Category: Guest post

Adapting meals to be plant-based

Vegan or vegetarian Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving holiday celebration. Flat-lay of friends eating at Thanksgiving Day table with pumpkin pie, roasted vegetables, fruit and rose wine, top view

Adapting meals to be plant-based

Featured Author: Asha Wheeldon

Hi everyone, I’m Asha Wheeldon, the founder of Kula Kitchen and co-host of Chop It Up. We focus on creating plant-based food to nourish and empower our community. Many of the meals and flavours are inspired by food I grew up enjoying with my family in East Africa and Toronto. We are driven by community through collaborations with other food producers and local partners.

Today, for the Vancouver Humane Society’s PlantUniversity Platform, I’m going to share some tips on how to get creative in your own kitchen and help you adapt traditionally non-plant-based recipes to be plant-based. 

If you’re interested in learning more after watching this video, you can find great resources on VHS’s PlantUniversity Platform and subscribe to get involved in VHS’s work to help animals, people and the planet.

I remember the first couple of months during my transition to PB diet. The first dishes I was looking to recreate were some of my favourite childhood dishes that were mostly my mother’s, such as stews, sauces and baked goods. Over time I came to terms with the fact that what I create will not be the same, the texture and flavour will not be the exact copy of the “original” recipe. I found myself enjoying the process and the outcome of the dishes, I would share with my friends and family who also loved them.  

I want to share some of the things I think about and steps I take when I’m trying to adapt a recipe that is not traditionally plant-based, to be plant-based:

I think about what I want the food to taste like, the texture and flavour:

  •  Some of the more versatile alternatives are tempeh, textured vegetable protein; they come in granules, slices, curls and cubes. Coconut milk for yogurt, nutritional yeast for cheese. For the most part, you can use the same seasoning with a few adjustments. 
  • Mushrooms like oyster and king oyster mushrooms are a great alternative for  fish. 

Small adjustments go a long way:

  • One of the great eye-opening moments I had was realizing that most of the foods I loved were mostly plant-based, all I had to do was remove or replace 1-2 ingredients. For example…Sukuma wiki is sautéed collards or cabbage prepared with meat protein and enjoyed with chapati or ugali, a corn based porridge. I often add soy or mushroom to make it plant-based. It’s still one of my favourite meals.

I have my favourite ingredients available:

  • Some of them include: lentils, collards, and black eyed peas.
  • Before I learned about some of the meat alternatives like soy,  I would cook with ingredients I was familiar with and love. This made for a comfortable experience. I cook with lentils and black eyed peas often, you can find them in most grocery stores, they have lots of protein and fibre. 

Seasoning is gold; I like to keep stocked with various spices in my pantry. 

One of the most important things to me about food and recipes, are the flavours! I love foods that are rich in flavour so the first steps includes stocking up on my favourite spices and adding some new options (I may have and continue to go overboard sometimes).

I have a few suggestions that can help you with getting the perfect flavours for your dishes: 

I found that if you keep to the original seasoning which is often already plant-based, you can still maintain the original taste of the dish.

Some of my favourite spices and herbs are:

  • Cayenne, Turmeric, Berbere, cumin, curry powder, cardamom, cinnamon. 
  • A tip: I often blend the spices to create different flavours. For example, if I am preparing a rice dish, the spices would be on the lighter side and not as spicy. For stews I can go all in and sometimes add in some of the sweeter spices like cardamom. 

What’s great about blends is you can use your staples to expand your seasoning options. This also applies to marinades when incorporating spices and sauces.

I’m going to show you how to make one of my favourite and super simple spice blends:

You take 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, cumin, chili and cloves and mix. There you have it – a simple spice blend you can use on your next dish like rice pilau!

Herbs, Limes and lemon are always a good idea:

  • You can enhance nutritional impact with citrus for greens, many leafy green vegetables like collards and kale are great iron source and they activate with adding citrus.
  • I find herbs like cilantro provide that fresh and elevated flavour. Add fresh as garnish or cook with your meals like rice pilau, and stew.

