A Vegan in Melbourne, Australia

In few days, I'm visiting Melbourne , Australia with my family. Today, I wanted to find Vegetarian and Vegan-friendly restaurants in Melbourne. Oh my! When I saw HappyCow website, I was surprised. Melbourne is awash with numerous vegetarian and vegan restaurants.

Today, I found an amazing vegan food blog. Rhi's blog - Vegan in Melbourne, is mouth-watering. I found exotic recipes such as spiced almond milk and Walnut meatballs with Italian spaghetti.

Rhi is also a foodie like me. She loves Indian food, dark chocolates, mangoes, coconuts and dates. Visit her blog, Vegan in Melbourne, http://rhiannonveganmelbourne.blogspot.com .

Tofurky for Nonviolent Thanksgiving

Thousands of Americans will relish Tofurky on Thursday.  Many Americans want to stop the suffering of innocent Turkeys in filthy sheds. So, many Americans are opting for plant-based products such as Tofurky (http://www.tofurky.com ) and Gardein (http://gardein.com/products/holiday-roast/ )

Do you want to be part of Compassionate Thanksgiving? It's time to buy plant-based Turkeys!

These days you can find Tofurky and Gardein in most of the superstores. Visit Tofurky website (http://www.tofurky.com ) to find the stores which carry Tofurky. You can also get Tofurky at Whole Foods and most of the Natural Food Stores.

Vegan Applesauce Cake

Few days ago, I baked Applesauce Cake by following the recipe in Vaishali's blog, Holy Cow. The cake was awesome, it tasted so much like fruit cake or plum cake found in Bangalore bakeries.

The cake was light brown in color, and bursting with cinnamon and cardamom flavors. The walnuts tasted so good in this cake...

I'm sure I will bake this cake many times. Next time, I'm planning to add raisins, plums, and cashews.

Here is the link to the Applesauce cake (http://holycowvegan.net/2009/06/applesauce-cake.html )

Israel Goes Vegan

According to a news report, there are about 200,000 vegans in Israel. The number of vegans is increasing every day. According to israel21c website (http://israel21c.org/ ), many Israelites are going vegan after hearing Gary Yourofsky's speech. Gary Yourofsky is an American animal-rights activist.

A few months ago my 16 year old niece from India sent me the link to Gary Yourofsky's speech in youtube. My niece told me that her friends were shocked to hear about the suffering of innocent animals  in dairy industries. I am sure many people will go VEGAN after hearing to Gary Yourofsky's enlightening speech.

You can hear his speech at (http://gary-tv.com/en/ ) . You can also hear his famous speech in Youtube  ( http://www.youtube.com/ )

Vegan Lifestyle is Kind

Vegan lifestyle is kind and compassionate. Every day, thousands of people across the world are eager to know everything from vegan diet to vegan cosmetics.

It is easy to be a Vegan, with some planning. Please visit Vegan website. http://www.vegan.org/

To find all the latest vegan items in United States, go to, https://www.facebook.com/veganactionorg

An Open Letter to Prime Minister of India

Dear Prime Minister,

Wish You A Very Happy Independence Day . India is really very fortunate to have you. I'm confident that you will take India to a higher horizon of peace and prosperity.

I was so happy to know your inclination towards plant-based diet. I read in an interview that you like Vegan fare - Khichidi, Bhakri, Poha, Idli and Dosa . I felt very uncomfortable when I read that "curds" is part of your diet. Unfortunately, all the milk products, everything from butter to ghee and curds to paneer causes pain and suffering for the innocent cows. In India milk producing cows are induced with oxytocin harmone to produce more milk. In short, the condition of cows is heart wrenching.

Mahatma Gandhiji , Father of the Nation, stopped consuming cow's milk after he came to know about a cruel process known as "Phooka".  Gandhiji in his autobiography writes, "Since I had come to know that the cow and the buffalo were subjected to the process of Phooka, I had conceived a strong disgust for milk." Gandhiji started to drink goat's milk because plant-based milk such as soya milk , almond milk , rice milk was not available.

Last year, I visited Hagalavadi, a village in Karnataka. My cousins told me that farmers regularly inject cows with oxytocin harmone to cows so that they can produce more milk. The lifespan of the animals injected with oxytocin is drastically reduced. In short, cows are treated as "milk machines" in India and across the world.

