I have not adopted a vegan or a vegetarian lifestyle. I still enjoy my fish, my eggs and milk in my caffeinated tea.  However, I enjoy these things less often.  After having lived like a vegan, I discovered some new foods and genuinely enjoy them.  While I ate tofu before, I always had it as a meat substitute.  When I was cleansing, I did not eat soy–I had to find other alternatives like beans and nuts.  And while some people go on and on about the health benefits of soy, I’m not convinced. Like everything else–meat, caffeine, dairy, alcohol–soy is okay in moderation.  

In fact, too much soy can be unhealthy. Not only do some experts think it can be linked to cancer and increased estrogen levels in women.  I cannot comment on these claims because I am not a nutritional expert or an expert on soy, but I would caution against always using soy as a meat substitute or as a protein.  

Unfortunately, though, after reading this release on soy from Health Canada I’m not sure I want to eat any soy anymore as Health Canada has approved genetically modified soy for sale.  

I’m not going off meat and soy will be a treat–not something I keep in the house. 

The final verdict?  One thumb down! Soy’s not soy good after all! (sorry–terrible pun?)

I may be picky, but decaf coffee is a little bit like washing-up-water, no?  I was totally disappointed.

I love the idea of decaf–all the flavour of real coffee without the caffeine, but it does not have the same flavour at all!

Much like “cheese” and/or “meat”, I would rather go without coffee then have “coffee.” Plus, decaf coffee is expensive!  1 kg of ground regular breakfast blend at Timothy’s sells for just under $9, while the decaf equivalent is just under $11.

$2 may not seem like a huge deal, but I would rather just monitor my caffeine intake and enjoy the real thing.

Final verdict: Decaf coffee gets a hearty two-thumbs down!

Thanks to Simply Photo on Flickr for the pic!

So last week I wrote about how disappointing carob “chocolate” is in place of chocolate.  Thanks to Jane–who suggested I try Dance in the Rain Chocolate–I found some fantastic, organic, guilt-free chocolate. 

This week, my friend Nicki suggested cocoa bean chips.  Since the chips are made from whole, cracked cocoa beans, there are no unwanted extras like white sugar or other nasty additives or preservatives. The chips are not sweet at all, but they provide all of the chocolate-y goodness I sometimes crave and they smell so good!

The cocoa chips do not get two thumbs up over the Dance in the Rain chocolate, but they’re a good alternative and better than carob! 

Thanks to Panos Voudouris on Flickr for the pic!

I enjoy chocolate.  Whether it’s milk, dark, plain, bubbled or filled with dried fruit and nuts–I like it all.  As much as I like it, I’m not crazy about it.  I’m not one of those women who, if I’ve had a bad day, crave chocolate. If I’m PMS-ing, I would rather have a savoury, salty something rather than a chocolate bar. But every so often, I enjoy a high-quality piece of European chocolate.

Much like “cheese”, “chocolate” is something that I would rather not eat.  ”Chocolate” is nothing like chocolate. It’s kind of dry, powdery and it does not melt on the tongue like regular chocolate.  It doesn’t smell like chocolate and it certainly does not taste like chocolate.

But people argue that carob is a healthier substitute.  Carob-chocolate contains no caffeine,  does not contain large amounts of sugar, butter and/or cream, and since there are no fermented cocoa beans used, there is less likelihood of additives or  contaminants in the product. 

Obviously, no one should be eating heaps of chocolate, but on average there are only about 30 grams of caffeine in a chocolate bar–the same amount of caffeine contained in two cups of green tea. 

The verdict is two big thumbs down for “chocolate”. I would rather never eat chocolate again than munch on this sorry substitute. With all of the variety available to us these days–organic, free trade–am I really hurting anyone (myself included) by indulging in this decadent treat every few weeks?

Plus, there are some organic chocolates that are made with raw cane sugar, butter and other whole, organic ingredients. With these options available, I think I will keep chocolate in my diet, but as an occasional treat.

Last week I had two friends over for lunch–Sonya and Melina.  They both brought food for me to try: Sonya brought spiced cashews, which were amazing. Melina brought Kamut mini-pretzels.  Kamut contains no wheat and it is slightly sweeter and higher in protein than modern wheat–and can be used as a wheat substitute. 

I’m not a huge fan of regular pretzels: I find the massive salt crystals a bit intimidating and I hate that they leave my mouth so dry, but after weeks of not having any real snack food, I thought the kamut alternative was great.  

In terms of fat, sodium, carbohydrates and sugars, there’s not much between them.  In 28 grams of kamut pretzels there are 110 calories, 1 g fat, no cholesterol, 320 mg of sodium, only 2 g of fiber and 1 g of sugar.  In 45 grams of the President’s Choice Blue Menu multigrain pretzel alternative has 170 calories, 0.5 g of fat, no cholesterol, 390 g sodium, 2 g fiber and 1 g sugar.  The major difference is the ingredient list.  The kamut pretzels have a much shorter ingredient list and all of the ingredients are whole foods like unbleached kamut flour and organic barley.

Obviously, pretzels are a treat–and while the kamut pretzels are not nearly as pleasing in colour, texture or saltiness, they are the “healthier” choice.

The final verdict is that kamut pretzels get one thumb up–they’re not great, but as an alternative they’re great.

Thanks to Breanna, my friend Nicki and I went to Cafe 668 to beat the cold weather.

While the location of this restaurant is a bit odd (885 Dundas St., West), it’s worth visiting. The atmosphere is relaxed and while the waiter wore jeans, a dress would not be out of place (for me, not the waiter).

