During the interview, Marla Rose and Eric Sharer referred to Paula Deen’s coming-out-of-the-diabetic-closet as a spokesperson for pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk and their $500-a-month diabetes drug, Victoza.

Excerts from Marla Rose’s interview with Eric Sharer:

Marla Rose: When interviewed last week, Paula Deen said that her diet played a role in her developing diabetes, but seemed to downplay it and place as much blame on heredity and age. As an RD, how much do you think diet is responsible for Type 2 diabetes? For example, if I were a vegan maintaining a moderately healthy diet and activity level but with two diabetic parents, as a dietitian, would you be concerned about me developing this disease as well?

Eric Sharer Many factors can increase risk of Type 2 diabetes: including obesity, physical inactivity, poor diet, age, and genetics. 7 Over time age can impact diabetes risk, but if this was the major contributor, there would not be such alarmingly high rates of type II diabetes in children and young adults. (8)

Also, if age/heredity was the main issue, than no one would be able to manage their diabetes and even reverse their diabetes with diet and lifestyle changes. Having a family history of diabetes puts you at an increased risk of developing diabetes to an extent, but that risk can be greatly diminished if one follows a healthy lifestyle during their life.

There are several reasons that diet and lifestyle play a huge role on diabetes risk and management. As previously stated, healthy cells and a healthy pancreas are key to preventing/managing type II diabetes.

Healthy cells are soft/flexible, easily allowing insulin in and out of their cells. A diet high in fat/cholesterol will cause the cells to become hard and rigid, making it hard for insulin to get into the cell.

Obesity causes the release of inflammation in the body that damages cells and also makes them rigid. Exercise helps open cells up and improve blood sugar control, so a diet lacking in exercise will further hinder blood sugar control. A diet high in refined grains/sugars causes constant stimulation of the pancreas/cells, many times resulting in decreased control.

(WebMD) Eating a low-fat vegan diet may be better at managing type 2 diabetes than traditional diets, according to a new study.

Researchers in the study found 43 percent of people with type 2 diabetes who followed a low-fat vegan diet for 22 weeks reduced their need to take medications to manage their disease compared with 26 percent of those who followed the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

Eric Sharer, RD, from comments to the vegan in chicago examiner post:

Today while reading a copy of The Vegetarian Journal, I found an interesting study to compliment this article.

A study of more than 200,000 people found a strong and consistent relationship between the intake of red and processed meats with risk of developing type II diabetes (t2d). Researchers found a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) by substituting food for red meat.

They found the following: that substituting 1 serving of nuts showed a 21% lower risk of developing T2D, and 1 serving of grains showed 23% risk reduction. Substituting a serving of fish or poultry had less of an impact on risk reduction.

This study also discussed their belief on why red meat increases risk of type 2 diabetes (t2d):

The high heme-iron content of red meat is very unstable and promotes oxidative stress, which damages the pancreas cells. Also the sodium and nitrates in processed red meat get converted into compounds, nitrosamines, which have found to be toxic to pancreatic beta cells, and increasing risk of diabetes. This study also showed a relationship between red meat intake and risk of obesity in the future.

Some food for thought…
Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Seen in Vegans

Eric Sharer is an RD and culinary expert, dedicated to promoting the health benefits of a plant-based diet for disease prevention, treatment, and optimal health. In addition to working at The Block Center, highly esteemed clinic for integrative cancer care, Eric is a Nutrition Advisor for The Vegetarian Resource Group, and a Food for Life Instructor for The Cancer Project. He is now starting up his own private practice as well.

Some of you may have read my previous comments on cake, and suspected that it was only the beginning. You were right of course.

I am now all about food. I have strong thoughts about foods I’d like to eat, so strong I can almost taste them. Interestingly, aside from cake daydreams, they are not for junk food.

Yes, the Occupy Zoe Movement (a movement of one) has been growing stronger and it has demands! Demands about food mostly, that I have difficulty opposing.

It started with broccoli. I’ve always been fond of broccoli, but now it tastes amazing. It’s the best broccoli I’ve ever eaten. I love it and it’s a good thing Bryan likes it too, or he’d be fixing alternate dinners while I ate broccoli, steamed, stir fried, raw in salad…Num! Wonder if Savvy Veg has a good cream of broccoli soup recipe. Now that sounds really good!

Some cravings last longer than others. I went through 6 lbs of cherries before that one went away. I think Bryan got to eat about three cherries total. Thank goodness they were on sale for half price, because if you’ve ever priced out-of-season cherries, and then bought them: A) You make too much money to care about your food budget, B) You are forced to overcome your sticker shock and buy them for a special occasion, or C) You’re pregnant, feel you must have them, and can’t be rational about it.

