The FunnySpoon Vegan Challenge Redux

Well, we did it! We decided to go vegan for a week in an attempt to attract the attention (and undying admiration) of our fave celeb - Ellen DeGeneres. And we made it! We blogged about our successes and failures and followed it up with what we learned. Dig into the links below for all the vegan goodness and the fall-off-the-wagon moments. There are some fantastic, simple recipes and tons of great information on how a vegan (or vegetarian) meal can fit into your weekly diet.

Here's a quick rundown:

1. Why we did it: What's the reason behind this whole "What Would Ellen Eat" thing anyway??


2. The ups and downs of the FunnySpoon Vegan Challenge




• Day 1: Vicki and Carrie


• Day 2: Vicki and Carrie


• Day 3: Vicki and Carrie


• Day 4: Vicki and Carrie


• Day 5: Vicki and Carrie




3. What we learned




• Famous Vegans


• High Protein Foods for Vegans


• 101 Things To Do With Tofu


• Say [Vegan] Cheese


• Vegan Products: Shopping Made Easy


• Vegan Myths Busted


• Soy: Not Just For Vegetarians Anymore

Soy: Not Just for Vegetarians Anymore

Here's some great info on soy that a friend passed on to us:

Soy: Not Just for Vegetarians Anymore

Formerly viewed mostly as a staple of vegetarian diets, soybeans and soy-based products increasingly are seen as good sources of nutrients for any eating style.

Soybeans contain B vitamins and essential fatty acids, including some omega-3s, and are a rich source of plant-based protein. Many soy foods contain isoflavones that may help lower risks for some diseases.

Popular soy options include:

• Miso: Fermented soybean paste, most commonly used as a flavoring in Asian cooking.


• Soy flour: Much higher in proteins but lower in carbohydrates than wheat flour, it usually is mixed with other flours in baking because it has less gluten.


• Soy milk: Nondairy beverage made from crushed, cooked soybeans. Like cow milk, soy milk may be fortified with vitamins A and D.


• Edamame: Soybeans cooked in the pod and eaten as a snack.


• Tempeh: Soybeans mixed with rice, millet or other grain, then fermented into a rich soybean cake, adding flavor to soups, casseroles, chili or spaghetti


• Tofu: A cheese-like curd made from soybean milk and pressed into soft cakes. Tofu easily takes up the flavor of other ingredients in stir-fries, chili, tacos, salads, noodle dishes and pizza.

Vegan Myths Busted!

While there are many reasons to become a vegan, there are a lot of reasons (or excuses or misconceptions) out there about why NOT to become a vegan. So I figured I’d compile a quick FunnySpoon Five list of common myths about veganism, and then debunk them. I mean, if you don’t want to give up meat and cheese because you really like them, that’s one thing. But if you’re refusing to become vegan based on misinformation, that’s another. So here goes:

The FunnySpoon Five: Top 5 Myths About Veganism

1. A lack of meat causes anemia/iron deficiency. While eating red meat is a common (and great) source of iron, avoiding red meat does not automatically lead to anemia or iron deficiency. Vegans can get plenty of iron from whole grain bread, cereals, dried fruit, spinach, broccoli, and tofu. Get more info about veganism and anemia.


2. A lack of dairy causes calcium deficiency. Again, while non-vegans can easily get their recommended daily dose of calcium from "traditional" sources – milk, cheese, yogurt – there are plenty of options out there for vegans. Tofu, spinach, broccoli, and nuts are great natural sources of calcium, and some soy milks and instant breakfast cereals are fortified with calcium as well. Get more info about veganism and calcium deficiency.


3. Going vegan will help you lose weight quickly. You will not necessarily lose weight just by going vegan – if you fill up on fatty vegan foods or junk foods (many junk foods are still vegan), and especially if you fill up on sweets, your daily caloric intake can still be high. However, if you pay attention to what you eat and focus mainly on whole grains and veggies, you should be fine. The Vegan Food Pyramid can help you figure out how much of each type of food you should be eating.


4. Vegans are all crazy tree huggers who love animals more than people. There are many reasons why people choose to become vegan. There may be some vegan “whackos” out there, but there are also “whackos” who eat meat, too! Vegans may have made the choice to become vegan because they care about animals, or because they don’t like the taste of meat/cheese, or for environmental reasons, or just for general health. Becoming vegan doesn’t automatically attach the “crazy tree hugger” label to you – if you’re educated about veganism you can respond to these stereotypes and inform the very people who are perpetuating these myths!


5. Vegan products are too hard to find, too expensive, and taste gross. No way! We’ve compiled a list of tasty vegan products that are available almost anywhere and also created some special vegan recipes we thought Ellen (and all vegans!) would enjoy. Dig in!

Have you heard of any other myths or misconceptions about veganism? Share in the comments!

Vegan Products: Shopping Made Easy

From just a week of going vegan, we've found loads of products that are tasty and still totally vegan. I've personally found that (and I guess this is pretty obvious) if you just get rid of the stuff you're not supposed to eat and only buy the stuff you are supposed to eat, it's much easier. Once I got the cheese out of my house and bought soy yogurt and soy burgers, all I had to do was look in the fridge and make something to eat. No temptations!So, to help out any other wannabe vegans out there (or even just to introduce some products to current vegans) I figured I'd do a round-up of some products that make being vegan totally easier:

1. MorningStar Farms Grillers Vegan Burger
2. Lightlife Smart Bacon
3. Lightlife Smart Ground Crumbles
4. Mission Whole Wheat Tortillas
5. Silk Plain Soy Yogurt
6. All Natural So Delicious Soy Yogurt
7. Fresh Express 3-Color Cole Slaw
8. Vegenaise Vegan Mayonnaise
9. Rich's Non-Dairy Creamer
10. Earth Balance Soy Garden Vegan Butter

What about you? What are your favorite vegan products? What vegan products do you think Ellen would eat?

Say [Vegan] Cheese!

Some people don't care one way or another about cheese. I am not some people. Meat was way easier for me to give up than cheese, so in going vegan for a week, I learned all about substitutions. Here's the down-low on vegan cheese options:

Brands of Vegan Cheese: You can try Tofutti or Galaxy Nutritional Foods (which is a whole line of vegan foods). Need more? Here you can find more vegan cheese brands.

Where Can You Find It In The Store?Vegan cheese is generally found in the produce area of the store (near the tofu and other vegan products). Finding at least one brand in any store shouldn’t be too difficult since stores becoming more eco/vegetarian-friendly. They may not have a huge selection, but it's most likely available. Any health food store would have products like this as well.

More Info: Get more info on vegan cheese and its nutritional benefits.

Bon appetit!

101 Things To Do With Tofu!

FunnySpoon recently partnered with Stephanie Ashcraft, author of "101 Things To Do With A Salad" (along with many other "101 Things" books), to promote recipes on our site. Imagine our pleasant surprise when we stumbled across "101 Things To Do With Tofu"! As big fans of the 101 Things series, and as two non-vegans trying to go vegan for a week, the "101 Things To Do With Tofu" blog was amazingly helpful. Hope you enjoy it as well!