Over time I gather thoughts. Some I tell myself I’ll write about and some I think why bother. Most of these thoughts never have enough behind them to warrant a lengthy post for the site so I toss them aside and forget it. What I’ve decided to do is throw those all into one post. There won’t be much to go on but jump in the comments and complete my thoughts. I’m counting on you.

I’ve been on the fake meat bandwagon once in my vegan/vegetarian life. It was early on, of course, as most people who do get into that habit of eating with convenience in mind. I’ve not so recently put that aside. Fake meats are, to me, for transitioning vegetarians. They lend the familiarity of what once once the edible mainstay but as a vegan I have moved on to fresher foods. That’s not to say I don’t eat some here and there and you’ll likely see reviews for them pop up on this site. They are what they are, a transition food and that’s fine.

While on the subject of fake meats Just a mention that one of my biggest dining-out peeves is a vegan or vegetarian restaurant that relies on fake meats to fill their menu. How about the veggies, guys? I don’t want to pretend to chew pork or chicken/chick’n/chic’n, no matter how many letters you remove form the word, when I’m paying $15 to eat at your restaurant. If you can’t prepare fresh vegetables, and I don’t mean prepared in some gourmet-style, just simple fresh vegetables, then you have no place running a vegetarian dining establishment.

I have been noticing Earth Balance soy milks at Whole Foods for a few months. I’ve even bought the milks regularly but it wasn’t until recently that I noticed the absence of Silk products in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods. I asked about the disappearance and was told that Whole Foods had decided to stop carrying Silk due to the changes Dean Foods had made to the product line. Specifically, the dropped “Organic” from the standard packaging and came out with a new package design and marketed the Organic line again though with a higher price tag. There was no marking on the original package to signify it was no longer organic less the absence of the organic seal. Shady? Greedy? Shysters? No big deal?

For the past few months I’ve been doing P90X. I completed the first 90 days and immediately started a second 90 days which, at this point, I’m at day 60. I’ve had tremendous results losing some weight and finding muscles I never though I had. I have discovered that Tony Horton, creator of the series, is vegetarian and is now working on a vegan diet plan for his next workout series. Vegan P90X works!

“Flexitarian” is just omnivore disguised in a fancy catch phrase that makes advertising pop and sounds trendy. You know how people love trendy.

As the father of a vegan 5 year old I ‘ve often wanted to hear from other parents of vegan children. If you fall into that description drop something in the comments about your experiences. I would love to hear from you.

Have you ever wanted to follow your food from farm to plate and take a look at each process your food encounters on that trip?  If you are a meat-eater then a new series will give you that opportunity.  The BBC-produced series Kill It, Cook It, Eat It is presently being run on Current TV and  is gaining attention for its graphic look into the industry of factory farming, meat production and slaughterhouses. The  series involves volunteers who follow their meal from pasture to slaughter to plate and nothing is held back, save a few blurred frames.  This show brings what many meat-eaters won’t see, stunning, neck-slicing and skin ripping all while semi-conscious and dangling from a hook.

My first viewing of the show was cringing and somewhat surprising at the material shown.  This show goes where documentaries such as Food, Inc and others fell extremely short, showing the process an living creature goes through to become the meal you and your family consumes. You see the animal being raised, transported and then each process from the killing neck-slice to the end product with a glimpse of the factory that lends itself to the result.  Six volunteers are followed with their “meal”.  Many are shocked to learn of the process and many questions are asked as they view the writhing bodies being butchered.  As you can imagine, it can be extremely gruesome to watch.

The show is extremely graphic but every meat-eater should know where their meal came from before it became that burger and fries. This show will give them the look they need without going to the slaughterhouse themselves.

The series airs Tuesdays at 10/9 central on Current TV and episodes re-air at various times throughout the week.

There has been much talk recently about The Engine 2 Diet, a diet started by the Engine 2 Fire Station in Austin, Texas.  It is a complete plant-based diet which, of course, would be vegan though no mention of that is in the book. Likely so nobody is scared away by that militant word: vegan.  I have no tried the recipes in the book nor have I tried the diet.  It is for those who already have a high cholesterol level and are in dire need of a change.  Whole Foods at Coolsprings and Green Hills are starting a 28-day challenge based on The Engine 2 Diet. The first class starts today (January 17) but I was informed that due to the popularity there are other classes scheduled and early sign-ups are highly recommended. (See comment on this post by Ryan from Whole Foods)

If you have tried The Engine 2 Diet or are taking the 28-Day Challenge at Whole Foods I would be interested in hearing about your experience.  Did the diet help you find the results you were looking for? Did you enjoy cooking and eating the recipes? Do you plan on sticking with it past the 28 days? Let me know as I’m always interested in how others find there way to a vegan diet, even when it’s not labeled as such, and the results they get from it.