VEGWORLD 72 - The Winter Issue

Contributors

KIM CAMPBELL

Kim Campbell is the author of the “PlantPure Nation” and the “PlantPure Kitchen” cookbooks. She developed more than 250 delicious whole food plant-based recipes using no processed oils.

Kim is also the Director of Culinary Education and Development at PlantPure, where she works with her husband, Nelson, building an organization that promotes a whole foods plant-based diet. Nelson directed and produced the groundbreaking movie, PlantPure Nation.

Kim graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Human Service Studies with a concentration in Nutrition and Child Development. Her passion has always been nutrition education for children, families, and adults. Kim has been a plant-based cook for more than 25 years cooking for her family and friends. Her love of culinary goes back to her early childhood growing up in a large traditional family. Kim is gifted at creating traditional American cuisine using 100% accessible plant-based ingredients. She builds flavors and textures that are familiar to most people, helping to make the transition to plant-based diet easier for people.

She is also the daughter-in-law of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, considered by many as at the science ‘father’ of the rapidly growing plant-based nutrition movement.

PlantPure Comfort Cookbook plantpurenation plantpurechef plantpurechef

DESIRÉE DANIELS

Desirée Daniels is a vegan food blogger and recipe developer from Durham, NC who started blogging in 2017 to share with family and friends what plant-based eating was all about and rid people of the common misconception that all vegan food is boring. Through her work, she aims to share dishes that are flavorful, easy to make and satisfying to a variety of pallets (including meat eaters). Her recipes have been featured in magazines both local and internationally.

CATHY KATIN-GRAZZINI

Cathy Katin-Grazzini is a plant-based chef and cookbook author of LOVE the FOODS that LOVE YOU BACK (Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 2022). She is Food Editor for VEGWORLD Magazine, and manages her blog, Cathy’s Kitchen Prescription, where she shares her latest recipes and guidance on sustainable, healthy, vegan cooking, nutrition, and lifestyle.

MICHAEL GREGER,

MD

A founding member and Fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Michael Greger, MD, is a physician, New York Times bestselling author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition. He has videos on more than 2,000 health topics freely available at NutritionFacts.org, with new videos and articles uploaded almost every day. Dr. Greger has lectured at the Conference on World Affairs, testified before Congress, and was invited as an expert witness in the defense of Oprah Winfrey in the infamous “meat defamation” trial. He is a graduate of Cornell University School of Agriculture and Tufts University School of Medicine. Three of his recent books — How Not to Die (with over a million copies sold), the How Not to Die Cookbook, and How Not to Diet all became instant New York Times Best Sellers. His latest two books, How to Survive a Pandemic and the How Not to Diet Cookbook, were released in 2020. All proceeds he receives from the sales of his books go to charity.

nutritionfacts.org

Daniela Lais is an Austrian journalist and awardwinning vegan cookbook author, living in Portland, Oregon. Her cookbooks are available all over the world in a variety of languages. Daniela has been a vegan for over 20 years and is passionate about cooking and baking. She is a cyclist, gardener, traveler and coffee lover. Her books Vegan on The Go and Easy Vegan Baking are a huge success all over the country. Currently she is working on a new International baking book which will be published in Germany/Austria/Switzerland in December this year.

Contributors

DANIELA LAIS

Contributors

MIGGS MCTAYLOR

Miggs McTaylor is a professionally trained chef who is passionate about plantbased dining.  She currently lives with her family in Wellington, New Zealand. Miggs enjoys providing private catering, plant-based tuition, recipe development and food photography services. After completing “traditional” chef training, Miggs continued her studies to become a botanical cuisine specialist by completing the eCornell Plant Based Nutrition Certificate. She then went on to complete the Rouxbe Plant-Based Professional course and most recently completed the Rouxbe’s Essential Vegan Desserts course.

CHAR NOLAN

Char Nolan is a serious crusader for plantbased education, armed with a degree in public health from Philadelphia’s Temple University. She teaches nutrition and plantbased cooking throughout Philadelphia, and in many underserved communities. Char holds a certificate in plantbased nutrition from eCornell and completed Rouxbe’s Plant-Based Professional Certification course in 2015. In 2019, Char completed post-graduate course work in social media marketing at the University of the Arts. When she is not cooking or teaching, she manages social media accounts for several plant-based influencers.

Char prides herself on learning everything she knows about cooking from growing up in her grandparents’ Italian restaurant. Her favorite vegetables are Brussels sprouts and kale, of course. Char originally hails from Queens, NY, but has lived in Philadelphia most of her adult life. She is a former Peace Corps Volunteer.

callmeishbel callmeishbel callemishbel

KARIN OLSEN

Vegan for 10 years and vegetarian for many years before, Karin Olsen is passionate about living and sharing the plant-based lifestyle. Born in Dallas and raised in Tulsa, she grew up in cattle country, knowing from a young age that she didn’t like eating meat and didn’t understand why some animals were considered pets and others food. Karin believes food is medicine and has a passion for helping people heal themselves through plants-not-pills. She recently earned the T. Colin Campbell Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate and is a certified health coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Karin has also practiced Bikram Yoga for more than 30 years and is a certified instructor. After many years of working in PR and marketing in Los Angeles and New York, she moved to Dallas where she launched Plant Power Productions. She recently relocated to Phoenix. The company offers consulting services in PR, marketing, communications, content creation, business development and sales. She has a special interest in projects focused on whole-food/plant-based/vegan lifestyle, wholistic health and healing, sustainable living, and animal welfare. She enjoys working with VEGWORLD Magazine and encourages readers to check out her vegan product reviews.

DOMINIQUE SIDE

Dominique Side is a Sustainability Expert and Leading Authority in Luxury Ethical Living. As the co-founder of the 7-figure entrepreneurial multiplex VgnBae Studios, luxury vegan fashion line Nikki Green and serial entrepreneur, her mission is to inspire and support other change-makers and influencers to transition to a compassionate-based vegan lifestyle, without compromising on their luxury quality of life.

vgnbaestudios shopnikkigreen

SHRIYA SWAMINATHAN

Shriya is an animal rights warrior in training at PETA’s Laboratory Investigations Department She is also a certified Vegan Hospitality Consultant and founder of Nourish by Shriya- her new consulting service that helps restaurants attract vegan clients. A proud travel foodie, she enjoys exploring local vegan cuisines! In her free time, you can find her hanging out with the residents at the Gentle Barn Sanctuary, while educating folks about the abundance of a vegan lifestyle. Her precious companion pooch Halley joins her activism on the #adoptdontshop message!

Contributors

the dream team

VegWorld Magazine is passionate about staying ahead of the rapidly growing trend of plant-based/vegan. Because of this passion, we have created a community of readers whose loyalty is second to none.

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

ALORA MIDDLETON HALE

Alora Middleton Hale (she/her) is a former educator turned socially conscious social media manager and the Publisher & Editor-in-Chief of VEGWORLD Magazine. Like so many others, Alora’s compassion for all living beings began as a child. Vegetarian from the age six, she has been vegan now for six years and strives to bring her passion for spreading the joys of living a compassionate lifestyle to all she does. Alora lives in Southern California with her husband and enjoys the arts, vintage fashion, travel, and eating nachos with extra guac.

alora.naturally

Food Editor CATHY KATIN-GRAZZINI

Cathy Katin-Grazzini, Food Editor at VEGWORLD Magazine, is a plant-based personal chef, nutritional coach, cooking instructor, and owner of Cathy’s Kitchen Prescription LLC. Certified in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell, Cathy is also a graduate of Rouxbe Cooking School’s Professional Plant-Based Program. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago, attended graduate school at Harvard University and received a M.A. from Johns Hopkins University.

Cathy lives with her husband Giordano in Ridgefield, Connecticut. When she’s not inventing and fermenting, she loves to run, hike, and adventure travel atop their trusty Ducati.

Cathy's cookbook Love the Food that Love You Back is available now from Rizzoli International Press. cathyskitchenprescription.com cathyskitchenprescription

Art Director

ANOKI CASEY

Anoki Casey is an Art Director, Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Animator, and Online Media Maker, specializing in identity, outreach, and marketing creation for community-focused nonprofits and groups. A vegan for over 20 years, Anoki has been focusing his professional career to more align with his personal passions, with vegan living and animal justice taking center.

He has a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from Rutgers University and lives meditatively in sunny San Diego, California.

anoki.net

the dream team

the dream team

EDITOR’S

NoteDecember is here again, and just like that, another year is coming to an end. We are excited to be able to share the Winter Issue with you and hope that it brings you an opportunity to read and relax during a season that can often become busy and stressful.

In this issue, we feature the winning essays from the VegVoyages Foundation Scholarship Essay contest and introduce you to two inspiring young vegan voices in animal activism.

We also introduce you to vegan businesses that are bringing innovative products to the plant-based space: Better Balance Foods, a new-to-the-U.S. food brand bringing flavorful and nutritious plant-based alternatives to tables near you, and Kanira, a new line of whole grain breakfast biscuits that proudly bring South Asian spice-forward flavors to the better-for-you breakfast category.

We then explore the world of grain-based beverages, a caffeine-free alternative to coffee that will keep you warm and toasty

during these colder winter months without keeping you awake at night.

Of course, an issue of VEGWORLD wouldn’t be complete without delicious recipes! Inside, you’ll find a selection of recipes perfect for enjoying with friends and family, like Sweet Potato Cranberry Pie (featured on the cover) and Vegan Party Fondue.

Thank you for reading and supporting VEGWORLD Magazine this year, and we hope you enjoy the Winter Issue.

With compassion, Alora Middleton Hale alora.naturally

Vegan Voices

OF TOMORROW

Meet the winners of the VegVoyages Foundation 1101 Scholarship Essay Contest

The 1101 Scholarship is a project by the VegVoyages Foundation for vegan and vegetarian students 12-25 years old and students who may be inclined or interested in being vegan and vegetarian.

The scholarship is the VegVoyages Foundation's way of providing support to students from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand to be the vegan voices of tomorrow. This year, the VegVoyages Foundation awarded scholarships to two students, with plans to expand to more students over the next few years.

FEATURE

Over 40 students across Asia sent in their responses to one of two prompts focusing on animal rights and climate change. Sixteen applicants were shortlisted to be read by the scholarship panelists. After carefully reading the essays, the panelists ranked each candidate individually and independently, determining the two winning essays.

Meet the Winners

Rakshith M. (India), 21 years old, got started on a plantbased journey two years ago after watching documentaries and educating himself. He is pursuing a master's degree in physics and is interested in learning climate physics. Rakshith is also part of an organization called Bengaluru Brigade for Animal Liberation (BBAL), which conducts various animal rights activities, like street outreaches and seminars in schools, to spread awareness about veganism. With the scholarship award, he looks forward to furthering his education and organizing more street outreach and seminars. He even plans to help fund organizations rescuing nonhuman animals in order to have a positive impact on the animals.

