The Traveling Vegetarian » Coconut Bliss

Daiya in Nashville and Vegan Donuts in Murfreesboro

Yvonne Smith — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:22:55 +0000

I don’t know where the stereotype of the unhealthy vegan came from, especially since most of the vegans I’ve met eat more vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts and whole grains than most of the omnivores I know. Maybe it’s just that a lot of omnivores know a few vegans who eat a lot of junk food. Maybe it’s just that a lot of meat-eaters don’t know any vegans at all, or maybe it’s because a lot of vegans get REALLY excited about vegan cupcakes, cookies, candy bars and dairy-free cheese. As much as I don’t like to lump together vegans OR omnivores, the latter does tend to be true a lot of the time and I’m just as guilty when it comes to getting pumped about the occasional animal-product-free comfort foods. It certainly doesn’t mean that I eat that way all the time, but when I had my first bite of coconut milk ice cream and it tasted even better than dairy ice cream, you can bet I was in frozen dessert heaven and I wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

Here in Nashville, we can finally get the Go Max Go bars, which are amazing. We have several places to buy Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss and Purely Decadent coconut milk ice cream and we have several options for vegan baked goods.

Vegan junk food lovers (and those of us who eat really healthily most of the time, but splurge every once in a while) in the Nashville area, rejoice again!

Word on the street is that Whole Foods in Nashville will start carrying Daiya vegan cheese soon, but in the meantime, Lazzaroli Pasta in the Germantown area has the Italian blend. I just bought a pound the other day! Lazzaroli’s will also make vegan pasta for you if you give them 24 hours notice. I hear it’s awesome, and Tom told me yesterday he’s thinking of filling some ravioli with Daiya and other yummy vegan stuff. Give him a call if you’re interested. Sure sounds good to me!

I also have heard good things about the vegan donuts at Get Sconed in Murfreesboro. I swear I’m going to get down there soon to try them, but I just haven’t been in the mood for all that sugar, flour and oil… Still, I can’t help but feel like Middle Tennessee deserves a big pat on the back. I tell people all the time that it’s not a bad place to be vegan, but hardly anyone seems to believe me. Sure, it’s not California, but we’re making progress!

Now tell me again how I’m missing out on anything by being vegan? Ok, convenience? Yeah, sometimes. But incredible, delicious food? Nope.

My Daiya from Lazzaroli

Healthy.Happy.Vegan

Yvonne Smith — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 22:36:39 +0000

Someone at a party said to me recently, “I could never be vegan. I’d just be angry all the time.”

It’s interesting to me how people think that the vegan lifestyle is one of major deprivation. (Although there was definitely a time when I didn’t want to live in a world without dairy cheese or ice cream.) What am I deprived of? I honestly don’t miss dairy or meat. Not only am I glad every minute of every day that I don’t support cruelty and unnecessary death, I also no longer crave the animal products that made me me look and feel awful. When I stopped eating dairy, my acne, cramps, headaches and two sizes went away. Eggs actually used to make me throw up. Do I want to put those things in my body anymore? Nope, especially when I live in a world that has Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss, Purely Decadent with Coconut Milk, Daiya Vegan Cheese, Dr. Cow Nut Cheeses and Teese!

I no longer crave animal flesh after 17 years as a vegetarian, but I do love Soysage, Tofurky slices and sausages for what they are. If I wanted to experience the taste and texture of chickens, pigs and cows, I would eat Gardein, LightLife, Match Meats, etc. I never cared for seafood, so I definitely don’t miss that.

Yes, sometimes I miss out on convenience. But it’s so worth it! I eat so much more food as a vegan than I ever did as a meat-eater or even as a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I actually crave vegetables. I can have kale and brown rice for lunch and feel completely satisfied. I eat Ethiopian, Thai and Korean food often. I never would have been interested in those foods before I was vegan.

Since I became vegan, I definitely feel more spiritually connected. I am more in tune with my body, the planet and my fellow Earthlings.

So, am I angry all the time? Not even close. How often do you see me without a smile on my face? The years I have been vegan have actually been my happiest ever. I can’t imagine ever going back.

30 Vegan Products I Recommend

Yvonne Smith — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:01:14 +0000

For the month of September, I rolled out thirty Vegan Products of the Day on Twitter to coincide with the Tennessean Vegan Experiment. I’m compiling them all here so everyone can check them out!

First of 30 Products of the Day for September: Sunshine Burgers http://sunshineburger.com/

2nd of 30 Products of the Day for September: Parma Vegan Parmesan http://www.eatintheraw.com/

3rd of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: @LunaandLarrys Coconut Bliss: http://www.coconutbliss.com/

4th of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Dr. Cow Nut Cheeses http://www.dr-cow.com/

5th of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: @NanasCookieCo Nana’s Cookies http://nanascookiecompany.com/

6th of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Fantastic Foods Tofu Scrambler http://tinyurl.com/m6gfjp

7th of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Lightlife Smart Deli Pepperoni http://tinyurl.com/mfv8bg

8th of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: @GoMaxGoFoods Candy Bars http://www.gomaxgofoods.com/

9th of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: @LaraBar http://www.larabar.com/

10th of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: @So_Delicious Purely Decadent with coconut milk http://tinyurl.com/6poxxl

11th of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: @ChicagoSoyDairy Teese Nacho Cheese Sauce http://www.teesecheese.com/

12th of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: @VegaTeam Whole Food Optimizer http://tinyurl.com/5gye78

13 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Mary’s @GoneCrackers http://www.marysgonecrackers.com/

14 of 30 Vegan Products of the day: Tings! http://www.piratesbooty.com/products/tings/original

15 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: @DaiyaCheese Vegan Shreds http://www.daiyafoods.com/

16 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: @AllisonsGourmet Super yummy cookies, fudge, etc. http://allisonsgourmet.com/

17 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Eco-Planet Cheddar Non-Dairy Organic Crackers http://ecoheavenllc.com/

18 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Field Roast Grain Meats http://www.fieldroast.com/

19 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Glenny’s Marshmallow Treats http://tinyurl.com/c3agzw

20 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Soyatoo Soy Whip http://www.soyatoo.com/us/produkte/

21 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Organic Food Bars http://www.organicfoodbar.com/

22 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: @LoveStreetRaw Organic Raw Vegan Chocolate Coconut Spread http://tinyurl.com/a5t4d3

23 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Sun Flour Baking Company cookies http://www.sunflourbaking.com/

24 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: @FYHMarket @Vegenaise FYH Vegenaise http://bit.ly/2VSIyW

25 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Ray’s Seitan http://tinyurl.com/yabe7lw

26 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Road’s End Organics sauces, gravies, pastas, etc. http://bit.ly/2ucff5

27 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Bete Noir Chocolates http://www.betenoirechocolates.com/

28 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: @JohnMcDougallMD‘s Right Foods http://www.rightfoods.com/

29 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Spectrum Naturals Vegan Caesar Dressing http://bit.ly/ky7DB

30 of 30 Vegan Products of the Day: Vegan Halloween Candy http://bit.ly/w9F8D

For October, I’m recommending 31 Vegan Related Sites of the Day, so please stay tuned to my Tweets!