On the other hand, I had a craving for dill pickles that lasted a week until I finally had some, and I haven’t thought about them since. I just want to point out that since I didn’t also crave ice cream, craving pickles does not (yet) make me a pregnancy cliche. The fact that I had a yen for soaked walnuts and bought a 5 lb bag of them – now that might make me a cliche. There are a LOT of walnuts in a 5 lb bag.

Fruit has been very popular at my house ever since the Occupy Zoe Movement began. I must keep some sort of fruit on hand at all times. Most recently, it has been grapefruit. Juicy, heavy, sweet red grapefruit, peeled and eaten like an orange. Those I have to share with Bryan – apparently I’m not the only one with a thing for grapefruit. In fact, the other day he ate THE LAST ONE! I was very sad. But I had to forgive him, and I’ll tell you why in a minute. Besides, I just bought more. They’re nice and heavy – very promising.

Why I Forgave Bryan for Eating The Last Grapefruit: CAKE. I had an annoyingly persistent craving for cake. It filled my mind and made my mouth water. I tried to let it go but it wouldn’t budge. I tried to sate it with store-bought cake – no luck. It was pumpkin cake I wanted, moist gooey cake with chocolate chips like our neighbor bakes at Christmas time.

At the same time, we were short-handed at work,and I worked 13 days in a row without a full day off. During the first trimester. You know, the one characterized by fatigue? Ugh. I was exhausted. Much as I wanted that cake, I was lucky if I had the energy to bake a potato, forget anything else.

Ten days into the work marathon, I came home hungry and exhausted, too strung out to take care of myself. Bryan sat me down in the kitchen with a cup of tea and made me a snack. That was really nice of him – but wait, there’s more! As I watched in growing wonder, he proceeded to bake me a cake. Not just any old cake either. He got the recipe from our neighbor for that fabulous pumpkin chocolate chip cake, and baked it for me, because he knew I was too tired to do it myself.

It was delicious. Really Really delicious.

An unexpected man-made grapefruit shortage is the tiniest most insignificant event, when I know that I can count on that man to bake me a cake when I need it the most. As far as I’m concerned, he can have the last grapefruit out of this bag too.

Some of the responders felt my pain, but most comments revealed my ignorance and lack of creativity on the subject. Some hinted that I might need an attitude adjustment.

Carrie C: Cooking can be rather tricky when camping, vegetarian or not…

Teresa A: I dont forget about veggie cooking, I can do it rather well camping..

There were many helpful suggestions as well about how to do camp cooking right.

Karen K: cook ahead freeze what ya can

Jennifer from NY: Sometimes when I am camping I bring along Indian MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). There are quite a few that are vegan. You can eat them straight from the bag or you can heat them in boiling water. Super easy and no cleanup. :)

I buy them at my local Indian Supermarket but they are also available at Trader Joe and Whole Foods. You can also find some on Amazon.

Reply to Jennifer: I’ll head for the biggest Indian food store in this area, and see if they have them so I can test them. Gotta pick up some mung dhal too! And I’ll check Amazon

Yoga Gurl:Interesting….never thought of that.

What about “easy” meals? But you are so good at this stuff maybe you already thought of it.

I remember I went camping long ago…we had, I think, quick rice, and chili to go on top for one meal. That was pretty easy.

It’s probably hard for you to do that, you are so used to doing everything on such a quality level. : )

Reply to Yoga Gurl: I’m into easy meals, but I admit it’s hard for me to wrap my head around the idea of making a meal out of processed food. I’m stuck on making everything with fresh food from scratch. But if I go camping again, it’s a whole new world of instant food, I mean it!! :-)

Steve: You really need to try Mary Jane’s Farm’s line of foods. They truly are well made, organic, and could not be easier to prepare. I have no connection with them, I’m just someone who has the same issue; that of finding a way to eat healthy while on the road or camping.

Savvy Veg: I’ll check and see if that brand is available at my local natural food store or online. Thanks for the tip!

Steve: You can order them online, too! Just sayin’…

Joe F: I backpacked for 6 months after college with 3 or kinds of grains, beans, head of cabbage, carrots and grew sprouts in a baggie in my pocket. It can be done!

Catherine T: I love camping and there are loads of things you can cook – risotto, chickpea curry, beany wraps – all in one pot or a bbq. A packet of sosmix and some spices always comes in handy. You basically need stuff that can be cooked in one pot or bbq’d. Staples like pasta, rice and spices take along and the rest bought wherever you are. Eggy bread is a firm breakfast favourite in our household. Should say I love camping?

Maria W: try the camping cookbook by Annie Bell its not all veggie but its a great book lovely cover too.

