Times a'changing
Hello chums,
Hope you’re having a good week and
welcome to part 2 of what I can only describe as a second ‘coming out’. This
time however, it’s in regards to my eating habits as opposed to my sexuality
(quick update on that, still gay, still single, call me Sam Smith? Please? I make
a lovely crumble). If you haven’t read part 1 of this post, feel free to have a
little gander – it’s basically me announcing that I’ve gone vegan as if it’s as
big of a deal as Brexit but it also has some pretty decadent summer smoothie
breakfast bowl recipes in there too, namely carrot cake, black forest chocolate
cherry and peach crumble… *takes a moment to fantasize for an inappropriate
amount of time*
Sorry, back again. Where were we? Ah yes the intro. In other news, I have recently applied to study an MSc in Human Nutrition at Plymouth University for this coming September, have moved out of my grandparent’s bungalow and am currently in the process of staying at my sister’s flat whilst preparing to move to my parent’s for a month or so before finding a hovel in the South of Devon. Not much going on at all really. Whilst I’m all for change it is a little odd being defined as the flea of the family (in the sense that I am hopping about from host to host – I definitely do not promote the plague though, I feel I should clarify that). Anyway, at least in the middle of all the madness I’ve found that I have more time to get back to good old weekly blogging and based on the fact that a Master’s may be on the horizon, I think it would be wise to make the most of this situation now. I’m going to try and keep this post much more concise than part 1 which ended up being something between a Lord of the rings novel and the Old Testament. I’ll also look at some of the environmental/global reasoning for why I decided to go vegan as well as a few more concerns I previously had about the lifestyle. Oh, and not forgetting 5 more smoothie bowl recipes as well, that’s really why you came isn’t it? Don’t be so coy, it’s fine, it’s why we all came really ;).
As with the previous 5 smoothie bowl recipes from part 1 all of these bowls will contain the same 3 base ingredients:
- 1 frozen, ripe banana
- 1/3 cup oats
- 2/3 cup plant based milk
Simples – let’s begin!
Apple Pie smoothie bowl
To a high speed blender or food
processor, add:
- The 3 base ingredients
- 1 medium apple of choice (I love a good pink lady but any apple should do, also try to save a few chunks for the garnish)
- 2 soft pitted dates (can add more here if desired or replace with an alternative sweetener such as maple syrup, coconut sugar, stevia etc. I always recommend starting with a little and then sweetening to taste)
- 1 tbsp chia seeds/ground flax seeds
- ½-1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Blend it up and for toppings:
- Some pieces of diced apple
- Some chopped almonds/walnuts
- A sprinkling of oats
- A dusting of cinnamon
- A dollop of unsweetened apple sauce
Reason 6) Impacts on land – around 30%
of the planet’s land mass is dedicated to raising animals for food. As it
currently stands the world is overpopulated (it’s getting bigger than Honey Boo
Boo) hence why so much land is used to meet the demand for meat/dairy however,
this still isn’t enough space. Large scale animal agriculture has been given so
much priority that it has become the leading cause of habitat destruction; in
particular, 91% of all rainforest destruction is down to animal husbandry due to
the large amounts of crops grown to feed livestock.
Concern 6) Becoming lonely/feeling
isolated – Despite the world population growth continuing at a bit of a freaky
rate I don’t know any other people on this lifestyle and the majority of the
planet’s inhabitants are not vegan. I was at first quite nervous about becoming
isolated as a result of this but it turns out that I’m very lucky in the sense
that I have great friends and a supportive family (for the most part).
Interestingly quite a few people didn’t actually know what being vegan fully
entailed e.g. Grandad wasn’t sure if wheat was suitable for vegans and Nan
asked if butter would be ok if it was inside a cake or pastry…
Blueberry Muffin smoothie bowl
To a high speed blender or food
processor, add:
- The 3 base ingredients
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 2 soft pitted dates (or sweetener of choice)
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Blend it up and for toppings:
- Some chia seeds
- Some oats
- A few extra blueberries
Reason 7) Impacts on water – large-scale
animal agriculture consumes 20-33% of the world’s water with it taking 2500
gallons to produce 1 pound of beef compared to 25 gallons to produce a pound of
wheat.
