Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

vegan

Browsing
health

Is Nougat Actually Vegan?

Whether nougat is also available vegan is an important question for many beginners in this field – after all, the sweet mass is essential for various dessert recipes. We’ll tell you what you, as a vegan, have to look out for when buying.

Is nougat vegan?

Nougat is a popular ingredient in the world of desserts and cakes: the creamy mass is often used, for example, as a fine filling for pralines and the like. Nut nougat creams are also real classics among sweet spreads.

In itself, it is not a problem to make vegan nougat. The essential basic ingredients are hazelnuts and cocoa. In addition, the dark nut mass usually consists of sugar, fat (usually cocoa butter or palm fat) and vanilla flavoring. In addition to dark hazelnut nougat, there are many other types of nougat made from almonds, pistachios and other types of nuts, for example.

It is not uncommon for manufacturers to add animal ingredients to nougat and especially nougat creams, such as milk powder or butterfat. If you want to buy vegan nougat, you should therefore pay attention to vegan-certified goods or read the list of ingredients carefully beforehand.

Nougat: Vegan recipe ideas

You can also easily make nougat yourself at home. Here we show you a recipe for vegan nougat with coconut fat: Make nougat yourself: Recipe and tips.

You can find instructions for vegan nougat pralines in this article: Vegan pralines: 3 delicious recipes to make yourself.

In addition, nougat is suitable as an ingredient for:

Nougat thalers and cookies
cakes and muffins
Pie fillings and cupcake frostings
Fillings for croissants
Ice Cream and Parfaits

What about organic, fair trade and palm oil?

Even if nougat is vegan, it is not automatically a sustainable product. In order to really fall back on socially and ecologically responsible products, you should also pay attention to organic and fair trade seals when buying.

Organic seals guarantee, among other things, that no pesticides that are harmful to the environment or health were used in the cultivation of the ingredients. The Fairtrade logo assures you that everyone involved in the production chain has worked under fair working conditions and for a fair wage. This is particularly important with cocoa. You can find out more about this here: Fairtrade cocoa: you need to know that.

After all, some nougat fillings contain palm fat. Palm oil production is significantly involved in the clearing of rainforests and thus in the extinction of species and the progression of the climate crisis. In order not to support these abuses, you can use palm oil-free products. Alternatively, there are certifications for sustainably produced palm oil.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Figs are Not (Always) Vegan

Even if they are fruit, figs are often not vegan. The reason for this lies in the fertilization method. We explain what makes most figs problematic and what alternatives there are.

At first glance, the question of whether figs are vegan does not seem to arise: After all, they are the fruit of the fig tree and therefore a food of plant origin. If you interpret the term strictly, however, most figs are actually not suitable for a vegan diet: numerous wasps are usually injured when the fruit is cultivated. This is not a side effect, in fact it is a necessary condition. You can read here why this is so.

That’s why figs are not vegan

Most commercially available figs come from the so-called real fig or table fig (Ficus carica). The common fig only has female flowers and can therefore not reproduce itself – it needs the male pollen of another fig species, the goat fig. Only certain wasp species, which are summarized under the umbrella term “fig wasps”, can pollinate them.

The female fig wasps enter the flowers of the fig tree – because fig flowers are very narrow, they injure themselves and die after laying their eggs. So-called plant galls form from the blossoms of the fig, in which the young fig wasps grow.

The males no longer leave the galls: they die after mating with the females. The females later get out into the open and fly to the blossoms of the goat fig, but also those of the real fig. In this way they transport the required pollen and ensure the fertilization of both types of figs. However, the females lose their lives in the process – the cycle continues.

After they die, the dead fig wasps are decomposed inside: they are completely dissolved by an enzyme called ficin. The fruits that are harvested later do not contain any residue from the wasps. Strictly speaking, however, figs are not vegan. So the death of the wasps is the basic requirement for them to be able to grow up at all. Whether you want to eat figs as a vegan or not is ultimately an individual decision.

Are there vegan figs?

In addition to the common fig and the goat fig, there are also fig varieties that do not depend on the fig wasp. They can fertilize themselves and are vegan figs in that sense. They are also known under the umbrella term “Parthenocarpic figs”. Such varieties are particularly common in regions where fig wasps do not occur. In Germany too, under the right climatic conditions, fig trees can be grown that bear fruit.

