I just crossed an article on Cracked.com (yes, the same as the immature magazine) that lists some of the not-so-savory food additives and their sources.   If you are a well-versed vegan then you know of these ingredients, if not then make this time to familiarize yourself with some things to look for when reading ingredient labels.

Some snips from the article:

“excretions of the Kerria lacca insect”

“the abdomen region that houses the fertilized eggs…ground into a powder”

Tasty!

This is one of the best responses to “Why are you vegan?” that I have heard. This woman has done her research and obviously has been asked the question before. A bit “fringe” of a response but you can take some good information from this.

My love of Whole Foods is dwindling. I have touted them as my favorite store in many posts and was mildly excited at the acquirement of Wild Oats, I may have to reconsider. After going to the Whole Foods at Green Hills weekly I have noticed prices that were once in-line with Wild Oats gently budge upward on items I consider staples such as orange juice, bread and buns. At first the prices at Whole Foods were lower on some items in comparison to Wild Oats at Coolsprings but now the prices at Wild Oats have started to increase and some items are disappearing from shelves and I am told they will not return. Rudy’s buns and bread has gone from $3.29 to $4.79 and the lower priced, but just as good, Wild Oats brand bread and buns is being replaced by a higher priced, and lower quality, Whole Foods brand that contains honey. Orange juice has increased at Wild Oats by 60 cents since they began carrying the Whole Foods 365 label and they have stopped stocking no-pulp variety.

The produce section was recently changed out at Wild Oats and as far as I can tell prices were not. Changes are coming for the rest of the store as well I am sure. I just hope the prices and items that are left don’t change along with them.

I’ll save the story about the woman at Whole Foods who refused to put my groceries into my Trader Joe’s bag for another post.

My wife has been using her days off to bake up lots of goodies. Her latest creations are Smores and Butterfly Cupcakes. Recipes are from “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World“. I have married a master baker. These things are delicious!

The next day after making these she taught a small class on cupcake decorating, unfortunately all of those cupcakes were made using butter and eggs since someone else bought the supplies.  They were easter cupcakes and looked really cool with green coconut for grass and jellybean “eggs” and a little chick on top.

March is nearly here and that means it is time again for The Great American Meat Out.   Started in 1985, Meat Out is a grassroots campaign designed to spread through education and information the benefits of a meat-free diet.   Events are coordinated by FARM and held in many cities (although Nashville is not one).   The purpose, of course, is to get as many people as possible to “Kick the meat habit”.

From the website, benefits include:

Kicking the meat habit reduces our risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other chronic diseases that cripple and kill nearly 1.4 million Americans annually.

Kicking the meat habit decreases our exposure to infectious pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter, which kill several thousand Americans annually and sicken millions more.

Kicking the meat habit raises our energy level, lowers our food budget, and simplifies food preparation and cleanup.

Kicking the meat habit frees up grains and other foods that can be used to feed the world’s hungry. Animals are extremely inefficient “protein converters;” it can take up to 16 pounds of grain to make 1 pound of beef.

Kicking the meat habit preserves our topsoil, water, and other food production resources vital to the survival of our children and their children.

Kicking the meat habit protects our forests, grasslands, and other wildlife habitats from encroachment by cattle ranchers while reducing the polluting effects of methane, soil particles, manure, and pesticides on our air and water.

Kicking the meat habit saves animals from caging, crowding, deprivation, drugging, mutilation, manhandling, and agonizing slaughter. Each person who adopts a plant-based diet saves over 80 innocent, sentient animals each year. Over a lifetime, an individual can save more than 6,000 animals just by going vegan.

You can register for an event, get a meat-out packet and get pointers on getting someone you know, or even yourself, meat free at meatout.org.