  For the 3rd, well, I usually just forget it.  The okara usually still has extra soymilk in it that I didn’t get pressed out.
 

When I’m out of whole-wheat flour, I mill some old-fashion oats, works great.   You’re going to love adding this recipe to your okara uses.

There will never be a better time to start considering a vegetarian lifestyle. There are environmental and health issues which you need to take into consideration if you are still part of the meat-eating population.
 

Vegetarians and vegans whose diet consists mostly of plant-based food make up a smaller percentage of the population. But what is it about meat that turns them away from it?
 

Does it have something to do with the negative affects of a meat-based diet on the health? Is it the way the animals are treated? For you to make an informed decision, you should first learn about the pros and cons of these two types of diets: meat-based and vegetarian based.

A Look at the Vegetarian Based Diet

As a vegetarian, your diet will contain a lower level of saturated fats, and a higher amount of fiber and antioxidants. More importantly, your risk of developing chronic and lifestyle-related diseases is reduced.
 

The downside of having a vegetarian diet is that you will not have a primary source of high-quality protein. You may also develop a deficiency in Omega-3 fatty acids, iron, vitamin B12, zinc, iodine, calcium and selenium.
 

To counteract this, vegetarians should always have a well-planned meal to ensure that they are getting all the nutrients their body needs to function properly. A growing solution to combat these possible deviancies is the addition of soy foods. Soy is high in protein and contains many nutrients.
 

A real plus in today’s economy is that soy foods such as soymilk, tofu, and okara can be made in your own kitchen.  And the savings of getting your needed protein via these homemade foods versus  store-bought meats is astounding.

Some Downfalls of a Meat-Based Diet

It’s a common belief that both white and red meat is a great source of high-quality proteins. Red meat, in particular, contains the essential amino acids that the body needs. Iron, phosphorus and vitamin B12 are the other essential nutrients that you will be lacking if you decide to take on a mostly plant-based diet.
 

Here are the main problems that you will encounter with a meat-based diet:

• Meat-based diets are generally high in fat.
• If you eat big, juicy burgers, for example, the quality of the beef that you are consuming may not be desirable for your health.
• Meat raises your cholesterol levels.
• You are more prone to cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure with a meat-based diet.
• Gout, arthritis and degenerative diseases are some of the health risks that meat-eaters may suffer, to which vegetarians are not usually subject.

Your Decision: Meat-Based Diet or Vegetarian-Based Diet

When all is said and done, it is still a matter of personal preference. If you think you can work through the problems of a meat-based diet and not give it up, then you can certainly do so. Making an informed decision is the key to making any type of diet work to the maximum benefit of your health.

It’s a difficult chore these days to keep our foods free of chemical toxins.  
 

But there is a food - tofu - like other soybean foods, that is unique for it’s category.  Among the high-protein and high-calcium foods, tofu is relatively free of chemical toxins.
 

Toxins in a Meat-Based Diet 

Meat, including fish and poultry are foods consumed for their high-protein.  But these contain at least 20 times more pesticide than is found in legumes.  Heavy metals, pesticides and herbicides become concentrated in the fatty tissues of these animals.

Dairy Food Toxins

The next most contaminated group is dairy foods.  They average about 5 times more of the common toxins found in soy.  
 

Why is this?  Interestingly, the spraying of soy crops is monitored by the Food and Drug Administration to keep the levels of contamination down because these are feed crops in the beef and dairy food chains.

Toxin free Tofu

Now that there are organic soy crops grown for human consumption, the toxins in our soy foods is lower than ever.  Adding tofu to your diet gives you the high-protein without these toxin side-effects that come along with a meat-based diet.

Doing a balancing act between eating healthy and keeping the food bills in check can be a challenge for families these days.  But with some planning, dedicated kitchen time and small investments, the savings can really add up.  So, let’s look at the numbers.

Savings Making Soymilk

1 pound of Soybeans makes 5 Soyabella pots (5 liters) of Soymilk.   At $2.00 per pound it costs $.40/liter/pot to make. (2.00 divided by 5 = .40)
 

(Note:  1 liter contains about 2 ounces more than 1 quart)
 

How much does a quart of Soymilk cost where you live?  It averages $2.50 in my area.  $2.50 minus 40 cents of soybeans gives me a $2.10 savings for every quart I would buy in the store.  How many do you buy a week?  A year? 
 

With the rise in shipping costs, the price of the soybeans can be doubled if you buy them on the internet.  But even with gourmet beans prices, there is a savings.  $2.50 minus 80 cents per pot still equals a savings of $1.70 per quart.

