(brooklynvegan is a great site for music info, BTW)

I went to New York last weekend to visit a friend. He’s in a band called Locksley. If you haven’t heard them- check them out! Anyway, he lives in Brooklyn, so I traversed out there to stay with him. He lives in the art district and informed me that there is a strong vegan community out there. So if you’re a vegan looking for your next vacation or relocation, you might want to consider Brooklyn. He even took me to this lovely little organic store right by his place that had lots of vegan items.

After doing some research, I found this site that has a huge list of natural food stores- scroll down to New York and you’ll be blown away. Well, I was anyway. http://www.greenpeople.org/healthfood.htm

Here’s another link I found, Friends of Animals, that gives a list of all the vegan restaurants in New York. Next time I’m in New York, hopefully it will be for a longer trip, and I can report back my recommendations.

I want to eventually get a google map set up on this blog with all the vegan restaurants, stores, etc. all over the U.S. Keep your eyes peeled.

prep time: 10 min.

• Morning Star Chik’n Strips
• Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise
• Dill Weed
• Whole Weat Bread

Heat up Chik’n Strips - I put them on my trusty ol’ George Foreman Grill- , put in a bowl and mix with Vegenaise (up to you how creamy you want it). Sprinkle in Dill Weed (to taste). Toast two Whole Wheat slices. Put Chik’n Salad on bread. Deee-lish!

This is a vitamin produced by bacteria. It is necessary for cell division, making DNA, and blood formation. It is important for vegans to add this water soluble vitamin into our diet, either through foods that are fortified with B12 or through supplements. 5-10 micrograms per day. If you take more than that, it won’t all be absorbed, so make sure to take it regularly. You don’t need a whole lot of it, but deficiency in this vitamin can cause anemia and even nerve damage.

for more info, check out some links:

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/b12.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-B12/NS_patient-vitaminb12

prep time: 10 min.

• Boca Burger (vegan)
• Garden Spinach Herb Wrap
• Artichoke & Garlic Hummus (or hummus flavor of your choosing)
• Sundried Tomatoes in Olive Oil

Spread hummus onto wrap. Heat up Boca Burger, cut into pieces and place in wrap. Add sundried tomatoes. Wrap up, burrito style. Enjoy!

I feel very fortunate to exist in a time and place in which it is not necessary to consume animals in order to survive. Every year there are more and more vegetarian and vegan friendly products coming out. And more and more restaurants are creating veg options. I started out as a vegetarian over a decade ago, and going out to eat was quite a challenge. Vegetarians have it much easier today. As a vegan, it can still be a challenge going out to eat today, but if you tell them you’re a vegan, at least now, many servers understand what that means and will go ask the chef to leave out the butter, cheese, etc.

I’m confident that things will continue to progress for the veg’s. I read many health magazines and blogs, and everywhere we turn we are being told that the best foods for our health are fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. People choose a vegan lifestyle for various reasons- it’s healthier, it’s better for the environment, you’re against animal cruelty, eating animal products just grosses you out. I happen to choose this lifestyle for all of those reasons.

But it is also important to make sure you are getting all your nutrients. I’ve definitely been at the point of extreme light-headedness and fatigue because I wasn’t maintaining proper nutrition. That is why I have created a section dedicated to discussing nutrients. It’s important to keep yourself educated about what you may be forgetting about and what each nutrient does for you. I will also be posting some delicious recipes. Many of them will be super easy, quick recipes, for those of us who don’t spend as much time cooking as we would like, but still want something tasty.