Oklahoma City family finding vegan lifestyle benefits in many ways

[Guest guest]

Alissa Finley's story sounds much like the introduction to "The Brady Bunch.” Two years ago, she had two children of her own, Elsa, now 11, and Alek, 7, and both had hair of gold, like their mother. It's also the story of a man named Deke Dalrymple, who was busy with three boys (and a girl) of his own: Sky, now 12, Bodhi, 9, Sen, 6, and Anna, 3. They were four men (and a little girl) living all together, yet they were all alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Till the one day when the lady met this fellow at Vegetarian Summerfest. Soon, the two knew this group must form a family, and that's the way they all became the vegan bunch. That's the twist. Finley's family, which has recently grown to include 5-week-old Fin, are all vegans — they don't eat meat or any animal byproducts such as milk or eggs. This Oklahoma City family may seem unusual, but vegetarians and vegans are cropping up everywhere. According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, 4 percent to 7 percent of Americans call themselves vegetarians (people who don't eat meat but who usually will eat animal byproducts). These days, grocery stores and even many convenience stores are well-stocked with vegetarian and vegan items such as veggie burgers, soy and rice milk, "not-dogs” and "facon,” or fake bacon. Vegetarians are no longer doomed to shopping at dingy natural food stores in the dark corners of aged strip malls, where they have to dust off the cartons of soy milk and tofu. Herbivores have more choices and convenience than ever. But you don't have to be a vegetarian or vegan to benefit from the great variety of healthy choices now found on grocery shelves near you. Many veggie foods not only taste great, but they are typically low in fat and cholesterol. "A vegetarian diet's strengths clearly are that it is so plant-based, with the nutrients that are native to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and legumes and grains. It is just an excellent quality way to go,” said Karen Massey, registered licensed dietitian for Integris Health. Finley has been a vegetarian since she was 18. She said she always loved animals but, growing up in Oklahoma, had never even heard the word "vegetarian,” much less thought about becoming one. The first time she heard the word, she was at an out-of-state summer camp. When a counselor asked which campers wanted a vegetarian diet, Finley's hand shot up. "It had not occurred to me that you could not eat animals. I was blinded to that fact. All of a sudden, it all made sense,” she said. The month she spent at camp eating a vegetarian diet set her on a dietary path that would become more grounded in her ethics when she was a Cornell University freshman. As a volunteer at an animal advocacy group, Farm Sanctuary, she decided she was not comfortable supporting the egg and dairy industries, so she became a vegan and never looked back. Sixteen years later, Finley is president of Vegetarians of Oklahoma (VegOK), a statewide organization of vegetarians and vegans that meets monthly for potlucks and dinners at vegetarian restaurants. This month's meeting was at Queen of Sheba, an Ethiopian restaurant at 2308 N MacArthur. The group advocates for animals and promotes vegetarianism at statewide events. But the group welcomes "Friday vegetarians,” she said — those who may want to become vegetarians but are making the change gradually. "People come to vegetarianism for a lot of different reasons,” she said. "Compassion, health and environmental concerns are the top three.” The VegOK logo is a looping, interactive triangle in which all three of these reasons feed into each other. "Eating low on the food chain means getting the most food out of our resources that we can, instead of making all this good food and feeding it to the animals so we can eat the animals,” Finley said. "So, you have this care for the planet that feeds into caring for the animals that are on it, and that kind of feeds into caring for yourself and the health benefits that you can enjoy.” Veg PAK, an offshoot of VegOK, is a parents and children group that Finley started "not only to find vegan playmates for my own children,” she said, but also to help parents who have common questions about raising their vegetarian or vegan children. "What do you do at birthday parties?” and "What do you do with grandparents who want to give them this food?” are just two questions she gets asked by other Veg PAK parents. "There's no reason to reinvent the wheel,” she said. When one of her children is invited to a birthday party, Finley just opens her freezer and pulls out a vegan cupcake, spreads some icing on it, and sends her child off to have fun at the party. For a cookout, she sends a veggie burger or a "not-dog” along with her child to toss on the grill. And ice cream? "They have soy ice creams out there that are awesomely delicious,” she said. Finley crumbles faux beef on top of pizza or mixes it into spaghetti sauce or lasagna for a meatlike experience her children love. And she has recipes for vegan chocolate chip peanut butter banana cookies that drive her brood wild. "The kid-friendly recipes are not necessarily super-healthy, but they are meant to be yummy for the kids,” she said. For nonvegetarians, substituting some of the meatless products in place of a serving of red meat or chicken can lower the calorie, fat and cholesterol intake, a benefit for most U.S. families, Massey said. What about protein? That is the most common question people ask Louis Green, VegOK board member. He said that it is a common misconception that vegetarians and vegans lack protein in their diets. "The answer is that the standard vegetarian diet does not lack protein. It's not an issue,” he said. "In fact, people that eat a standard American diet have an issue of consuming too much protein.” Massey agrees. She said most Americans eat too many foods that are not only high in protein but, more importantly, are high in calories, cholesterol and saturated fats. "We eat too much, period,” she said. However, she pointed out that it is also not uncommon for young women who have eating disorders such as anorexia to say that they are vegetarians to avoid eating. She cautions parents with vegetarian children to make sure that they are eating enough and not using vegetarianism as a mask for an eating disorder. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's new food pyramid recommendations have changed to include more vegetarian-friendly terminology. What used to be the "meat” group is now the "meat and beans” group, for instance. The USDA has also issued recommendations for a healthy vegetarian diet.

