Ben & Jerry's Vegan Ice Cream Review with the Kids

I know what it feels like to be nervous that you will miss out on your favorite foods when you start a vegan journey.

I really thought we would "lose" ice cream back in 2010 when we started our own vegan journey.

The good news is, you really don't have to give up anything to start a vegan lifestyle.

There is literally a vegan option for anything you can think of - including creamy and familiar ice cream.

Ben & Jerry's just released not one but four vegan ice creams options. Dopeness!

The options are:

Coffee Caramel Fudge

P.B. & Cookies (my fave of the 4)

Chunky Monkey 

Chocolate Fudge Brownie

I usually don't even like ice cream made out of almond milk (I prefer ones made from cashews, soy or coconut milk), so I was pleasantly surprised at how good these are.

Click to watch the full review video with my kids below.....

You Can Replace Dairy & Eggs!

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Easy & Delicious Kale Salad Recipe (Video)

This kale salad will take you about 10-12 minutes to put together and includes all accessible ingredients. It's simple, savory and perfect for lunch or a side dish.

Feel free to add in black beans for more protein and also serve with french or pita bread.

Enjoy your own big bowl and don't forget to massage your kale with the oil and vinegar (in the full recipe below) before adding the other ingredients to ensure that it's palatable. 

Believe it or not, my boys love kale salad....especially my youngest son, Brandon. I have to double this recipe to satisfy his love for greens.

~*~Full recipe and video below ~*~

Easy Kale Salad

by Brown Vegan

Prep Time: 10

Ingredients (2 as a meal & 5 as a side)

• 2 large bunches of kale - rinsed, stems removed and chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup green olives
• 1/4 cup raw or roasted sunflower seeds
• 1 avocado - skin removed, pitted and cubed

Instructions

Place kale, oil and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl.

With clean hands, massage the kale in the bowl for 3 minutes.

Add in all the remaining ingredients

Toss everything together with tongs

Enjoy!

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Vegans Can Eat Scrambled Eggs, Too! Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg Review

Can vegans eat scrambled eggs? Yes ma'am! 

I remember hearing rumors about a vegan scrambled egg about 2 years ago and Follow Your Heart finally launched it!

So why not just scramble a chicken egg?

• Vegan eggs are more sustainable - 1 dozen chicken eggs = 6.6 worth of greenhouse gas emissions
• Eating eggs is animal cruelty - This article breaks down the horrors of the egg industry
• High in saturated fat & cholesterol; which increases your chance of heart disease & diabetes This video sums up (in 60 secs) why eggs aren't healthy...

What is the Follow Your Heart vegan egg made out of? The first 3 ingredients are whole algal flour (ingredient derived from algae), whole algal protein and modified cellulose 

The product is gluten-free, non-GMO and soy-free

Where can you order it? I purchased mine from Amazon but Rabbit Food Grocery (vegan grocery store in Austin) has it too.

I will say that I've never been a fan of scrambled eggs, so my opinion may be biased because of this. lol

Many people in my YouTube comments had great success with the product, so if you're a egg lover this may be perfect for you. 

Watch me prep, scramble and eat the scrambled eggs with my kids below...

Some tips:

• Use a blender to make "fluffier" eggs
• Black salt will give it more of an "egg" flavor
• Be sure to also use other seasonings that you would typically use when making your eggs
• Make sure you're using COLD water to make the eggs
• Practice makes perfect - don't give up if it doesn't work the first couple of times.

Check out my previous review with using the vegan egg in baking recipes here 

Have you tried the Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg yet? What did you think?

Q&A: What's the Easiest Way to Put A Vegan Meal Together?

A question from my Instagram....

I remember those days of struggling to put meals together!

Vegan meal planning felt so different from the way I was already eating, so the thought of not having chicken/beef as the center of the meal was overwhelming.

It is a different way of eating but not nearly as much as we hype it up in our heads.

For dinner (the area most of us struggle with), think of your meals in this combination....

 

Protein + grain/starch + 1-2 vegetables = Vegan Dinner

Example of what this looks like...

Plant-based protein

Lentils, black beans, walnut meat (used in recipes like this taco salad) vegan sausage, tofu, etc.

Grain/Starch

Rice, quinoa, pasta, bread, etc.

1-2 Vegetables

Broccoli, eggplant, mushrooms, etc.

Here's how that will look using a simple meal like stir-fry...

Plant-based protein  

Vegan sausage

Starch/Grain

Rice or quinoa (not shown)

Vegetables

Broccoli, bell pepper, onion

Instead of chicken, steak, etc. as the center/protein of your meal, you will now enjoy plant-based options.

Try not to overthink your meals and I promise it will become easier!

I hope this helps :-)

Here's the full recipe for the stir-fry

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Don't Let These Reasons Stop You From Going Vegan

I often get emails and social media comments from people who say, "I want to go vegan but... (insert one of a million reasons)"

I can understand any hesitation you may have about starting a vegan lifestyle! I had a lot of my own concerns when I started back in 2010.

Let's take a few moments and address some of the most common concerns people tell me and why you shouldn't let these reasons stop you from getting started.

What in the world will I eat? 

I hear ya! This was a big deal for me...especially since I wanted to make sure Eric and the kids would eat the food, too. *sigh*
The good news is, there's a vegan replacement for any ingredient you can think of these days. This lifestyle isn't boring or bland and you can still eat your favorite dishes (by replacing the animal products) and enjoy so much variety.

Check out some vegan breakfast tips and recipes here

Being vegan is too time-consuming

 One thing I know for sure (in my Oprah voice lol) is that vegan life is what you make it. In the beginning it may seem time-consuming (if you don't cook at all now), but I promise you won't spend a million hours in the kitchen once you get the hang of it. Establishing some go-to meals and always being open to experimenting with different methods and recipes will make your journey that much easier. 
 

"I love cheese, meat and eggs too much!" 

Many people struggle with moving away from animal and animal byproducts (seafood has always been my weakness), but I promise shifting to vegan life is healthier and definitely more compassionate. If there was more mainstream information about the devastation to our environment and torture to animals, I know more people would embrace this lifestyle.

I highly recommend you check out the documentary Earthlings and the book Diet for A New America to learn more about why a vegan lifestyle is so important for animals, your health and the planet.
 

You Can Replace Dairy & Eggs!

Download the FREE Dairy & Eggs Replacement PDF with delicious vegan options

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Fear that you have to be perfect to get started

This is a huge misconception. It doesn't have to be "all or nothing" to start and it's okay to slowly crowd out your meat, eggs and dairy with vegan options.

As you run out of items like milk, mayo and cheese, start to replace them with vegan options:

Cow's milk ---> almond (you can make your own using this recipe), soy, cashew, coconut are just a few choices

Mayo (made from eggs and oil) ---> vegan options like Just Mayo & Veganaise taste very similar to conventional mayo 

Cheese ---> brands like Field Roast, Follow Your Heart and homemade queso and Alfredo sauce make the shift easier. 

You just have to decide that you will move forward with a vegan journey and go from there.