If you eat the sweet fruit often but want to use vegan figs, you have the option of planting a fig tree in your own garden. You can get general information about this in our guide: Planting, caring for and propagating fig trees: Here’s how.

For more details, it is best to seek advice from a specialist garden retailer. There you can find out whether the climate in your region is favorable enough to grow figs – and you can also find out which self-pollinating species are suitable. In Germany, for example, the “Brown Turkey”, “Negronne” or “Valle Negra” varieties are popular.

Keep Reading
By
Cooking Tips

Is Baking Soda Actually Vegan?

Have you ever wondered if baking soda is vegan? This is a tricky question to answer as it depends on the baking soda: some are vegan, some are not.

If you want to bake vegan, you have to use vegan baking powder. Baking powder is not inherently vegan. Depending on what kind of baking powder it is, it may contain animal ingredients.

Baking powder usually consists of one or more of these ingredients:

sodium bicarbonate (E 500ii),
potassium hydrogen carbonate (E 501ii),
potassium carbonate (“potash”),
disodium dihydrogen diphosphate (E 450a),
cream of tartar (E 336),
monocalcium orthophosphate (E 341a),
Strength.

When baking soda is vegan

Of the above ingredients, baking powder contains either phosphate (disodium dihydrogen diphospha) or cream of tartar as an acidifier. In a separate article, we already explained why cream of tartar is better. However, you have to keep in mind: While conventional baking powder is always vegan, there are sometimes animal ingredients in cream of tartar.

Why isn’t baking powder always vegan? The cream of tartar in baking soda is wine based. In some cases, this is clarified with gelatin or other animal substances. Although the gelatine is removed again, traces can always remain. For this reason, you have to make sure that Weinstein baking powder is explicitly marked with the addition “vegan”. Then the wine has been clarified with vegan substances.

Overview: Vegan Baking Powder

The conventional baking powder with phosphate is vegan, but not recommended. We recommend cream of tartar, which the companies also say is vegan in most cases. Here is an overview of major brand vegan cream of tartar:

dm organic baking powder with pure cream of tartar
RUF organic cream of tartar baking powder
REWE organic pure tartar baking powder (certified with vegan flower)
Alnatura organic pure tartar baking powder (certified with vegan flower)
Biovegan Master Baking Powder
Natura Organic Cream of Tartar Baking Powder
Organic Central Baking Soda Tartar
Tip: If you still have old baking powder with phosphate at home, you can use it to clean the baking tray or other household items, such as the ceramic hob.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Vegan Lard with Onions: This is How It Works

You can easily make vegan lard with onions yourself. We use kidney beans as a healthy base. We show you a delicious recipe for vegan lard.

Lard is an animal fat that is commonly used in cooking and frying. Butter lard or onion lard is also very popular as a spread. Since lard consists entirely of fat, it is considered very unhealthy. It also contains a lot of saturated fatty acids, which, according to the German Nutrition Society, can have a bad effect on the cardiovascular system and promote lipid metabolism disorders. Therefore, more and more people are turning to vegetarian or vegan lard.

Vegan lard with onions is mostly made from vegetable fats like margarine. We avoid using too much fat in our recipe. Our onion lard is prepared with white beans. These are very healthy as they are rich in protein and fiber. They provide important proteins, especially for a vegetarian and vegan diet. We show you a vegan recipe for delicious onion lard.

Vegan lard: the recipe

Ingredients:

2 onions
2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
2 pieces of bay leaves
2 pieces of cloves
0.5 teaspoon
400 g kidney beans (one can)
40 ml water
1 tsp soy sauce
1 pinch(s) of salt
1 pinch(s) of pepper
0.5 tsp marjoram

Directions:

Peel the onions and chop them finely. Heat the rapeseed oil in a pan and fry the onions in it.
Add the bay leaves, cloves and allspice. Let everything simmer for another five minutes. Then remove the pan from the stove.
Drain the white beans and put them in a measuring cup with the water and soy sauce.
Using an immersion blender, mash the beans until they have a mushy consistency.
Pick the cloves and bay leaves from the pan. Stir the onions into the bean paste.
Depending on the desired consistency, you can further puree the lard with the onions. If you prefer coarser pieces, this step isn’t necessary.
Season the lard with salt, pepper, and marjoram to taste. Pour the finished onion lard into a mason jar.