Its awful seeing so many uninformed veggies struggling wiv broken up veggie burgers lol bring on the stuffed peppers thats wot i say – boil in the bag rice cooked then fill the halved peppers wiv it along wiv crushed garlic and herbs or wotever then drizzle of balasamic vin and maybe splash of olive oil wrap em in foil and stick em on the bbq.

Savvy Veg: Thanks, Maria, excellent idea! I’d use garlic powder and a mediterranean herb mix.

Now that I’ve had a chance to recover and re-group, I’ve come up with a few more positive thoughts about camp cooking:

Another cookbook (besides Annie Bell’s) that would be handy for camping is Vegan Unplugged – Pantry Cuisine Cookbook & Survival Guide by Jon and Robin Robertson. It’s a practical guide not only to surviving, but thriving in any tough situtation.

By following the Robertson’s cooking tips and hints, you can live and eat reasonably healthy out of a car, boat, tent or other temporary shelter, or cook in a motel or dorm room – and not just in an emergency. Sounds ideal for camping, right?

Cooking ahead is an option I’m a little ambivalent about. I’ve done that in other situations, such as car trips, and while it’s helpful on the trip, it’s one more big thing to do before leaving. But I can see the value and will add it to my camping prep list.

Another time saver would be dehydrated foods, like fruit & veggies, and I like the MRE idea. I’ll work on finding edible versions.

Savvy Veg: It’s clear I have a lot to learn about camp cookery, and I appreciate all your tips and suggestions. If you have time to share ideas about doing veggie camp cooking right, please send them along, or comment on this page.

Happy Camping! Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Veg

I have a confession to make. Some of you are going to hate me for this. At least a little.

I have not puked once since I got pregnant. I don’t feel queasy in the mornings, and lately I don’t feel queasy at all.

In fact, the worst I have felt since getting pregnant is when I gave up coffee. The second worst is when I indulged a craving for fried potatoes – for dinner. Please learn from my mistake and don’t do this to yourself.

When the experts say avoid fried food, they really really mean it. The potatoes were tasty, and I virtuously ate peas as well. They went down great and I went to bed thinking “well I guess I’m an exception to that rule as well.”

Smug, overconfident me. Oh man did I feel rotten in the morning. My stomach churned for hours, complaining and threatening illness. Still no puking, but it was a narrow escape.

I did start out feeling queasy in the afternoons, between 2 and 4pm. I would get a bit light-headed and then I’d start to get a headache, and then I’d feel ill. Pretty quickly, I realized that this situation could be headed off with a decent snack. Thank you, fruit and nuts and yogurt.

Blood sugar goes away at an amazing rate when you’re pregnant, I’ve discovered. I used to get hungry and if I ate within 45 minutes, I’d be fine. Now if I try to hold out for 20 minutes, I suffer.

I picture the baby, happily resting on my bladder, slurping my blood sugar like a little vampire. Not that I blame the kid – if I was doubling in size every few weeks, I’d be hungry too.

I had a weepy moment the other day. I was tired after work and there was nothing available of the grab-and-eat variety. Too tired to fix something, I went upstairs and sat down on the couch to read a romance novel. About an hour in, I got to a bittersweet part and was a bit teary eyed – which is normal.

What’s not normal at all is that I set down the book and cried some more. I quickly realized that my blood sugar was through the floor, and as Bryan wouldn’t be home until late at night, too late to rescue me, I’d better feed myself.

Don’t judge me for eating Oriental Ramen and frozen veggies. I know the vegans will be incensed and point out that it has beef extract in the flavoring, but even chicken stock makes me horribly ill, and this doesn’t, so I figure it has to be the merest smidgen.

Besides, when you’re so hungry that you can’t stop crying because the hero and his very best friend realize they only love each other as friends, a three minute cooking time is of paramount importance.

I wished that Bryan would bring home cake. There was no junk food in the house except for ice cream and I didn’t want ice cream. I wanted cake. Moist, gooey carrot cake. Or pumpkin cake. With cream cheese frosting.

Occasionally, being pregnant is like sharing my head with a deranged calorie driven seven-year-old. Have you ever tried to talk a seven-year-old out of cake?

Anyway, aiming to avoid becoming a complete basket case, I am learning new habits. I must always eat breakfast. Always. I also must have a snack between breakfast and lunch, and again right after work (even if there is nothing easy to eat).

The snacks don’t have to be major, but they can’t just be fruit. That doesn’t stick with me long enough. Craisins and soaked walnuts are an amazingly tasty combo. Peanut butter and honey on toast is another winner.

I wouldn’t turn my nose up at cake either … if there were some on hand … pumpkin is very nutritious, right? And cream cheese has calcium…

Dr. John McDougall has written an article to set the record straight about Steve Job’s pancreatic cancer in relation to his long time vegan diet.

