Vegparadise Blog's Blog

Food Taster Reignites Old Controversy; Was Hitler a Vegetarian?

2013-03-13T22:05:15Z

During World War II Margot Woelk had the important job of food taster, a job that turned out to be a matter of life and death. The 95-year-old German woman recently revealed that she was one of 15 women who tasted food before Adolph Hitler ate it.

Because of his paranoid fear he might be poisoned, the Fuehrer would wait one hour after his tasters consumed a small portion of his meal before he would eat.

In an interview, Woelk told a London Daily Mail reporter, "It was all vegetarian, the most delicious fresh things, from asparagus to peppers and peas, served with rice and salads. It was arranged on one plate, just as it was served to him." Read More

Costco Is Fattening Up Its Customers

2012-12-06T04:15:59Z

We know that your organization takes great pride in offering a hot dog or polish sausage and a 20-ounce drink with refill for $1.50, the same price for the last 27 years. That offer is very attractive for people who want a quick lunch while doing their Costco shopping.

Any dietitian examining the nutritional data available on your website would be quite alarmed. The hot dog and Polish sausage measure in at 540 to 570 calories. There are approximately 240 calories in a 20-ounce soda. Get a refill and the meal will add up to over 1000 calories. Add some French fries that clock in at 870 calories and you've eaten a day's worth of calories in one meal. And people wonder why they're gaining weight.

Starbucks Is Seeing Red

2012-05-09T05:26:07Z

  Starbucks announced its products would no longer contain cochineal extract, a red coloring made from crushed insects. As we explained ten years ago in our initial story, carmine or cochineal appears in many products marketed to people who are unaware of its origin.

Now customers won't have the opportunity to sip or chomp on the same old Strawberries and Creme Frappuchino, Strawberry Banana Smoothies, Raspberrry Swirl Cakes, Red Velvet Whoopee Pie, donuts with pink icing, and birthday cake pops. None of these products are currently kosher or vegan.
Starbucks plans to replace the cochineal with a tomato extract called lycopene. The change will occur by the end of June.
Read More

Enter a Contest Where Everyone Wins

2012-05-02T18:18:01Z

Let's face it. What this country needs is a warning label placed on each package of meat--something like the one on packages of cigarettes, but maybe more colorful.

All of us have come to realize that Meat is Dangerous and even KILLS.

Our idea was to sponsor a contest with our readers submitting their ideas for a Meat Warning Label. Since we are a nonprofit without a lavish spending budget, we are unable to offer cash prizes or expensive gifts.

In this contest everyone automatically becomes a winner because each submission will be published on Vegetarians in Paradise, Facebook, and Pinterest as well as shared on a number of other websites sympathetic to this cause.

Our goal is splash Meat Warning Labels across the internet. With enough entries we will possibly gain the attention to further this cause.

Once Upon a Time There Was a Delicious Fable

2012-02-13T22:33:19Z

Once upon a time in the land of TV there was a cable channel that showed its viewers how to prepare food that excited all the senses. One of the stars of this television food haven was a plump blond woman who prepared dishes that aroused her studio audience to the point that their applause and cheers shook the room.

This roly-poly chef would prepare dishes that would send her fans into shrieks of ecstasy. Her down-home style of food preparation featured recipes oozing with butter, sugar, eggs, cheese, oil, lard, and all the other sweet, rich, oily ingredients she felt would enhance her decadent creations.

But then tragedy struck this fairy-tale diva chef.

US Congress Decides Pizza Is a Vegetable

2011-12-14T01:57:33Z

Pity the poor tomato. It gets no respect from the government.

The tomato is once again in the spotlight, this time in the form of tomato sauce. By smearing two ounces of tomato sauce onto a pizza, our learned Congress has transformed pizza into a vegetable. That decision is part of the $11 billion National School Lunch Program that was included in the FY 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill signed by President Obama on November 18, 2011.

Instead of tears streaming down on their pizzas, the pizza pushers dispatched their lobby locusts to Washington to successfully perpetuate their pizza paradise in the schools.

Kaiser Doctor Posts High-Fat, Sodium-Laden Recipes on Website

2011-10-11T21:50:06Z

The champion pot belly buster is Chef Mario Batali's "T-Bone Florentina with Sauteed Spinach." The chef recommends one 3 to 3 1/2-pound T-bone steak to serve 4 people. The recipe includes 5 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of salt. The nutritional information says that each person will ingest 252 calories (somebody can't count), a whopping 3959 mg of sodium (almost three-days worth), 21 grams of fat (3 grams saturated), and 0 cholesterol (somebody is lying or kidding).

According to the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 3 ounces of lean, broiled T-bone steak, trimmed to "0" fat is 210 calories. If four people ate three pounds of steak, each person would be consuming 12 ounces or 840 calories. Those 12 ounces provide 54 grams of fat, not 21. That same quantity of steak offers 15 grams (not 3) of saturated fat and 135 mg of cholesterol. Those numbers don't count the at-least 150 calories each person would receive from the olive oil, and that doesn't enumerate the calories in the oil drizzled on the meat when it's served at the table.

Make Sure You "Got the Facts on Milk?"

2011-10-05T01:13:09Z

Shira Lane is one of millions of people on the planet who suffers from lactose intolerance and/or other milk allergies. In her case her lactose intolerance led her to research the dietary effects of dairy products and motivated her to produce the film Got the Facts on Milk? (GTFO Milk?).

