Vegan Nutrition with Jill Nussinow, MS, RD

Jill Nussinow is a Registered Dietitian, culinary educator, cookbook author, speaker and consultant and all around proponent of a plant-based diet. She teaches vegetarian and vegan cooking at Santa Rosa Junior College in California and other places around the US. She has a son who is almost 15. One of her greatest joys is sharing her enthusiasm for vegetables and pressure cooking with anyone who will listen.

I have decided to become a vegan after seeing what happens to our meat and how unhealthy all the antibiotics and such in the meat are, and looking into how healthy it is for your body. However, I come from that type of family with the bumper stickers reading "Vegetarian-old Indian word for poor hunter." So as you can see they are not very understanding of my change. Every year we go on a float trip for three days floating in canoes down a river. Once in the three days we have a steak night and to tell you the truth I LOVE STEAK! But well, I don't eat it any more. So what is something that I can bring to have that DELICIOUS treat?

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As someone who never really loved steak, it's hard for me to tell you what you might substitute. But many of my students find that eating something with a bit of substance such as seitan (wheat gluten), baked tofu, tempeh or one of the soy or gluten meat substitutes such as soy veggie burgers, Field Roast, or other brands, that resemble meat will often easily take the place of eating steak. I'm not sure what you all bring on your float down the river but you might want to make something such as seitan, baked tofu or tempeh skewered with vegetables so that you have something attractive and filling instead of eating steak.

It's too bad that your family isn't more supportive but do what's necessary to take care of your health and your conscience.

Have a great time on your trip.

Visit Jill's website TheVeggieQueen.com and her blog theveggiequeen.blogspot.com.

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Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.
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