Eva Dongol (Nepal), 17 years old, was inspired from a young age by her father, an animal rescuer. She would often describe herself as an animal lover while she was eating meat. Eva educated herself and recognized what she was doing was not right. She states that veganism is not about giving anything up or losing anything; it's about gaining the peace within yourself that comes from supporting non-violence. She is currently studying biology with the intention of becoming a veterinarian. She looks forward to using the scholarship award for her education and organizing Rabies vaccination campaigns, ABC (Animal Birth Control), and animal rights and rabies awareness.

VEGWORLD is proud to feature the essays of the first-ever 1101 Scholarship Awardees. We hope you enjoy reading them, and we wish Rakshith and Eva all the best in their future endeavors.

Food Habits and

Climate Change

by Rakshith M.

"Animal Agriculture is one of the leading causes responsible for climate change. Land use, water use, deforestation to make room for land, methane emissions, etc make animal agriculture unsustainable and has been threatening life on home earth. In fact, scientists have warned us that even if all the countries in the world stop burning fossil fuels altogether, it's not possible to cap the rising temperature to 1.5º. As animal agriculture is responsible for 1/3rd of global emissions, it's necessary to address our food habits to tackle the climate crisis.

However, with the advent of the fast-food chain (mainly the western diet) and the practice of factory farming, meat consumption has increased drastically over the years, causing more and more domesticated animals to suffer unnecessarily and die. This doesn't stop here, for the rearing of these animals, deforestation is done causing biodiversity loss, exposing domesticated and wildlife in close proximity, and creating a favorable All these for food.

You might have noticed or experienced the effects of climate change in your community. For example, you might have noticed the changes in climate like untimely rain or more intense rain, more heat waves or sealevel rise, etc. The untimely change of season might have impacted the seasonal crop yield."

Most people do not associate climate change with the food they eat. But food systems, for reasons that we are about to see, have a huge impact on climate change. Making changes in our food habits is one of the most effective ways to reduce our environmental impact on the planet. If there is only one thing that one can do for the environment, it must be this.

The “thing” that we are talking about is consuming more plants and fewer foods with animal sourced ingredients. The ideal goal we can try and achieve is being vegan. There are a plethora of good reasons for one to go vegan: for your health, for the animals, and so on. But we will only look at how it does good for the environment.

Let us look at some numbers first. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) estimates that animal agriculture is responsible for 14.5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions [1]. It is important to bear in mind that this is a conservative number; various other studies estimate this to be a much higher quantity [2][3]. Livestock also takes up almost 80 percent of global agricultural land [4]. These numbers might seem okay at first. After all, the end products of animal agriculture: meat, dairy, and eggs, feed a lot of people on this planet. But we need to understand that these products take up significantly more resources than producing plants. Be it land usage, water usage, or the carbon footprint of different food products. Plant foods always come out on top.

Take beef, for instance. A kilogram of beef takes up 1451-2714 liters of water. Comparatively, pulses only take up about 436 liters. It might seem like we are neglecting the nutritional differences. But even if we compare them on a nutrient basis, pulses would be the better choice: for 100g of protein, beef can take anywhere from 728 to 1375 liters while pulses only take a meagre 204 liters [5]. Despite taking up so much more resources, livestock is responsible for less than 20% of the world’s supply of calories [4].

This is not the end of the story, though. Multiple studies [6], including this recent comprehensive one from FAO [7] show that virtually all the deforestation in the past two decades is due to agriculture: especially animal agriculture.

Livestock is responsible for 38.46 percent of deforestation directly, because of grazing. If we

take a closer look, we see that livestock is also responsible for a large percentage of the deforestation caused to grow crops (cropland expansion). This is because a significant

proportion of the crops we grow using this agricultural land does not end up in human stomachs. Only about 55 percent of the world’s crop calories are directly eaten by people, according to a study published in IOP Science [8]. In fact, with the amount of feed farmed pigs consume every year, we could potentially feed 2 billion people [9].

Think about what this means. If most (if not all) of us ate plants, there would be a significant decrease in deforestation, land use, and water usage. All the land used for livestock could be left free to re-wild and become forests, which would act as carbon sinks, reducing warming further.

Is the difference in impacts between the two kinds of diets significant?

The short answer is: Yes. The author of the most comprehensive study ever done on this topic said, “Going vegan is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth” [10]. For comparison, the difference is even larger than giving up flying or buying an electric car. Sectors that contribute to high methane emissions like animal agriculture, rice cultivation, wet and food waste are the ones where industrial and policy changes can’t do much good. This is where our lifestyle changes can help.

Even though the rich cause a lot more damage and policy changes can create more impact, we also need individuals to step up and be willing to make lifestyle changes for the planet. It need

not be either/or, because the government can make changes along with individuals contributing to the cause. Each one of us is partly responsible for climate change, and people learn to change when they see others change.

Learning about the effects of climate change has made me more observant of the unnatural climate-related events that have been happening where I live. Most recently, it was the heatwave that occurred during the summer of 2022. I was in North India at the time, and it was very evident. Daytime was unnaturally hot, even during the early months of summer. Cycling every day to college was much harder because of the scorching heat. And then monsoon arrived, with above-normal rainfall which caused heavy floods in northeast India.

I remember many of my friends sharing various fundraisers on social media because people were in desperate need of help. Millions of people were affected. Unfortunately, during such events, it is the poor people who bear the brunt of it.

Looking at how food habits have changed over the years, we can see two major trends of importance relevant to climate change: The increase in meat consumption, and the rise of fast food. Humans have been consuming more and more meat over the years, owing to intensive factory farming. We breed into existence at least 70 billion land animals every year unnaturally, and as we saw previously, this is not sustainable. We also consume so much fish that we could have fishless oceans by 2050 [11]. Past trends have also shown us that meat consumption always rises in developing countries as the per capital income of the population increases.

To help fight climate change, there are many more food-related lifestyle changes we can make. Here are some:

• Eating mostly unprocessed, whole foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, pulses, lentils, nuts, etc.

• Consuming locally grown foods, like locally grown fruits instead of imported ones.

• Avoiding food wastage.

• Trying to compost the kitchen wet waste you produce in your house.

• For any environmentally conscious person, food is just the beginning. Going completely vegan and ditching all animal products will reduce your environmental impact even more, and there are many more reasons for one to be vegan. The diet that is the most environmentally friendly just so happens to be one of the healthiest and the most ethical.

References:

1. https://www.fao.org/news/story/en/ item/197623/icode/#:~:text=By%20the%20 numbers%3A%20GHG%20emissions,of%20all%20 anthropogenic%20GHG%20emissions

2. https://www.britannica.com/explore/ savingearth/livestock-emissions-account-for-51percent-of-greenhouse-gases

3. https://climatehealers.org/the-science/animalagriculture-position-paper/

4. https://ourworldindata.org/agricultural-landby-global-diets

5. https://ourworldindata.org/environmentalimpacts-of-food

6. https://iopscience.iop.org/artic le/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/044009

7. https://www.fao.org/forest-resourcesassessment/remote-sensing/fra-2020-remotesensing-survey/en/

8. https://iopscience.iop.org/artic le/10.1088/1748-326/8/3/034015/meta#erl472821s3

9. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/ pnas.1308149110

10. https://www.theguardian.com/ environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-anddairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-yourimpact-on-earth

1101 Connection and Use of Fund

by Eva Dongol

Explain in no less than 1101 words on your connection with the 1101 Scholarship and how you'd propose to use the Scholarship amount of $1101 for both your education and for vegan activism if you were to receive it. If you were to receive the fund, you will be required to spend a minimum of one-third of your scholarship award towards vegan activism to raise awareness in your country and in your community about animal rights, veganism, plant-based living and its benefits, conservation and animal protection.

After I heard about the 1101 scholarship the first thing on my mind was if I received the scholarship I could help animals who are suffering in the streets. Since a very young age I've been very passionate about helping animals and following my father's footsteps I have been engaged in helping street animals with him. Over the years I have seen various cases and l have experienced how hard it is to help each case we come across. Various organizations have been working for the welfare of animals but they can't reach all the places and those animals which they couldn't reach have to die in the streets. Here awareness among community people plays a very

important role, as a community member it is also our duty to look after our community animals, the places where the organizations couldn't reach its the duty of the community members or the ward to help the animals.

Due to lack of awareness various problems arise looking at recent increasing cases, community dogs must be vaccinated once a year. Rabies is seen in many dogs who have not been vaccinated and again it causes human and animal conflict, in such chaos people tend to panic and hit / kill the dog. I have come across many such cases but one of my personal experience where a small puppy was thrown in the bunch of trash, the puppy was crying out loud we were informed by our community members, the puppy was wrapped inside a plastic bag while we were trying to free the puppy, I was bit by him we were not sure if he was infected by rabies, the other day we found him dead and we did a rabies test it was positive and without panicking I went to Teku for rabies vaccination. With lack of awareness comes a bunch of problems abandoning dogs, risk of other animals/humans getting infected.

If I receive the scholarship my first

very motive will be to organize Rabies vaccination campaigns and awareness programs related to rabies which would include an understanding on how to prevent rabies in animals, when to suspect rabies, what to do in case of a bite, prevention and cure, list of sources where you can information about the case and where you can go if infected. This awareness program will engage the community and empower people to save themselves and others.

There are many other cases but my motive will be to focus on major two aspects that would be Rabies, ABC (Animal Birth Control) and awareness related to animal rights. I will be contributing to the Animal Birth Control program conducting spaying and neutering campaign by taking help from other organizations or personal veterinary clinics. It is important that we conduct the program as soon as possible as it is causing various problems spreading diseases, wounds from dog fight, causing collisions with vehicles, outbreaks of parasites are all directly related to the increasing population of dogs in an area, increasing of various sexually transmitting diseases which affect the dogs and might cause cancer. Animal Birth Control can minimize conflicts with both animals and humans as sterilized dogs will mean that there will not be fighting or mating during the heat seasons and reduce cases of dog bites, minus the strain of

pregnancy, female dogs will remain healthier. The dog population will be familiar, friendly, healthy and harmless as residents will no longer ill-treat dogs, the dogs won't feel threatened and will be friendly. Not just the street dogs but even pet dogs must be sterilized with time and most cases of abandonment also lead to overpopulation. Responsible dog guardians can make a difference by having their dog or cat sterilized.

Much of Nepal is still in darkness when it comes to Animal Rights, abandoned cattle have taken over the roads of Kathmandu, the government has also been working to give shelter to the cattle but people are unaware about its main cause and the dairy industry. Various traffic jams, hit and run cases are caused due to these problems and baby innocent cattle are dying in the street. It is important that we have awareness about how the dairy industry is harming the lives of so many innocent cattle and how those cattle are being separated from their mother and they are abandoned on the road to die. Live animal transportation is done in a very cruel manner: chickens are tied upside down in bikes and vehicles, buffaloes are being transported through various regions in such a

way that they have no place to sit or move around. Animals are forcefully transported in a mass number tied with ropes from head to tail. We have laws against it but half of the population is unaware about such laws. If we come across such incidents we can file a case against it for that we need to be well aware about the laws. Various laws have been made but people are unaware about the law I would like to organize online campaigns and various other programs to aware about animal rights law and the injustice that’s happening in our county. The more people know about it if they wish they can help in the movement and help create a place where all the lives are valued.