Dada J.P.Vaswani , a spiritual leader from India , in a interview says, "I now take soy milk instead of cow's milk because the cows are very cruelly treated in factory farming. Ever since I learned about it nine or ten years ago, I gave up milk. I believe it's the food of violence. The cows are confined to a small area. They can't move and are just milk manufacturing machines,"

Recent studies have shown that dairy milk is causing everything from common constipation to Cancer. The dairy milk available in India is brimming with chemicals. I roll my eyes whenever Ayurveda doctors say that cow's milk and ghee is nectar. Please read the book, The China Study to know more more about the negative health effects of milk and milk products such as milk , yogurt, ghee and paneer. Also please visit the PCRM website to know more about the benefits of plant-based diet. http://www.pcrm.org/

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) agree:Well planned vegetarian and vegan eating patterns are healthy for infants, children and adults. Recent studies have shown that a plant-based diet (Vegan diet) reduces the risk of heart disease , stroke and cancer.

Dr John Mc Dougall , a Physician and nutrition expert says that dairy is "liquid meat". People generally have the notion that dairy milk is rich in calcium and other nutrients. Actually, it is possible to get all the nutrients - calcium, proteins, vitamins in a plant-based diet. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans and legumes is best for the body. Healthy Eating Plate developed by Harvard Medical School will show the importance of plant-based food items in a diet . http://www.health.harvard.edu/plate/healthy-eating-plate

Milk and milk products is  not only bad for our health, but it is also bad for our environment.
According to United Nations, Livestock Long Shadow report, meat and dairy industry is causing global warming. United Nations is urging people to eat less meat and dairy. Meat industry, egg industry, leather industry and dairy industry is not only causing pain and suffering to million of animals, but also causing everything from water pollution to land degradation.

Many people assume that I thrive on salads and fruits, whenever they come to know about my vegan diet. I love food! Growing up in Bangalore, I relished eating "curd rice". These days I made dairy-free curd using peanut milk or cashew milk. I really enjoy eating dairy-free curd rice. Dr. Rupa Shah has a youtube video on making vegan yogurt using peanut  milk and rice milk. Harini Prakash on her blog Tongue Ticklers has a recipe for vegan yogurt. http://tongueticklers.com/2010/10/vegan-kitchen-basics-vegan-yogurt-curd/

At present I'm in United States and it is really easy to thrive on vegan diet. I make kheers and carrot halwa with home-made almond milk. I sometimes use coconut milk or rice milk to make kheers, and variety of Indian sweets. I also make awesome vegan cakes, cupcakes and muffins without eggs and dairy products. Vaishali's blog Holy Cow http://holycowvegan.net/ ,  Richa's blog Vegan Richa
http://www.veganricha.com/  and Harini Prakash's http://tongueticklers.com/ is awash with yummy vegan recipes.

At stores I get variety of icecreams made with coconut milk and soy milk. I also enjoy eating delicious vegan chocolates. My husband and son relish eating pizza  with vegan cheese.
http://us.daiyafoods.com/ These day the number of people going vegan is increasing in united States. In short, it is so easy to thrive on cruel-free diet (vegan diet) in United States.

Many of my friends and relatives in India have stopped consuming dairy products after they watched a very sad documentary , The Plastic Cow . I'm sure you will stop consuming cow's milk and curds after seeing this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SifRIYqHfcY

It is great to know that the concept of vegan diet (meat and dairy free diet), is growing slowly in Indian cities.  Thanks to the social media - blogs, facebook and twitter, the suffering of cows and other millions of animals is exposed, and people are looking for meat and dairy alternatives.
Please visit the blog - Vegan India , http://vegan-india.blogspot.com/ .

I think the number of vegans in India will increase by many-folds if meat alternatives and dairy alternatives, such as tofu, tempeh , seitan (wheat meat), soy milk, rice milk, and vegan butter is easily available across Indian towns and villages.

The world is moving towards vegan diet (cruel-free diet). For centuries India has been known as Vegetarian Paradise. I hope under your leadership, India will become a "Vegan Paradise".

Thank you!