I have a couple favourite dishes at Kula Kitchen. One of them is our portobello curry bowl with black eyed peas, mushrooms, collards, and carrots and served over rice pilau. This dish is warming and a perfect meal on colder days.

I also love our nourished bowl with tofu and mushroom scramble, black eyed peas, collards, and roasted sweet potatoes. This is a perfect dish for breakfast and lunch. They are available to order on our website, KulaKitchen.ca, along with our packaged plant-based meats, stews, curry, and sauces.

I would encourage anyone starting their plant-based journey to be more intentional and meet yourself where you are at, try not to be hard on yourself. Nothing is perfect, you will slip up, make mistakes, and create a completely different dish and that’s ok! What happens next is an abundance of ideas, creativity, and fun. Lots of Fun! 

For this reason, I think it’s also important that we support each other during our journey. As a vegan, if you know someone who is trying to introduce more plants in their lives, support them where they are at. Also recognize each person has different identities, stories, and viewpoints. I think it’s important that we encourage each other; let’s meet each other wherever we are and have more meaningful discussions that are free of judgement and exclusion. I have witnessed family and friends through their journey, who have shared how  they were inspired by the encouragement and judgement free discussions, the food and support. It really does take community support for better outcomes for animals, humans and the planet.

I hope this has inspired you to get cooking and to get creative in the kitchen. And remember, always be gentle on yourself and others in this plant-based journey.

To stay connected you can find us online at www.kulakitchen.ca,  ChopItUp.ca and Kula Kitchen and ChopItUpyvr on Facebook, Instagram, and Kula Foods on LinkedIn. We offer weekly delivery and pick up services that include offerings from our community. You can also find our products at our local partners spaces in BC. We love hosting events like our collective cooking classes to get folks together over food, and keep in touch to find out about events in the Vancouver Area.

If you’ve found this helpful, please consider sharing it! Don’t forget to subscribe to Vancouver Humane Society’s PlantUniversity Platform to stay updated on new content and to get involved in their work.

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Tips for helping students and their parents embrace plant-based meals

School kids eating healthy food together. Happy children sitting at table with packed lunch boxes. Back to school concept. Boy and girl treat each other fruits.

Tips for helping students and their parents embrace plant-based meals

Featured Author: Ryan McKee

Replacing animal-products with plants in our diets can improve our health greatly. This is one of the many reasons why it is so important to start introducing children to plant-based meals from an early age.  

Elemeno is a Vancouver-based meal delivery service that prepares plant-based lunches for school children. Launched in the Spring of 2021, the aim is to make healthier kids lunches available to Vancouver parents. In the following paragraphs, founder Ryan McKee addresses common concerns and also offers tips that can help parents and students embrace a plant-based diet.

This plant-based approach is unique in the market and a response to the upward trend toward meat and dairy reduction. But I wondered if it would meet the desires of parents and their evolving concerns on what their children eat.

After surveying more than 200 local parents I learned that parents are increasingly reading labels, shopping local and sticking to ingredients they know. They are attuned to allergies and other sensitivities that their child may be experiencing and they are willing to modify their family’s diet to accommodate.

So while parents are focusing more and more on healthy ingredients, there is still apprehension in regards to plant-based food. Long held beliefs around meat and dairy products have created uncertainty and questions about plant-based eating. When we launched our plant-based lunch program in the Fall of 2021, we faced a lot of questions and concerns.

To address these concerns, we turned the dial up on education. We focused less on challenging parents’ views and more on weaving into their beliefs.

Common concern: My child is used to animal-based meals.

We acknowledge that dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese tend to be dominant at breakfast time. Meat is often the ‘hero’ or main dish at dinnertime as well, so plants tend to take on a secondary role at those times. This means they can often be foregone or ignored, which reduces the amount of vital nutrients a child consumes. To combat this, our lunch menu brings balance into the daily diet, loading kids up with vitamins, minerals and fiber they may not have otherwise gotten. This approach really resonated with parents, creating a more collaborative and supportive relationship. This approach also helped bridge the gap between parents that felt a vegan or vegetarian diet wasn’t for them.

Common concern: A plant-based lifestyle just isn’t for my family.