In this long and informative article, Dr. McDougall uses cancer statistics and research to show that Steve Jobs most likely would have had pancreatic cancer since he was in his twenties, and that it was almost certainly caused by his exposure to toxic chemicals used in his early hands-on days of building computers.

Dr. McDougall pointed out:

“His diet was in sharp contrast to that of his Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak, who ate at Denny’s and whose favorite foods were typical American pizzas and burgers.(189) Wozniak, who is overweight, was four years older than Jobs and is still alive. Because of this apparent paradox many people discount the importance of a healthy vegan diet.”

“Steve Jobs getting cancer was an unfortunate accident—like being struck by lightning or hit by a car. The carcinogen(s) entered his body and due to genetics, “bad luck,” or other unknown and uncontrollable factors his body was susceptible. The cause of his cancer was not due to his vegan diet. In fact, his healthy diet likely slowed the growth of his tumor, delayed the time of diagnosis, and prolonged his useful life.”

The article clears up a lot of confusion and mis-information about Steve Jobs death from pancreatic cancer, in particular the idea that he behaved irresponsibly, stupidly and selfishly in sticking to his vegan diet and refusing surgery in 2003. According to Dr. McDougall’s analysis of the probable cause and course of the disease in Steve Jobs, surgery in 2003 would have had no effect on the course of the disease, as it didn’t in 2004, and again in 2009 when he had a liver transplant.

I was struck by what Dr. McDougall said about Jobs unnecessary guilt and regret, stemming from what his doctors told him: “Jobs lived the final 8 years of his life with regret, guilt, and remorse over delaying his surgery for 9 months after the initial diagnosis of cancer. With one honest sentence his doctors could have relieved him of this heavy burden. This simple fact could have been told: “Mr. Jobs, you had a body full of cancer long before October of 2003, when you were diagnosed by a needle biopsy.” Apparently, not one of his doctors—not Jeffrey Norton, who had operated on his pancreas in 2004, nor James Eason, who had performed his liver transplant in 2009—told Jobs this indisputable truth.”

Dr. McDougall’s article confirms my suspicions that cancer often begins early in life and takes a long time to manifest symptoms, so the idea that doctors can “catch it early” and successfully treat cancer is misleading. After seeing many friends go through horrendous months and years of cancer treatment, I feel that chemo, radiation or other cancer treatments often cause terrible suffering, while survival and recovery statistics aren’t encouraging.

Alternative medicine and special diets likewise seem to have limited usefulness considering the typical cancer time line. By the time you notice symptoms and start doing something different, it’s often too late. However, from what I’ve seen, alternative medicine and diet can as Dr. McDougall said, delay the growth of cancer, improve quality of life and give you more time.

Cancer is an epidemic. There are so many ways that you can get cancer – just breathing the air can do it. It amazing that we all don’t have cancer. But people who get cancer often feel that there must have been something they did to get cancer, there must have been something they could have done to prevent it, and there must be things they can do to stop it. Sometimes that’s true, and sometimes cancer just seems arbitrary, capricious and cruel.

I’m sure Steve Jobs would agree that it’s better to be alive than dead, and it’s good to do whatever we can to be healthy. He did what he felt was right for him and his body, and I’m sad that he regretted anything about his remarkable life.

I feel, after reading Dr. McDougall’s analysis of Steve Job’s pancreatic cancer, that who gets cancer or other catastrophic illnesses, and who survives, is a mystery known only (perhaps) to the higher powers. And that maybe disease is a hint that we should contact our favorite higher power and ask for guidance.

Read Dr. McDougall’s illuminating article on Steve Jobs, cancer and vegan diet

I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is next week! It sneaks up on me like that every year! But it’s OK. Thanksgiving is not such a big deal – anymore.

Back in my turkey days, I used to stress over Thanksgiving dinner: Get the bird cooked just right, make everything to go with it, decorate and set the table beautifully (I’d even iron a tablecloth!), invite people over, pray they’d all come, everyone would behave and the big event would go off without a hitch.

Then there was clean up. And leftovers. Major stress!

An unexpected bonus to going completely vegetarian was liberation from Thanksgiving food expectations. Once the turkey was gone from the menu, all bets were off.

We could eat Indian, or Italian, or Mexican, or Thai. Or go with a Traditional Veg Thanksgiving menu, with lentil loaf and all the fixings – veggie gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls, pumpkin pie, etc. Or skip the whole thing and order a pizza.

We started having vegetarian Thanksgiving potlucks, with all the guests bringing their favorite dishes. It worked great, especially if there was some direction, so that everybody didn’t bring dessert or chips. We had some very interesting Thanksgiving feasts!