Still people are not aware about what is Veganism /

Vegan, they simply think it’s just vegetarian.

I want to make people aware about Veganism and how it is not just about food choices and it's more about compassion and not contributing to anything that causes any harm to others and a lot more. It's important that we be aware and help people connect with their surroundings, due to various things we are disconnected with nature and what we are surrounded with, it's important that we think

about the choices we make and their impact. Animal agriculture is one of the main causes of global warming and as we are experiencing the changes in the weather people are concerned about global warming but they don't know all the things that's contributing to it, people who are concerned about nature and environment must be aware about it. And I hope with this I can contribute to my Mother Earth.

If I receive the scholarship, I have to invest it in my studies too. Growing up I have really been connected to animals. I rush to goats, hens, and dogs whenever I get to see them. From a very small age my dream was to become a Veterinary doctor and since then it’s been my life purpose to be a vet doctor and save lives. For now, I'm doing +2 in Science. After finishing my +2 studies I would be applying to pursue my dream and that is to study Veterinary science. Also, with my studies I will directly be helping animals. I'm very passionate about it and when I feel like giving up that's what made me go and continue my journey.

It's a very big opportunity for me, it might be a small action from my side but I know that it can make a big impact if I do my best and it's a great opportunity to showcase that I can make a difference and help others to make a difference. Thank you.

Elevated, Better-for-You, Plant-Based Favorites

Better Balance Foods

Better Balance Foods is inviting everyone to the table with its flavorful and nutritious plant-based meat and dairy-free products.

The plant-based food brand began with the goal of elevating plant-curious individuals by providing healthy proteins to fuel their everyday through plantbased alternatives that don't sacrifice flavor, nutrition, or the experience of food they love. With origins in Spain and a subsequent expansion into Mexico, Better Balance tailored its product offerings to the local flavors of the communities.

Now, Better Balance has expanded to the United States, growing its product availability to over 300 establishments, including restaurants, theme parks, music festivals, and delivery platforms.

With their team established in Dallas, Texas, Better Balance products can be found at many Texas vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants and even at the Frisco RoughRiders Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

U.S. Debut

We were introduced to Better Balance at the Plant Based World Expo this past September. Making its U.S. debut, the brand was featured as one of the new products on the expo floor, and they certainly made an impression on us with their vegan shreds.

is serving up delicious and healthy plant-based proteins to fuel your everyday

Better Balance's high-protein, cholesterol-free, saturated fat-free, gluten-free, soy-based shreds can be marinated as chicken, beef, pork, or fish and are built to satisfy both vegan and the "veg-curious" alike.

While visiting their booth, we were able to sample three unique, chef-crafted dishes made with the vegan chicken shreds and delicious dairy-free jalapeño ranch. The Chicken Tinga, Jalapeño Ranch Dip, and the Apple, Agave & Walnut Chicken Salad were all delicious. We were especially blown away by the authentic, spicy flavors and great texture of the shredded chicken shreds in the Chicken Tinga dish.

Along with the plant-based shreds, Better Balance also offers plant-based Grounds, Hot Dogs, Cheese Sauce, and Sour Cream. We were able to sample the dairy-free sour cream, which certainly left an impression on us and the rest of the expo attendees.

Whether flexitarian, vegetarian, vegan or simply someone trying to eat healthier, restaurant owners and consumers alike will enjoy Better Balance's versatile and healthy plant-based products. With the success and growth Better Balance has seen in the B2B restaurant space so far, we anticipate them to reach a wide range of individuals across the nation who are looking to swap meat and dairy for plant-based alternatives in 2023. Visit betterbalancefoods.com to learn more, and follow along @betterbalance_us to keep up-to-date on products and delicious recipes.

Spice Up Your Day

Kanira is creating sumptuous superfoods biscuits inspired by South Asian Heritage

The “convenience breakfast food” scene just got a major upgrade with a new line of whole grain breakfast biscuits that proudly bring South Asian spice-forward flavors and climate-smart grains to the ”better-for-you breakfast” category for the first time. Inspired by heritage-driven flavors like Chai Spice and Turmeric & Ginger and the native Indian superfood pearl millet as the core ingredient of each biscuit, Kanira brings a healthier breakfast ritual to spice up the mundane morning routine.

The creative approach was to transform a South-Asian breakfast staple of a flavorful pearl millet porridge and warming spices, called Bajra Khichdi, into a sumptuous biscuit that delivers sustenance, energy, and nutrition.

On a mission to elevate South Asian flavors in the snack scenes of the Western world, founder Vishal Ramakrishnan is gearing up to put Kanira on the “munchies” map! He graciously chatted with VEGWORLD about his inspirations and visions for Kanira.

Images by Kanira

VW: Tell us about Kanira, your brand mission, and why American consumers should try biscuits for breakfast.

VR: Kanira is a South AsianAmerican health food brand that makes delicious, wholesome products using climate-smart ingredients. We’re on a mission to create healthier mornings while sharing the diverse origin stories behind our ingredients and celebrating the communities & heritage behind them.

While eating biscuits for breakfast might seem like a new concept for some American consumers, many Americans are already customers of big brands that provide breakfast biscuit options in the market.

Our breakfast biscuits can be eaten as a quick, on-thego breakfast alternative or a morning snack with coffee or tea. They are made for busy individuals who either have long commutes, work in high-stress jobs with long hours, juggle multiple responsibilities, or regularly skip breakfast due to a lack of time or clean, tasty

options. Anyone trying our biscuits will be positively surprised at how delicious and filling these are while also hitting key dietary requirements.

VW: What makes your biscuits different from other competitors?

VR: We like to approach this question in two parts: 1) Nutritional Differentiators; 2) Brand Differentiators.

To address the first point, we are a clean alternative to all the other breakfast biscuit options currently in the market. Compared to competitors, our biscuits contain 50% less sugar, more protein, and more prebiotic fiber. In addition, we do not use any refined sugars or sugar alcohols, instead utilizing unrefined coconut sugar to sweeten our products. Our products are also gluten-free, vegan, and free from artificial preservatives, gums, starches, or lecithins. Lastly, our biscuits are baked in MCT-rich coconut oil as opposed to palm or sunflower oils.

Brand-wise, while creating a healthier alternative to existing options was important to us, it was also crucial that our brand represented something beyond just another “healthier snack.” This is why our products are centered around pearl millet flour as our hero ingredient and highlight the origins and communities behind this amazing superfood with minimal environmental impact. Drawing inspiration from pearl millet’s origins and consumption in South Asia, our breakfast biscuit flavors pay homage to the subcontinent while also capturing the mainstream rise of drinks from golden milk and cardamom coffees to chai and matcha lattes!

VW: What was the inspiration behind Kanira’s biscuits, and what void in the market did you identify?

VR: The inspiration for Kanira came after I noticed the rise of Eastern wellness ingredients such as turmeric, ashwagandha, coconut oil, and chai in the “betterfor-you” industry. Multiple conversations with friends, family, and fellow South Asian Americans led to the same feelings of partial contentment and partial disenchantment with the rise of these ingredients. The

contentment was born out of finally achieving mainstream recognition for ingredients that are commonly used in South Asian cuisine. Moreover, many individuals who had grown up in settings where bringing school lunches with these ingredients was looked down upon felt vindicated. However, the disenchantment was borne out of the lack of proper representation of the communities or heritage behind these ingredients or products.

Similar to brands such as Siete Foods, A Dozen

Cousins, Dang Foods, and others, Kanira is a brand that creates wholesome products utilizing heritage-inspired ingredients and flavors. Our goal is to allow South Asian Americans to feel represented by a mainstream, “betterfor-you” brand, utilizing ingredients and flavors they may be familiar with. In addition, we want to speak to a larger American audience and educate them on how better-for-you products can be healthy, delicious, and sustainable while telling a heritage-led story.

While creating Kanira, I wanted to create a product that was easy to understand & consume and had the potential to become a part of someone’s daily routine. Upon observing snacking habits across the different day-parts, I noticed the rise of snacking in the morning along with a decreased consumption of a full breakfast due to multiple factors, such as a lack of time. All these factors led me to create a truly healthier alternative to breakfast biscuits as Kanira’s first product.

VW: Was it a conscious decision to develop an entirely plant-based formulation?

VR: Absolutely! I created Kanira to establish a better-for-you brand that incorporates South Asian heritage-inspired flavors and ingredients into our products but is created for mainstream consumption. This is why each of our pouches and cartons has the message “Inspired by South Asian heritage. Created for everyone.” In formulating our products, I wanted to ensure that our products

adhered to standard dietary practices such as being gluten-free, dairyfree, and free from artificial ingredients or preservatives to widen our potential consumer pool as much as possible. Kanira also aims to create more excitement and diversity in the “better-foryou industry” and allow communities that may not see themselves represented on the shelves of grocery stores like Whole Foods to find recognition in our brand and products.

VW: Who is your target audience?

VR: Our target audience can be split up into three segments:

• Millennial South AsianAmericans: We are targeting 1st or 2nd generation South Asian-Americans that have grown up with one foot in either culture and appreciate the nuances of South Asian cuisine but

largely follow mainstream diets and eating habits & are conscious of their health

• Busy, on-the-go working professionals/parents: We are also targeting individuals that regularly skip breakfast due to a lack of time or those who simply “forget to eat” due to their busy schedules.

• Health-conscious individuals: Lastly, folks who follow specific healthconscious diets, especially as current options in the breakfast space may fall short of their expectations and needs.

VW: What were you looking for during the R&D process?

VR: When researching, testing, and selecting ingredients during the R&D process, I was looking for three main things:

• Taste: This is an extremely crucial factor for us as I have had my fair share of poor-tasting “better-for-you” products. Each ingredient is chosen based on its taste both individually as well as how it pairs together with other ingredients.

• Nutritional Benefits: We are committed to offering the highest quality ingredients and a holistic nutrition profile. We have strict

guardrails in our recipe development process and do not use any artificial ingredients, fillers, or gut-irritating substances in our products, and strive to exclusively use organic ingredients when possible. We meticulously research each ingredient to determine the validity of its nutritional benefits and benchmark its usage in other health foods to understand overall market trends and consumer preferences.

• Fit with overall brand image/ story: Our ingredients are not selected out of a hat. Rather, each ingredient has either a nutritional or cultural connection to our brand or both! In addition to pearl millet’s strong connection to South Asia, ingredients such as amaranth flour, our spices, and coconut oil have had a strong basis in South Asian cuisine for centuries.

VW: What has the feedback been so far?