Our intention was not to convert families into a certain lifestyle, but rather to be a simple and positive aspect of their weekly routine. We can all agree that we need more plants in our diet, so if we can show them how to do so simply and successfully, then we’re playing our part in raising healthy kids.

To build off this, we send parents a daily ‘fun fact’ that plants offer protein, calcium, iron, B-12 and other essential nutrients, that softly helped to dispel notions otherwise.

Common concern: My child is a picky eater!

We uncovered another benefit of the program: that we’re actively enhancing children’s palettes and tastes. Just as children develop skills in school around communication, social, fine motor, etc., we can play a role in broadening the range of foods they eat. It brings us nothing but joy to hear a parent tell us their child had never tried a curry dish or tasted a mushroom before – and yet, now they love it!

Common concern: My child isn’t a fan of change.

Of course, this adoption of new foods doesn’t come instantly. This was another key concern for parents. Virtually all parents we surveyed felt their child is the pickiest eater on the planet. If there was a scale from 1-10 with 10 being extremely picky, 99% of parents would rate their child no lower than an 8!

While this level of pickiness does present a challenge, at least it’s not unique! To combat this, we ask parents to give us a month to allow for their children to get used to the food. We try to pair new dishes, such as shakshuka, with more familiar sides like muffins and veggie sticks. And we know that peer influence – seeing their friends eating it – goes a long way as well.

This approach has proved successful, but we have also made mistakes, learned and adapted along the way. For example, we found strong reluctance to processed vegan food. Despite the vegan industry taking great steps over the last few years around this, there is still a lack of knowledge around some of the ingredients, the processes to make it and the flavour profile. Ultimately, we decided to focus on ingredients parents can find in the grocery store, made from scratch. As we say, save the lab coats for science class!

We’re still very early in our journey (keep your eye out for Elemeno products to show up on store shelves!) but taking a collaborative approach with parents has built a foundation of trust and loyalty. As we start to move into other schools around the lower mainland, we’re excited to change the game on kids lunches and build healthy habits at the earliest stages.

For more information, visit Elemeno.co.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Vancouver Humane Society’s PlantUniversity Platform to stay updated on new content and to get involved in their work.

10 tips for getting started on a plant-based diet today

10 tips for getting started on a plant-based diet today

Featured author: Desiree Nielsen

Desiree Nielsen, a registered dietician based in Vancouver, shares 10 tips for getting started on a plant-based diet today.

A growing number of scientists and public health experts agree that eating a plant-based diet is one of the best ways to improve your health and the health of the planet. Learn more about the science-based “Planetary Health Diet“, which is a mostly plant-based diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, plant protein sources, unsaturated plant oils and has been identified by researchers as the optimal diet for the health of people and the planet.

The following 10 tips will help you get started on a plant-based diet the right way! 

01

Replace!

Replace animal products, don’t just remove them from your diet! Simply leaving out meat or dairy can lead to deficiencies. The following tips will help you get what you need in your plant-based diet.  

02

Choose plant-based milk wisely

You do not need dairy to build strong bones, you need calcium. Luckily, some plant-based milks come fortified with calcium. But watch out – some may contain high amounts of sugar and low protein. Desiree suggests trying unsweetened soy milk, which has about 7 grams of protein per cup, which is similar to the 8 grams in dairy milk.

Learn more about plant-based milk

Learn about the different types of plant-based milks and their benefits in this post from Emma Levez Larocque, Plant-Based RHN.

Learn more
03

Use the ‘plate method’

Desiree suggests using the ‘plate method’ to plan your meals to ensure you get enough of the right food groups to keep you feeling full and satisfied. This method divides your plate into 3 sections: ½ fruit or vegetables, ¼ starchy foods and whole grains, ¼ proteins. When considering the protein on your plate, choosing a concentrated source of protein is important as well.

04

Take vitamin D and B12

Take a vitamin D and B12 supplement! Eating a balanced diet and following the plate method can give you most of your nutrient requirements. However, sources of vitamin D are low in the food supply, so Desiree recommends everyone takes this as a supplement. A vitamin B12 supplement is specifically important for those eating a plant-based diet, since it is not found naturally in the plant kingdom. 