Regards,
Kumudha

Dynise Balcavage , Urban Vegan

Dynise Balcavage is an amazing woman in Philadelphia. She has been thriving on plant-based diet since 2006. She blogs about her vegan lifestyle in Urban Vegan. http://urbanvegan.net

I just love her blog. She often blogs about great vegan recipes, excellent vegan tips and comes up with awesome ideas to protect our environment and stop the suffering of animals. If you are new to vegetarian or vegan diet, you should visit the blog - Urban Vegan. You will feel it's so easy to thrive on vegan diet, when you start reading Urban Vegan blog...

Dynise Balcavage is also a cookbook author. So far, she has written three vegan  cookbooks.  They are , The Urban Vegan , Celebrate Vegan and Pies and Tarts with Hearts. Her vegan recipes have been published in Vegnews , Vegetarian Times and many newspapers.

The Plastic Cow

In India, millions of Hindus consider cow as divine. Cow's milk is used in Hindu religious rituals.

In India, you can see many cows eating plastic bags. I really feel so sad to see innocent cows suffer every day.

Please watch this documentary http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/plastic-cow/ to know more about the condition of millions of cows in India. http://www.theplasticcow.org

Going Vegan is a great way to protect our animals and our environment. These days, the concept of vegan diet is growing rapidly in India. Indians no longer feel like consuming milk and milk products, as the dairy products are contaminated with many dangerous chemicals.

Isa Chandra Moskowitz, a Vegan Cookbook Author

Isa Chandra Moskowitz is an amazing person. Every day, thousands of people in United States and across the world are embracing vegan diet, because of Isa . Isa is enticing people to try vegan fare - good for our health and environment.

Isa Chandra Moskowitz has written a couple of vegan cookbooks. Isa has recently written a vegan cookbook, Isa Does it . And now Isa is all set to open a vegan restaurant - Modern Love Omaha.

Isa has an amazing website, Post Punk Kitchen, http://www.theppk.com/ . In this website, you can find amazing vegan recipes, and there is a forum where newbie vegans can discuss everything from vegan recipes to vegan restaurants.

Visit this https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRSnFecax3hH8qlg7wJU_P3UBhEVDZw8m to see some amazing vegan dishes - Quinoa Caesar Salad , Vegan Beet Burger , Vegan Mac and Cheese, Vegan Ice Cream , and Chocolate chip cookies.

Amala Akkineni, An Animal Welfare Activist

Amala Akkineni is an amazing person from Hyderabad, India. Amala , a popular movie actor, is now fully involved in protecting our environment and animals.
Amala loves animals. She has been rescuing birds and animals since she was five years old. Two decades ago , she founded Blue Cross of Hyderabad - an animal welfare society.




Few years ago, Amala decided to stop consuming milk and milk products such as ghee and paneer, after she saw the suffering of cows in dairy farms in India. These days, Amala is thriving on healthy vegan diet.
Read more about this amazing lady, http://vegan-india.blogspot.com/2011/12/in-conversation-with-amala-akkineni.html


Here is another interesting post, http://hyderabadvegans.wordpress.com/tips-for-a-smooth-shift/

Vegan Travel

Before visiting a new city or a country,  I always make it a point to see the website, Happy Cow.


Happy Cow is a great website, it lists all the vegetarian and vegan restaurants in a city.
http://www.happycow.net


You can find vegetarian and vegan restaurants from Australia to North America and Africa to South America.


Here is another interesting website for people interested in plant-based eating, http://veganbackpacker.com/


 Youtube is another wonderful resource for Vegetarians and Vegans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrwrRlJvbx8

Vegan Oats and Nuts Bar

The moment I saw Oats and Nuts Bar in the blog - Sharmi's Passions, I decided to make it.

Yesterday , I made these delicious bars . These bars are so tasty and filling.  Everyone in my family loved them.

Here is the link to the recipe, http://www.sharmispassions.com/2010/01/dates-oats-and-nuts-fudge-its-sugarfree.html

Along with dates , I used almonds and pistachios to make this bars. And I used a tablespoon of maple syrup instead of oil.

I hope you  make these delicious bars!

Vegan Jains

For hundreds of years, milk and milk products such as ghee, yogurt and paneer was integral part of Jain diet.

These days thousands of educated Jains across the world have given up consuming cow's milk and milk products such as ghee and paneer. Jains are seeing the suffering of milk producing cows and have decided to thrive on vegan diet(dairy and meat free diet).