 

Peter H

 

Answers - Get better answers from someone who knows. Try

it now.

[Guest guest]

Hi all; does anyone know a really good bacon substitute because before turning Vegan, I used to use Morning Star but they use egg whites so I had to stop using it. (In the US?) Thanks. Gigi

 

 

 

 

Peter VV <swpgh01

 

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:42 pm

Re: Oklahoma City family finding vegan lifestyle benefits in many ways

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alissa Finley's story sounds much like the introduction to "The Brady Bunch.†Two years ago, she had two children of her own, Elsa, now 11, and Alek, 7, and both had hair of gold, like their mother. It's also the story of a man named Deke Dalrymple, who was busy with three boys (and a girl) of his own: Sky, now 12, Bodhi, 9, Sen, 6, and Anna, 3. They were four men (and a little girl) living all together, yet they were all alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Till the one day when the lady met this fellow at Vegetarian Summerfest. Soon, the two knew this group must form a family, and that's the way they all became the vegan bunch.

That's the twist. Finley's family, which has recently grown to include 5-week-old Fin, are all vegans — they don't eat meat or any animal byproducts such as milk or eggs.

This Oklahoma City family may seem unusual, but vegetarians and vegans are cropping up everywhere. According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, 4 percent to 7 percent of Americans call themselves vegetarians (people who don't eat meat but who usually will eat animal byproducts).

These days, grocery stores and even many convenience stores are well-stocked with vegetarian and vegan items such as veggie burgers, soy and rice milk, "not-dogs†and "facon,†or fake bacon.

Vegetarians are no longer doomed to shopping at dingy natural food stores in the dark corners of aged strip malls, where they have to dust off the cartons of soy milk and tofu. Herbivores have more choices and convenience than ever. But you don't have to be a vegetarian or vegan to benefit from the great variety of healthy choices now found on grocery shelves near you. Many veggie foods not only taste great, but they are typically low in fat and cholesterol.

"A vegetarian diet's strengths clearly are that it is so plant-based, with the nutrients that are native to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and legumes and grains. It is just an excellent quality way to go,†said Karen Massey, registered licensed dietitian for Integris Health.

Finley has been a vegetarian since she was 18. She said she always loved animals but, growing up in Oklahoma, had never even heard the word "vegetarian,†much less thought about becoming one. The first time she heard the word, she was at an out-of-state summer camp. When a counselor asked which campers wanted a vegetarian diet, Finley's hand shot up.

"It had not occurred to me that you could not eat animals. I was blinded to that fact. All of a sudden, it all made sense,†she said. The month she spent at camp eating a vegetarian diet set her on a dietary path that would become more grounded in her ethics when she was a Cornell University freshman. As a volunteer at an animal advocacy group, Farm Sanctuary, she decided she was not comfortable supporting the egg and dairy industries, so she became a vegan and never looked back.

Sixteen years later, Finley is president of Vegetarians of Oklahoma (VegOK), a statewide organization of vegetarians and vegans that meets monthly for potlucks and dinners at vegetarian restaurants. This month's meeting was at Queen of Sheba, an Ethiopian restaurant at 2308 N MacArthur. The group advocates for animals and promotes vegetarianism at statewide events. But the group welcomes "Friday vegetarians,†she said — those who may want to become vegetarians but are making the change gradually.

"People come to vegetarianism for a lot of different reasons,†she said. "Compassion, health and environmental concerns are the top three.â€

The VegOK logo is a looping, interactive triangle in which all three of these reasons feed into each other.