Vegan lard: tips for preparation

The vegan onion lard is ready in just 15 minutes. You can prepare it ahead of time and store it in the fridge. The lard can be kept for several days in this way. With the following preparation tips, the lard is not only delicious, but also sustainable:

When shopping, pay attention to the organic quality. The Demeter seal, the Bioland seal and the Naturland seal are particularly recommended, as they represent strict guidelines.
Buy preferably regional and seasonal ingredients. In this way you can support local providers, avoid long transport routes and reduce CO2 emissions. White beans originally come from tropical areas. However, Europe is now one of the main growing regions. Since they grow all year round, you can prepare the onion lard for every season. Onions are in season in Germany from June to October. But you can buy them all year round from German storage. You can find out when which fruit and vegetables are seasonal in Germany in our seasonal calendar.
You can refine and vary the vegan lard with different ingredients. For example, chickpeas or kidney beans are an alternative to white beans. Garlic, chilli or cumin also give the lard a whole new taste.
The vegan onion lard is delicious and versatile. You can use it to fry for stir-fries or stews. It also tastes delicious as a dip or as a spread. Sometimes lard is also used in baking recipes.

Keep Reading
By
Cooking Tips

10 Vegan Foods That You are Guaranteed to Have at Home and That Will Fill You Up

A vegan diet does not necessarily mean just eating salad or relying on substitute products. Because you probably have these ten vegan foods at home anyway – and you’ll get really full of them.

If you want to eat vegan, you now have a large selection of vegan substitute products that are produced as an alternative to animal food. It’s a nice option, but it doesn’t have to be. Because many foods are already vegan anyway and you probably already have them at home. This is handy if you want to cook something without having to shop for it first.

Make sure that all food is regional and of organic quality. In this way you avoid long transport routes and chemical-synthetic pesticides and do something good for yourself and the environment. We can particularly recommend the Demeter, Bioland and Naturland seals, because they follow stricter criteria than the EU organic seals.

Red lenses

Small but fine: Red lentils can be the basis for many delicious dishes. Rich in proteins and minerals, they provide you with a lot of energy. In addition, they are already cooked after 15 minutes of cooking time – perfect when you need something quick.

Tomato passata

Tomato passata is easy to make yourself. All you need is onions, garlic, a carrot, celery, tomatoes, olive oil, and basil—just veggies you probably already have at home. You can find a detailed recipe here: Make Passata yourself.

Store-bought passata is also often vegan, which you can easily recognize by the vegan logo printed on the bottle or pack.

You can use the passata to make a refreshing tomato soup with oat milk right now in summer. You can also use it directly as a sauce for pasta or on pizza.

Spelled flour

Not only is it healthier than wheat, its hard shell also makes it easier to do without pesticides: spelled. Fortunately, wheat and spelled can be used in a similar way as flour. You can easily replace wheat flour with spelled flour.

A quick recipe with spelled flour is pan bread. You can prepare it in just 20 minutes with just a few vegan ingredients. Vegan spelled waffles are ideal for the coffee table: They are also ready in a short time. They are a healthier alternative to cakes, biscuits and the like and taste particularly delicious with seasonal fruit.

Potatoes

It is one of the staple foods in Germany: the potato. With a similar carbohydrate content as pasta or rice, it has only half as many calories.

The tuber can be used in many ways: you can make your own fries, for example. You don’t need much for these and they are healthier than frozen fries. Another delicious recipe is smashed potatoes. They taste delicious and can be garnished with various vegetables.

Quinoa

Filler and energy supplier: quinoa. The so-called pseudo-grain is gluten-free and can be eaten with vegetables or sauce instead of pasta and the like.

A summery recipe with the pseudocereal is a quinoa salad that tastes delicious and fills you up, but is not heavy on the stomach. But you can also make a sweet snack from quinoa, namely in the form of quinoa bites.

Chickpeas

It goes particularly well with meatless diets: the chickpea. Because the legumes contain many proteins that the body can otherwise get from the meat. Your body can also benefit from the high fiber content of chickpeas.

In oriental cuisine, chickpeas are often made into hummus or falafel. But the legume also tastes very good in curry.

Bananas

Many swear by bananas. And not without reason: because although they contain a lot of carbohydrates and fructose – also in comparison to other fruit – the banana is not unhealthy. Because it is rich in vitamins and provides energy.

If you get bored with bananas as a simple snack, you can also use them to make banana chips. The chips are also perfect as a topping for muesli. Or you make a simple dessert: a vegan chocolate cream. A slightly more unusual variant is the banana soup.

