As with most dietary questions, vegans are split
on the issue of dairy products–not so much on the question
of whether or not they are acceptable, but instead for what
reasons they should not be consumed.

All vegans (or at least true vegans) abstain from consuming
dairy products. Some do so for nutritional reasons;
others abstain for ethical reasons.

Those who do it for nutritional reasons cite a range of
health problems related to the consumption of dairy
products, including high cholesterol. Many also have a
problem digesting lactose or have a blood-iron or diabetic
problem related to milk protein, casein. In addition to
this, milk and cheese often contain small portions of
undesirable hormones that are added to dairy cow feeds
to increase production.

Those who abstain from consuming dairy products for
ethical reasons also have a range of reasons for doing so.

Some cite the poor treatment of dairy cows as a main
reason for not consuming milk and cheese. They note that
dairy cows are forced to become pregnant once each
year to maintain a constantly high yield of milk.
They are also fed numerous steroids
to increase production.

Others who abstain for ethical reasons often cite the
maltreatment of dairy cow offspring. They note that calves
are not allowed to spend time with or suckle from the
mother, but instead are prematurely removed to be reared
for either veal production, beef production, or as
replacement dairy cows.

The calves selected for “veal” production are often forced
to live in crates so tiny that they cannot turn around.
They must face in one direction; they cannot groom
themeselves; and they are fed hormone-laden feed until
they are sent off to be slaughtered.

If you are a prospective vegan, you may want to take
some time now to think about what is best for you.
Ask yourself whether you wanted to become a vegan for
ethical reasons, dietary reasons, or both. And from
there, determine whether or not these arguments were
strong enough to compel you to do so. Either way, you
should emerge with a stronger viewpoint and a better
understanding of what you do and do not want.

Most vegetarians who stop eating meat for ethical
reasons also take measures to avoid contributing to the
suffering and death of animals (and even insects) in other
capacities. For instance, a number of vegetarians refuse to
wear leather and silk because they see it as an ethical
violation of their respect for all living things.

Vegetarians who refuse to wear silk argue that the process
involves unnecessary cruelty to moth larvae. Rather than
allowing the moth to grow and leave the cocoon, silk
manufacturers boil the larvae alive, causing them to suffer
and writhe, in order to obtain longer strands of silk.

Leather, by contrast, does not directly contribute to the
suffering of animals in most cases. In most cases, leather
is made from the byproducts of animals that would be
slaughtered for meat, rennet, and other animal
products.

This is precisely why many vegetarians who have an ethical
dilemma with meat have no problem wearing leather: because
they do not see it as the primary reason for killing the
animals, but instead a byproduct of the slaughter.

However, certain groups of vegans oppose wearing leather
on the grounds that it indirectly contributes to the
suffering of animals.

These vegans argue that contributing money to the companies
that own the slaughterhouses (and sell the byproducts for
leather, etc.) is just as bad as actually purchasing and
eating meat yourself because you are still contributing
money to the continuation of institutionalized animal
suffering.

This is certainly something to consider if you are
currently a vegan or a vegetarian for ethical reasons.
It may have been tough to give up meat in the first place,
but if you are truly committed to the cause and you
believe the arguments are strong-enough, you may want
to avoid clothing purchases that will aid institutions
that cause animal suffering.

Makes: 6+ Servings

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Raisins
1/2 Cup Walnuts
1/3 Cup Almonds
1/4 Cup Dried Banana Chips

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Serve.

Makes: 3 Servings

Ingredients:

2 Baby Eggplant
1/2 Tablespoon Lemon juice
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic – Mashed
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/4 Cup Tahini
1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley – Chopped

Directions:

1. Cut eggplant into cubes & steam in water.
2. Blend eggplant into paste.
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Blend further.
5. Chill in refrigerator.
6. Serve.

Many nonvegetarians wonder what drives vegetarians to give
up meat and adopt an entirely different lifestyle.
There is no single answer to this question. Nonvegetarians
become vegetarians for a number of different reasons – some
even for multiple reasons.

Most vegetarians claim that they became a vegetarian for
one of three reasons.