VR: The feedback for our products and brand has been extremely positive up until this point, with customers citing the taste and innovativeness of the products as some of their favorite aspects of Kanira. In addition, our heritageled storytelling is strongly resonating with the South Asian-American community, who are learning more about the benefits of forgotten ancient grains such as pearl millet that they may have grown up eating. Lastly, our bold, bright, spiceforward flavors are also resonating with mainstream taste preferences and a general consumer interest in exploring new flavors! While the overwhelming response has been largely positive, we know that we still have work to do on improving the overall texture of the biscuits and dialing in the flavors to meet consumer preferences. We are constantly iterating on our recipes and manufacturing processes to make these changes.

VW: We appreciate consumerdriven businesses that value the feedback of their customers! Taking a trip down memory lane, did you have any favorite snack or go-to munchie growing up?

VR: I don’t think I ever had a staple favorite but had a steady rotation between Ellio’s Pizza, which in my opinion, was the best mini frozen pizza ever created, Maggi Noodles–the South Asian crew needs no commentary here, and banana chips. Probably not the healthiest choices,

but they certainly kept my tastebuds happy and satisfied!

VW: Did you enjoy Indian/ South Asian flavors as a kid?

Or was it something you grew to appreciate when you got older?

VR: I always enjoyed Indian/ South Asian flavors as a kid, as I grew up in places where South Asian culture was quite strong. My family moved to the US when I was eight years old, so our diet at home mainly consisted of a wide variety of fruits & vegetables

native to India. However, as I entered my college and young professional years, my diet diversified significantly as a result of where I lived, the people I spent time with, and my professional obligations. As I focused more on eating healthier, I spent time looking for healthier ingredients in South Asian cuisine, which were often limited in availability/ accessibility depending on where I was located. One of the reasons for starting Kanira was to bridge this dichotomy of experiencing

South Asian flavors and heritage while eating healthy. This is something that I think is missing in the market today and a void we hope to fill!

VW: Here’s a creative question for you: what is a conventional American snack you’d like to put an Indian spin on, and how?

VR: I don’t think there is any particular American snack that I would like to reinvent, but I do believe that we can benefit from more diverse options in the better-for-you breakfast category. Our goal as a brand is to utilize millets as our platform to reinvent snacks consumed in this daypart and be a substitute for some of the more conventional, generic options such as overnight oats and sugar-filled granola.

VW: Are there conventional stereotypes about Indian flavors and foods that you are consciously intending to break?

VR: While it is not our primary focus, we want to move the conversation needle around Indian/South Asian cuisine beyond a focus on curries, tikka masalas, or

overly spiced foods. While these elements are indeed part of our culture, Kanira is more focused on shifting the conversation towards highlighting the wide variety of superfoods that originate in South Asia and incorporating them into our products. We don’t want to idly sit and watch another multi-million dollar health brand appropriate flavors or ingredients that originate from South Asian culture.

VW: Fantastic! For our snack foodies out there, what is your favorite way to enjoy the Kanira biscuits? Do you have a favorite flavor?

VR: I love anything with Coconut, so my favorite flavor is Coconut & Cardamom. I typically enjoy these as a mid-morning snack with my 11 AM coffee and dip them in my coffee for added flavor and scrumptiousness!

They also make for a great breakfast substitute on the days when I’m rushing out the door to attend early morning meetings!

VW: Sounds like a comforting morning routine! What are the flavor profiles you wish

to see in “American” snacks to expose diverse palettes to South Asian flavors?

VR: I would love to see the industry focus on less sugary flavors. I feel like our brains have been conditioned to only view flavors such as chocolate chip, mint chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, etc., as being delicious. And so every bar, cookie, cracker, granola, etc., whether it’s found in a conventional grocery store or Whole Foods, features the same flavor sets. Incorporating more spiceforward flavors, such as those adopted by coffee chains and tea companies, would go a long way in exposing individuals to various flavor profiles!

VW: Very well said! Are there any exciting plans for the future you would like our readers to know about?

VR: We’re just getting started on reinventing the breakfast category! We believe that there is a lot of room for flavor and product innovation in the category and look forward to introducing more products made with South Asian heritage-inspired

ingredients and flavors. Our goal is to use various types of millets as the main basis for our products, advocating for increased adoption of these nutritionally dense,

wholesome, and climatesmart ingredients in our diets. We truly believe that their superior nutritional characteristics and ability to withstand high temperatures

and drought-like conditions will make millet a larger part of our diets as our food & agricultural systems adapt to the effects of climate change.

The Transformation Of Plant-Based World Expo

Founder Ben Davis

From An Ardent 25-Year Meat-Eater To A Whole Foods Plant-Based Crusader On A Mission

by Karin Olsen

Five years ago, Plant-Based World Expo Founder Ben Davis couldn't predict how his life would change. As unbeknownst to him, a pivotal relationship was about to lead him to a new way of thinking, a new diet, and a wildly successful plant-powered career.

In 2017, Davis was an ardent 25-year meat eater when his girlfriend inadvertently started him on the vegan path. She had debilitating endometriosis and, after extensive research and trial/error, had discovered an animal-free diet was the remedy. In support, he started cooking plant-based meals for her while maintaining his steady side diet of meatballs and sausages. He said after witnessing

how she thrived on the vegan diet, he ultimately opted to exclude the meat, and the results were powerful. "My body started feeling better, and I became more aware of the environmental implications. I felt I could cut certain things like red meat out as doing my part. Then, the ethical question popped into my head: Would I kill the animal to eat it? The answer was no, and that was the final reason."

He said he maintained a vegan diet at home for most of that first year but found himself wavering while traveling. Questioning his commitment, beliefs, and goals, he decided there were no good reasons to continue this practice and set out to make his lifestyle plant-based. "Once you put in the effort, you start discovering a new world. You discover places on the road serving delicious food and parts of grocery stores stocking what you need. For example, while traveling, I found the Beyond Burger before any hype or news about it. I walked into Whole Foods craving a meatier burger and thought this looks like what I want. I've been a fan and supporter of what they've been doing ever since."

Davis' favorite home-cooked dishes have always revolved around pasta, and transitioning non-vegan recipes to plant-based was surprisingly simple. "I'd normally make pasta with meatballs or sausage, and then I started making it with more vegetables

like zucchini with lemon and garlic along with meatballs on the side for myself. Slowly I'd stop making the meatballs because I realized I could eat more." A self-proclaimed "big eater" with a "big metabolism," Davis said he's always been able to eat large quantities of food without putting on weight but discovered his plant-based diet enabled him not only to eat as much as he wants while also meeting his calorie needs but also benefit from the higher nutrition value of an exclusively plant-based diet.

When the 2020 health crisis hit, he doubled down on a whole-foods-plant-based approach to fortify his immune system. "While I binged on vegan chick'n nuggets throughout quarantine, I would want to follow that up with juice and whole foods as that's what my body recognizes and what gives me energy," he said.

Davis said that physically, high energy levels are only the beginning of the benefits of his plantbased journey. "I feel like it's pushed me to want to be more in tune with my body -- more flexible and more body-aware, which leads me to do more stretching and yoga. I know the diet and yoga combination is working by how much healthier I am. I can go without much physical exercise and still go on a hike or whatever I'm doing. My body can handle things that previously would have rendered me out of breath."

Bounding with energy during those early days, it was only natural that Davis introduced his plantbased lifestyle to his family. "I came in, and there was a moment my family thought I was crazy. I was

trying to get them to listen to me, do things I wanted them to do, and watch documentaries, but I couldn't get anything to happen. I finally got their attention by simply cooking delicious food and getting the reaction — 'wait, what did you use?' That response changes everything.

"My mom was already the healthiest eating of all of us, so it was easy for her to start making vegan food once she embraced it. She is also a yoga teacher who studied in Africa. Now she works with refugee women in Connecticut and educates the community on maintaining a healthy body with plant-based food."

Davis said his dad was the toughest to convince. "He and I were always the meat eaters, but once he started researching plant-based for business purposes, he

started to learn. When he began learning, he tried it and was convinced." Then, he and his dad found common ground on which to build the business that would become Plant Based World Expo. In 2020, as fate would have it and with the laws of attraction in play, he met a like-minded woman on a vegan journey during a freestyle Zoom rap course. The couple now lives together on her 11acre permaculture research orange farm near San Diego and plans to marry. "She's transformed her entire health journey through raw vegan food and is helping me do the same. I thought I was already doing pretty well, but now I feel best when crunching on broccoli and carrots. It's amazing how good you can feel when you're eating food in the same form as the way it comes out of the ground."

The couple, however, isn't entirely raw, as they enjoy vegan nachos and other cooked dishes when they want and follow up with raw food for a couple of days with juices and salads. They also enjoy their recipes for raw vegan Pad Thai, raw vegan buffalo cauliflower wings, and raw vegan walnut tacos. "Nobody thinks of things like that. They think of raw as a vegetable, but you can do all sorts of things. There are so many options."

The culmination of his thriving personal relationships and health makes his latest success – The Plant Based World Expo – all the sweeter. Now the organization's content chair and strategic advisor, Davis said the event unites his professional and personal interests like nothing before, and he looks forward to each opportunity to help others in the plant-based space realize their goals, too. "So many people are excited to come up and take a microphone to say here's our angle, what we're bringing to the table. I get the chance to sit down

and moderate some of those discussions, introduce them, or sit in the audience and watch. Being here is like this explosion of the champions who have been pioneering this thing for years. Now everyone else is coming in – that's why I'm here now. I want to listen, and I want to learn.

"Our first show in 2019 was a big experiment; we created this thing out of nothing, and last year was a miracle that it even happened. It was December in NY. This is the first year it feels like we are delivering on our purpose of bringing together the right business people. It's taken us a few years to realize that's our sweet spot, and we've finally found what the people are excited about. This year we have 250 companies that make 300 plus booths. We had 170 last year and a little over 100 in the first year. I can't imagine many other industry events seeing that kind of growth, given the world we've been in. The Plant Based World Expo is the true story of the plant-based industry and movement. It's not just one company; it's not one stock. It's what's happening out there.

The next Plant Based World Expo is in NY September 7 - 8, 2023, and the Plant Based World Expo Europe is in London November 15 - 16, 2023.

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LIFESTYLE

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Top Picks

Pasta Snacks Penne Straws

Shaped like pasta but crunchy like a chip, Penne Straws are made with lentils and white beans, are gluten-free, and have 3g of protein per serving. We tried the three vegan flavors and love how robust and flavorful they are! The Sweet Pepper and Marinara flavors are the perfect savory snack, while the Cinnamon Churro is a surprisingly sweet treat.

Thrilling Foods Bakon

Chef-created Thrilling Foods' Bakon™️ is saltcured and smoked to bring you all of the sizzle, aroma, and taste of traditional bacon without the cruelty. In fact, Thrilling Foods has just been awarded a U.S. patent for its firstof-its-kind technology that alternates lean protein with protein-bound fatty streaks, allowing the Bakon™️ to render and fry in its own fat, like conventional pork bacon, and infusing it with natural umami flavors. We love that Bakon™️ offers the taste and texture traditional

betterland foods

WOO Candy Bars

Meet WOO, the chocolate bar with half the sugar and 2x the protein of the typical chocolate bar. WOO bars are made with plant-based whey protein, fair-trade chocolate, silky-smooth caramel, and a velvety nougat. We loved both the Creamy Nougat and Salty Peanut flavors and think they could be a tasty vegan swap for Milky Way or Snickers.