It never occured to us to replace the turkey with tofurkey or any other fake meat dish, because we didn’t feel the need, and besides, those options weren’t available back in the day.

These days, the faux turklet is a popular way for new veggies to fill the gaps in their thanksgiving menu, either because they haven’t figured out what to eat instead of turkey, or because they miss eating turkey and want to get as close as they can to the ‘real thing’.

Fact is, there’s almost no end to the delicious veg dishes that can successfully replace the turkey in a Thanksgiving dinner. I suspect that even non-veggies appreciate an alternative to the same-old same-old turkey.

A major source of Thanksgiving stress for vegetarians and vegans is attending (or hosting) family TG dinners with non-veg family members. I’ve had some choice letters from both sides.

The big problem seems to be that the Thanksgiving turkey is a sacred tradition, and all the favorite dishes that go with it are sacred by association. In some families, the TG menu is set in stone, and enforced by older family members who’ve directed the event for years and years. Egos and emotions rule the day!

Then along comes the vegetarian or vegan, who all of a sudden out of the blue for no good reason doesn’t eat anything with a face, wants to overturn the established order, and generally cause a lot of trouble for the normal majority. At least, that’s how the non-veg family members tend to see it.

Responses range from loving efforts to accommodate and include the vegetarian or vegan, as with this Grandma, to trying to ignore the veg into submission, as in this family thanksgiving scenario.

What should be a time of coming together to share a feast, give thanks for nature’s bounty, and enjoy the company of loved ones, becomes a stressful experience for both sides.

The vegetarians and vegans resent being expected to pick the bacon bits out of the salad, and endure rude remarks about rabbit food. The non-vegetarians resent being made to feel guilty about their food choices – intentional or not, the veg presence implies wrong doing.

No wonder that veggies often want to boycott family TG, and gather with their own kind to eat lentil loaf! But it doesn’t have to be like that, truly. It is possible to enjoy thanksgiving with your non-veg family and friends – you just have to be one part diplomat, one part assertive, one part devious, and one part easy going.

Read the free Savvy Veg report Veg Non-Veg Together for more on how we can all just get along.

Happy Thanksgiving from Savvy Vegetarian!

Wise and compassionate response to this article from Mary Beth Akers:

Thanks for the article regarding how to handle Thanksgiving as a vegetarian guest of non-vegetarian relatives. I don’t claim to have arrived at the answers to this delimma, and I am facing the same challenge this year, but as a recently converted vegan, I can recall a little bit of what it’s like to be on the other side.

I have a friend who has many dietary restrictions, including food allergies, religious convictions, and diabetes prevention. They come to visit us for a few days occasionally, and when I was in the habit of preparing conventional American food, it was as if I were learning to cook all over again every time they came.

I would make a special trip to the health food store (90 miles away) to try to find food that she could eat. I would spend a lot of money on ingredients that we wouldn’t use up. It was a source of tremendous anxiety for me.

Before they came, she would call me to remind me of her very long list of restricted foods. She wasn’t rude about it, but I sometimes resented her telling me what I could and could not prepare in my own kitchen. It never affected our relationship, but I could see where in some cases, it could.

I would make the following points and suggestions for people on both sides of the issue:

1) Relationships are more important than food choices.

2) Before you say or do anything, consider first what you want to accomplish, and what will be the consequences of your approach. Always consider the other person’s perspective.

3) Be honest and straightforward, and approach the subject well ahead of the holiday, not when everyone is already stressed out over the pressures from all the preparations. If the person lives nearby, go and visit with him or her in person, so that you can look each other in the eye. Do not expect someone to change their entire way of cooking for one meal.

4) Keep a smiling, cheerful countenance throughout the day. Be the life of the party. This will distract from the very insignificant fact that you aren’t eating some of the food.

5) Whenever you are in a position requiring or allowing you to discuss your diet, talk about it enthusiastically, as you would if you were telling them exciting news.

6) Be aware that when people are critical of the choices of others, sometimes it is because they are insecure about their own choices. Putting down someone else is a means of making themselves feel better, or so they think. If that’s the case, there is nothing you can do except realize that they are inadvertently revealing that they believe you might be doing the right thing. Sometimes replying with a question can be a good response: “You seem to be knowledgeable about diet; where do you get your information?” If you feel you need to defend yourself: “How do my food choices concern you?”

7) Have in mind a list of positive, neutral subjects you can bring up at the family gathering. Ask people about themselves, their children, their hobbies, their jobs, their upcoming vacation, etc. Be ready to change the subject if necessary. Be a good listener. There aren’t many of those around anymore, and it’s an easy way to win hearts.

