While it doesn’t compare to the abundance of vegetarian options in Los Angeles, New York or San Francisco, San Diego is becoming an easier place to find veggie food.

Compassion Over Killing and Animal Protection and Rescue League have teamed up and impress with their new brochure, “The Vegetarian Guide to San Diego.”

The Guide points out some new spots for finding grub that even longtime San Diegans may not be aware of. Alchemy Restaurant and Bar, for example, has a vegetarian tasting menu every Wednesday — a $25 farmer’s market three course dinner. Also try some vegan cream cheese at Big City Bagels, or chocolate cheesecake vegan cupcakes at Cups. Tao Restaurant has delicious Japanese and Vietnamese offerings, including homemade tofu.

Read more…

Homemade Lunch

I am still jetlagged since returning from lovely Uganda two days ago, but I wanted to share my experiences with vegetarian travel in Uganda.

If being a vegetarian, and even more so vegan, is uncommon in the U.S., it was even rarer in Uganda. Someone who had spent a lot of time in Uganda said I should say I was vegetarian because of allergies, since the other typically listed animal rights, environmental and health reasons would be misunderstood. I told the truth to those questioning my vegan diet:  I don’t support the way the animals are treated in the U.S. in factory farms, and gave a brief overview of the environmental and health reasons, and was surprisingly met with little skepticism.

Read more…

Finally chasing my dream of many years, I am taking my first trip to Africa next week. My heart has long felt a connection to the region and the people. To explore a continent filled with many countries (about 50, the counts I have seen vary) it could take years. In three weeks I will cover a portion of just one country: Uganda, where a friend lives, and a country which sparked my work with African refugees in San Diego a few years ago after seeing the film Invisible Children about the sad lives of child soldiers.

I’m looking forward to roaming around a beautiful country, seeing new landscapes and meeting future friends. Rather than writing to encourage people to stop eating animals –  I will be out in the world seeing some amazing animals. On that note, I will be taking a break from blogging for about a month. Stay tuned, though, for articles on veggie food options and tales from Uganda!

Have a great month.

Farm Folks

July 17 was La Milpa Organica Farm’s potluck and movie, held on the third Saturday of each month and well-loved by many in the San Diego area. The event, held at the farm five miles north of Escondido, consists of a free open house during which people tour the farm and learn where their food comes from, and meet people with similar interests.

Visitors also taste many delicious items, as everyone brings something to eat, and there are many vegan dishes. Pizzas are cooked in an outdoor oven, often with a vegan option. Despite the hot summer day, people lined up for the slices with non-dairy Daiya cheese.

We also feasted on vegan jambalaya, bean and corn salad, various pastas, watermelon, homemade iced tea, and for dessert, pecan chocolate pie.  Another treat was the maple hazelnut wafers with chocolate fudge sauce local George Vutetakis shared. He also showed folks his Vegetarian Traditions vegan cookbook.

Read more…

Dr. Sandeep Gupta is an expert in nutritional medicine and raw foods who lives in Australia. His interests lie in treating anxiety and depression, heart disease, and other health problems.  Gupta walks his healthy lifestyle talk by practicing meditation and yoga and also plays many musical instruments.

Gupta is proactive about his education, currently studying in Dr. Gabriel Cousens‘ Master’s program. Cousens is the founder of the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center and is globally recognized as a teacher, author, holistic physician and beyond.

“I am in awe of his range of knowledge and skills,” said Gupta.

Read more…

Would you like to have organic meals delivered to your front door? If you live in the San Diego area, you are in luck, as personal chef and Certified Nutrition Counselor Rose McClain would love to feed you. Choose several items from a vegan menu through Rose’s Organic Kitchen, started over 10 years ago.

Rose became a vegetarian more than 30 years ago for health reasons, and vegan 19 years ago when she learned about how animals bred for meat are raised and treated.  Her daughter Teagen McClain, a San Diego activist and vegan, introduced Rose into the world of animal rights, which resulted in her going vegan. Likewise Rose’s positive influence and nutritional knowledge have rubbed off on Teagen, who worked with her mother in the past and has been actively planning veggie events recently.

Read more…

It is unbelievable how life flies by, seemingly more so the older we get. As I turn 40 today I reflect on the journey since becoming a vegetarian 36 years ago — a choice I made as a four-year-old. My decision was supported by my mother who was already conscious of animal cruelty but was feeding us meat because she felt pressure from others for her “radical” choices at the time.

The year I was born, 1970, was also the first Earth Day — a big step for people to make correlations between their actions and the planet’s well-being.  For environmental and health reasons, and out of compassion for animals, I became a vegan 20 years ago. The world and the meat-free movement have changed much since I made those two dietary transitions.

Now with social media like Facebook and Twitter, vegetarians and vegans all over the world are in touch, relieving the isolation our unique lifestyle can bring. Many of us went from being called writers to being referred to as “bloggers” – who knew what that was until recent years? There are veggie blogs left and right; one can hardly keep up with all the information and inspiration.

Read more…

With John Salley

I had a blast at PlanetFest 2010- the second annual Vegan Earth Day in Orange County on June 27, put on by Bob Linden of GoVeganRadio and filled with vegetarian leaders. It was a sunny day and a good flow of people attended throughout the day. Many booths provided educational info, and delicious veggie food was in abundance as were inspirational folks in the movement.

NBA champion and wellness guru John Salley was one of the speakers who also stopped to say hello to numerous people intrigued by his fame and size. He told me he was 7′ tall.

Did you know factory farming was an emerging problem in Africa? Anteneh Roba, M.D., of International Fund for Africa, was a unique and dedicated speaker who pointed out the parallels between cruelty to animals and human rights violations. Roba has also started an Ethiopian Vegan Association!

Read more…

VeggieDate Couple- Photo by The Star-Ledger

Steve Urow has been running VeggieDate since 1999 when he started the vegetarian dating website to make it easier for people who believe in the “vegetarian lifestyle” to meet. Vegetarians are very geographically spread out and hard to meet, and it is difficult to find support and encouragement in this meat-eating world, he says.

VeggieDate differs from other online dating/networking sites because they focus on the significant lifestyle choice of vegetarianism. In most cases vegetarianism or veganism are not just diets but lifestyles with an emphasis of concern for human health, animal welfare and the environment.

Read more…

Photo by San Diego Roots

Veggie health — the well-being of not only vegetarians and vegans but vegetables themselves — is easy when we  have a nonprofit like San Diego Roots, which has been strengthening the local food movement since 2001. While they don’t focus on vegetarian issues, they address the bigger picture of sustainability within our urban food system to bring healthy local food to our communities.

“The San Diego community is increasingly realizing the vital connection of our food to health and the environment,” explained Elyssa Paige, Editor and Food for Thought Film Series Coordinator. “SD Roots is answering the call by providing programs that educate and unite us.”

Read more…