If you haven't tried Wiley Wallaby licorice, you need to! The newest addition to the line of soft and chewy Australian-style licorice is just as good as the rest, despite having only 1g of sugar. This Very Berry flavor is also gluten-free and free from high fructose corn syrup. We love the soft texture and the burst of flavor this licorice gives!

Wiley Wallaby Low Sugar Gluten Free Very Berry Licorice nuud

Anti-Odorant

Say hello to fresh pits! nuud is a 100% natural, vegan, cruelty-free, and environmentally friendly antiodorant. nuud’s active ingredients ensure odorless pits between 3 to 7 days after application; even physical activity and showering do not undermine its effectiveness. We love that nuud's hyper-concentrated formula requires only a pea-size amount at every application - meaning one small tube of nuud can last you more than 10 weeks! Plus, nuud's sugar cane tube is recyclable, and the cardboard packaging is biodegradable.

Vegan Cooking for Two by America's Test Kitchen

Tired of wasting food or doing onfly-math to scale down recipes designed to serve a crowd? Vegan Cooking for Two is chock full of recipes perfectly portioned for two people and is a great addition to any cookbook collection. With over 220 recipes, there are recipes for breakfast, dessert, and everything in between. Plus, the book also includes helpful tips to reduce kitchen waste, how to stock a plantbased pantry, and how to make each dish flexible and customizable. We love the variety of recipes included and feel this book is a great option for beginning plantbased cooks and seasoned vegans alike.

How the Luxury Market is Embracing Veganism with Wide-Open Arms

by Dominique Side

Now more than ever, veganism is on the rise. An estimated 80 million adhere to a plant-based lifestyle across the globe, with the number of vegans in the United States skyrocketing from 0.4 percent to almost 3.5 percent in the last two years or so. But despite this growth, veganism still holds an odd place in the minds of most consumers; they tend to think both of radicalized hippies and the organic Whole Foods produce they can't even afford. It's a confusing duality.

My own journey to veganism began four and a half years ago. I was on a specific workout regimen, and one of my trainers said, "Try this plant-based protein powder. It's better for your digestion." So I did, and I loved it. So much so that it got my wheels turning about makeup, and as soon as I did even cursory research, I saw that vegan cosmetics were far better for both my skin and the planet. Next came vegan cleaning supplies and a few products for my kids, yet I still wasn't thinking about food.

Until I watched a documentary on veganism, and then it was all over. I knew I could never go back to eating any animal products again. And, being me, I immediately began scheming on ways to convince others that veganism wasn't just the right choice but a fantastic and life-enriching choice. So I built a boutique vegan grocery store and clothing company. I ensured my studio, media complex, and production facility were all eco-friendly. Then I started to think about ways to help individual influencers embrace the vegan lifestyle. I knew that making the leap was the toughest part and that people could use help

easing into the transition. And after doing some research, I saw that the luxury market wasn't getting a lot of love from the vegan community, which seemed like a missed opportunity.

After all, top earners and wildly successful people have the resources to surround themselves with the best of the best, but they're often too busy to do their own research. So they may gravitate toward whatever society or the media tell them has value. If I could show them that veganism was the best choice for the environment, animals, and their health and longevity, I could bring some seriously heavy hitters into the vegan fold! I could elevate veganism overall and create a generation of influential individuals who lead by example.

And that's how my newly launched luxury vegan clothing line Nikki Green was born.

Nikki Green combines luxury earth-friendly materials, custom hardware, and figureenhancing cuts. Nikki Green is both opulent, sustainably sourced, and expertly combines compassionate living with high fashion.

In developing Nikki Green, I've worked closely with my long-term stylist, Christian Allen, to conceptualize the collection, dreaming up textures, tones, and elements that feel fresh and elevated. Every step of the process, from design to production to packaging, is responsibly sourced and centered on compassion.

As I've worked with my elite clients, I've found that many people still think of "luxury" and "vegan" as opposite ends of the spectrum. They know that a vegan lifestyle can be costly but assume any animal-free wearables, skincare options, and menus will have that earthy,

boho, downmarket feel to them. I got curious. I wondered if entrepreneurs in the fastemerging luxury vegan market struggled to convince customers that their meticulously crafted wares were, in fact, cruelty-free. So I spoke with 17 innovators in the vegan market, and here's what they told me.

Vegan Means Quality, Quality Means Cost

My interviewees ranged from chefs and food production experts to cosmetics formulators and fashion designers. Nearly all of them said that when you're questing for the absolute best materials and ingredients, they are generally vegan. Even if you're not looking for vegan options, the best quality components tend to be plant-based and cruelty-free.

Lindsey McCoy, CEO and co-founder of Plaine Products, told me, "We do personal care products and the ingredients are all vegan. Interestingly enough, we didn't set out necessarily to do that, but it turns out when you just prioritise good, clean, natural ingredients, that's where you end up."

Nina LaBruna, CEO of LaBruna Skincare, explained that her research led her naturally to buy and use exquisite ingredients.

"Most of our carrier ingredients are actually luxurious. They're really expensive," she said. "I buy goji berry oil and sea buckthorn in their pure form, where other lines might water them down with carrier oil. My ingredients are really pure, really rich, and that makes them really expensive.  So I do consider my line to be a luxury line."

Helena Pantahos, founder of Desyllas Luxury Vegan Footwear, pointed out that it's not just materials but also methods that elevate vegan products. They're often made by craftspeople, specialists, and artisans who pour their knowledge into the items they're making.

"People are a bit confused at first when you say luxury vegan," she told me, "but when you think of luxury shoes, or luxury items, they're usually a bit more exclusive, made a bit slower. And then, when you look at veganism and sustainable businesses, they're also a bit slower and more exclusive. So I love how well the two fit together."

On top of all this, a subset of elite consumers don't just want logo-encrusted goods; they want small-batch, pasture-raised, organic food. To them, that is the height of luxury, and they're willing to pay for it.

Courtney Lindsay—executive chef of Mo' Better Brews, owner of Houston Sauce Co., executive chef at Houston Sauce Pit, and owner of Big Hot Chicken—summed this up beautifully, saying, "Just because you become vegan, that doesn't mean you stop liking luxury or name-brand items. Or well-crafted items that may cost a little bit more."

Wellness is HOT

Goop, Peloton, Lululemon - some of the biggest names in influence and commerce these days are wellness brands. In a recent report for Luxe Digital, Florine Eppe Beauloye pointed out that, "Wellness is the new affluence and status symbol. Wellness has become a luxury lifestyle to be enjoyed and flaunted." Clean diets, strict

yoga regimens, and toned bodies are all bragworthy these days.

Many of the people embracing the wellness revolution gravitate toward veganism for health reasons. Much like me, as soon as they begin to investigate what they're putting into or onto their bodies, vegan options become more appealing. Keli Smith, founder and CEO of minimal plant-based skincare brand Kaike, is encouraged by this and hopes more people will start researching the products they use.

"When people take a more mindful look at not only what we eat, but what we put on our skin, that shapes the industry," she said. "The more that we take a closer look at what we consume and what we use, the more we can impact the industry at large."

LaBruna explained that it was the trendy nature of vegan wellness products that got her foot in the door with national chains. Clean beauty is so hot it's become a business advantage.

"The wellness industry is booming right now, so I know that the luxury space is catering to that," she said. "The way we started getting into some of our bigger retailers and making those partnerships was because that was our identity. Nordstrom was doing a clean beauty pop-in where they were highlighting vegan, luxury, cruelty-free brands. We wouldn't have been able to be in that space if we didn't hit those points."

Big retailers are starting to pay attention and partner with emerging vegan brands in the wellness sphere. That includes high-end department stores, exclusive boutiques, and elite online retailers. They all know that wellness is a lucrative game, and they want in.

Green is Trendy

Even aside from health and wellness, eco-friendly products, services, and choices are becoming increasingly popular with luxury consumers. Millennials and Generation Z consumers are driving 85 percent of global luxury sales growth, and 75 percent of those same consumers were willing to spend more on a product if it was created by a sustainable or socially conscious brand. A recent report on the luxury goods market from Bain & Company asserted that, "Social responsibility remains top of mind for luxury customers and encompasses more than just environmental impact: 80 percent of luxury customers say they prefer brands that are socially responsible."

Gucci has developed its very own vegan leather alternative called Demetra, which has drawn accolades from vegans, luxury shoppers, and luxury-loving vegans alike. High-end beauty formulators, including Chantecaille and Josie Maran, have begun to offer vegan and crueltyfree options. PĪFERI, a footwear line created by the former head designer at Jimmy Choo, offers exquisite heels, sandals, and boots that are completely animal-free and aimed squarely at affluent consumers. Across industries, luxury eco-conscious and compassion-minded options are multiplying.

Chef and owner of I Eat Grass Ayinde Howell has witnessed the high-end consumer's hunger for earth-friendly options firsthand.

"We're in a moment where everybody wants plant-based stuff," he told me. "When I was a private chef working for wealthy people, they were probably 99% plant-based. They wanted the good shit. They wanted the organic, the shade road, the small batch."

When Star Simmons, founder of vegan consumer apps vKind and vWire, first launched her company in 2019, she allowed the brand to take on the more "granola" look and feel that many people associate with veganism. But now, just a few years later, she's revamping everything to align with luxury sensibilities.

"Now we're redoing everything, new drop downs, new colours because I know where that market's headed. I can see it with our company, the brands that we're working with, the beautiful purses that are coming out," Simmons said. "That's what's happening, and when you get names like Kardashians, as you know, that are getting behind it, that's the direction we're going. Everything is vegan now."

My own research leads me to believe that vegan products, restaurants, and wearables are gaining traction in the luxury space in part because they are being produced en masse for the first time in history. Vegans have more options, including more high-quality, highend options. And as more entrepreneurs and investors get wind of the money to be made in this segment, more and more options will c rop up.

But the pioneers I spoke with warned newcomers not to enter this space JUST because it's trendy since vegans can sniff out a poseur in a millisecond or less.

"I would definitely say, do not enter this space just to be on trend because the customers in the space can tell when that is your reasoning," said Dyandra Raye, founder and designer of footwear line Jo-Anne Vernay. "People love to greenwash these days and say that they're sustainable when they're really not."

Big-name luxury brands are listening.

More Luxury Vegans Wanted

This is an exciting moment to be in the luxury vegan market. Hundreds of innovative crueltyfree materials are being made, and thousands of animal-friendly products are being manufactured to serve the high-end vegan market. But I, for one, am still recruiting: I want to spend as much of my time and energy as possible bringing big-hearted luxury consumers into the vegan family.