Note: Only buy bananas in moderation, because they have been transported long distances. Through food sharing, however, you can often save bananas that would otherwise have ended up in the trash.

Oatmeal

Gluten-free, healthy, low-calorie: oatmeal is a typical breakfast and gives you the energy you need for the day. This is also due to the high vitamin and mineral content of the grain. By the way: Oat flakes are also gluten-free (pay attention to the label on the pack). Therefore, you can eat them even if you have celiac disease.

One of the most popular oat dishes is porridge. Since you can vary the toppings – for example fruit or pieces of chocolate – very flexibly, you have variety every day. Those who prefer a hearty breakfast can prepare the porridge with vegetables. But oats also taste delicious when baked: It is not without reason that the so-called baked oatmeal – i.e. porridge from the casserole dish – is currently the trend breakfast on Tik Tok.

Coconut milk

It is true that coconut milk is high in calories and fatty acids and it does not necessarily score well with its CO2 balance, which is why you should not buy it too often either. However, it offers a good vegan substitute for cream or crème fraîche and it should not be missing in many Asian dishes. If you want to do without store-bought coconut milk, you can easily make it yourself.

A simple dessert is the coconut milk rice. You can prepare it with just four ingredients and garnish with seasonal, fresh fruit or fruit puree. In Indian korma, a mild curry with ginger and cauliflower, coconut milk is important for taste and texture. And if you want a fruity cool down in summer, you can make your own watermelon ice cream with coconut milk.

Cornmeal

Whether for thickening sauces, for making desserts or for tortillas and nachos: corn flour can be used in many ways. It is also gluten free. But be careful: In contrast to spelled flour, you cannot simply replace wheat flour with corn flour. That’s why other types of flour always have to be mixed into cornbread.

But even if you don’t want to bake bread, you can use cornmeal in your kitchen – for example to make tortillas yourself. Or you can make your own nachos. You can also replace potato flour with corn flour in the dumpling dough.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Freeganism: This is Behind the Vegan Diet

There are many different diets, and freeganism is one of them. You can find out what this rather new type of diet is all about here.

There is no official definition of freeganism, but the different definitions are all pretty similar. Below you will learn more about what freeganism is, the motivation behind it and whether it is legal.

This is freeganism

Freeganism isn’t just a diet, it’s a lifestyle. The origins of it can be found in New York. The name is made up of the English word “free”, which means “free” or “free of charge”, and the word vegan. Translated, it means something like eating vegan food for free or living vegan.

But that is not the main idea of ​​freeganism. People who eat or live freegan usually do so out of a political stance, because they don’t want to be part of the throwaway, affluent capitalist society. They are thus trying to denounce capitalism, the exploitation of humans and animals, overconsumption and food waste.

That’s how you live freegan

So freegans feed themselves exclusively on free food that is no longer normally sold in the supermarket. To achieve this, many freegans go “containers”. However, this is forbidden in Germany – if you are caught, you can be reported for trespassing and theft. But there are also legal alternatives that you can use to eat freegan:

On the one hand, you can use the Foodsharing platform, whose goal is to save overproduced and leftover food.
You could also check with local supermarkets to see if you can have expired or discarded groceries. Maybe one or the other grocery store in your area is already a member of the “Too good to go” app.
If you decide not only to eat freegan, but to live freeganism holistically, the following tips will help:

Use platforms like Ebay classifieds for free clothes and other free things.
Attend clothing swap parties.
Ask family, acquaintances and friends for things that they no longer need or can lend you.

What you should consider if you want to become a freegan

If you want to try freeganism for yourself, here are a few things to think about beforehand:

Consider whether you want to go to containers or whether you would rather use legal alternatives. You can find out more about this here: Instead of containers: 4 ways you can legally save food.
You should also consider in which areas of your life you would like to become freegan. Do you only start with nutrition or do you want to pay attention to your clothing and other everyday items?
Realize this: you never know what groceries and other things you will find or get. So be flexible and consider whether you have options for preserving or preserving food in different ways. More information can be found here: Preserving food: 3 simple methods.
The foods you get can affect how balanced your diet is. It may mean that you need to buy additional foods to ensure a balanced diet.
From the last two points mentioned, what is perhaps the most important: Before you become a freeganer:in, you should think about how you can eat a basically balanced vegan diet and what you should consider and possibly supplement. Vitamin B12 is recommended for vegans, for example as a dietary supplement.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Food Study: Vegan Product is the Second Largest Emitter

In a new study, scientists have calculated the greenhouse gas emissions of animal and plant-based foods. The study came to a surprising conclusion: the second largest emitter is a plant product.

