Vegan Mexican Pizza

Layer on the Southwestern flavors in this playful vegan Mexican pizza. It starts with refried beans (in place of red sauce), followed by salsa, corn and nondairy cheese. Serve with a colorful green salad and garlic-sautéed greens. This recipe doubles easily. Adapted from Vegan Express. Makes: 6 slices One 12- to 14-inch good-quality pizza crust, or Basic Pizza Dough 1 cup (about half of a 16-ounce can) vegan refried beans, (I like Annie’s organic refried beans with green chili in the BPA-free can) or homemade Refried Beans 1 cup mild or medium-hot salsa, your favorite variety 1 cup grated cheddar or Jack-style nondairy cheese 1/2 to 3/4 cup frozen organic corn kernels, thawed 1 to 2 scallions, sliced 1 fresh hot chili pepper, seeded and sliced, optional Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the crust on a pan. Spread it with the refried beans (thin canned refried beans with a tiny bit of water if need be, to make them more spreadable, depending on the brand), then the salsa. Sprinkle with the cheese and corn kernels, followed by the scallions and optional chili pepper. Bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand […]

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List of Vegan Foods for a Tasty Plant-Based Menu

Vegan foods are healthy, delicious, and as nutritious as their animal-based counterparts. And thanks to an increased demand, a variety of these foods are available in most supermarkets. Now it’s only a question of picking up the right ones. Most vegan foods can be put into three categories: foods that add nutrients to vegan meals, foods that replace animal-based products, and foods that boost vegan meals. As a rule, each vegan dish should contain foods from at least two of these categories. If you are new to veganism, making the right food choices might be tricky. To give you some guidance, here’s a list of vegan foods that can enhance your plant-based diet. Look for Alternative Dairy Products Contrary to popular belief, cows and goats are not the only things that produce milk. Plants like soy, hemp, coconut, and rice are great sources of alternative dairy products. Alternatively, almonds produce a creamy milk that has an excellent nutty flavor. You can add almond milk to your coffee, and it’s also a great supplement for any vegan smoothie. Moving to other dairy products, there are more than a few options of vegan butter and cheese. These dairy products usually have a […]

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Tofu Spring Roll

Vegetarian spring rolls are all about texture. Inside you have rice vermicelli, crisp vegetables, and usually some type of meat or seafood, but here I decided to go with tofu. The resulting flavors and colors of the spring rolls are delicious. The only downside is that they take a little bit of time to make, but believe me it’s worth it!  These tofu spring rolls are a classic to prepare for a picnic or a potluck. Fresh and light, they will please everyone—young and old. Dip one into some creamy and slightly spicy peanut sauce. You can eat them whole or cut them into 3 or 4 pieces for small bites to share. Prep time: 40 min Cook time: 5 min Total time: 45 min Servings: 8 Ingredients 1 block / 500 g extra firm tofu 1 package vermicelli 16 sheets of rice paper 2 carrots grated 1 pepper cut in strips 1 cup mint leaves 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon soy sauce Instructions Marinate the tofu 1 hour in the soy sauce. In a bowl, cover the vermicelli with boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a bowl of hot water, soak the […]

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Being Vegan on a Budget: It’s Easier than Many Believe

Adhering to a vegan diet is a major life decision. It involves embracing an entire philosophy, not just choosing what you’ll have for lunch tomorrow. And as is the case with all decisions of such magnitude, certain issues and questions are bound to arise. Now, it doesn’t matter if you’re still thinking about switching to veganism or if you are already onboard. One question which is sure to pop up is the matter of finances. As you are well aware, there is a rather widespread belief that this diet is expensive and that it is impossible to be vegan on a budget. Fortunately, that is not the case. The truth is, any diet can be either expensive or affordable. The cost depends on the limits you place upon yourself. The number of luxury and high-end products you’ll go for. Famous brands versus less-known alternatives. Organic or not. How many times you’ll eat in restaurants each month. Those are the factors which determine how big of a food budget you’ll need. Whether it’s vegan or not doesn’t play a particularly significant role. If anything, the staples of vegan cuisine tend to be on the lower end of the price scale. Things […]

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Plant-Based, Plant-Sourced, Plant Strong ™, Total Vegetarian, or Vegan?