A Blessed Thanksgiving to you and all your readers! Mary Beth Akers

Families are trimming their budgets, and two areas of spending that create a drain on finances are food and health care. The two fields seem unrelated, but could not be more connected.

One easy way to eat better, improve health and lower the high cost of food is to adopt a vegetarian or plant based diet.

A plant-based diet is very nutritious and heart healthy. Vegetarianism is perfectly safe for children, and getting them started on a healthful path early in life will help them to have a financially sound future.

Some people feel vegetarianism is only for the wealthy, so they follow the Standard American Diet that leads to a lifetime of health complications. With soaring healthcare costs, it is imperative for Americans to re-examine their diets.

It is easy to save money while eating a vegetarian diet and below are food options that are inexpensive and rich in nutrients and versatility, making them sound food investments.

While some vegetarian-specific items, such as soy hot dogs, can be costly, whole foods, which everyone should eat for good health, are not.

Legumes, for example, are common staples in vegetarian cooking. They are available for pennies per serving and can be used to cook a wide range of dishes from around the world.

Beans and lentils come in many varieties, and are packed with protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, low in fat & cholesterol. Canned beans cost less than a dollar per cup cooked, and dry beans, even less.

In a spot check of a Safeway store on the west coast, a pound of 80% lean ground beef cost $2.99, on sale, while 1 lb of beans cost $1.99. 1 lb of the meat yields four servings, at 22.9 grams of protein per serving, but also packs in almost 15 grams of saturated fat. Meanwhile, that pound of dried beans can add up to eight one-cup servings, packing in 15.2 grams of protein per serving, and less than one gram of fat.

That means that you’re paying about twice as much for the protein in the hamburger meat than you are in the beans, while depriving yourself of dietary fiber, and increasing the amount of cholesterol and saturated fat in your diet. If you buy beans in bulk, the savings are as much as 4 times greater.

Every kitchen should stock pasta, rice, quinoa or other grains. They can be used in many kinds of dishes, and when kept in a cool, dry place, will keep for several months. Quinoa is a particularly good investment as it high in protein, and one cup cooked contains more calcium than 32 ounces of milk.

Tofu is an inexpensive, calcium-rich food. One 14 oz pkg of firm tofu has 4 – 6 servings, contains 40 – 50 g protein and costs $2 – $3. A single package of tofu, or even half a package, is plenty for most recipes.

Tofu can be used in place of meat, for stir-fries, sandwiches & burgers, salads, casseroles and pasta dishes. Sliken tofu varieties are good for smoothies, desserts and dairy food substitutes.

Frozen and canned fruits or vegetables are easy on the budget, store for long periods and are versatile. Frozen fruit can be used for smoothies and canned fruit is an easy snack or dessert. Frozen and canned vegetables are easily steamed or thrown into other dishes like soups.

For fresh produce, visit local farmers markets and roadside fruit stands. What costs $2.99 per pound in a grocery store can often be found for much less at a fruit stand or farmer’s market. It is not unusual to find organic produce in these stands, often for the same prices as traditionally grown items. If you can, grow your own veggies for a fraction of the cost in stores.

Beyond the price of food, healthy people don’t see the doctor as often. Office co-pays can really ding a household budget, and when we eat nutrient-dense foods, we see the doctor less because the body functions the way it should. This translates into more energy, which evolves into a more active lifestyle, will also stave off chronic diseases later in life.

When someone suffers chronic disease, such as diabetes and high cholesterol, in addition to seeing a doctor more frequently, she must then pay for prescriptions on a continued basis. Long-term use of prescriptions causes more problems than they treat, which creates a vicious cycle of doctor visits and prescription drugs.

If a person develops heart disease, in addition to the increased office visits and prescription drugs, a bypass surgery costs $60,000. It is more simple and cheap to take charge of one’s health by following a balanced, vegetarian diet, which has been proven to reverse symptoms of chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Simply by moving toward a plant based diet, or adopting a vegetarian diet, you pay less money for better health. What a deal!

Author Bio: Kate Manning didn’t expect to find herself at the intersection of business, marketing, and the Internet, but with sound writing and editing skills, she makes the most of it with MBA Online.

Message for Savvy Vegetarian:

First of all, thanks for creating the Savvy Vegetarian web site!

A little story about myself: I have struggled with weight issues most of my adult life. Recently I decided (educated myself) that there are tremendous flaws in the western diet.

When I first met my wife in college she was nearly a vegetarian, and used to have many militant vegan friends. These militants really turned me off about this style of eating. Their closed minded anger fueled rants about people and food had a tremendous negative effect on me.

Now I’m staring 40 in the face and have never been in worse shape and very overweight, bordering on obese. I have watched a couple of independent documentaries “Food Inc” and “Forks over Knives” as well as reading a few books on nutrition by doctors and scientists. They all come to the same conclusion; a whole foods plant based diet is the healthiest way for human beings to live.