All aspects of global food production together produce more than 17 billion tons of greenhouse gases every year. Of this, 57 percent goes to animal-based foods, 29 percent to plant-based ones. This is shown by a study that has just been published by Nature Food.

Beef is the main cause of greenhouse gases

Of all the foods examined, beef production was by far the largest contributor to greenhouse gases – with a share of 25 percent. Rice follows in second place with twelve percent. Rice is such a high source of emissions because when the rice fields are flooded, bacteria that produce methane are created.

Considering only the animal products, after the beef follow in this order:

cow milk
pork meat
chicken meat
For plant products, after rice, follow:

Wheat
sugar cane
Corn

South and Southeast Asia: Region with the highest emissions from food

According to the study, the regions with the most emissions related to food production are South and Southeast Asia. In addition, this region is the only one whose emissions are so high due to plant-based foods and not animal ones. Greenhouse gas emissions were highest in China, India and Indonesia. The reason for this is primarily the cultivation of rice.

With the study, the authors want to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through changed management. Conceivable measures are the reduction of fertilizer use and the use of tillage methods.

In addition, the scientists want to investigate how the food needs of a growing world population can be met while at the same time stopping deforestation.

According to the research team, part of which is based at the University of Illinois, this study is more detailed and comprehensive than comparable studies. Because the authors used data from 171 plants and 16 animal products from more than 200 countries.

In addition, they used computer models to calculate the amounts of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide produced from different aspects of nutrition, including consumption and production.

One study author points out that it is important to find out which reduction targets make the most economic and ecological sense. “You want to do everything,” she says, “but you can’t do everything at the same time.”

Utopia says: This study shows once again that we have to reduce greenhouse gases and that a change in diet makes sense for this. Although rice is mentioned here as the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, a balanced plant-based diet can reduce a lot of CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Vegan Shopping List for Supplies and Every Day: This is What You Need

The vegan shopping list serves as a help and inspiration for your next purchase. It contains all the basics you need for vegan cooking. Here are the foods that should not be missing from any vegan shopping list.

This vegan shopping list should serve as inspiration, which you can of course always adapt to your own needs and recipe ideas. The fact that a vegan diet leads to undersupply and deficiencies is not necessarily correct. What you’re most likely to be missing is vitamin B12, which is mainly found in fish, dairy, and eggs. If you follow an exclusively vegan diet, you may need to get vitamin B12 through supplements. Talk to a doctor about it.

The key to successful nutrition lies in natural, unprocessed food diversity. These basics should serve as the building block for a natural, unprocessed, sustainable diet with an adequate supply of nutrients.

The elephant portion of your vegan shopping list: veggies

Your healthy vegan diet should consist mostly of fresh vegetables. Ideally three servings (about 400 grams) per day. Ideally, buy seasonal, regional and organic.

Remember: conventional vegetables are better than no vegetables at all. The best place to buy fresh, regional and seasonal vegetables is at the weekly market or in an organic shop. You can now also find unpackaged organic vegetables in many “normal” supermarkets.

You should eat a large proportion of it raw or cook it gently so that the vitamins and minerals are not lost.

must-haves

Seasonal salads
potatoes
Spinach (frozen possible)
onions
Expand your Must Haves individually with the current seasonal vegetables. The seasonal calendar gives you a clue.

Fruit in as many different colors as possible

You can find fruit in all colors of the rainbow. Each color brings different nutrients with it. Eat as varied as possible! Due to the carotenoids, fruit is particularly rich in secondary plant substances. Raw fruit also provides you with more nutrients than cooked. Are you afraid of fructose? Do not worry. As long as you eat the whole fruit, you can’t eat too much fructose. Before you are full.

Must haves here are all fruits that are seasonal and regional!

apples
Local berries, e.g. raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries, juniper berries
plums
Grapes
pears
oranges
The same applies here: Adjust your vegan shopping list by giving preference to regional and seasonal fruits.