Language is more powerful than we realize when it comes to affecting social change. This post details all the various ways that have emerged to convey the concept of “vegan.” Excerpted from Powerful Vegan Messages by H. Jay Dinshah and Anne Dinshah @2014 by The American Vegan Society, reprinted with permission. Also available from The American Vegan Society. Plant-based diet is one based on vegetables, grains, legumes, and fruit, with little or no animal products. It can refer to: 1. a vegan diet. 2. a diet derived predominantly from plant foods with the inclusion of some animal products. Plant based usually refers to eating plants for health reasons with emphasis on whole, unrefined foods. It sometimes excludes added oil, salt, sugar, and most processed foods. Plant based may mean with or without transitioning to being completely vegan. When one understands the concepts of plant based, it makes no sense to pile a few animals on the plate. People also use terms such as “completely plant based” or “whole-foods, plant-based diet.”   Plant-sourced diet could imply that the source is always plants. It is a term less used. Some people use it to mean that plants are one of the sources, and also may use animal […]

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Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad

This is one of my favorite things to make in the late summer — a gorgeous platter of roasted vegetables that’s really less work than it may seem at first glance. It’s an extravaganza of flavor, and though it’s perfect for late summer or early fall, with these particular veggies there’s no reason you can’t make it year-round. Substitute or add other vegetables if you’d like — mushrooms, yellow squash, green beans, asparagus … increase the amount of marinade if need be. Serves: 6 or more Marinade 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning, such as Spike or Mrs. Dash 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 2 long Japanese eggplants, about 1 pound, sliced 1/2 inch thick (see Note) 1/2 medium red onion, cut into thick slices 1/2 medium zucchini, sliced 1 medium yellow or red bell pepper, cut into large chunks 4 small tomatoes (such as Roma), quartered Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 3 to 4 ounces mixed baby greens, optional Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Line a roasting pan with parchment Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl and stir together. […]

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Food of the Week: Bell Peppers

Bell peppers are native to North, Central, and South America as well as to the Caribbean. Over time they have not only been distributed throughout the the world, but have become widely cultivated in a very large number of countries. When analysts ...

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Food of the Week: Raspberries

Scientists aren't entirely sure about the origins of raspberries. Wild raspberries appear on at least five continents, and there is enormous species diversity for this fruit. Some arctic species of raspberry are native to Alaska, the Aleutian ...

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Recipe of the Week: 5-Minute Raspberry Almond Parfait

The combination of raspberries and almonds makes a delicious dessert. ...

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From the kitchen: Tips for Preparing Raspberries

As raspberries are very delicate, wash them very gently, using the light pressure of the sink sprayer if possible, and then patting them dry. They should be washed right before eating or recipe preparation so that they do not become water-soaked and ...

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Health Benefits Provided By The World's Healthiest Foods Meal Plan

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Coconut Oil for the Hair: Benefits and Uses, Do and Don’ts

Coconut oil has become so popular over the past several years that it’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t use it every day. Since then, people have come out with tons of different ways to use it. For example, you can cook with it, eat it raw, apply it topically or use it in skin care products. Because it contains so many healing properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial and antimicrobial, there is virtually to wrong way to use coconut oil on your body.

If you’ve never tried using coconut oil on your hair, then you’re in for a treat. Studies show that it helps promote hair growth, fights dandruff, and gives your hair a healthy, shiny appearance. There are many different ways to use coconut oil on your hair, so before you give it a try, make sure you give this article a read.

We’ll show you how to use coconut oil for hair health, including what not to do and how to make your own coconut oil hair products at home.

Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil definitely has superfood qualities complete with potent medicinal properties. And thanks to its oil consistency, it’s perfect to use on your hair and skin. Coconut oil contains a unique type of fatty acids called medium-chain fatty acids or MCTs. Research shows that MCTs are shorter than other chains of fatty acids, which makes them easier to digest. These types of fatty acids go straight to the liver where they enhance the production of ketones. This makes coconut oil popular among people who follow the ketogenic diet. But you don’t have to be keto to appreciate the health benefits of coconut oil.