Let me tell you how great it is to go to a restaurant where I can eat almost anything off the menu. Everything looked so good, but we finally settled on soup, some black bean eggplant and taro wrapped yam.  Things were a little bit pricey (we paid $50), but for the sake of this post, we did order more than we usually would. Normally, the soup alone would suffice as the portions are very generous.

I have only two criticisms:

First, the bathrooms–while clean–have very low ceilings and I bumped by head. I’m tall-ish for a girl, but I was wearing flats.

Second, there were a lot of foods in quotes on the menu. You know, brown rice and assorted vegetables with your choice of  ”beef”, “chicken”, or “salmon”.  I hate it when vegetarian food is made into “meat.” I may be wrong, but for the most part, I’m assuming that since vegetarians have chosen to give up meat, they would not want to eat things that look and feel like meat, but don’t taste like meat.

While I normally prefer to head out to restaurants that serve meat, fish and vegetarian entrees, Cafe 668 is an excellent vegetarian/vegan alternative. The food is well-flavoured, fresh and they offer a lot of choice–including vegetable sides that can be steamed or stir-fried (Meghan would be so proud!)

Normally, vegetarian restaurants get a bit of a thumbs-down from me, especially when they serve “meat”, but the final verdict for Cafe 668 is Four Thumbs Up–two from me and two more from Nicki.

Not into restaurants and prefer to cook at home? No problem! Check out these courses from Meghan Telpner:

Cooking Party Program

February 17th (Tuesday) marks the start of my 4-week cooking program. If you can’t commit to four Tuesday, you are free and welcome to choose just one that fits with your schedule or split it with a friend where you can each come to two. How awesome is that?  $210.00 for four classes, $60.00 for a single. Book it! or  Click here for more info.

March 1st or April 5th, (Sunday) 2:00-4:00m. A splendid afternoon full of yummy food and lifestyle altering information. Get easy, simple and quick ways to healthyify your life every day of the week with minimal time and effort. Learn the secrets to my ridiculously healthy way of life and how you can apply them to your own.  $55.00 Book it! or  Click here for more info.

If I go out for dinner, I usually get spring rolls or calamari for an appetizer. I love the seasoned and crispy fried goodness that encases the hot and crunchy inside treat. 

If you’re trying to cut down on fat and order non-fried rolls, or salad rolls, they’re a great alternative.  Everything is raw so you still get a good variety of textures with each bite.   Salad rolls tend to be filled with lots of brightly coloured veggies which indicates that you’re getting a good assortment of vitamins and nutrients as well. But if I have to compare them-and I do-I have to give salad rolls a thumbs down and give their fried cousins a hearty thumbs up!

Maybe it’s just because I’m starting to feel a little stir crazy on this diet right now, but I am craving fried food right now. To be honest, I’m just craving in general. I’m really missing dairy and I’m starting to feel a bit deprived.  For me, deprivation leads to cheating. Maybe it has something to do with having a cold, but I could really go for some take-out right now. 

Since I am still in sweat-pant mode, I’ll stick to tea and oatmeal.

Ps. Yesterday, I spent the day in Kitchener with my friend Tim. We were there to see the Andy Warhol Factory exhibit at the Children’s Museum–we give it two thumbs up, by the way, so you should all head to Kitchener to see it as soon as possible.

Even rehabbers can allow themselves some treats without breaking the rules.  If you like a few biscuits with your tea, then I highly recommend ShaSha Co. Spelt Ginger Snaps.  

Not only are they certified organic snaps, but they do not contain trans fats and are cholesterol free. There is a warning on the bag that there may be traces of egg and soy, but for the average rehabber I think these are okay.  

To look at, the ShaSha snaps are quite different from ‘regular’ ginger snaps. There are no sparkling sugar crystals, they are considerably smaller (and heart-shaped).   Since they do not contain much molasses they are pale and not quite as appealing to look at. 

It goes without saying that they are pricier (about $1.00 more), but they have considerably less sugar, calories and fat.  Obviously, these snaps are treats and I will not eat them every day, but I thought it was a good fit for a face off. 

The final verdict: Thumbs Up for ShaSha Ginger Snaps.

Since I did not have turkey for dinner this Christmas, I worried that I may also have to forego stuffing! 

My parents make Turkey stuffing with bread (containing wheat) and it cooks inside the bird cavity.  Chestnut stuffing has no bird requirement at all-making it a vegan delight for me.  

Admittedly, comparing these two stuffings is a bit like comparing apples and oranges: they are completely different. In terms of taste and consistency it is definitely a tie. I suppose it is more expensive to eat Chestnut stuffing, but why not forget all of the chocolate and candies and use your money for chestnuts instead? As Meghan notes, the holidays don’t have to be a season of excess; they could just be an excuse to cook some great, homemade delights.

Final Verdict: Thumbs Up for Chestnut Stuffing (and as long as the turkey stuffing is made with whole ingredients, two thumbs up for that stuffing too).

Meghan warned me to be wary of food that is in quotation marks and now I know why.

I pride myself on loving the taste of most cheeses whether aged, soft or stinky.  I like the way cheese looks and that it can be paired with almost anything.

I was delighted to find vegan cheese, at least a Feta-like “cheese.”
I looked at the ingredient list and saw that it contained nothing unfamiliar to me so I figured it was safe to try.

Unfortunately, this “cheese” has quotes for a reason: it’s not cheese at all.  It did not have the feta smell (almost sharp and sour), it did not taste like feta, it was not crumbly and creamy at the same time and it certainly wasn’t salty.  I tried heating it in a pan only to discover that “cheese” doesn’t melt; it simply gets soft and rubbery so it cannot be used for cooking.

It may contain less fat than cheese, but I would rather go dairy free than eat this “feta”.

The verdict: Two thumbs down for “cheese”.

Thanks to Flickr for the “photo”