So, I decided about a month ago to live as near a vegan diet as possible. No sugars, no white flour, no processed foods, no soda pop, no caffeine, no alcohol, no meat, and no dairy, no artificial dyes and flavorings. More whole grains and plant based foods minus all the bad stuff has already helped me to lose 10 pounds in the last month and a half. Internally I am feeling so much better.

I have already cooked several recipes from your web site and have enjoyed them very much. I am quickly winning my wife over, and even my 12- year old son, but am having a difficult time weaning my 7-year old son off of the sugar, and still have battles with him when it comes to eating my cooking.

Anyway thanks for making your vegetarian & vegan recipes available to those who want to make lifestyle changes in their eating habits. – Michael H.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi Michael. You’re welcome. Thanks for your inspiring story! Three cheers for you!

I have a few comments about your sugar-addicted 7 year old reluctant vegan son.

Remember, a short while ago, before your conversion, that reluctant 7 year old was you! You didn’t want to know the truth until you were ready to figure it out for yourself. And he probably isn’t ready either.

Plus, it’s a lot to ask kids that age to make such major dietary changes, because their brains haven’t matured enough to follow the logic. Lecturing and forbidding just seems to make them dig in their heels.

So I suggest using the carrot instead of the stick approach, and weaning him gradually. First offer homemade treats that aren’t so full of sugar and other bad things, in exchange for his usual treats. If he’ll agree to that, check out Savvy Veg dessert recipes with him, or get a copy of the healthy dessert cookbook, Sweet Freedom. Get him involved in making the treats.

The only problem I can see with that idea is that you might be tempted to eat them! Or he might want to eat them all! So give some of the goodies to disgustingly skinny people you know. It’s the best revenge! Or a homeless shelter or something like that.

Then offer him rewards. E.G. My grandkids get a lot of candy given out to them at school (I know, it’s criminal!). My daughter has them put their candy in a quart jar, then when the jar is full, they get $5. Great motivator!

Give him a small glass of unsweetened fruit juice a day instead of pop. Real fruit juice in flavors he likes. Offer it as a reward for abstaining outside the home. It’s still sugary, but will satisfy his sweet tooth without all the horrible effects of all the bad things in pop. And it’s something special just for him. And of course, don’t buy pop or let him buy it. You have some control there.

Once he’s moved over that far from his present intractible position, it’ll be easier to nudge him along further toward eating your cooking. Try to make more kid friendly foods for him, and give him some healthy choices. Try my daughter’s weekly menu plan for kid friendly meals, and tips for getting your kids to eat more veggies.

All the best, Judith Kingsbury

Message for Savvy Vegetarian:

Hi, I just purchased a programmable Crock-Pot and am looking for vegetarian slowcooker recipes which I see your website has. Thank you!

I hope you can answer my question. It looks like slow-cooking vegetables does not take very much time….about 6 hours or so. If I’m away from home on a 12 hour day at work and I’ve left my food cooking in a crock pot that automatically switches to ‘warm’ once the veggies are cooked.

Is it a problem to have the food on ‘warm’ for those additional 6 hours? Don’t some slow cookers allow you to keep food warm for up to 20 hours? I can’t seem to find information about this on the Crock-pot website.

Many thanks. Nada O.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi Nada, You’re welcome!
There are problems associated with leaving crockpots on warm for extended periods (like 6 hours)

1. The food will continue to cook even on warm, so that you get overcooked food.

2. Having food on the warm setting for a long time promotes food spoilage bacteria, so there is a risk of food poisoning.

If you can program your crockpot to turn on at a certain time, so that your food has just finished cooking when you get home, that would be better.

If your crockpot doesn’t do that, then an inexpensive digital electric timer will do the job:
Table-Top Timer with Motion Sensor & Alarm from Improvements, $24.95
Eco Plus Dual Digital Plug-In Timer from Aquacave, $19.95
7-Day Heavy Duty Indoor Digital Plug-In Appliance Timer, Dual Receptacles – White, from Westside Wholesale, $24.95

I’ve looked for these timers at big box stores and haven’t seen them. Home improvement or hardware stores could be a good source, or order online.

While we’re on the subject, another issue with crockpot cooking – lead in ceramic crockpot liners:

Intense discussion of the lead-in-crockpots topic has persisted online as far back as 2006 (that I can find). The basis is that apparently some crockpots have varying amounts of naturally occuring lead in the clay that the pot is made from (usually in China). Supposedly after some time, through heat, and the glaze wearing away, lead leaches through the bottom of the pot and contaminates food.

