Vegan

Cornstarch has an unwarranted bad reputation, founded primarily on those ubiquitous gloopy sauces served at mediocre Chinese restaurants around the world. But the fluffy white powder does have its virtues!

I have a confession to make: I’m a tofutarian. A tofutarian is a vegetarian who, in the spirit of breathing life into longstanding clichés, rejoices over tofu in all its forms: Silken, firm, extra-firm, fermented, dried, etc.

I love perfumes but am not always a fan of the ingredients. Many perfumes are full of synthetic chemicals like acetone or phthalates (used to make plastics). Many studies have linked these substances to skin irritation, birth defects, cancer, migraines, and asthma—not so lovely!

Working as a health coach in NYC, I've found that many of my clients want to boost their energy levels. While there is no substitute for restorative sleep, there are some everyday foods that can give you a boost.

There was once a time when a beautiful and ethically made bag was an oxymoron. These days there are plenty of eco-loving designers making compassionate accessories. Let’s go shopping!

Check out the annual Holistic Holiday at Sea, which takes passengers on a cruise in the Caribbean while they enjoy vegan cuisine, cooking classes, experts' lectures, and health-focused activities.

With winter right around the corner, I realized that I needed a new pair of shoes. I wanted something comfortable, cute, affordable, and cruelty-free. Hundreds of shoes met my first three requirements—comfort, style, and reasonable price. Yet finding something that matched all four requirements did not come easily.

As gourmet vegan cuisine becomes more mainstream, restaurants specializing in artfully prepared, nutritious, and animal-free meals are popping up everywhere.

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The best part about my bi-monthly jaunt to the Asian grocery store isn’t just stocking up on potstickers, dried shiitakes, and chili sauce, but roaming the aisles looking for new stuff to try. From frozen sheets of tofu skin to whole lotus roots, I’ve (almost) tried it all—with varying degrees of culinary success. One of the best moves I ever made was working up the courage to try rice-paper wrappers. Something about them always intimidated me—their stiff translucence, for starters. How do those rough, papery sheets morph into those deliciously delicate rolls that I order every time I set foot inside a Vietnamese restaurant?

Generally, I consider myself an early adopter, but I have to admit that sometimes, I really am the very last person alive to hear a new band, read the latest bestseller, or try a trendy food. That would definitely be the case with amaranth, which I didn’t discover until everyone and their grandmothers were already on board. Better late than never, though, right?

Whatever you're making, don't toss those tops! Skip the compost bin and try one of these clever ideas.

Summertime makes me giddy, and it’s not just the sunshine and subsequent Vitamin D boost that puts me in a good mood. It’s partly the produce: Those juicy tomatoes, succulent stone fruit, and vine-ripened peppers must contain some secret feel-good phytochemicals, because I feel fabulous after eating them. I’m also a big fan of shelling beans—favas, runner beans, and my favorite, cranberry beans. I buy them by the bucketload as soon as they make an appearance at the farmers’ market.

Move over Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss—make some room on the book shelf for a new, welcome series of children’s books—one that teaches “The ABCs of Being Kind”—both to animals and to our planet. From the author-illlustrator of the much-loved That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals and Vegan is Love, Ruby Roth, comes the just-released V is for Vegan, a fun, uplifting, and educational picture book that introduces young readers to animal rights and environmental issues and the virtues of a plant-based diet. Below, Roth dishes on discovering children’s interest in veganism, the emotional lives of animals, and the writing and illustration style that’s uniquely hers—a style that enables her to present the ugly truth behind factory farming in a way that’s fun, funny, and empowering for young readers.

My love affair with chickpea flour took flight on a recent trip to the sun-drenched Côte d’Azur. There, In the middle of an outdoor market in Nice, I saw it: a makeshift restaurant advertising “socca.” I’d heard of this savory crêpe before, but had never experienced an authentic taste of it. All I really knew was that for generations, it was the snack food of choice among dock workers on this stretch of the Riviera. Made simply with chickpea flour, olive oil, salt, and water, socca is not only cheap and filling, but—as it turns out—extremely tasty.

Get ready for total taste salvation as you read this interview with chef Ross Olchvary, owner of the gourmet vegan restaurant Sprig & Vine, which opened its doors in New Hope, PA, in 2010 and has been thriving ever since.

Can't seem to get excited about drinking your greens? These tips will transform your smoothie into a sweet and creamy shake you'll crave daily.

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