Concern 7) Cost – like many others,
I did at first think that going vegan would be expensive. The truth of the
matter – it can be as costly or affordable as you make it. Yes, things like
meat alternatives and plant based milks may not necessarily be the cheapest
options but basics like beans, rice, lentils, vegetables (frozen count too),
potatoes and seasonal fruit etc are some of the cheapest food products in the
world. If you want the fancier Instagram-type things like chia seeds, hemp
seeds and almond butter (although nice –these are not essential to be vegan)
buying online can also save money.
Chunky Monkey smoothie bowl
To a high speed blender or food
processor, add:
- The 3 base ingredients
- 1 tbsp cocoa/cacao powder
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tsp truvia (truvia or another form of sweetener like maple syrup etc will help counteract the cocoa’s bitterness, again just sweeten to taste)
- ½ cup fresh/frozen spinach (the more you add the healthier but be warned that the colour may shift from a chocolatey brown to a sludgy green… I’ll leave that up to you)
Blend it up and for toppings:
- Some sliced banana
- Some dairy free chocolate chips (I like the dark kind)
- A drizzle of peanut butter
- Some crushed nuts (even more peanuts are always welcome)
Reason 8) Food security – The
global population in 2012 was estimated around 7 billion, we are currently
growing enough crops to feed 10 billion people. So why are so many
starving? 65% of crops grown in the
developing world are used to feed animals being raised for human consumption in
the developed world. The most effective way to feed the everyone would likely
involve reducing dependence upon meat/animal products.
Concern 8) Eating out/going over to
friends/social gatherings - definitely a bit more of a first world problem but
I’m the first to admit that potentially missing out on social occasions with
friends and family because of this lifestyle was one of the biggest issues for
me. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to attend family BBQs, parties and
meals out and even if I did go, I either wouldn’t be able to eat anything or
would have to face a whole load of judgement. Well, not to rely on personal anecdotes
but over the last few months I have eaten at Pizza express, Nandos and even my
mum and dad’s local country pub in the middle of nowhere – all had delicious
vegan options and everyone was very understanding. When eating out, it helps to
look up the menu beforehand or even phone ahead of time and in terms of parties/gatherings,
I find it easier to simply offer to bring 1 or 2 options even if it’s just a
few shop-bought veggie burgers. This way, the host won’t feel stressed about
providing you with something directly and at least you know you won’t go
hungry.
Green Mint Monster smoothie bowl
To a high speed blender or food
processor, add:
- The 3 base ingredients
- 1 cup loosely packed spinach
- ¼ avocado
- 1 tsp truvia
- Few drops peppermint extract
Blend it up and for toppings:
- Some fresh peppermint leaves (because we fancy)
- A sprinkling of desiccated coconut
- Some dairy-free dark chocolate chips
Reason 9)
Greenhouse gases and what not – 51% of the world’s greenhouse gases are
made up of CO2 from livestock and their associated by-products. In terms of overall greenhouse gases, the
combined effect of all transportation on the planet still accounts for less
than that of animal agriculture (13% vs. 18%).
Concern 9) How daunting it seems
-Won’t veganism affect a lot of aspects in my life i.e. clothing, cosmetic and
cleaning products? Will I ever eat honey? White sugar is refined using animal
bone char so technically that’s not vegan – can I never have that? There is a
hell of a lot of aspects to veganism and everyone draws their line in the sand
somewhere differently, which is fine. You don’t have to do everything and at
once and it doesn’t need to feel like you are constantly revising for an exam
on what things you can and can’t eat/wear/use. If you are interested, simply
look into it and make small changes here and there. It’s not a competition to
see who can be the most devout vegan, it’s a learning curve and a journey that
you can only get better at over time.