05

Eat foods high in iron

You can meet your iron requirements on a plant-based diet! Desiree suggests including an iron rich, plant-based food on your plate at every meal and to get your blood work done at the 6-12 month mark of your plant-based journey.

06

Get to know seeds!

In particular, Desiree loves hemp, chia and flax seeds because just 1 tablespoon of either seed provides 100% of your daily omega-3 fatty acids. Sprinkle them on salads and soups, or stir them into smoothies or oatmeal. 

07

Don’t forget to eat beans

They are high in fibre, plant-based proteins and minerals. Desiree suggests trying unsalted canned beans or simply rinse them before eating. Dried beans can be an even more affordable option and once cooked, are great for freezing. 

Find fibre-rich recipes

08

Choose iodized salt

We do not get a lot of natural sources of iodine from plant-based foods, but iodine is critical for thyroid health. Choosing an iodized salt is an easy solution.

09

Make friends with soy!

You may have heard the myth that estrogens found in soy products, like tofu, can be harmful to our health, but the phytoestrogens found in soy products, are actually 1000 times weaker than our body’s natural estrogens. Meanwhile, soy-based products are high in protein, calcium and iron. Sunrise Soya Foods tofu, a Vancouver company, is one of Desiree’s favorite.

10

No such thing as a mistake

There are no mistakes, only learning on a plant-based diet! Every meal is just another opportunity to eat more plants and nourish your body.

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10 Facts that clear up common plant-based myths

10 Facts that clear up common plant-based myths

Guest blog post: Jessica Wang, a Registered Dietician based in Vancouver and the North Shore. Connect with her here.

Fact #1: Soy food is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer

Isoflavones are a plant estrogen found in soy. There is a misconception that soy foods can lead to breast cancer, however, soy foods don’t contain high enough levels of isoflavones to increase the risk of breast cancer. So, you can rest assured that soy foods, like edamame, tempeh, tofu, and soy milk can have a place in your diet!

Fact #2: Calcium can be found in many dairy-free foods

There are so many plant-based foods that naturally contain calcium or are fortified with it. These include dark leafy greens like kale, collard greens, and spinach, as well as broccoli, oranges, almonds, fortified non-dairy milks and yogurts, and tofu that has been made with calcium.

Fact #3: Plant-based foods have plenty of protein

There is plenty of protein found in plant-based foods. Some examples of foods that contain 10 grams of protein each are: ½ cup of firm tofu, 3 tbsp of hemp hearts, and 2 slices of whole grain bread.

Protein is made up from amino acids, 9 of which are considered essential. This is because our bodies can’t create them so we have to get them from foods. Because of this, some plant-based foods are incomplete sources of protein. This doesn’t mean that incomplete proteins are less healthy than complete proteins, it simply means that although plant proteins contain all 9 essential amino acids, they are not all present in adequate amounts. This isn’t a problem though! By consuming a well-balanced diet with a variety of plant proteins like whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, you’ll be sure to get all the protein you need throughout your day.

Fact #4: Options for eating out are increasing

Here in Vancouver, we’re lucky to have access to countless vegan eateries, serving a wide range of foods from burgers and authentic Italian style pizza, to fresh rice bowls and satisfying dim sum. Even popular fast food chains are offering plant-based options as well, like A&W, KFC and Burger King. A great resource for finding plant-based eateries in your area is Happy Cow.net. This website and app allows you to search for a city, region, or postal code and instantly suggests vegetarian or vegan restaurants in the area, as well as establishments that have vegetarian and vegan options. You can also check out VHS’s shopping and eating out guide.

Fact #5: Eating plant-based can be budget-friendly

Unprocessed plant proteins such as beans, lentils, and tofu are usually less expensive than meat and fish. Ready to use vegan meat and cheese alternatives on the other hand tend to contribute to a higher grocery bill. While these products are great for providing the taste and feel of animal products, try opting for these occasionally to keep your diet more budget friendly.

