Eating lower on the food chain is recommended by health experts and by sustainability experts -- that is, eating less meat, fish, and dairy. We can all do this easily by having one meatless day a week, by choosing chicken instead of beef, and stretching a little fish a long way.
But what about giving up meat, fish, and dairy altogether? Vegans make this decision, and also give up eggs and honey. So what do they eat – is it boring? Are they healthy?
Having researched this a bit, I can tell you that food made of animals is probably less healthy, when you take into account pesticides, hormones, and cholesterol – not to mention unsanitary slaughtering plants. We’ve all heard of food safety issues! So vegans are probably exposing themselves to fewer health problems, as long as they choose a variety of foods (which we should all do, anyway).
Back to the question, “Is vegan boring?” Not if you go by a wonderful cookbook called Vegan world fusion cuisine http://www.veganfusion.com/index_new.php, Mark Reinfeld, Bo Rinaldi and their colleagues at a restaurant in Hawaii. I’ve tried quite a few of these and found them astonishingly tasty, varied, and healthful.
Here in the Bay Area, we have a caterer who will offer vegan food on a regular schedule or for special events. Vegan Local Love Catering. Check out these menus from the website http://localloveservices.com/ :
1. Three-grain Lentil burger with roasted Rosemary potatoes served with chipotle ketchup and “Mayo”.
2. Veggie Enchiladas with Black beans and seasonal veggies in a house-made enchilada sauce served with Spanish Rice.
3. Greek Moussaka: Layers of Eggplant, Zucchini, Tempeh, tomato, and onion baked in a creamy potato béchamel sauce.
4. Mushroom, and Carrot Sunchoke Risotto topped with crispy dried onion rings with a side salad.
5. Baked BBQ tofu in a tangy Barbecue sauce served with Quinoa pilaf and roasted Brussels Sprouts.
6. Tofu Roulade Stuffed with a Mushroom and Spinach Duxelle served with “Caesar” Salad.
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