Sometimes I feel like a very small person, but when I think about the fate of our world, I know

that by using my platform to affect change in other people, I'm doing my best work. I became a vegan because I have compassion for other beings, and I have compassion for the planet, and I have compassion for myself. My mission now through Nikki Green is to help others unlock those levels of compassion in their own lives and embrace the wonders that the luxury vegan lifestyle has to offer them.

MOVE OVER COFFEE,

Hello

Grain Beverages

Coffee lovers, listen up. Grain beverages are claiming a place in the world–especially if you are looking for a warm, toasty, caffeine-free beverage to drink in the winter months—no jolt, but in some cases, the same delicious flavor.

I love coffee, but this was a one-sided relationship–coffee didn’t love me back. I never had the “jitters,” as some explain, or cardiac issues, but one cup of coffee in the morning was starting to wreak havoc with my sleep. Even with one cup of coffee per day, and never after noon, I needed to work on my sleep hygiene. It happens as we age, simple as that. It was keeping me up and giving me a restless, almost sleepless night. I developed a list of “what ifs,” and it was the coffee for sure.

In her book Body On Fire (Healthy Living Publications, 2020), Monica Aggarwal, MD, explains that adults (and older adults) require about 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Those seemed like very unreachable goals to me.

While I cleaned up my sleep hygiene with many of Aggarwal’s recommendations (pp 127-138), in the end, I was getting less than six hours of sleep per night (six very restless hours). I even started to wear a fitness tracker to monitor my sleep, and if this was college, I was earning a C- in sleep.

I almost needed to write a love letter to coffee, explaining why we needed to break up.

I knew that coffee was the culprit in preventing a good night’s sleep. With my sleep record in the

Words and Images by Char Nolan

minus column, perhaps I needed to make another lifestyle change that would impact me positively.

Hello, grain beverages. My earliest memory of grain beverages was a product called Postum. It was made by the C.W.Post company–the makers of Grapenuts, one of my favorite cereals. Things have evolved since that first sip of Postum a halfcentury ago. With a base of chicory, I think that I appreciated the “licorice-like” flavor the most. Today, the evolution of grain beverages has made it to the forefront of specialty, non-coffee beverages and has a presence in many grocery stores and websites.

Most brands are naturally caffeine-free and acidfree. Some may be nut-based. While they are not gluten-free, the ingredients can support good nutrition and benefit the immune system.

Here is a review of my favorite coffee alternatives, or grain beverages, whichever you choose to call them. Several even involve the same rituals as coffee making, and that can make the transition easier. Trust me; you will NOT miss the caffeine.

FigBrew

FigBrew is made of 100% figs, which alone are considered a super-food. FigBrew is a story that involves family and friends working together. Former techies and coffee lovers Andy Whitehead and Kevin Deasy are the co-founders–Whitehead did his homework and discovered that figs were added to coffee when beans were difficult to access during the second world war. That was his lightbulb moment. And, as they say, the rest is history.

Claim to Fame: According to the FigBrew website, FigBrew is a fig-based super drink that helps break the caffeine cycle. They also list a “good night’s sleep” as another benefit of ditching the caffeine. They see themselves as “The Coffee Alternative for Coffee Lovers.” Your morning ritual stays the same.

Flavor: Quite frankly, it is delicious. It has a rich and robust flavor with a full-bodied taste. It brews a deeply brown beverage whose color resembles coffee.

Prep Method: Much like your favorite coffee, you can use a pour-over, Aero-Press, French press, or coffee maker. It brews in the same amount of time as coffee. Add your favorite plant milk, and you are good to go. If you love the aroma of coffee, brewing FigBrew creates the same olfactory reaction.

Teeccino

I first started drinking Teeccino more than a dozen years ago when they were on a national tour doing Teeccino demos in grocery stores. Founder Caroline McDougall sent her son, Gavin, on the tour, and he proudly shared Teeccino beverages with great pride. Today, he is a vice president of the company

Claim to Fame: Mother Caroline was a product developer for a well-known tea company and decided she wanted to create a delicious beverage that could mirror a cappuccino, and that’s how Teeccino was created.  Made from a blend of carob, barley, chicory root, dates, almonds, and figs, it may be safe to consume for those with digestive conditions unless a known adverse reaction to any ingredient is present. Their package does list a disclaimer about gluten, head to the website for details. Referred to as “Herbal Coffee,” Teeccino is available in a plethora of flavors.

Flavor: Robust and smooth. It truly tastes like coffee. It is best brewed in a French pot, to me.

Prep Method: Like your favorite coffee, you can use a pour-over, Aero-Press, French press, or coffee maker. It brews in the same amount of time as coffee.

In an Instant

If time is not on your side, “instant” grain beverages are suitable and deliver the flavor you might be looking for. Here are three beverages to consider in the instant category. If you are dining out, ask for a hot cup of water, and add your own crystals to your cup for a postdinner hot beverage. They’re caffeine-free and work if you are looking for a quick coffee substitute.

Roma: Delivers a robust taste, looks and sounds like instant coffee–you know, that muffled stirring sound on the side of your mug. It resembles a good quality instant coffee.

Pero:  It is an instant and all-natural beverage that was created in 1954. While popular in Europe, it has made its way to grocery stores worldwide. Pero is a beverage with a true coffeelike taste. This coffee substitute is also naturally caffeine-free and blended from malted barley, barley, chicory, and rye.

Dandy Blend: Another instant beverage. Created by botanist Peter Gail, Ph.D., Dandy Blend’s founder is to have combined his knowledge and appreciation for edible plants. He knew that the dandelion root, combined with extracts of barley, rye, and chicory, was the ideal formula. It makes a gentle brew and has quite an enjoyable, fullflavored taste.

Try them all, and find which one suits you best. As for the pocket value, each product is about 30 cents per cup.

And in the End

Switching to grain beverages is how I handled my sleep dilemma–and for me, it worked. But I had to taste many before finding beverage royalty.

When I am cooking, and a recipe asks for ground coffee as an ingredient, I use one of these delicious coffee stand-ins. And they work!

Today my sleep scores range in the A- category, and I am just fine with that.

Closing Note on Sleep

Sleep is so important. Read as much as you can. Investigate the stressors in your life. Identify stress triggers. If necessary, discuss your overall health with a professional. And, if you are like me and identify coffee as the culprit, enjoy a warm cup of a grain beverage!

HAPPY SCALP, Happy Hair

We all know how important it is to keep our skin healthy and happy. After all, the skin is the largest organ of the body. But have you considered the health of your scalp? Like the skin on your face and the rest of your body, the scalp needs attention, too.

Scalp health is directly related to hair health, as a healthy scalp supports healthy hair. Blood vessels on the scalp feed hair follicles the vital nutrients they need to promote growth and strength, while the many sebaceous glands on the scalp produce sebum that helps to keep hair nourished. When your scalp’s microbiome becomes imbalanced, you may notice issues such as dryness, itchiness, oiliness, tightness, and even shedding and hair loss.

Fortunately, there are steps and products you can use to ensure you maintain a healthy scalp and overall hair health. These are just a few of our favorites.

Mayraki Professional Camellia Sinensis Tea Leaf Probiotic Sea Salt Scalp Scrub

Like the rest of our skin, the scalp naturally sheds dead skin cells. Some might find that they notice an excessive amount of buildup of dead skin cells. This, coupled with buildup from sebum and products, can lead to discomfort and hair loss from clogged hair follicles. Gentle exfoliation can help to remove buildup and promote a healthy scalp by stimulating

blood circulation. Mayraki’s sea salt scalp scrub uses a mild formula to effectively reduce oily scalp, eliminate dandruff, and support the natural process of hair growth. It also strengthens and volumizes hair and smells amazing.

Acure Buildup Balancing Hemp & ACV Shampoo

Keeping the scalp free from buildup is huge in maintaining a healthy and balanced scalp. Acure’s Buildup Balancing Hemp & ACV Shampoo is gentle and fragrance-free, making it perfect for overworked hair and sensitive scalps. Apple cider vinegar offers gentle clarifying, while hemp

seed oil works to replenish moisture. Pair the shampoo with the matching conditioner to keep the ph of your scalp nice and balanced.

Curlsmith Hydro Crème Soothing Mask

Like your hair, your scalp can dry out, too. This soothing deep conditioning treatment delivers moisture to your scalp and hair without weighing it down. Enriched with Hyaluronic acid, the Hydro Crème Soothing Mask has a light yet buttery texture that melts onto every strand. Despite the brand name, this mask is suitable for curly and straight hair.

dpHUE ACV Daily Scalp Serum

Nourish and soothe your scalp with a scalp serum. dpHue’s ACV Daily Scalp Serum is a lightweight, oilfree blend that nourishes and hydrates the scalp as it helps calm irritation, dryness, and imbalance without making your hair greasy. It also helps to protect against hair shedding and promotes healthy hair growth.

Briogeo Hair Care Scalp Revival Charcoal + Biotin

Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo is great for extending the time between washes and cutting down on a morning routine, but it doesn’t actually wash your

hair or scalp, and overuse can lead to buildup and can weigh down thinner hair. Briogeo’s Charcoal + Biotin Dry Shampoo was created with all this in mind. This dry shampoo cleanses and refreshes hair, detoxifies and draws out impurities from the scalp, normalizes oil production to provide a long-term fix for oil scalp, and provides essential nutrients to the hair follicle to support healthy hair growth. While we still wouldn’t recommend overusing dry shampoo, this one is our top pick for maintaining a healthy scalp while enjoying the convenience dry shampoo gives.

Vegamour GRO Revitalizing Scalp Massager

A scalp massage doesn’t just feel good, it also does good for your scalp and hair. The silicone bristles on this scalp massager help to stimulate the scalp and boost scalp health by promoting circulation. The bristles also help to remove excess oils and the buildup of old skin cells and products that can lead to a dry, itchy, and flaky scalp. The massager can be used on either dry or wet hair and is great for giving your scalp an exhilarating massage while also helping to evenly disperse product throughout the scalp.

HAIR LOSS

Are Vegans Susceptible?

Exploring the Research

with Michael Greger, MD

We could think of no one better to ask than New York Times bestselling author Dr. Michael Greger, founder of nutritionfacts. org, who has made it his mission to scour and share the vast reservoir of clinical nutritional research literature on every topic under the sun.

What types of hair loss exist?

Each human head harbors about a hundred thousand hairs and normally sheds about a hundred a day as old hairs are replaced with new ones. But, as we age, hair thinning affects at least 50 percent of women by age fifty and 40 percent of men by age thirty-five, rising to a lifetime prevalence of up to 80 percent. Age-related hair loss is known as androgenic or androgenetic alopecia in the hormone or gynecology literature or male or female pattern hair loss in dermatology. Either way, it’s characterized by chronic, progressive hair loss, predominantly of the central scalp.

What makes us more or less susceptible?

Population studies have found that pattern baldness is associated with poor sleeping habits and the consumption of meat and junk food, whereas protective associations were found for the consumption of raw vegetables and fresh herbs, as well as frequent intake of soymilk. Drinking soy beverages on a weekly basis was associated with 62 percent lower odds of moderate to severe hair loss, raising the possibility that there are compounds in plants that may be protective.