Visit these websites and blogs to know more about the growing concept of vegan diet among Jains.
https://www.veganjains.com
https://www.jainvegans.org

Vegan Pineapple Kesari

I love Kesari -classic Indian sweet dish. I often make Kesari, as it is very easy to make.

Yesterday, I made Pineapple Kesari and it was awesome! I followed the recipe from the blog Sharmi's Passion.  http://www.sharmispassions.com/2014/03/pineapple-rava-kesari-recipe.html

Well, I veganized the recipe. I used vegetable oil instead of ghee and used the vegan sugar(www.sugarintheraw.com)

The Pineapple Kesari was brown in color, and the taste was so good. My husband and son enjoyed eating it.

According to the recipe, Sharmilee says to use 1 and 1/2 cup of water to cook the pineapple. I had to use around 3 cups of water to cook the pineapple.

I'm sure I will be making Pineapple Kesari, whenever we buy Pineapples!

Dada J.P.Vaswani in Atlanta

Dada J.P.Vaswani , world-renowned Spiritual guide and Educator, works for the welfare of human beings and animals.

Many Indians have become vegetarian because of Dada J.P.Vaswani . Dada J.P.Vaswani tells people about the horrific conditions of animals in dairy and meat industry, during his talks. Dada J.P.Vaswani is striving hard to stop all types of killings.

Dada Vaswani stopped consuming cow's milk, after he came to know about the cruel conditions of cows in dairy farms. In an interview, he says,"I now take soy milk instead of cow's milk because the cows are very cruelly treated in factory farming. Ever since I learned about it nine or ten years ago, I gave up milk. I believe it's the food of violence. The cows are confined to a small area. They can't move and are just milk manufacturing machines."

Dada J.P.Vaswani is coming to Atlanta on May 14,2014 . He will talk on the topic - You Can Change Your Life .

Venue: Ahavath Achim Synagogue
600 Peachtree Battle Ave. NW, Atlanta, GA 30327
Tel 404-355-5222

www.sadhuvaswani.org
http://www.sak.org.in

Vegan Indian Cooking

Anupy Singla , award-winning journalist turned cookbook author has written an amazing cookbook.
Anupy Singla has written Vegan Indian Cooking, awash with tasty and nutritious vegan dishes.

I recently purchased the Vegan Indian Cooking cookbook, and in a span of few weeks, I have made Masala Tofu Scramble, Jeera Chawal(cumin rice), Tofu Pakora(deep-fried tofu fritters), Masala chickpea burgers , and Tandoori Tempeh. Everything is so tasty.

Anupy Singla is not a vegan, but most of the time she likes to eat vegan fare. She also has a great blog , indian as a apple pie. Visit her blog, http://www.indianasapplepie.com for great vegan recipes.
She is great at veganizing so many Indian recipes. She has recently posted recipes for Vegan Indian Kabobs, Tempeh Korma , and Spicy Tandoori Gobhi in her blog.

Senso Vegetarian Shoes (Cruel-free Shoes)

 Many people in India, no longer like to buy leather shoes and sandals, as leather is the result of pain, suffering and death of innocent animals.

Thanks to the company - Senso Vegetarian Shoes, where shoes, sandals, and slippers are made from non-leather material. You can also buy beautiful cruel-free bags from Senso Vegetarian Shoes.

If you have friends and family in India, please let them know of this cruel-free store. They do free delivery all over India. http://sensoveg.com

Cafe Sunflower, Vegetarian Restaurant in Atlanta

Recently we had been to an amazing vegetarian restaurant, Café Sunflower in Sandy Springs. We usually to go to Indian restaurants, but once in a while, my husband, son and I like to explore other cuisines.

Café Sunflower is a very popular vegetarian restaurant serving Atlanta, since 1994. Café Sunflower has Asian , Caribbean and Mediterranean dishes. www.cafesunflower.com

For Starters, we had Basil rolls, and they were so good.  I relished eating basil rolls, bursting with fresh vegetables and flavors with peanut sauce. My son also loved the basil rolls and peanut sauce.
For Entrée, I had Stir Fry Vegetables with Tofu. The broccoli and snow peas were so tender, and the brown rice tasted so good. My husband ate, Portbello Mushroom Wrap, and he said the taste was awesome! My son ate Jamaican Black Bean Cakes, and when I asked him about the taste , he gestured "thumbs-up" .

