Food

I thought a professor lied when he said the only way he survived graduate school without falling into debt was by eating canned beans for every meal. Yet 5 months into grad school, I can see where desperation hit. While beans are a healthy, vegetarian protein, I was not so devoid of hope. It has to be possible as a student to eat at Whole Foods on a budget, right? Testing and proving this theory brought me into foreign territory, one teeming with hormone-free meat and overpriced produce. The foreign lands of Whole Foods. My mission: To claw my way out with a bill less than or equal to $54.90, which is the U.S Department of Agriculture’s low-cost one-week food plan for a 19-50 aged man. Known Success Rate: Unreported, but there have been many a credit card casualty. Wildlife to Avoid: Twenty-something year-old vegans. Although a pleasure to view in their natural habitat, this species is hungry and their movements can be unpredictable. Important Note: Nutritional health is a subject in which everyone has an opinion, and this writer is not an expert but a survivor in this task. Find out if I survived, after the jump.

Although I’m still a fairly new vegan, I've got the basics down: no cheats, eggs, meats. This new lifestyle means passing up on all those delicious chocolate bars and fresh baked cookies, which at times can be super difficult. Yearning for a sugar fix has fueled me to find substitute snacks. To all my vegan friends out there, I’m happy to say I've discovered a hidden world of unintentionally vegan goodies.  I love kale as much as the next plant-based eater, but sometimes it’s necessary to indulge, yet still tray true to your diet. Here are 5 tasty (and surprisingly) vegan snacks to spoil yourself:

Honest eating and growing local has been Honeygrow’s motto since opening in 2012. The fast-growing food chain honors this slogan every single day as they support local farmers and serve customers. Honeygrow serves fresh and healthy and delicious quality food. With two current locations, Honeygrow is aiming to have two more locations up and running by Spring (Cherry Hill, NJ) and Fall (Radnor, PA) later this year.

Love to prepare food at home but hate draining your time? Raw, Quick & Delicious is a great solution for you. I recently tried out a few recipes during a dinner gathering with a friend. Locavore Dinner Party A Twitter match made in heaven happened when I became friends with Kristy, an up-and-coming food blogger. Lucky for us, Kristy loves to cook and I love to eat. Kristy hosted me at her place to discuss KEEN Digital Summit (co-founded by one of my favorite bloggers, Kristin Luna of Camels & Chocolate) which we're psyched to attend in October. (Bonus: I even won a pair of passes to the conference!) This girl doesn't mess around while cooking. Seriously, just look at this Dill-salmon that was the main course along with an asparagus-based purée. Raw, Quick & Delicious: My creations My first experiment was the Salmon side, Green Beans Amandine. A simple recipe consisting of raw almonds, sea salt, green beans, olive oil & lemon juice (I left out the nutritional yeast...) was easy and a great pairing to our meal. (See recipe below!) Find out more about our dinner party and Raw, Quick & Delicious after the jump!

“Ugh, I hate grocery shopping,” complained my dental hygienist. “I want to buy the healthy food but it’s so much more expensive than the crap.” I realize that this is the perception of so many Americans. Although I frequent Whole Foods, I typically stick to a list or create a budget before heading over. After all, “Whole Paycheck” is the infamous knock that ain’t so far from the truth. Do I shop at Whole Foods or farmer's markets 100% of the time? No. But I’ve been thinking a lot lately about  the "cost" of food versus the cost of “food.” Find out more about the cost of food, after the jump!

Today, June 5, marks World Environment Day 2013. Since 1972, World Environment Day, a United Nations Environment program, has drawn worldwide awareness to the environment to encourage political (and personal) attention and action. This year's theme is Think Eat Save and rightfully so. Ever year, 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted, yet 1 in 7 people go to bed hungry each day. Some people argue that GMOs will help solve hunger, but there's a few potentially scary consequences that may not be worth the price. You don't have to wait for science to make a difference - it's easy to stop wasting food. What else can you do to celebrate World Environment Day 2013? (Hint: useful links after the jump!)

Tired of flimsy plastic bags of beans, rice & quinoa in your cupboard? But how can you make your trip even greener?

When you think of the Midwest you may not immediately think "hip vegan cafes." I certainly didn't. The truth is some of my Midwest dining experiences have been challenging as someone who doesn't eat any meat or poultry. When I found out I would be spending a significant amount of time in Cleveland, Ohio I wondered what a veggie loving lady was to do... Cleveland offers an impressive restaurant scene with big-time restaurateurs like Michael Symon of The Chew and Rocco Whalen each providing several four star restaurants. But, during my time in this city I've noticed that they loooove their pig - and put it on everything from greens to fish.

After learning more about plastics (and especially how heating plastics can lead to nasty chemicals leaking), I've made a pledge to replace plastics with alternatives wherever I can... starting with my kitchen. Wean Green is a Canadian company "dedicated to providing parents with safe and environmental baby products that (find out more about Wean Green & kicking plastic from your kitchen, after the jump!)