What causes it?

The word “androgenic” hints at the cause. Derived from the Greek andro- for “man,” androgens, male hormones like testosterone, exert an inhibitory effect on hair follicles in the scalp. This is ironic, since those same hormones are the principal drivers of hair growth on other areas of the body, such as the face and armpits.

Elevated testosterone is also linked to increased risk for prostate problems. While men who are genetically predisposed to have higher lifetime testosterone levels tend to have better bone density and decreased body fat, aside from hair loss, they are also more likely to suffer prostate cancer and hypertension.

The high blood pressure connection may explain why the brains of balding men are more likely to be littered with traces of mini-strokes (white matter hyperintensities) on MRI. The majority of studies on the subject have found that baldness is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In women, hair loss is associated with a ninefold increased risk of having metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors that include excess body fat around the waist, along with increased blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure.

The role male hormones play in female hair loss is uncertain, as only a minority of women with

No matter who you are, hair loss can be embarrassing and upsetting. Is it simply genetics, are vegans more or less at risk, and is there anything we can do to slow or stop it?

pattern hair loss exhibit elevated androgen levels in the blood. Women suffer from thinning, predominantly over the top and front, rather than go bald and, unlike men, may not feel they have the option of sporting a shaved head. Female hair loss may also have more varied causes.

Whereas an aging man losing his hair may just be assumed to have male pattern baldness, female hair loss demands a clinical investigation. For example, as many as one-third of those with hypothyroidism, a condition that strikes women up to seven times more than men, present with diffuse hair loss. This is usually irreversible even with thyroid hormone replacement, underscoring the importance of early diagnosis. Oral contraceptive use, crash dieting, and the recent birth of a child can also cause a common type of hair loss called telogen effluvium.

Unlike most of the hair follicles on our body and on our pets, which are in a resting maintenance “telogen” phase, approximately 90 percent of the hair follicles on our scalp are in an active growing “anagen” phase. In both men and women, stressful events, such as surgery and sickness, can cause a mass reset of the hair cycle, switching follicles into the telogen phase,

which only lasts two to three months before the cycle renews. (COVID-19 was a major cause of this.) This reset means that a few months after the traumatic event, your hair can start falling out in clumps as the new hairs being born all begin to push out the established hair simultaneously rather than being staggered over time. People tend not to make the connection with their precipitating event and fear they may go bald, but telogen effluvium tends to be selflimiting. The hair loss resolves as the new hairs start growing out over the subsequent months, but it may take a year or longer to experience cosmetically significant regrowth.

To what extent is hair loss preventable? And once it occurs, to what extent is it reversible, if at all?

Balding men don’t just tend to have higher levels of testosterone, but higher levels of testosterone receptors in their scalps, which appears to be mostly genetically determined. Identical twins show a concordance rate of about 80 or 90 percent, meaning if one twin is balding, eight or nine times out of ten, the other twin is, too. But what about the 10 to 20 percent who share the same genetics but have discrepant hair loss? What can we learn from them?

We don’t need to know about their hair care routines because hair loss is not caused by washing your hair too much or brushing your hair too much, two of the many myths out there. In identical twin women, the sister with higher levels of stress, more marriages, more divorces or separations, and more children were more likely to suffer hair loss. In both identical twin pairs of brothers and sisters, wearing hats appeared to be protective, but the results for exercise and caffeine intake were opposing. Exercise and caffeine were associated with less hair loss in female identical twins but more hair loss in male identical twins. Interestingly, caffeinated coffee increases testosterone in men but decreases testosterone levels in women.

The data on tobacco are consistent. Studies of identical twin pairs of men and women found that smoking was a common factor associated with a receding hairline. This is thought to be due to genotoxic compounds in cigarettes that may damage the DNA in hair follicles and cause microvascular poisoning of their blood supply. Other toxic agents associated with hair loss include mercury. Mercury poisoning from his syphilis treatment may have been the reason Shakespeare started losing his hair.

Thankfully, doctors don’t give their patients mercury anymore. These days, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out, mercury “enters the body mainly from dietary seafood sources.”

Perimenopausal women frequently seek treatment for what is thought to be hormonerelated hair loss, but there are case reports of women with high fish intake and correspondingly high blood mercury levels whose hair loss can be reversed with a fish-free diet. For example, within two months of the elimination of dietary tuna, mercury blood levels can drop as much as a third, and hair can start growing back and completely regrow within seven months.

More than $3 billion is reportedly spent every year in the United States to treat hair loss. Currently, the only two FDA-approved drugs for hair loss are minoxidil, sold as Rogaine, and finasteride, sold as Propecia. Minoxidil is applied topically and can be used twice a day. It is the only approved drug treatment for women, as finasteride (Propecia) can lead to congenital disabilities. What about for postmenopausal women? It doesn’t really matter since finasteride has been found to be no more effective than a placebo.

Surgical options include punch grafts or “plugs,” as well as “follicular unit transplanting,” which involves surgically excising a long strip of hairy scalp and dividing it into much smaller punches for transplantation. Non-drug, non-surgical interventions include autologous platelet‐rich plasma, where concentrated portions of your own blood are repeatedly injected into your scalp. The efficacy may be similar to the available drugs, but the evidence thus far is considered to be insufficient to recommend the intervention for hair restoration purposes. Botox injections in the scalp are also not recommended. Then there are lasers. Reviews typically conclude that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) may be a promising alternative to drugs and scalpels, but there remains considerable skepticism within the dermatology community.

Are there specific foods to prevent and/or treat hair loss?

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of compounds in hot peppers and soy showed significantly improved promotion of hair growth, complete with an impressive array of before-andafter pictures of treated men and women. The doses they used—6 mg of capsaicin a day and 75 mg of isoflavones—is what one

might get eating a quarter of a jalapeño pepper and threequarters of a cup of tempeh or just straight-cooked soybeans.

There has also been a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial using pumpkin seed oil. Seventy-six men with male pattern baldness received 400 mg of pumpkin seed oil hidden in capsules versus placebo capsules every day for a few months. That’s only like eating four pumpkin seeds a day. After twenty-four weeks of treatment, self-rated improvement and satisfaction scores in the pumpkin seed oil group were higher. They also objectively had more hair, a 40 percent increase in hair counts compared to only 10 percent in the placebo group. In the pumpkin seed group, 95 percent remained either unchanged or improved, whereas more than 90 percent remained unchanged or worsened in the control group. Unfortunately, the supplement they used wasn’t straight pumpkin seed oil but an amalgam of vegetable powders and other ingredients, and the study was financially supported by the product’s marketing firm.

But it can’t hurt to eat a few pumpkin seeds, perhaps encrusted with cayenne, on your tempeh wings.

Photo by Edgar Castrejon on Unsplash

Food is really and truly the most effective medicine.

- Dr. Joel Fuhrman

RECIPES

Photo by Edgar Castrejon - unsplash

by Desiree Daniels

Photos: Desiree Daniels

These Easy Vegan Spinach Lasagna Rolls are everything you love about traditional lasagna, all rolled up into an easy to serve meal with made from scratch almond ricotta that's even better than the real thing!

Prep Time 30 minutes | Cook Time 20 minutes | Total Time 40 minutes | Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 8 lasagna sheets

• 16 ounce frozen chopped spinach cooked and excess water drained

• 1 cup marinara sauce

• 1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded

Almond Ricotta Cheese

• 1 cup blanched slivered almonds

• 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

• ½ teaspoon dried oregano

• Black pepper to taste

• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

• 3/4 cups water

• Fresh basil to taste (optional)

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350°

2) Cook lasagna pieces according to package instructions until al dente. Once finished cooking, drain the hot water and fill pot with cool water (this will keep the lasagna from sticking and forces it to stop cooking). Set aside.

3) Cook frozen spinach in a medium sized pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Once cooked, drain any excess water and set aside.

4) In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine all the ingredients for the almond ricotta cheese. Blend until only slightly lumpy, resembling ricotta cheese. Set aside.

5) Using a cutting board, remove the pasta from the cool water and lay flat vertically. Drizzle with 1-2 tsp of marinara sauce, then layer evenly with almond ricotta, spinach, and vegan mozzarella cheese.

6) Starting with the end closest to you, begin rolling the lasagna (to create a pinwheel) and repeat the process until all are done.

7) In a square 8×8 baking dish, spread a few spoonfuls of marinara sauce along the bottom. Transfer the spinach rolls to the dish (they will be snug), then top with a generous portion of marinara sauce and vegan mozzarella cheese.

8) Transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes.

Vegan Party Fondue

by Kim Campbell

Pull out your skewers because it’s time for fondue! Who knew healthy could be this good? It’s difficult to figure out what not to dip in this creamy, cheesy sauce. Cashews and potatoes create a creamy foundation, which is perfectly seasoned with just the right balance of sour and salty. Fondue is romantic, social, and just plain fun—I hope this recipe inspires you to throw a party.

Photo: Nicole Axworthy

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15–20 minutes | Yield: 4–6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 Yukon Gold potatoes (8–10 ounces), peeled and diced

• 1 yellow or white onion, quartered

• 1⁄2 cup raw cashews

• 4 garlic cloves

• 1 1⁄2 cups unsweetened plant-based milk

• 1 cup unsweetened plant-based yogurt, store-bought (such as Kite Hill) or homemade

• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine

• 2 Tablespoons white miso paste

• 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

• 6 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

• 5 Tablespoons tapioca starch

• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground mustard

• 3⁄4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

• Whole-grain bread (gluten-free if necessary), roasted potatoes, roasted mushrooms, baked French fries, cut-up veggies, cherry tomatoes, and/or sliced apples, for dipping

Directions

1) Put the potatoes, onion, and cashews in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook just until the potatoes are tender, 10–15 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly.

2) Transfer the potatoes, onion, and cashews to a high-powered blender. Add the garlic, milk, yogurt, wine, miso paste, vinegar, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, tapioca starch, salt, and mustard, and blend until smooth and creamy.

3) Pour the mixture into a large saucepan and whisk over medium-high heat until thick and bubbly. It will appear to get lumpy at first, but it will become evenly thickened after 4–5 minutes.

4) Pour the “cheese” mixture into a fondue pot or a small slow cooker and heat on low to keep it warm. Serve with your favorite dippers.

Christmas Pudding Pancakes

by Miggs McTaylor

Lightly spiced and full of dried fruit, Christmas pudding pancakes are a deliciously festive way to start the day during the holiday season. Sliced oranges in syrup and sweet cranberries are the perfect fruity accompaniments for the banana buckwheat pancakes, and a garnish of maple roasted pecan and pumpkin seeds top off this dish nicely.

The individual components of this dish can all be prepared separately ahead of time, which makes it the perfect dish for spending more time around the table and not in the kitchen. Gently reheat the pancakes (10-20 seconds in a microwave) and arrange them on a plate or cake stand for a more dramatic presentation. Warm the fruit and syrup to top your pancake wreath and garnish with maple pecans and pumpkin seeds before serving.