Tip: simply freeze in-season fruit for later use. So you always have frozen fruit in stock for delicious smoothies. However, you should not freeze fruit that contains a lot of water. We have tips on how to properly freeze food without plastic.

Dry goods should not be missing on the vegan shopping list

  1. proteins:

Dietary proteins provide the body with essential amino acids, which it needs to build muscles, organs, cartilage, bones, skin, hair and nails.

must-haves

Beans: Black, white, or kidney beans.
Tofu: Smoked, fermented or marinated yourself.
Pseudo-nuts, i.e. these are called nuts, but actually belong to a different food group: peanuts, these belong to the legumes.
Tempeh (fermented soy product)
Chickpeas: Oven baked or used as hummus.
Lentils: Red, green or beluga: As a lukewarm salad, as pasta or dal.
Yeast flakes: Can be used as a cheese substitute, Parmesan-like taste.
A note on legumes: Buy them dry and cook them yourself, they’re cheaper and available in bulk stores in any quantity. By the way: legumes are also one of the many causes of flatulence.

2. Healthy Fats:

Monounsaturated fatty acids are easily digestible and easily digestible. They help to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, protect the organs and also have a positive effect on cholesterol levels. So: Don’t be afraid of the right fat! When using oils, those with a favorable fatty acid spectrum should be selected. This means above all the supply of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Vegetable fats, such as those found in olive oil or avocados, are also included.

must-haves

Walnuts: As a snack or as a porridge topping.
Linseed oil: In the smoothie or in the muesli.
Regional superfood Linseed instead of chia seeds from abroad, these contain a lot of omega-3 fatty acids.
Hemp seeds: Over the muesli or in the smoothie.
Tahini: For sauces or mixed with date syrup as a spread.
Nut butter: In porridge or in smoothies.
Seeds & Kernels: In the salad or as a granola.

3. Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for our body. We need carbohydrates to maintain our brain, breathing, metabolism, heartbeat and body temperature. When we exercise, we need even more of it.

must-haves

Oatmeal: You can use these to make oatmeal, among other things.
Wholemeal bread: How you can bake this yourself is explained here: Bake wholemeal bread yourself: Recipe for moist bread.
Wholemeal Rice: Wild rice, red or whole grain.
Wholemeal pasta or pasta made from hemp, lentils or buckwheat.
Millet: Also popped for your muesli.
Quinoa: Cooked or flaked for overnight oats.
Buckwheat: You can sprout or boil the buckwheat.

Herbs and spices add flavor to your vegan shopping list

We primarily use herbs and spices for flavor. In medicine, they have also been used as a remedy for a very long time. In addition, they are essential in vegan cuisine and therefore an indispensable part of your vegan shopping list. Cooking without animal protein means seasoning with a variety of herbs and spices to ensure excellent taste.

must-haves

Turmeric: The coloring agent “curcumin” has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Ginger: Rich in vitamin C.
Ceylon Cinnamon: Considered to be anti-inflammatory.
Fresh herbs: Purchase long-lasting herb pots or grow them yourself on the balcony.
Garlic: Can be used as a natural antibiotic.
chili
curry
paprika powder

The vegan shopping list replaces animal products with plant-based alternatives

Milk, yoghurt and cheese are among the most frequently mentioned when people are asked what they think they cannot do without. However, there are now excellent substitute products and even special shops** such as Vantastic Foods. Here, however, it is important to note: unsweetened and the shortest possible list of ingredients.

Substitute products:

Plant drinks: oat milk or buckwheat milk are good milk alternatives, because these cereals are also grown in Germany.
Oat-based yoghurt or soy yoghurt: With both variants, it is best to pay attention to regional cultivation or make them yourself.
Smoked tofu: Ideal as a meat substitute.
Vegan cheese: For example, based on almonds.
Vegan cream substitute
The rule here is: less is more! You don’t need a lot of vegan substitutes. Processed vegan substitutes often contain myriad additives. A vegan shopping list should consist primarily of colorful fruit, vegetables and legumes.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Roasted Flavors: How to Use the Maillard Reaction in Vegan Cooking

Roasted aromas ensure a particularly strong taste experience. In this article, we explain how they are made and how you can use them, especially in vegan cuisine.

Everyone knows roasted aromas – the scent of ground coffee beans, fried onions or crusty bread fresh from the oven. Behind these flavors is the so-called Maillard reaction, in which sugar and proteins react with each other under the influence of heat. Characteristic smells, tastes and browning develop on the surface of the treated food through baking, roasting and roasting.