Shira decided to attack the Sacred Cow of dairy by throwing herself into a cross-country odyssey to discover what Americans understand about milk and how the monolithic dairy industry through its monumental advertising campaigns has shaped people's positive attitudes toward milk products.
Read More

Hitch a Ride with the Dietitian as She Trips Across the US

2011-09-17T03:29:44Z

Julieanna Hever, who calls herself the "plant-based dietitian," has used her boundless energy to partner with filmmaker Jesse Pomeroy to create To Your Health, a 51-minute film espousing the benefits of a whole-food, low-fat, plant-based diet.

"The ultimate goal of this film is to introduce an audience that may be unaware that the best medicine they can take is that which ends up on the end of their forks," says Hever. " Medical procedures, pills and treatments may cure symptoms but they do nothing to address what causes disease and less to prevent the onset of what, through a whole food, plant-based diet, can readily be avoided." Read More

Kaiser Doctor Provides a Recipe for "A Healthy Burger." You'd Be Surprised.

2011-08-26T22:00:10Z

The recipe for this 183-calorie "A Healthier Burger" is the creation of Dr. Preston Maring, an obstetrician/gynecologist and administrator at the Kaiser Oakland Medical Center.

Wait a minute! Is our health provider now promoting barbecue burgers made from turkey or beef? We're almost certain the medical professionals at Kaiser are aware of the dangers of cooking beef or turkey at high temperatures as well as similar concerns about not cooking these meats at temperatures high enough to avoid dangers of E-coli or salmonella. And then there's the cholesterol added to the diets of people who don't need more, or who are taking statin drugs to reduce cholesterol.

Celebrate Your Independence All Month with Bang-Up BBQ Ideas

2011-06-30T17:04:23Z

Let's leave that old-fashioned image behind, and step out onto the patio of the vegan household to see what's cookin' for this year's 4th of July barbecue. The vegan gathering of family and friends pays homage to its furry friends, the animals, by letting them roam free, while the barbecue sizzles with some tasty treats of the season.

Though people unfamiliar with the vegan table consider it very limited, it's actually quite the opposite. With so many possible choices of excellent dishes, the host and hostess have the challenge of narrowing them down to just a few special recipes that take advantage of the outdoor grill. The vegan choices for the barbecue can also include succulent hamburgers, steaks, hot dogs, sausages, and shrimp made from plant-based ingredients. But we've departed from the ordinary to offer an extraordinary festive meal. Here's what we've chosen for this year's barbecue menu:

Dr. Hans Diehl Receives 24 Carrot Award

2011-05-10T20:24:28Z

Freshly minted with my doctorate in the health sciences and a graduate degree in public health nutrition and quite self-confident that I had the answers as a healer and researcher to help people with their health problems, I met Nathan Pritikin, and that changed my life and my career.

I saw for the first time what a truly healthy lifestyle--centering around a simple diet of foods-as-grown unapologetically applied--could do in a residential clinical setting, in not only preventing, but more importantly in reversing chronic disease and restoring health; and that often within a few weeks with risk factors becoming measurably affected within days! Read More

Vive La Mother's Day

2011-05-04T04:52:22Z

You may not consider yourself Julia Child's equal in the kitchen, but, take heart. Few of us have graduated from the rigors of Condon Bleu culinary training. And, it's unlikely Mom has such lofty expectations. You can be assured that she will appreciate your efforts to prepare a special meal in her honor.

To really go all out for Mom on her special day, we borrow from the French chefs who created outstanding dishes that have become culinary standards. While Vichysoise, the familiar French potato soup, is served chilled, our flavorful rendition contains sweet peas in place of the potatoes and arrives at the table gently warmed. And, voila! Hot Pea Vichysoise is born! Taking further liberties, we garnish the green jewel with a dollop of Tofu Sour Cream.

Read More

Explore Revolutionary Ideas for a Vegan Cinco de Mayo

2011-05-01T21:14:57Z

The Cinco de Mayo fiesta features colorful costumed folklorico dancers that dip and twirl to the music while performing traditional dances. And no fiesta would be complete without feasting on traditional Mexican foods. Tantalizing aromas float in the air while families gather to indulge in their familiar fiesta fare: tacos, burritos, enchiladas, churros, guacamole, and tamales.

Enjoy a banquet of vegan recipes in the Mexican and TexMex style--muchas comidas (much food) to share with family, friends, and even neighbors. With each household contributing a dish, a neighborhood party may be an ideal way to celebrate the holiday and enjoy tasting a large variety of dishes. Read More

Dressed, Drizzled & Drenched Salad Extravaganza with Zel Allen March 26 from 11:00 to 1:30

2011-03-18T01:02:01Z

When the salad IS the meal, it deserves to be enhanced with knockout oil-free dressing that heightens dining pleasure. Learn how to make these mouth-watering salad dressings:

TAHINI DIJON,
MAPLE MUSTARD,
ARTICHOKE BRAZIL NUT,
CASHEW CAESAR

Zel Allen will demonstrate how to perk up a salad by BLANCHING, MARINATING, and WATER-SAUTEEING a variety of veggies that make each salad unique.

Special Bonuses
Is your salad missing its zing—its mojo—its zesty verve? Zel will show you how to tease the palate with flavors that land with a splash.

*Dusting the salad with a generous spoonful of SPICY PECAN GREMOLATA wows the tastebuds!

*Adding CARMELIZED ONIONS provides a special taste treat.

*Creating a HOMEMADE VEGAN PARMESAN adds zest to make your salad zing.

Of course, the class will conclude with a delicious meal.

For more details contact Zel at vegparadise@vegparadise.com

Download a flyer at http://www.vegparadise.com/SaladClass3262011.pdf