The most recent post I read about this issue cleared a white Hamilton Beach crockpot which was sent for testing, although there was still some doubt about Rival Crockpots.

Terminal Velocity did a lot of research, and actually had several inexpensive brands tested at a lab. They all tested lead free. Many commenters were skeptical. There was also some concern expressed about other heavy metals, like zinc. Manufacturers generally say that their products meet FDA standards for lead. Most people would prefer no lead ever in their cookware or dishes, rather than the FDA’s “acceptable levels”.

But as Pepper Paints discovered, it seems that if you want that level of food security, you gotta pay for it.

PP reviews a slow cooker and a thermal cooker, both from Supentown, priced in the $50 – $60 range, made with the same clay as the VitaClay cooker. Cuisinart crock pots also got a mention. What I like about the Cuisinart is that you can buy replacement liners and lids.

One of the signs of lead contamination is supposed to be grey discoloring on the bottom of the ceramic liner, which doesn’t scrub off. Both my crockpots have that, and I haven’t used them in 6 months, since I found out about the lead issue. I’ve kind of moved on to using a pressure cooker, but since it’s heading into slow cooker season, guess I’ll cough up the dough and test out a new and better model crockpot. Will keep you posted!

More on Crockpots and Food Poisoning from our crockpot cooking article:

“I’ve heard that there’s no such thing as ‘stomach flu’. It’s always food poisoning. So – don’t leave food sitting around in the crockpot all day on the warm setting. Nasty bacterias just love that! When the food is cooked and you’re ready to eat, turn off the crockpot. When you’re finished eating, and you want to save the rest for another meal, put the contents in a tightly sealed container, and put that in the fridge or freezer, right away.”

Message for Savvy Vegetarian

Hi, i am a 15 year old pescetarian.

I originally wanted to become a vegetarian after doing an animal cruelty project in my school. But when I told my parents, they were against it.

After a long argument, they only allowed me to be a pescetarian, because i was a “growing boy”.

My friends have mocked me for “discrimminating” against fishes, and this has made me feel guilty. Furthermore, I volunteer at a local animal shelter, and I have to fix the dogs a meaty meal every time I go there. This duty is very uncomfortable for me.

So I ask, is my pescetarian diet actually right for me? Because I have already gone too far to back out of it now, and so I do not know what to do.

The consequences of my decisions are that I am now a great deal shorter than many of the other boys in my class. is there any advice you can offer me when it comes to getting protein in a pescetarian diet?

Thank you so much for taking your time to read this letter! L. Wolfe

Savvy Vegetarian Advice

Hi L.

As far as protein, and nutrition in general is concerned,, you should eat a wide variety of veggies, fresh fruit, whole grains, beans & lentils, tofu, nuts & seeds, and being a growing boy, eat lots of all that so you get the vitamins and minerals you need. That’s in addition to fish, which has plenty of protein. I don’t know if you eat eggs and dairy, but if you do, continue for now.

Before you consider further dietary changes, read up on veg nutrition. I recommend the books, Becoming Vegan, or Becoming Vegetarian by Vesanto and Davis, long time veg dietitians. They have good info on teen veg nutrition. Vegan for Life, by Davis and Messina is another good one that was recently published.

Personally I feel that guilt doesn’t serve you well. It just makes you worry and obsess about your food, and that’s not good for anyone.

As far as I can see, you need to eat this way right now to keep your parents from worrying about nutritional deficiencies, and you are doing everything positive that you can with your diet in the circumstances.

As you grow older, you’ll have more choices. Right now is the time to prepare so when you are able to be 100% responsible for feeding yourself, you’ll know how to do it right.

Don’t pay any attention to your friends, who are just yanking your chain. And I’m sure the dogs are just happy to be eating regularly, and don’t care what. There’s not much you can do there so don’t take it on needlessly. If it makes you uncomfortable, you could leave, but that wouldn’t help the dogs, would it? And isn’t that the point of volunteering?

As far as being shorter than many other boys in your class, that may or may not have anything to do with your diet. It could just be that you have not yet hit your growth spurt. That’s a very individual thing. Some guys are full grown at 14 and some are still growing in college. And vegetarians can grow just as tall as anyone else – if they are well nourished.

Get blood tests to see if you have nutritional deficiencies like iron or Vitamin B12. and make improvements to your general nutrition, exchanging empty snack calories (e.g. pop, chips, candy) for nutrient dense calories (e.g. fruit, nuts, whole grains etc). and eating 3 squares a day. Don’t skip breakfast! The protein will take care of itself if your diet is healthy and you’re getting enough calories.

That’s about all the advice I can think of. And I’m sure it’s more than you bargained for! :-)

All the best, Judith Kingsbury