The first reason, which most vegetarians claim, is that
they have ethical problems with eating meat. Most disagree
with how chickens are debeaked, forced to live in small
cages, and are then slaughtered when they do not produce
eggs fast enough.

Most vegetarians also disagree with the crowded and
stressful environments animals are forced into; and
the hormone-laden feed used to make them grow faster
and produce more.

People who become vegetarians for this purpose often
draw ethical boundaries in different spots, depending on
their personal beliefs. For instance, some staunch vegans
wont consume yeast, wear wool, or even eat certain
vegetables, such as carrots, that require killing the
plant to harvest.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, some vegetarians–
sometimes referred to as pseudo-vegetarians–will actually
eat fish and chicken on a regular basis.

The second biggest reason vegetarians claim for not eating
meat is that it conflicts with their dietary preferences.
Some of these vegetarians simply do not like the texture
and taste of meat; others do not eat it because it is high
in cholesterol and often contains high concentrations
of hormones and preservatives.

The third and smallest group of vegetarians cite
environmental reasons for not consuming meat. They complain
that consumption of meat causes farmers to continually
deforest land to create grazing land for cattle.

In addition to these three major groups, there are a number
of other smaller groups of vegetarians who stopped eating
meat for entirely different reasons.

Makes: 3 Servings

Ingredients:

6 Slices Whole Wheat Bread
9 Slices Cheddar Cheese
1 Tablespoon Butter

Directions:

1. Butter each piece of toast.
2. Create 3 sandwiches – each with
3 pieces of cheese.
3. Cook in oven at 350 degrees. Flip
half-way. Cook until cheese is melted
and toast is browned.

Makes: 4-5 Servings

Ingredients:

2 Cups Wild Rice
1 Vidalia Onion – Sliced
4 Cups Vegetable Broth
5 White Mushrooms – Sliced
3 Cloves Garlic – Diced

Directions:

1. Add ingredients to crockpot or
casserole dish.
2. Pour broth over top & cover.
3. Cook on low heat for hours until
vegetables are soft and rice is finished.

Gelatin serves both nutritional and culinary roles in
nonvegetarian diets; however, a lot of vegetarians and
all vegans do not consume gelatin in its many forms
because it is often created out of boiled pig skins and
dissolved veal cartilage and bones.

This leaves vegetarians with a gap in cooking
functionality when a recipe calls for a gel or thickening
agent. It also leaves vegetarians with fewer options if they
need a source of gelatin to increase bone and cartilage
health.

If you are a vegetarian and you are looking for something
to replace gelatin, do not despair. Here are some alternative
options for you:

1. Use a rice starch alternative. A&B Ingredients recently
developed a rice starch alternative to gelatins that mimics
the cooking functionality of gelatins closely.

2. Use a soy-based alternative. Soyfoods USA developed
NuSoy Gel, a gelatin alternative which was created
entirely out of of soy isoflavones and contains 100% of
your vitamin c recommended daily allowance.

3. Use seaweed-based alternatives. Agar-agar, for instance,
is a seaweed based alternative to gelatin that can simulate
the culinary functions of gelatin.

4. Increase your calcium intake. One component of gelatin
supplements that allegedly increases joint health is
calcium. If you want to increase your calcium intake
without eating gelatin, you can simply consume more
calcium-fortified foods and even take supplements.

5. Increase your vitamin c intake. Another component of
gelatin supplements that allegedly increases joint health is
vitamin c. You can increase your vitamin c intake by
consuming more citrus fruit.

6. Increase your glucosamine intake. No foods contain
glucosamine, but you can increase your intake by purchasing
supplements at your local grocery store or pharmacy. This
is rumored to improve joint health if taken regularly.

To reiterate – gelatin has two major functions: it works
as a thickening agent for foods and is rumored to improve
joint health; both of these functions can easily
be mimicked by structural and nutritional alternatives.

Makes: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

3 Cups Flour
1 Cups Sugar
2 Eggs – Beaten
4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Cups Vegetable Shortening
1 Cup Milk
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Apples – Diced Well

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl.
3. Combine wet and dry ingredients.
4. Mix in apples & beat out lumps.
5. Add batter to muffin tins.
6. Cook at 375 degrees.
7. Allow muffins to cool on a rack.
8. Serve!

If you aren