"Eating low on the food chain means getting the most food out of our resources that we can, instead of making all this good food and feeding it to the animals so we can eat the animals,†Finley said. "So, you have this care for the planet that feeds into caring for the animals that are on it, and that kind of feeds into caring for yourself and the health benefits that you can enjoy.â€

Veg PAK, an offshoot of VegOK, is a parents and children group that Finley started "not only to find vegan playmates for my own children,†she said, but also to help parents who have common questions about raising their vegetarian or vegan children.

"What do you do at birthday parties?†and "What do you do with grandparents who want to give them this food?†are just two questions she gets asked by other Veg PAK parents.

"There's no reason to reinvent the wheel,†she said. When one of her children is invited to a birthday party, Finley just opens her freezer and pulls out a vegan cupcake, spreads some icing on it, and sends her child off to have fun at the party. For a cookout, she sends a veggie burger or a "not-dog†along with her child to toss on the grill. And ice cream? "They have soy ice creams out there that are awesomely delicious,†she said.

Finley crumbles faux beef on top of pizza or mixes it into spaghetti sauce or lasagna for a meatlike experience her children love. And she has recipes for vegan chocolate chip peanut butter banana cookies that drive her brood wild.

"The kid-friendly recipes are not necessarily super-healthy, but they are meant to be yummy for the kids,†she said.

For nonvegetarians, substituting some of the meatless products in place of a serving of red meat or chicken can lower the calorie, fat and cholesterol intake, a benefit for most U.S. families, Massey said.

What about protein? That is the most common question people ask Louis Green, VegOK board member. He said that it is a common misconception that vegetarians and vegans lack protein in their diets.

"The answer is that the standard vegetarian diet does not lack protein. It's not an issue,†he said. "In fact, people that eat a standard American diet have an issue of consuming too much protein.â€

Massey agrees. She said most Americans eat too many foods that are not only high in protein but, more importantly, are high in calories, cholesterol and saturated fats.

"We eat too much, period,†she said. However, she pointed out that it is also not uncommon for young women who have eating disorders such as anorexia to say that they are vegetarians to avoid eating. She cautions parents with vegetarian children to make sure that they are eating enough and not using vegetarianism as a mask for an eating disorder.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's new food pyramid recommendations have changed to include more vegetarian-friendly terminology. What used to be the "meat†group is now the "meat and beans†group, for instance. The USDA has also issued recommendations for a healthy vegetarian diet.

 

 

 

Peter H

 

 

 

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it now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

lightlife makes two veggie bacon products....

Fakin bakin and Smart Bacon

can't really recall how they taste...might have had BLT's with em er somethimg...

but..never been a big bacon fan, even when i ate dead flesh...

veganfitness Sep 21, 2007 2:46 PM Re: Oklahoma City family finding vegan lifestyle benefits in many ways

 

 

 

 

Hi all; does anyone know a really good bacon substitute because before turning Vegan, I used to use Morning Star but they use egg whites so I had to stop using it. (In the US?) Thanks. Gigi

Peter VV <swpgh01 (AT) talk21 (DOT) com> Sent: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:42 pmRe: Oklahoma City family finding vegan lifestyle benefits in many ways

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alissa Finley's story sounds much like the introduction to "The Brady Bunch.†Two years ago, she had two children of her own, Elsa, now 11, and Alek, 7, and both had hair of gold, like their mother. It's also the story of a man named Deke Dalrymple, who was busy with three boys (and a girl) of his own: Sky, now 12, Bodhi, 9, Sen, 6, and Anna, 3. They were four men (and a little girl) living all together, yet they were all alone.

 

 

 

Till the one day when the lady met this fellow at Vegetarian Summerfest. Soon, the two knew this group must form a family, and that's the way they all became the vegan bunch.

That's the twist. Finley's family, which has recently grown to include 5-week-old Fin, are all vegans — they don't eat meat or any animal byproducts such as milk or eggs.

This Oklahoma City family may seem unusual, but vegetarians and vegans are cropping up everywhere. According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, 4 percent to 7 percent of Americans call themselves vegetarians (people who don't eat meat but who usually will eat animal byproducts).

These days, grocery stores and even many convenience stores are well-stocked with vegetarian and vegan items such as veggie burgers, soy and rice milk, "not-dogs†and "facon,†or fake bacon.

Vegetarians are no longer doomed to shopping at dingy natural food stores in the dark corners of aged strip malls, where they have to dust off the cartons of soy milk and tofu. Herbivores have more choices and convenience than ever. But you don't have to be a vegetarian or vegan to benefit from the great variety of healthy choices now found on grocery shelves near you. Many veggie foods not only taste great, but they are typically low in fat and cholesterol.

"A vegetarian diet's strengths clearly are that it is so plant-based, with the nutrients that are native to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and legumes and grains. It is just an excellent quality way to go,†said Karen Massey, registered licensed dietitian for Integris Health.