Savings Making Homemade Tofu

Do you buy tofu?  Can you save if you make it at home?  The average cost of a block of tofu around here is $2.15.  One pot of soymilk makes half a block of tofu when compared to store-bought size.  So for comparison, that’s $2.15 minus 80 cents, two pots worth, leaving a savings of $1.35 per block of tofu.  Muliply that times the number you purchase in a year.

Savings Making Homemade Yogurt

If you and your family are yogurt eaters, this can really add to the weekly food bill.  The price range here is vast.  On sale, the cheapest dairy yogurt I’ve found is 50 cents a serving container.  Soy yogurt in the health food stores here averages around $1.50 per single serving container. 
 

For math example purposes, I’m going to use our past household averages of 70 cents per serving container.  I personally eat one yogurt each day.  That’s 7 a week or $4.90.  One pot of Soyabella soymilk makes one batch (7 single servings) of yogurt using the Yolife Yogurt Maker. 
 

Depending on the cost of the beans, that’s a savings of $4.10 to $4.50 a week for my personal yogurt eating schedule.
 

That’s for me, one person.  I have to double that for our household and then add even more because I use yogurt in other recipes.

Year’s Worth of Savings with Homemade Soymilk

How many quarts of Soymilk does your household use each week?  Each year?  Do you have a local supplier of organic non-gmo soybeans?  Or will you need to purchase your soybeans on line?  Tofu?  Yogurt? 
 

Our household of two saves $716 a year by making the following each week; 2 quarts of soymilk for drinking and cooking, 2 blocks of tofu, and 14 single sized servings of yogurt.
 

Just substitute your actual cost for these items and you’ll see what your savings can be.  For the average household, the equipment investment pays for itself in about three months.

Vegans exempt animal products from their lifestyle. This is easy enough for committed older vegans, but how to raise a kid with no milk, ice cream, chocolate, or candy? In today’s, predominantly meat-dependent and animal fashion crazed world, it is certainly a challenge for vegan parents to raise their children.

More Avalible Information

Fortunately, the years brought an abundance of information about vegan fashion, vegan shoes, vegan recipes, vegan lifestyle, and veganism. All that vegan parents need right now are determination and creativity to encourage their children to take up the vegan way of life.
 

The first hurdle vegans have to face is the question of feeding their children. There are lots of available food choices in the market today for vegan fare. Vegan recipes are not just salads; they extend to casseroles, baked dishes, and even desserts. Vegan ice creams, smoothies, and candies are now available in the market. These items taste just as good as the traditional dairy products minus the animal abuse.

Using Substitiutions

Children being raised on vegan diets won’t feel any different from non-vegan kids. The trick is to include substitutes for popular kiddie treats so vegan children won’t feel out of place with their non-vegan peers. Vegan dieticians recommend substituting tomato sauce with meat substitutes for regular meat sauces.

Using Soy Products

There is a variety of soy cheeses and flavored soy milk drinks that are completely vegan without sacrificing flavors. Fruit waffles and juices are most welcomed treats. Meat substitutes in pork, beef, poultry, or fish flavors are available. Vegan kids would not miss out on the joys of junk food, except that theirs won’t cause them acne and make them healthier.
 

“Junk” foods like popcorn, baked potato and vegetable chips, sweetened dried fruits, raisins, and fruit chips are popular choices. Beverages like fruit smoothies and fruit juices are deliciously sinful enough to be considered junk food.

The Clothes Issue

However, kids are easier to manage than teenagers, more so when they’re vegans. There are the fashion trends to reckon with: that trendy leather jacket, the fur scarf, or the chic leather boots everyone is talking about. A teenager must have them. Remind them if they’re really up to wearing dead animal skins on their body and then buy them some enviable vegan fashion items.
 

There are boutiques that sell exclusively vegan apparel. Vegan online shops also have extensive, not to mention, affordable and chic choices for vegan shoes, vegan clothes, vegan jackets, and even vegan accessories. Vegan cosmetics are also available and they have been proven to be better than the ones that are animal-tested and made with animal oils. After all, slim and fit vegan bodies deserve fashionably gorgeous vegan clothes.

Being Informed is the Key

Vegan family support groups assert that proper education and information about animal rights and abuse is important. Understanding the vegan lifestyle makes managing and raising vegan kids easier. When they are aware and informed, kids are surprisingly easy to handle. They do make their own choices, but with information, they usually make the right choice. So they strongly advise starting vegan families to encourage each other and educate their children to make them understand why is it good to be vegan. With understanding, the kids become cooperative and healthier, and the family stays together longer.