Photo: Miggs McTaylor

Serves 4 - 6 people depending on appetite | Prep time: 30 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup buckwheat flour

• 1 medium banana

• 1 – 2 Tablespoons agave syrup or a homemade date syrup

• ½ cup coconut water or orange juice

• ½ cup unsweetened plant-based milk

• 1 Tablespoons baking powder

• Pinch sea salt

• 1 teaspoon mixed spice or pumpkin pie spice

• ½ cup fruit cake mix - or your choice mixed of dried fruit finely diced

Directions

1) Blend all ingredients except the dried fruit together to make a smooth batter. If preparing the batter ahead of time, add the baking powder just before cooking. Stir through the dried fruit.

2) Lightly oil a heavy-based skillet or griddle and bring to a medium heat.

3) Pour 1/4 cup of the pancake batter onto the frypan or griddle. (For a no-oil pancake, use a non-stick frypan.)

4) The pancakes are ready to turn over when air bubbles appear on the surface, and a skin starts to form. Reduce the temperature if they burn before cooking on the surface.

5) Cook until lightly golden.

Orange and Cranberries in Syrup

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• 2 oranges – peeled and sliced

• 1 cup orange juice

• 2 teaspoon potato starch

• Maple or agave syrup or sweetener of choice

Mix potato starch into the cold orange juice, gently heat in a small pot stirring until it thickens. If it goes lumpy, blitz it in a blender. Use maple or agave syrup and sweeten to taste. Stir in the cranberries and add the orange slices to the pot and gently coat in the syrup. Keep warm on a very low heat or reheat for service.

Maple Roasted Pecans and Pumpkin Seeds

• 1/2 cup pecans

• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup

Toss pecans and pumpkin seeds in maple syrup, and spread in a single layer on a lined baking tray. Bake at 320ºF for 10 minutes, toss to ensure they bake evenly, and bake a further 10 minutes or until evenly cooked. Cool and store in an airtight container until needed.

Persian Tahchin Saffron Rice Cake

Tahchins are gorgeous crispy, saffron-infused baked rice cakes, typically filled with chicken and made with yogurt, butter, oil, and eggs. Not this one. This low-fat, vegan tahchin is aromatic with warm spices and orange and layered with fruits and a sprinkling of almonds and pistachios. Tahchin, like any great dish, takes time to make, but it’s sure worth it! Persian in spirit, this tahchin will fill your home with intoxicatingly wonderful aromas of orange, rose, and saffron and makes a delicious and beautiful centerpiece for any Persian meal.

Prep time: 1 hour to soak the rice, make the orange purée, steep the saffron tea, and strain the soy yogurt, plus 1 hour to prepare the filling, parcook the rice, and compose the cake

Bake time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Makes: an 8-inch cake, 8 servings

Photos: Giordano Katin-Grazzini

Ingredients

• 2 cups brown basmati rice, washed thoroughly and soaked for 1 hour

• 1 teaspoon good quality saffron threads, pulverized and steeped (see instructions below)

• 1 organic orange, trimmed, quartered, each quarter then halved

• ½ organic lemon, trimmed and quartered

• 3 Tablespoons date paste from ½ cup pitted dates, any variety

• 1 flax egg from 1 Tablespoon freshly ground golden flaxseed mixed with 3 Tablespoons water

• 1 Tablespoon Persian Advieh Berenj spice blend

• 1 ¼ cups water

• 1/3 cup almond flakes

• 1/3 cup unsalted shelled pistacchio nuts

• 1 cup dried unsulfured apricots, cut in 1/4-inch strips

• ½ cup dried bing cherries

• ½ cup dried unsweetened cranberries, oil-free if possible

• 2 cups orange juice

• ¼ fresh barberries, if available, or ¼ cup dried barberries, soaked and drained

• ¼ cup fresh pomegranate arils

• 2 cups unsweetened soy yogurt, strained for 1 hour

• 1 Tablespoon arrowroot

• 1-2 teaspoons shiro (mild, white) miso paste, or to taste

Directions

1) To make the rice, wash in a large bowlful of water and rinse several times, until the water is clear. Refill with cool water and soak for 1 hour. To cook, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the brown basmati rice. Cook over a low boil for 10 minutes and test. The rice cooks quickly and we only want to parcook it here. Drain, cool completely in a bowl of water. Drain and set aside.

2) To prepare the saffron threads, pulverize into a powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. There are two methods to “bloom” saffron into a tea for optimal aroma and flavor: Either steep the ground pistils in a 1/2 cup hot water bath, or add 4 ice cubes to the saffron powder and allow them to slowly melt.

3) To make the date paste, add the dates to a small pot, cover barely with water, simmer for 5 minutes. Alternatively, add them to a small bowl, just cover with water, and microwave for 2 minutes. Cool. Use a blender to purée the dates with only as much of their soaking water as necessary to make a dense, uniform paste.

4) To make the orange purée, trim the top and bottom pithy ends of the orange and ½ lemon. Transfer to a pot and add the water, date paste, 1 teaspoon of saffron tea, and 1 teaspoon of the advieh berenj spice blend. Cover and simmer on low, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the fruit is extremely soft, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly and blend on high to make a velvety smooth, fragrant, purée.

5) I find it tastiest and most nutritious to use homemade soy yogurt, a live probiotic, for this dish. To strain the yogurt, simply spoon it onto a 12-inch or larger square of unbleached muslin. Gather up the corners to form a sack and tie it shut with string. Suspend the yogurt bag or place it in a strainer over a bowl, allowing its liquid to drain through the cloth. Allow it to strain and thicken for 1 hour.

6) To make the flax egg, grind the flaxseed in a spice or coffee grinder into a powder. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir or whisk in 3 tablespoons of water. Set aside. The “egg” will soon congeal into a soft paste.

7) If using dry barberries, soak them in lukewarm water for about 15 minutes, drain, set aside.

8) Now let’s cook the fruit and nuts. Heat a large skillet over medium heat-low for 3 minutes. Add the almonds and pistacchios, stirring constantly until they are fragrant and lightly toasted. Add the apricots, cherries, and cranberries, stirring as they soften in a few minutes. Stir in the orange juice, 2 teaspoons of saffron tea, and 1 teaspoon of the advieh berenj spice blend. Cover. Lower heat to gently simmer for an hour, during which time the fruit and nuts will absorb the seasonings and juice and become soft and plump. Uncover, stir in the fresh or reconstituted barberries, remove the pan from the heat. When cool, stir in the pomegranate arils.

9) To compose the cake cut out 2 parchment disks to line the bottom and top of an 8-inch springform pan. Cut a 2 ½-inch wide strip of parchment to line the sides of the pan.

10) Preheat the oven to 400°F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.

11) In a bowl mix 3 heaping tablespoons of the yogurt with 1 tablespoon of saffron tea, and 1 cup of the parcooked rice. Spoon this mix onto the bottom and sides of the pan, as best you can.

12) Now in a larger bowl mix the rest of the soy yogurt with the rest of the saffron tea, 2 teaspoons of advieh berej spice blend, the flax egg, shiro miso, if using, and arrowroot. Stir in the remaining parcooked rice and using clean hands, mix it until well combined. The rice mix should be moist and a little sticky which will enable it to bind together into the tahchin cake.

13) Add an inch of the rice mix to the pan, smoothing it flat and gently pressing it to eliminate any voids. Follow with a 1/2-inch layer of the mixed cooked fruits and nuts, leaving a ¾-inch gap along the pan’s walls. Repeat with another layer of rice and fruit. Finish with the remaining rice. We will use the remaining fruit to decorate the tahchin right before slicing and serving. Cover the pan with the second parchment disk, and press down lightly over the rice mix. Cover tightly with aluminum foil or a lid.

14) Bake for 1 hour. Raise the temperature to 500°F and move the tahchin to the lowest possible oven rack for the final 10 minutes of baking.

15) Remove from the oven, and place the pan on a cooling rack, removing the foil/lid and upper parchment disk. When sufficiently cool to handle, place a serving plate over the pan and holding it firmly on top and bottom, flip the pan over. Center the cake on the plate, open the springform and remove the pan’s sides, bottom, and the second parchment disk. Allow the tahchin to cool almost completely (you can speed this process with a small fan). Before serving, decorate the top with the remaining cooked fruits and nuts. The tahchin will slice beautifully.

Persian Rice Spice Blend (Advieh Berenj)

by Cathy Katin-Grazzini

Persian dishes are full of aromatic, floral notes from spices, fruits, fresh herbs, nuts, and flowers. And to season them, Persians have devised spice blends for every occasion. Here is one variation of advieh berenj. Used to season Persian-inspired rice dishes (polow), advieh berenj can lend Persian pizazz to other whole grains and pilafs too. Climate-friendly, and anti-inflammatory, its aroma is simply heavenly.

Hint: For the most potent aroma, flavor, and nutritional punch, grind whole spices fresh before you make your dish. The essential oils in spices will degrade before long once they are ground.

Prep time 10 minutes | Makes about 1/3 cup

Ingredients

• 1 ½ Tablespoons food-grade rose petals

• 1 Tablespoon Ceylon (true) cinnamon from 1 five-inch quill

• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• ½ teaspoon green cardamom seeds

• ½ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated

• ¼ teaspoon cloves

• ¼ teaspoon white peppercorns

Directions

Combine the petals and spices in the bowl of a coffee or spice grinder and grind into a powder, grinding in batches if necessary. Use soon after, storing any excess in a lidded spice jar in the fridge or a cool, dark cupboard.

Sweet Potato Cranberry PIE

For a 9inch pie pan

Time: 25min prep + 60 min (baking sweet potatoes) | Baking time: 50 – 55 min

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

• ½ cup fine cane sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

For the filling:

• 2.5 pounds sweet potatoes

• ¾ cup coconut milk

• 4 Tablespoon maple syrup

• 3 ½ Tablespoons cornstarch

For the decoration:

• Coconut whipped cream

• 10 Tablespoons vegan butter

• 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 3 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup cranberry jam

Recipe and Photos by Daniela Lais

Directions

1) For the crust grease a 9-inch pie pan with coconut oil or vegan butter. In a bowl combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Work in the vegan butter and vanilla and create a smooth pie dough. If it’s too dry add 1-2 tablespoons of cold water. Press it in the pie pan and create a rim (about 2 ½ inches high). If you have leftover dough, you can use it for decoration on the top. Chill it when you make the filling.

2) For the filling preheat the oven to 420F. Poke holes in the sweet potatoes all around and bake them for about 60 minutes or until they are soft (depending on the size). Turn the heat down to 350F.

3) Peel the sweet potatoes, mix the starch with coconut milk and blend the sweet potatoes, with the milk-starch mix, salt, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla to a smooth filling.

4) Spread the cranberry jam on the pie crust, top it with the sweet potato filling, smooth it, add some additional decorations if you have leftover pie crust and bake for about 50 – 55 min. Let it cool down completely, best overnight. Top it with some coconut whipped cream if you want.

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