BC Living
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You’ve Gotta Try This In May
How to Support BC Wineries Now
4 Tips on Balancing a Nutritious Diet with a Side of Indulgence
Choosing Connection: A BC Family Day Pledge to Prioritize Presence Over Plans
Embracing Plant-Based Living this Veganuary and Beyond
Inviting the Steller’s Jay to Your Garden
6 Budget-friendly Holiday Decor Pieces
Dream Home: $8 Million for a Modern Surprise
Local Getaway: A Mini Cozy Sanctuary in Nelson
B.C. Adventures: Our picks for May
Spring into Fun in Kamloops: The Best Events in the City
BC Distilled
Melodies and Museums: Solo-Friendly Entertainment for the Independent Traveller
Arts Club Theatre Company Celebrates 60 Years
Pyrrha Connects People With Pieces That Speak To Them
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SOLO CHIC: 5 Essential Pieces for the Stylish Solo Traveller
Just because it’s vegan doesn’t mean it is sustainable.
Many vegan “meats” and substitutes can be: highly processed, involving tremendous amounts of energy and fresh water to produce; non-local, requiring huge volumes fuel to transport and emitting tons of CO2; sodium-rich, putting pressure on your heart, arteries and kidneys; and often contain genetically modified (GM) soy, which not only has been linked to long-term health problems but has a negative impact on the integrity of crop species and diversity, not to mention the marginalization of small farms.
Also, I made the mistake the first time around as a vegetarian of not complementing my proteins with a grain. Meat is a complete protein on its own, beans are not. In order for vegans to get the sufficient number of amino acids in their diet, a dish of beans, legumes, lentils or nuts should be paired with whole grain bread, barley, rice, quinoa (my favourite!), couscous or whatever other grain you can think of.
VEGAN-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS – Vancouver offers so many choices!
GOING VEGAN – The Vancouver way…
THE FACTS – Why go vegan?
RECIPES & RESOURCES – Get creative!
VIDEO + RADIO – Meet Vancouver’s vegan diners and restaurateurs.
VEGAN WINE? – Ask for a glass sans meat.
It doesn’t need to be simultaneous though; as long as you have both at some point during the same day, your body can do the math to come up with the nine essential amino acids it needs.
A great resource for going meatless is Frances Moore Lappe’s Diet for a Small Planet, which offers a complete guide to vegetarian and vegan eating, with meal plans, recipes and interesting commentary on why eating meat-free is better for the planet.
Another great way to learn more about veganism is through Twitter. Find like-minded tweeps by searching Twitter for “#vegan” and/or follow these vegans and vegetarians in British Columbia: @mojaveband, @bettieboudoir, @tothewestside, @liberationbc, @kdot, @stephenhui. Tweet @granvillemag to add yourself name to this list, or leave a comment below with your Twitter handle.
Also, here’s a handy reference I found on ChooseVeg.com for making sure your vegan diet is well-balanced.