Although the two processes are similar, there is a difference between the Maillard reaction and caramelization. Sugar and heat are all you need to caramelize food. In the Maillard reaction, the sugar also reacts with proteins. However, it is possible for the caramelization and the Maillard reaction to occur simultaneously. For example, it can happen that your onions caramelize when frying due to their own sugar and also produce roasted aromas due to the Maillard reaction.

Roasted aromas in vegan cuisine

As already mentioned, the development of roasted flavors requires both sugars and proteins. Many foods already contain both of the necessary components and can therefore be easily refined with roasted aromas. You can enhance the reaction even further by adding an additional sugary component, for example in the form of a marinade.

Basically, many products that contain roasted flavors can already be vegan. These include, for example, cocoa beans and their products, coffee, beer, bread, French fries and chips. Of course, you also have the option of creating roasted aromas yourself in your kitchen. For example, you can roast potatoes or sweet potatoes in the oven or fry marinated tofu in a pan. Other foods that go well with roasted flavors include:

Corn
tempeh
Mushrooms
paprika
aubergine
carrots
pumpkin
tomatoes
garlic
chestnuts

You can use it to prepare a simple oven-roasted pumpkin dish, a delicious tempeh pan or grilled corn ribs, for example. In the Utopia seasonal calendar you can see when which vegetables are in season in Germany. In another article you will find more tips for hearty vegan dishes with roasted flavors that you can prepare all year round.

You should pay attention to this when roasting

Under unfavorable conditions, the production of roasted aromas through the Maillard reaction can lead to increased formation of undesirable substances. This includes in particular the so-called acrylamide. You can read more detailed information about this substance in our guide: Acrylamide: Why the substance is problematic.

The development of roasted aromas is particularly dependent on temperature, time, pH value and water content. Pay attention to the following points to limit the formation of potentially harmful substances:

The color is a handy clue as to whether or not roasted foods contain unhealthy substances. Avoid deep black and charred spots by carefully observing your food as you prepare it. Black spots can form particularly at very high temperatures from 180 degrees Celsius and with long cooking times.
If possible, add herbs and spices afterwards – especially if the liquid content is low. In this way you avoid that they burn prematurely before the desired roasted aromas can even develop.
If it tastes right, use a little acid to reduce the risk of burning. Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, for example, are suitable.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Losing Weight Vegan: What You Should Pay Attention to

You can be vegan for many different reasons – animal welfare, environmental protection, health and also the desire to lose a few pounds can be a motivation. But do you really lose weight with a vegan diet? How does it work and what should you pay attention to?

Can you lose weight on a vegan diet?

Yes, you can lose weight with a vegan diet – but there is no guarantee. Because theoretically you can lose weight with any diet – if you don’t just eat chocolate, chips, cola and ready meals.

But the vegan diet has clear advantages: It often includes a diverse and varied selection of vegetables, legumes, fruit, cereals and whole grain products, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils. A study showed: A vegan diet could mean 8.1 million fewer deaths per year. According to the researchers, more than half of these avoided deaths could be attributed to reduced consumption of red meat (beef, pork, sheep, goat) and about a quarter to increased fruit and vegetable consumption.

In addition, vegans often live healthier lives in general: They smoke less often, drink less alcohol and exercise more. To what extent diet is decisive here, or whether healthy people generally opt for a vegan diet more often, is not known exactly.

Losing weight vegan: what do you have to pay attention to?

Long-time vegans know their way around and know what to look out for. But if you are just starting out on a vegan diet, you should consider a few things. Some nutrients are not included in a vegan diet, or only when you are familiar with them. These include vitamin B12, vitamin B2, vitamin D, protein, calcium, iron, iodine, zinc, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids.

With the exception of vitamin B12 – which vegans should supplement or take in with the help of fortified toothpaste – it is possible to absorb these nutrients with a balanced, varied diet. However, one should consciously ensure that all nutrients are present in the diet.

The vegan nutrition poster or the vegan nutrition pyramid from the animal rights organization Peta can be helpful. In our article “Vitamins from plant sources”, you can find out which vitamins are in which vegan foods. A regular medical blood test is also useful, it shows possible deficiency situations.

Losing weight vegan: The energy balance is crucial

If you want to lose weight – whether vegan or not – you have to use more energy than you take in. That doesn’t mean you have to waste your time counting calories and starving yourself from now on. It often helps to gradually change small things and slowly strive for a healthier lifestyle.