Now that you already know all of the benefits and advantages that raw food can offer to your body, you might still wonder if this type of dietary scheme would suit you.  Don’t worry; you do not have to eat all raw food “ALLTHE TIME”.
 

You can just eat more fruits, more vegetables and less – or if possible, no – processed foods that can harm your health. Most raw food dieticians would recommend that drinking fruit juices until lunch can reduce or stop the craving for unhealthy foods that most people would nibble.  A healthy sandwich made of veggies is ideal for lunch.  And for dinner, try eating blanched vegetables with cooked meals that do not contain meat.
 

Once you have steadily removed the harmful toxins or detoxify your body, you will notice remarkable results.  Individuals who undergo the process of detoxification will experience fatigue, headaches and rashes on the skin.  But as soon as they overcome this phase, they will eventually become energetic and have a lighter and vibrant feeling.
 

Their physical and mental capacities and capabilities will eventually increase making them more and more productive.  The body of the individual will be cleansed of all the harmful toxins, thereby reducing the risk of disease and other health disorders.  They will also loose the unwanted and excess weight and their immune system will be much stronger.
 

In addition to that, buying organic foods will help support the agricultural industry.  And also, with the raw food diet, you won’t spend much time in the kitchen cooking your meal and as a result will help you save time and money.  Most of the meats that are available in the market these days are pumped with substances that provide no benefits to your health; instead, it will only produce toxins in the body. 
 

The raw food diet can help slow down a person’s aging process.  It will also improve and enhance the body’s senses, making the person much more flexible and fertile.  As previously mentioned, raw food will help enhance the mental capabilities of a person. Making that person a lot more creative, not to mention motivated and more relaxed at work.
 

It will help a person focus more on relationships and more attuned to the environment. The most significant thing that a person will notice once that he or she has adapted a raw food diet is the importance of having a healthy lifestyle.
 

When my family went non-dairy, one of the things we missed the most was sour cream.  We love Mexican food, baked potatoes, and homemade dips, but without sour cream all of those foods seemed lacking.
 

We found some non-dairy sour cream at the health food store, but it was way too expensive to have around all the time.  To save money and always have a topping for our baked potatoes, I went in search of a way to make it myself. 
 

I found this recipe, and our vegan enchiladas have never tasted so good!

Ingredients:

• 10-12 ounces tofu (firm), crumbled
• 1 Tablespoon canola or olive oil
• 4-5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process several minutes, until very creamy and smooth. Make sure you process it for a few minutes to ensure the creamy texture. Cover and refrigerate. It will keep for about 3-5 days.

It is a fact that, in the past, vegetarians were often seen as being somewhat eccentric or belonging to some odd sect. However, in recent years, the benefits of vegetarianism are becoming more and more attractive to many people. This includes not only the possible health benefits but also the economic benefits as well.
 

Vegetarianism is a preference that people have in which they choose to eat only vegetables and other plant products in preference to meat and other animal products. However, it includes more than just diet, involving a complete way of life. This life often includes yoga, spiritualism, homeopathy and other natural ways of living.
 

During the last century, there has been a significant increase in the knowledge of nutrition and the dietary value of fruits and vegetables. People have begun to steer away from the heavy meat-based meals and are leaning more toward the lighter, healthier and more balanced diets.
 

The reasons for choosing vegetarianism are varied but may be based on economic, ecological, spiritual, or emotional preferences. Often, people who become interested in such pursuits as spiritualism may switch to vegetarianism as a result of the teachings and the beliefs that are followed. Sometimes, of course, a person may simply dislike the taste of meat or other animal products.
 

There are five main groups of vegetarianism.
 

1.  The least rigorous are those vegetarians who eat white meat and animal products but will not eat red meat.
 

2.  There are then the vegetarians who will eat no flesh at all but will eat other dairy products such as milk and cheese and they will also eat eggs.
 

3.  Another group avoids all flesh but will eat dairy products such as milk and cheese. However, they will not eat eggs because they see eggs as flesh because they are considered as embryos.
 

4.  Next are those who eat a diet of whole grains, cereals and vegetables as well as eating fish. This diet is part of a yoga lifestyle and is known as macrobiotics. People who follow the macrobiotic lifestyle believe that spiritual imbalance is the cause of disease and that this imbalance is restored by awareness of food origins. It is believed that many of the toxins in the body are a result of the consumption of flesh.
 