Salted Caramel smoothie bowl
To a high speed blender or food
processor, add:
- The 3 base ingredients
- 1 more frozen, ripe banana
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp macca powder (a super-food made from a ground up peruvian root vegetable – I bought some on Amazon and whilst it does give smoothies a caramel-like flavour it is not essential for this recipe)
- Pinch of sea salt
Blend it up and for toppings:
- 1 tbsp almond butter (if not using macca powder, blend this into the base as well)
- Some home-popped popcorn or brand make of choice
- Some nakd salted caramel nibbles (a couple of chopped dates would also work well here)
Reason 10) Expanding my pallet
-vegan food can be delicious, unexpected and even luxurious. There honestly are
so many options and despite what some may say, I personally don’t feel
restricted on this lifestyle (even though I was worried I would feel this way).
Veganism is much more common and accepted nowadays and has even started to
become a little bit mainstream with Deliciously Ella and all those health
bloggers spreading the news like wildfire. I like to look at it as an
adventure, where I can experiment with new flavour combinations and sample
foods in new ways I never thought possible. Also know that you don’t have to be
vegan to enjoy vegan food.
Concern 10) Restriction - I have always prided myself on not being
fussy, I have always been the boy who will eat anything. I wasn’t sure on the
idea of altering my diet and limiting it but I soon came to realise that you don’t
have to change the way you eat when going vegan – just the sources of the
ingredients. You can go vegan any way you like. Prior to this I went on the
principle of eating mostly whole foods like lots of fruits, veggies, whole
grains, starches and also included a little meat/dairy/eggs with the occasional
weekly/bi-weekly junk food treats. I can still do this. Vegan junk food exists
as do alternatives to meat. I still eat mostly whole food and plant based but I
also enjoy myself just as I used to. Also, switching to veganism doesn’t mean
that you’re fussy, in fact it usually means the opposite as you have to be open
to new ways of eating and not afraid to try different combinations of flavours and
ingredients. All in all it simply is a choice based on individual morals,
nothing more.
This subject can be considered
slightly controversial and I don’t want anybody thinking that I am
attacking/judging them for what they choose to eat, this choice (as mentioned
an unacceptable amount of times throughout this post) is simply a personal
decision that I’ve made. As mentioned previously, I haven’t changed as a
person, although I do feel more at ease eating this way and am actually happier
than I have been in a while. This decision won’t affect anyone else other than
myself but at the same time I will always be happy to talk about it in an open
and friendly way to anyone who is curious. In terms of things like clothing,
leather, wool and personal hygiene products that are certified cruelty free -
these are things that I will be looking to address in the future as opposed to
right now. As I said, you don’t have to do everything at once.
Also I think it’s worth mentioning
that I don’t believe veganism is going to save the world (there’s a lot going
on, as I’m sure you’ve noticed from the news – it’s a bit grim right now) but
it may be a step in the right direction. Some people take a moral high horse
after this decision and assume a self-imposed authority on all ethical matters
but the truth is, someone going vegan does not set them above anybody, it is
simply a reflection of the individual’s own moral priorities and no one else’s.
In reality, we can always be doing better in regards to helping both others and
the world around us. Nobody is perfect and nor anyone ever will be. Take every
day one step at a time and do what you can.
Right, it’s getting a bit churchy
now isn’t it? My bad, I’ll end this post here before we all start singing
kumbaya and feeling each other’s chakras…not appropriate. I’m so glad to
finally get this all off my chest and I’m even gladder that I can stop droning
on about it now (I’m sure you are as well). Unsurprisingly, I probably won’t be
addressing this topic in such detail again as it isn’t really what this blog is focused on, however in terms of what this means in terms of posts - all
foreseeable future recipes will be plant-based. Please know that if you’re not
on the same lifestyle as me than that does not mean that you are not welcome
here. These recipes, stories and general warblings are for anybody who wants to
listen and/or experiment in the kitchen –vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian
omnivore, carnivore, anyone … except maybe cannibals; I don’t think I should
endorse that here.
Hope this wasn’t too sappy. Now,
have a nice day, I’m off to make bacon out of aubergine…
Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds
like. ;)
P.S. I realise there were a lot of
statistics used in this post so I thought I would link the main source of these
here, just in case anyone was interested and wanted to look into it themselves:
http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/
LOL at the site name.