How much energy you use varies from person to person and depends on body weight, body composition, gender, age, health, the temperature around us and, crucially, physical activity. There is little you can do to change most of these things – except for your physical activity. This means that if you want to lose weight, you have to move.

Nothing happens without movement

You don’t have to exercise five days a week – it’s often the small things that can make a big difference: climb the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator, walk or bike short distances, and go for a short walk during your lunch break .

Yes, even in winter. Remember, temperature also plays a role in energy consumption. The colder it is outside, the more energy your body uses to keep you warm. In addition, the cold air – and if you’re lucky, a few rays of winter sun (vitamin D) – is good for your health.

Try to integrate regular physical activity into your everyday life: maybe you like swimming, running, cycling, dancing or enjoy a team sport? Whatever your sport, plan time for it every week. If you have doubts about going through with it, then arrange to meet up with friends – you can motivate each other.

What am I actually eating?

Let’s get to the energy you absorb. It can clearly be influenced by your diet. And here, too, it is small steps that can make a big difference. A good way to find out where to start is by keeping a food journal (there are good food journal apps out there now too).

If you regularly write down what you eat, you’ll probably find a few things you can work on. Don’t try to eat as little as possible – it is especially important for vegans to eat enough. Be careful what foods you eat.

Clean eating: not just a trend

Eat as clean as possible, i.e. mainly unprocessed food! There are now plenty of finished products with too much salt and additives for vegans too. It’s better to ignore them and try to eat as much fresh and unprocessed food as possible: lots of things can be conjured up from vegetables, fruit, legumes, seeds, grains and nuts.

How about a homemade spread on freshly baked bread with hemp milk, almond milk or a smoothie and an energy ball for dessert? Vegan food accounts on Instagram offer a good source of inspiration.

Carbohydrates? Yes, but whole grain

Carbohydrates make you fat? Not necessarily. If you only eat croissants, white bread and sugar, you certainly won’t lose any pounds. But if you eat foods that have complex carbohydrates in them — like cereal, bran, beans, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, brown rice, potatoes, vegetables, or soy products — your body will take longer to digest, your blood sugar won’t spike as much, and you will stay full longer. Also read the article on proper nutrition in the following box:

Healthy snacks instead of Cheat Day

Cheat Day is a trend that is particularly widespread on social networks and on YouTube: starving six days a week – and on one day pizza, fries, cola, chocolate, ice cream (and everything else that you have forbidden yourself) in cram yourself in. Such regular, planned binge eating is not a good idea.

It’s better to treat yourself to something every now and then. Delicious homemade brownies made from kidney beans, energy balls or homemade Nutella. The advantage of making it yourself: You can decide for yourself how much sugar you use.

Drink lots and lots!

In addition to food, drinks also play a role in weight loss. A very simple rule of thumb is: drink water, and drink enough water so that you never feel thirsty. With sweet drinks such as cola, sprite, iced tea, but also with juice and ready-made juice spritzers, you absorb unnecessary energy, so you should avoid these and drink water instead. You can drink the tap water in Germany without hesitation. If you can’t go without flavor, spice up your water with ginger, cucumber, herbs, or lemon.

Listen to yourself: intuition and mindfulness

What does this esoteric stuff have to do with losing weight, you might be wondering. Probably more than you think. Before you just start eating at the next meal, be careful and listen to yourself: Are you hungry or just hungry? Are you stressed or relaxed? Take your time to eat and be aware of your body. Celebrate the food and present it beautifully. Eating is a beautiful thing and we want it to stay that way for you. When you feel full, stop eating.

Incidentally, stress and weight are often linked: while some people hardly eat at all during stressful times, others stuff themselves with sugar and fat. Make sure to consciously relax every now and again in your everyday life, even short units – ten minutes after getting up, during your lunch break or just before going to bed – can help to lower your stress level.

Vegan lose weight with patience

Conclusion: Don’t think of the vegan diet as a diet that can help you lose a lot of pounds in a short period of time. It will not work. As soon as you eat like before, you have the pounds back on your hips. Instead, try to see your diet change as something long-term and use it! Try out new recipes, get inspired and discover the diversity of vegan nutrition. Give yourself and your body time to adjust, and don’t freak out about it.

Keep Reading
By