5.  Finally, there are those who totally avoid any animal products or any flesh. These people are known as vegans. Those who follow the vegan lifestyle abhor the methods used in dairy farming and in meat production and see the eating of animal products and meat as adding to the cruelty endured by animals destined for the dinner table.
 

There are definitely some health benefits to vegetarianism because of the low saturated fat and high fibre associated with a vegetarian diet. This is particularly beneficial for heart and digestive health. However, plant protein is considerably lower than animal protein. It is therefore important that the vegetarian diet includes a variety of cereals, nuts, oil seeds, and legumes that contain high levels of protein.
 

Another health benefit is that vegetarians suffer less from obesity. In people who eat meat and other animal products, the fat accumulates in the coronary arteries, thus leading to an increased risk of heart attack. In vegetarian communities, heart disease is virtually non-existent.
 

They also have less problems with conditions such as constipation and intestinal diseases due to the high fibre in their diet. A vegetarian diet has also been known to improve diseases such as asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, and migraine.
 

Before you go rushing into vegetarianism however, it is important to consider other factors of health. When someone switches to a vegetarian diet, they commonly lose weight and this can lead to a feeling of lethargy. Weight loss can be particularly serious in someone who is already underweight.
 

There are also some conditions that are connected to veganism in particular. One of these conditions is called spinal ataxia which is evidenced by a stooped appearance with unsteady balance and a loss of sensation in the lower limbs. This condition is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B. Another serious condition is megaloblastic anemia, a blood deficiency also caused by a deficiency of vitamin B. it is therefore important to take a vitamin B supplement. This only affects vegans as vitamin B is found in eggs and cheese.
 

Plant foods also lack vitamin D but this can be found in sunlight. However, it is unwise to expose young children to too much sun. A vitamin D supplement can be taken in the form of drops.
 

Choosing a diet that is right for yourself and your family should be a carefully planned process, taking into account the pros and cons of each one. The main consideration, regardless of whether you choose vegetarianism or not, is to eat a diet which is properly balanced with the appropriate amounts of proteins, vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates and fats.
 

If you have been a meat eater and are considering the change to vegetarianism, it would be wise to first consult a dietician so as to avoid sending your body into shock. A gradual transition should make things more comfortable.
 

When you want to promote healthy diet and good health, you should be familiar first with the fundamental ideas on eating for strength such as topics like “nutrition facts labels ”, “best diet foods to eat ”, and “images of healthy foods ”.
 

If you do not have enough resources like books available for your study, then you can try health online resources which are mad available to anybody by numbers of nutritionists and dietitian who have come online to widen the scope of their health advocacy.
 

If you do not know yet any particular site for healthy foods and other nutrition information resources then you can try your search using search engines. All you need to do is to type keyword phrases like “restaurant nutrition facts”,”10 top ten search engines”, or “healthy food list for children” and you will see lots of sites which bear the information that you need. These sites are ranked according to relevance– the top most being the most authoritative or relevant.
 

Here is more information that may help you for your health and fitness information:
 

Just a number of people seem to know that buying expensive foods in the market is not really a necessity. Expensive does not always mean it is nutritious and healthy. You should promote fruits and vegetable eating since these are rich in vitamins and mineral, and protein in some, that our body needs.
 

When you buy processed foods, it is important that you check the expiration date so to make it certain that you are eating foods which are not harmful for your health.
 

Eating the right amount is necessary in achieving healthy and fit body. Remember anything that is too much brings no good to us.
 

Are you craving something cold, chocolaty and supremely satisfying? Even though the weather may be cooling down now, a chilly milkshake is still a delicious sweet treat to indulge in after a healthy dinner.
 

This milkshake is dairy free and uses ingredients you probably already have in the house. The addition of non-dairy creamer makes the shake creamy and rich - but you can leave it out if you choose. And the best part? You don’t need any ice cream for this milkshake.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder (baking cocoa, not hot cocoa mix) 
• 3-4 tablespoons sugar (more or less to taste)
• 1 tablespoon non-dairy powdered coffee creamer (check ingredients to ensure it’s dairy free) 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 5-6 ice cubes

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to the cup of your blender. Blend on high speed until all ingredients are mixed and the ice cubes are completely pulverized. Add more ice cubes if needed to get the milkshake to the desired thickness. 
 

This recipe is totally customizable - add peanut butter, mint extract, a banana, a spoonful of instant coffee, or a handful of raspberries. Leave out the cocoa and decrease the sugar a little for a vanilla milkshake. Experiment with all of the options to create your own delicious dairy-free “milk” shake.