Author Archives: Shannon

Interview with UnhealthyVegan

I do a lot of food reviews on this blog, but I’ve been wanting to change things up a little. Being vegan is about so much more than the food, it’s about the people who are doing awesome things for the movement too! I’ve decided to start doing some interview posts from time to time on here with fellow vegans. I’ve realized that all of us have a different perception of what it means to be vegan, and it’s always helpful to hear their thoughts and advice to better inform our own beliefs about veganism. I had the opportunity to meet André Avena aka UnhealthyVegan, who made an UnVcMuffin (vegan mcmuffin) for me and we got to talk over some vegan donuts from The Donuttery. Continue reading →

Chocolate Cocozia & Espresso Shake

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Expo was a lot of fun and all, but I was missing smoothies almost the whole time. I ended up with a few bags of samples to take home (luckily I was able to check a separate suitcase), and I wanted to make something special with some of the items. Cocozia also happened to send me some samples of their Chocolate Coconut Water, and although I’ve been featuring some recipes using it on my Instagram, I couldn’t wait to share this particular recipe! This shake tastes like a delicious frappuccino, but it’s even better. Yes, Starbucks might have coconut milk, but I doubt that they have chocolate coconut water on hand! Continue reading →

Chick Seitan Salad

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If you’ve been following this blog for a while, then it’s probably no mystery that I’m a fan of Upton’s Naturals. In fact, you can check out a previous review I did on all their seitan varieties right on this blog. If you aren’t familiar with Upton’s Naturals, then I’ll give you a brief summary on their products. Upton’s makes a variety of vegan meats made out of seitan, that come in flavors including Chorizo, Italian, and even Bacon. Seitan is made out of wheat protein, so it’s high in protein but low in fat and you prepare it just like you would any traditional meats. Upton’s Naturals recently came out with a Chick Seitan, that I was really excited to try out. This one actually has chickpeas in the ingredients, and it definitely has a distinct flavor from the other seitan varieties. Inevitably, I came up with this Chick Seitan Salad recipe that’s super high in protein and made with ingredients you likely have on-hand already. All you need is the seitan and you’re basically good to go! Continue reading →

World Peas Fava Crisps

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Come on, give peas a chance! Or fava beans for that matter. I recently found out about World Peas and they were incredibly kind to send me some of their brand new Fava Crisps to try out. These come in three flavors: Barbeque, Vinegar and Sea Salt, and Ranch to satisfy all your savory, salty and crunchy cravings. Find out what I thought of these different snacks in terms of flavor, texture and similar pre-vegan day snacks that they remind me of. Also, learn why these are a much better alternative to the standard snacks you’ll find in the store. It isn’t likely that you’ll eat an entire bag in one sitting, but if you do at least you’ll be getting tons of protein but less fat and calories than if you had devoured a bag of your typical potato chips. Continue reading →

Green Superfood Protein Pancakes

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Who doesn’t love pancakes for breakfast? I swear these are healthier and lower-in-fat than your standard pancakes and other sweet breakfast items. I’m super excited that Sprout Living has recently reformulated their line of EPIC Protein, and they sent a few samples for me to experiment with in the kitchen. Their Green Kingdom is packed with superfoods and greens including sacha inchi, chlorella, spirulina, kale, moringa and many more! One serving is 20g of raw, organic and gluten-free plant protein. I’ve been experimenting with protein-packed breakfast items besides smoothies such as protein oats and banana ice cream, and pancakes were just calling my name. If you’re gonna have pancakes, why not make them packed with great ingredients? Continue reading →

Four Sigma Foods

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I’ve mentioned a couple times on this blog that there are a few new superfood trends of 2015 to follow. One of them happens to be mushrooms, and YES that’s where this review comes in. Four Sigma Foods was a company I discovered on Instagram through their beautiful photography and vegan-friendly drink mixes that sounded lovely! The company reached out to me and asked if I wanted to try and review their products, and of course I said yes. Find out more about their line of products and how I enjoyed them, just to give you more ideas on how to incorporate superfood mushrooms into your daily routine! Continue reading →

Sunbiotics – Organic Probiotics

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How often do you REALLY think about your digestion? It turns out that a lot of Americans are having more than tummy troubles because of antibiotics that kill good bacteria and lack of important nutrients in their diets. I mentioned earlier this year that I’ve been looking to add more fermented foods into my diet, and I have definitely noticed an improvement in how I feel. Why fermented foods especially? Because they have great probiotic benefits to help return any digestive system back to normal. And, you guessed it, that’s where this review of Sunbiotics comes in! Sunbiotics is one of the Windy City Organics brands that I was given the opportunity to try and review. See what I thought of their line of Probiotic Almonds, powder and more! Continue reading →

Vanilla Matcha Pumpkin Seed Shake

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This is the last of my Dastony review posts (for this week anyway)! Since it’s Friday, what better way to power through your day than with some matcha and pumpkin seeds? Interestingly enough, I did some searching online and I found out that pumpkin seeds have some benefits that I didn’t even know about! Did you know that they are the only seed that is alkaline-forming in the body? Or that they contain the minerals phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, iron and copper? Of course these seeds are also a great source of heart-healthy fats and protein. All the better reason to eat them. With this vanilla and matcha smoothie recipe, it’s easier than ever to get in your dose of pumpkin seeds! Continue reading →

Pear, Sesame & Vanilla Shake

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I really like tahini, and I mean REALLY. There’s just something about the rich, slightly bitter taste that I love combining with sweet flavors like fruit and Bee Free Honee. As promised, this is another review/recipe post using stone-ground raw and organic nut butters from Dastony. Expect of course, this one is nut-free since it’s made with raw sesame seeds. I basically took one of my favorite smoothie combos of all time (pears and almond butter) and turned it into an allergen-friendly, mostly-organic protein shake. Continue reading →

Dastony Review + an Espresso Fig Shake

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I’m a little bit of a nut butter addict. Minus the “little bit”. However, for me quality is still super important. In my house, we make it a rule to not buy any nut butters with hydrogenated oils or added sugars (no JIF or Skippy allowed in our cupboards). So, you can imagine my excitement when Windy City Organics sent me a variety of organic and raw, stone-ground nut and seed butters made by Dastony. I could tell right away that these were made with high-quality ingredients, and they come in the cutest glass jars that you can reuse later on! I was inspired by these particular seed butters to make a few recipes that I’ll be sharing throughout the week. You’ll definitely want to make these recipes and give Dastony a try for yourself! Continue reading →