One study found that populations that eat lots of coconut oil tend to be healthier than those who don’t. Specifically, people who eat coconut oil have lower rates of heart disease. Another study found that eating coconut oil can help you lose weight because it increases fat burning. In fact, one study found that consuming 15 to 30 grams of MCTs per day helped people burn about 120 calories and increase their 24-hour energy expenditure by 5 percent. Not bad for some oil, huh?

Here’s where coconut oil comes in handy for hair and skin health. Research shows that coconut oil contains a compound known as the lauric acid that makes up about half of the fatty acid content. Once digested, lauric acid forms a substance known as monolaurin. Both lauric acid and monolaurin contain antibacterial and antiviral properties that kill harmful bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Research shows that these compounds can even help kill a dangerous type of bacteria known as Staphylococcus aureus and the more commonly known Candida albicans, which causes yeast infections. You can use these same antiviral and antibacterial properties to cleanse your hair, especially if you’re sensitive to products that contain a lot of chemicals and need something natural. Many people also use coconut oil to kill the bacteria in their mouth and keep their gums healthy in a process called oil pulling.

Here are some more reasons to use coconut oil on your hair. Several studies have shown that coconut oil helps moisturize dry skin by improving its moisture content when applied topically. It can even be used to treat eczema. When you apply coconut oil to your hair and scalp, it can help these areas retain moisture and prevent dry, flaky skin and hair. Other research shows that coconut oil can be used to protect against hair damage by acting as a weak sunscreen. Specifically, it has been shown to block about 20 percent of the sun’s rays, which can make your hair appear dry and dull.

Finally, coconut oil has an antioxidant-like effect on the body that reduces inflammation. According to one study, coconut oil helps the body absorb carotenoids, which is a type of antioxidant that helps give foods its color. You can use this anti-inflammatory action to reduce hair breakage, scalp irritation, and other skin disorders that may occur on your scalp and affect the appearance of your hair. It can even reduce pain, according to one study. This comes in handy if you have a painful infection or even lice! Because of its ability to help you absorb antioxidants, it helps to use coconut oil in addition to other natural products that contain them, such as essential oils and herbs.

How To Use Coconut Oil For Hair Health

Thanks to its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and natural moisturizing properties, there are tons of ways you can use coconut oil to improve the health of your hair. Some people use it once a week as a deep conditioner while others use it daily to help heal scalp conditions. We’ve put together an extensive list of how to use coconut oil for hair health and tips for applying it correctly.

1. Use It As A Deep Conditioner

One of the best reasons to use coconut oil as a deep conditioner is because it’s completely natural and doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals. It also provides natural moisturizing properties that make it tremendously nourishing for your hair. If you blow dry your hair every day, it can leave your hair dry and damaged. Over-brushing your hair also causes damage to it.

Coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids that penetrate your hair deeply and quickly, so you get instant hydrating results. According to one study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science, coconut oil is better to use than sunflower oil and mineral oil to condition your hair.

It’s also the only oil that reduces protein loss without any harsh chemicals, which makes it a safe home remedy to condition your hair or even a child’s hair. Protein loss is what leads to dry and damaged hair.

In addition to the deep penetration of MCTs, coconut oil also contains lauric acid, which has a low molecular weight and is also able to deeply penetrate the hair to nourish it with fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You can use it directly on your hair or scalp to promote the growth of new, healthy hair.

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Bento Box School Lunch Kits: Fun and Earth-Friendly

Bento box school lunch kits are a fun route to healthy meals your kids will actually eat! If these contemporary bento boxes were available when my kids were growing up, they would have made the process of packing lunches much more enjoyable. As it was, I stood in the kitchen at 6:30 a.m. every school day for 14 years, packing adequate yet boring lunches for my kids. They grew up vegetarian until ages 10 and 12, then went vegan, and never wanted to buy lunch at school. The ingenious bento box lunch kits that are so easy to come by these days inspires your child to enjoy his or her homemade lunches, and helps you, as the parent, enjoy making them! Older kids and teens will eventually be make and pack their own lunches in these colorful kits. And lest you think, “oh, no, unhealthy plastic!” these containers are safe in every way, including being BPA-free. If you like the idea of having your school lunch info in one neat package, you might enjoy VegKitchen’s affordable e-book (available in a downloadable pdf and other formats — e-reader and paperback as well). These recipes and ideas (more than 50 in total) will make the […]

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