For the Desserts, variety of vegan cakes adorned the shelves. We did not try the cakes, but next time we will try their vegan cakes.

Vegan Harvest Pizza

A couple of weeks ago my son wanted to eat Pizza. I love pizza, but I just can't make it.

Fortunately we got Frozen  Vegan Harvest  in Whole Foods. I had to just bake the frozen pizza in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes, and the lovely pizza was ready. Everyone in my family loved the pizza. My son told me that he wants to eat the pizza once in a week. Since we go to Whole Foods, once in a month, I'm planning to stock up my freezer with many Vegan Harvest Pizza.

Vegan Parathas (Indian Bread)

I love Parathas . These days I make Aloo parathas (Potato Parathas), Methi Parathas(Fenugreek Parathas), or Pudina Parathas(Mint Parathas), for my son's lunch- box .

The first time I made Aloo parathas, it was a mess. The potato filling came out while I was rolling the parathas. Last week, I made good  Aloo parathas , after following the recipe in the blog, CookingandMe.  Cooking and me
is an awesome blog for Indian cuisine. Nags, who works for Google, and is based in Sydney , makes yummy food. I 'm so glad she blogs. You can find many vegan recipes in the blog - Cooking and Me .

Aloo Parathas are so tasty. I like to eat  hot Aloo Parathas with a dollop of Earth Balance (vegan butter) and maple syrup. Sometimes I like to relish Aloo Parathas with lime pickle or tomato chutney. My son likes to eat plain Aloo Parathas .

Vegan Wedding in India

I recently read an amazing article in Hindu newspaper, where a Hindu wedding menu was vegan!
The article is , The Unusual Feast published on February 13, 2014. I'm unable to link the article , so just go to google and type, "Hindu newspaper vegan wedding" .  I hope you read it!

I'm confident in future, the number of people opting for vegan wedding will increase by many folds in India, as many people see "horrible suffering" of cows in Youtube. Even in Indian villages farmers induce cows with oxytocin harmone to produce more milk.

Usually , milk and milk products such as curds, paneer and ghee is used in the making of some indian dishes and sweets.

Nearly a decade ago I got married in Bangalore. Almost 95% of the food was vegan. The food was traditional South-Indian . For breakfast there was idli , sambhar ,Pongal , Uddina Vada and chutney. For the lunch - Kosambri, Beans palya, Vegetable Puloa, Vegetable saagu , White rice, Sambhar, Rasam, Pickle, Papad, Ladoo and Chiroti. For the reception - Bisibele bath, Bondas, Badhusha , and ice cream. 

Plant-Based Diet for a Healthy Heart

Whenever I tell anyone that I eat vegan food, they assume that my diet is healthy. I love to eat healthy food, every day. Even though my diet is vegan, I tend to consume white rice and sweets such as burfis , cookies , kheers and payasams every day! In short, I may eat vegan food every day, but I'm not eating healthy food.

February is American Heart Month , and millions of Americans are trying to eat more plant-based food . According to American Heart Association, "Vegetarian diets can be healthful and nutritionally sound if they’re carefully planned to include essential nutrients. " American Heart Association's website is brimming with loads of useful information.  www.heart.org

Proteins :According to American Heart Association(AHA), whole grains, legumes, grains, vegetables, and nuts contain proteins. Soy products such as tofu and tempeh are also rich in protein.

Iron : According to AHA, dried beans, spinach, enriched products , and dried fruits are rich in Iron.

Calcium :Studies show that vegetarians absorb and retain more calcium from foods than nonvegetarians do. Vegetable greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli, and some legumes and soybean products, are good sources of calcium from plants.  I roll my eyes when moms across the world force their kids to drink "dairy milk" for calcium. For my son, I mix 1 tsp of sesame seeds to vegetables or rice once or twice in a week. Sometimes, I also put ground almonds, as it is an excellent source of calcium.