Fact #6: A well-rounded plant-based diet can be healthy

Like with any way of eating, it comes down to what types of food you include most often in your day to day. Oreos and potato chips are vegan, but I bet we can all agree that a diet of only these foods won’t do us any good! When plant-based diets are made up of primarily unprocessed foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, they are healthy for our bodies, because these foods are rich in fiber, healthy fats, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. While ready to eat plant-based products are certainly convenient, try to enjoy them on occasion as they are more processed.

Fact #7: You don’t have to give up your favourite foods like wings and steak

Lucky for you, there are so many great tasting meat alternatives on the market! Companies have been able to produce plant-based meat alternatives using a base of a few different key ingredients, such as soy protein, pea protein, and wheat gluten. Here’s another video to help you “understand meat alternatives”. These more processed foods tend to be higher in sodium compared to whole unprocessed foods options, however, they can definitely satisfy cravings for meat, especially while transitioning to plant-based or if you’ve been plant-based for while and are just missing certain flavours and textures. There are also some creative recipes out there to make traditionally meat-based dishes with various plant-foods at home, like cauliflower wings or bean burgers!

Fact #8: Vegan diets can be safe for pregnant women, infants or children

Well planned plant-based diets are suitable for individuals at any stage of life. In 2016, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics published their position on vegetarian and vegan diets, stating that they are “healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases,” when planned appropriately. Simply put, ‘planned appropriately’ means a balanced diet with a variety of foods including whole grains, vegetables, fruit, legumes, and nuts and seeds. It is important to be mindful of different nutrition needs at varying stages of life, like pregnancy where you might need to pay extra attention to your diet and/or introduce supplements.  Make sure to meet with a Registered Dietitian to ensure you have no nutritional gaps.

Fact #9: There are plenty of plant-based options to get iron

Iron is important for delivering oxygen to our cells and plays a role in brain and nerve development. Plant-based iron isn’t as well absorbed by the body, so the recommendations for iron intake are 1.8 times higher for those on plant-based diets. Try to include a variety of sources, including legumes, like beans, peas, lentils; nuts and seeds like pistachios and pumpkin seeds; dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale; and iron-fortified cereals and pasta. To help increase the iron absorbed when you eat these foods, try pairing them with Vitamin C rich foods, like citrus fruits, strawberries, red bell pepper, or tomatoes.  So when you’re cooking up lentils, cook them up in a tomato sauce; or when you’re having a spinach salad, add some sliced strawberries.

Fact #10: You can get your omega-3s from plant-based sources

Omega 3 fatty fats are important for eye, nerve, and brain development and also play an important role in reducing inflammation, and protecting against heart disease. Omega-3s are found in 3 main forms: ALA, EPA, and DHA.  The key omega-3’s we need are EPA and DHA because our bodies can absorb it well.  EPA and DHA are typically found in fish and algae. So, unless you’re a pescatarian who eats fish, or an algae-loving vegan, you’ll be relying mainly on ALA. You’ll find ALA in flaxseeds, flax oil, chia seeds, hemp hearts and walnuts. But the good thing is that our bodies can convert ALA to EPA and DHA.  If you find that you tend not to include these foods in your daily diet, you may consider supplementing with an algae-based omega-3 supplement.

I hope I have helped you understand the facts about a plant-based diet! – It’s always important to consult a reputable healthcare professional like a doctor or dietitian when it comes to any health-related questions.

Check out the video library on our PlantU Platform for more educational content about the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Video library

Check out the video library on our PlantU Platform for more educational content about the benefits of a plant-based diet.

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Understanding meat alternatives

Understanding meat alternatives

Featured author: Jessica Wang
Jessica Wang is a registered dietitian based in Vancouver and the North Shore.

A 2018 survey from Dalhousie University found that there are 2.3 million vegetarians and 850,000 vegans in Canada, with the majority living in British Columbia! Luckily, numerous companies now offer a variety of plant-based meat alternatives that mimic the taste and texture of various meats.