Finley has been a vegetarian since she was 18. She said she always loved animals but, growing up in Oklahoma, had never even heard the word "vegetarian,†much less thought about becoming one. The first time she heard the word, she was at an out-of-state summer camp. When a counselor asked which campers wanted a vegetarian diet, Finley's hand shot up.

"It had not occurred to me that you could not eat animals. I was blinded to that fact. All of a sudden, it all made sense,†she said. The month she spent at camp eating a vegetarian diet set her on a dietary path that would become more grounded in her ethics when she was a Cornell University freshman. As a volunteer at an animal advocacy group, Farm Sanctuary, she decided she was not comfortable supporting the egg and dairy industries, so she became a vegan and never looked back.

Sixteen years later, Finley is president of Vegetarians of Oklahoma (VegOK), a statewide organization of vegetarians and vegans that meets monthly for potlucks and dinners at vegetarian restaurants. This month's meeting was at Queen of Sheba, an Ethiopian restaurant at 2308 N MacArthur. The group advocates for animals and promotes vegetarianism at statewide events. But the group welcomes "Friday vegetarians,†she said — those who may want to become vegetarians but are making the change gradually.

"People come to vegetarianism for a lot of different reasons,†she said. "Compassion, health and environmental concerns are the top three.â€

The VegOK logo is a looping, interactive triangle in which all three of these reasons feed into each other.

"Eating low on the food chain means getting the most food out of our resources that we can, instead of making all this good food and feeding it to the animals so we can eat the animals,†Finley said. "So, you have this care for the planet that feeds into caring for the animals that are on it, and that kind of feeds into caring for yourself and the health benefits that you can enjoy.â€

Veg PAK, an offshoot of VegOK, is a parents and children group that Finley started "not only to find vegan playmates for my own children,†she said, but also to help parents who have common questions about raising their vegetarian or vegan children.

"What do you do at birthday parties?†and "What do you do with grandparents who want to give them this food?†are just two questions she gets asked by other Veg PAK parents.

"There's no reason to reinvent the wheel,†she said. When one of her children is invited to a birthday party, Finley just opens her freezer and pulls out a vegan cupcake, spreads some icing on it, and sends her child off to have fun at the party. For a cookout, she sends a veggie burger or a "not-dog†along with her child to toss on the grill. And ice cream? "They have soy ice creams out there that are awesomely delicious,†she said.

Finley crumbles faux beef on top of pizza or mixes it into spaghetti sauce or lasagna for a meatlike experience her children love. And she has recipes for vegan chocolate chip peanut butter banana cookies that drive her brood wild.

"The kid-friendly recipes are not necessarily super-healthy, but they are meant to be yummy for the kids,†she said.

For nonvegetarians, substituting some of the meatless products in place of a serving of red meat or chicken can lower the calorie, fat and cholesterol intake, a benefit for most U.S. families, Massey said.

What about protein? That is the most common question people ask Louis Green, VegOK board member. He said that it is a common misconception that vegetarians and vegans lack protein in their diets.

"The answer is that the standard vegetarian diet does not lack protein. It's not an issue,†he said. "In fact, people that eat a standard American diet have an issue of consuming too much protein.â€

Massey agrees. She said most Americans eat too many foods that are not only high in protein but, more importantly, are high in calories, cholesterol and saturated fats.

"We eat too much, period,†she said. However, she pointed out that it is also not uncommon for young women who have eating disorders such as anorexia to say that they are vegetarians to avoid eating. She cautions parents with vegetarian children to make sure that they are eating enough and not using vegetarianism as a mask for an eating disorder.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's new food pyramid recommendations have changed to include more vegetarian-friendly terminology. What used to be the "meat†group is now the "meat and beans†group, for instance. The USDA has also issued recommendations for a healthy vegetarian diet.

 

Peter H

 

 

Answers - Get better answers from someone who knows. Try it now.

 

 

Check Out the new free AIM® Mail -- Unlimited storage and industry-leading spam and email virus protection.

 

 

 

 

wargasm wargasm one two three pit bull, pit bull, one two three wave those flags high in the air as long as it takes place over there

[Guest guest]

Oklahoma City family finding vegan lifestyle benefits in many waysNewsOK.comSeptember 19, 2007http://newsok.com/article/3128936/1190157678 "Think occasionally of the suffering of which youspare yourself the sight" Albert Schweitzer

[Guest guest]

I've tried Smart Bacon. The taste was fine but frying it was an

experience. You definately want to cook it much slower than the real

stuff because the texture gets odd. Never could get " crispy " ...got

shoe leather instead. LOL