Vitamin B12 : Some studies have shown that Vitamin B12 is very important for a healthy heart .Vitamin B12 is present only in animals products. If you are a vegan or planning to consume more plant-based food every day, I suggest you take Vitamin B12 supplement. I take Vitamin B12 supplement made by Jarrow Formulas. www.Jarrow.com
AHA also urges people to consume foods rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin A

Zinc : Zinc plays an important role in protecting the heart . I take Zinc supplement whenever I sense the onset of cold . A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling tired and had a runny nose. I just ate my dinner and took a Zinc supplement, and slept in the night. In the morning, I was fresh and did not
suffer from nasty cold!

Dark chocolates are good for Heart. Dark chocolates are rich in antioxidants. Today is Valentine's Day, I ate a bar of yummy dark chocolate. You get great dark chocolates at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Target.

Samosa

Samosa is a  popular snack from Indian cuisine. I love to eat samosa with sweet tamarind chutney.  I always order samosa for appetizer in restaurants. Whenever we go to Hanuman Mandir in Alpharetta, we go to Amma's Kitchen. And in Amma's Kitchen, we order Samosas for take-out.

A couple of days ago, I made Samosas at home. I followed the recipe from  Manjula's Kitchen
.The samosa was awesome! I used homemade garam masala. My son also liked the samosas very much!

If you are not inclined to do the dough for the samosa, you can use puff pastry sheets. For a healthier version of samosas, you can bake. Samosas are really a great snack, and you should try it!

50 Million Vegetarians in China

I'm so happy that many people across the world are eating plant-based food. According to a latest survey, there are about 50 million vegetarians in China.

It seems many Chinese are thriving on plant-based diet to protect wild life. Some Chinese are inspired to become vegetarians because of vegetarian celebrities such as Natalie Portman and Faye Wong. Young Chinese want to stop the suffering of millions of animals by eating plant-based diet, good for health and our beautiful planet Earth.

Our world will be a better place if everyone eats plant-based fare every day!

Vegan Almond Cookies

My son likes cookies, and I try to bake cookies once in a while. I always have almonds in my pantry, and I'm always looking for ways to use it.

Two days ago there was 3-4 inches of snowfall in Atlanta. Schools and offices were closed for two days. My son loved watching the snow, and he wanted to eat cookies and cupcakes. Well, I baked some almond cookies, and my son loved them! I'm sure I will be baking these cookies often for my family.

I baked Saffron-almond flavored cookies from Aayis blog. I used Earth Balance natural shortening instead of butter. I used rice milk and  vegan sugar( sugar in the raw). The taste was really very good. My husband said it tasted like "Kobbari biscuit" , which is popular in Bangalore bakeries.

If the link does not work , go to google, and type "Saffron-almond flavored cookies" for the recipe in Aayis blog.

Vegetarians and Vegans in Pakistan

I grew up in Bangalore, India . While going to school in the morning, my friend Faiza Sultana often told me stories about Pakistan. She told me that are forefathers were from Pakistan. Faiza wished to visit Pakistan to see her distant relatives. Pakistan is India's neighboring country. I also want to visit Pakistan sometime, as I want to see some ancient Hindu temples near Karachi and Lahore.

My friend has not yet visited Pakistan, but she keeps track of everything from cricket to Lollywood and politics to fashion , of Pakistan. Faiza recently sent me the facebook link to Vegan and Vegetarian Pakistan

I was so happy to see the facebook link to Vegan and Vegetarian Pakistan . I grew up with the notion that Pakistani food is synonymous with non-vegetarian food.

Recently, I read another article in outlook India, which reports that the demand for vegetarian food is growing rapidly in Pakistan. I'm so happy that educated Pakistanis are exploring plant-based diet, good for health and our environment.

Number of Vegans Are Increasing Every Day

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated - Mahatma Gandhi

According to many reports many people across the world are trying vegan diet for few days. Some people are trying vegan fare to lose weight, and some people are trying vegan fare, as they are concerned about environment. Some people are trying vegan food, after seeing the horrible conditions of cows, pigs, veals and chickens in factory farms.

Thanks to Peta and Youtube. The sufferings endured by innocent animals is exposed. Many people are watching very sad videos of dairy cows in India and United States, and have made up their mind to go vegan.

I'm in United States and it is really easy to thrive on a vegan diet with some planning. Super markets from coast to coast carry variety of non-dairy milk, seitan, tofu , non-dairy icecream and vegan chocolates. Popular stores such as Costco, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are awash with numerous vegan food items.