About meat alternative products:

Meat alternatives are convenient, quick and easy to prepare. Most of them are sold as ready to cook and serve from frozen, making it super easy to whip up a quick meal. Unlike raw meat, you typically don’t have to worry about cooking these products to a food safe temperature.  But, always make sure to check the package for instructions on how to properly heat up the product.

The goal for someone transitioning into plant-based eating is to have most of your diet centered primarily around unprocessed whole foods, like choosing legumes, beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts and seeds as your main source of protein. This also means leaving meat alternative products as treats at your next summer BBQ or that tofurkey roast at holidays for health purposes and also because they can be a bit more expensive if eaten regularly.

Plant-based diets are more environmentally friendly compared to diets rich in animal products. Plant production uses fewer natural resources, putting less strain on the environment. Meat production requires 7 times more land than a plant-based diet, and 10-20 times more energy than grain production. 

Because meat alternatives are made from plant proteins like soy, peas, legumes, and grains, they are usually lower in saturated fat, and higher in dietary fiber. Jessica compared 13 popular brands of plant-based burgers, and saturated fat ranged from 0 –8g per patty, with 10 out of the 13 brands containing 5g or less, and fiber was between 0-13g per patty. A diet higher in fibre and lower in saturated fat can be beneficial for heart health. Nearly all brands also provided a good amount of iron, zinc and B-vitamins, which are nutrients normally found in meat. By incorporating plant-based meat options more often, you’re able to support both the health of the planet, and yourself. See the infographic in this post for more health and nutritional information between the plant-based burgers Jessica compared.

What are these products made with?

There are four main types of plant-based proteins commonly used in meat alternatives:

Whole foods based products:

These products are typically made with legumes, like lentils and beans, whole grains, and a variety of veggies. These products are also usually highest in fiber. Coastie is a local Vancouver company that offers plant-based burger mixes made with whole, organic ingredients like peas, beans, seeds, and oats. They use sustainable glass jar packaging and can even deliver the product to your door!

Gluten-based products:

These products are made from gluten, the protein in wheat products (commonly seen as vital wheat gluten, textured wheat protein, or wheat gluten on ingredient lists). Brands that use gluten as the primary protein source include Field Roast, Tofurkey, TMRW Foods, and The Very Good Butchers. Based in Victoria, B.C., The Very Good Butchers offer a range of meat alternatives including burgers, ground meat, holiday roasts, sausages, bacon, ribs, steak, chicken, and hotdogs. Note that any product made with gluten is not suitable for those with celiac disease or wheat allergy.

Soy-based proteins:

These products are derived from soybeans. You may see this listed as soy protein concentrate or isolate, but it still means the product is based from soybeans. Brands that use soy protein as a base include Gardein, Yves, Morning Star, Impossible Burger, and Happy Veggie World.

Pea-based proteins:

These products are derived from the split pea and are also listed as pea protein concentrate or isolate. Beyond Meat, Lightlife, and Modern Meats are a few brands that use peas.

Some brands may also include a combination of these protein sources, for example Wholly Veggie, Big Mountain Foods and Sol Cuisine.

Many companies offer a variety of options like ground crumbles, burgers and sausages.  Any ground or crumbled product, like Beyond Meat, Lightlife, and TMRW can easily be seasoned and turned into taco filling, meatballs, as a topping on nachos, or in place of ground beef in tomato sauce or chili.  Some crumbles come pre-seasoned, like Coastie offering Mexican and Indian inspired flavours. Burgers and sausages are typically already seasoned, so all you need to do is throw them onto a grill, cook them on the stove top, or in the oven. Once cooked, sausages can be incorporated into a pasta bake, veggie breakfast skillet, a topping on pizza, between a bun or sprinkled onto a salad.

There are so many ways to get creative with these products, offering opportunities to explore new foods and flavours – whether you’re new to cooking, or experienced. Whether you’re vegetarian, vegan, or looking for ways to introduce more meatless meals into your life, plant-based meat alternatives can have a place in your diet. With their increasing popularity, many brands can be found at your local grocery store. Next time you’re there, pick one up and give it a try!

Check out the video library on our PlantU Platform for more educational content about the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Watch a video about meat alternatives

Compare plant-based burgers

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