I think I overdid it in the kitchen yesterday. Thus, leftovers for lunch, and now, Sunshine burger and carrots. Still, there is something to be said for prioritizing a cleansing and centering hour of hot yoga, organizing the homestead (a bit), picking up the latest Evanovich after being notified of its arrival via library loan, and enjoying the positive power of snuggly puppies; all have worked their magic today.
TECH TIME!
With the holidays approaching, you may find yourself with vegan diners (which you may or may not be used to) or in search of some vegan variety and shopping assistance. I present to you -- my current Top 5 (Mostly FREE) Vegan-Friendly Apps:
1. "Animal-Free" (FREE): This app provides a list of ingredients and designates them as "always [animal-derived]" "sometimes [animal-derived]," and "V [plant-derived]." As as new vegan, I've found this app very helpful for sorting through labels. A great rule that was reiterated in my eCornell program is "never trust a label!" There are many ways in which label information can be and is misleading. Thus, this app. can help you to have a better understanding of at least the ingredient portion of the label.
2. "BNB" (Be nice to Bunnies) ($1.99): This app provides a list of various home, health, and personal care companies and their involvement with animal products and testing. The app. delineates between companies that "do" test on animals and companies that "don't" test on animals, as well as those that have only "vegan" ingredients. There is also the opportunity to create a favorite list, so one doesn't constantly have to scan through the longer lists. Some commenters have noted that this resource does not provide analysis on ALL relevant companies, but I feel that the database is sizable enough to give options, and the app has immediate access, as opposed to transferring the searcher to the web (which other apps do).
3. "Is Your Beer/Wine/Liquor Vegan?" (FREE): Whether you're selecting a gift or an accompaniment to serve at your own holiday festivities, these sources can help you make a thoughtful choice. In the app, items are categorized by "Name, Veganocity, Style, and Country,"and regardless of viewing section, "veganocity" is very clearly indicated. As needed, you can opt to go to the barnivore website for additional clarification.
4. "Whole Foods Recipes" (FREE): This app allows you to search recipes by "course, category, and special diets" and enter key words. Although it does make some assumptions about your knowledge of ingredients (ex. that vegan organic sugar must be selected, because regular sugar isn't necessarily vegan depending on processing technique used), it provides a diverse offering of dishes to help with menu planning. Bonus: "Epicurious" has a similar app and recipe database that I like as well. It also allows you to enter dietary restrictions, but it is slightly more complex than the WF app. Either one is a helpful choice.
5. "21-Day Kickstart" (FREE): I have to include this app., because it was through this challenge that I became fully engaged in plant-based eating. Compiled through the PCRM (Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine), this app provides 21 days of daily menus and recipes. It is a fantastic way to facilitate diversity in your introduction to a plant-based diet and reap the health benefits. It works! I lost ten pounds when I did it (and not perfectly at that) in March of this past year.
BONUS: I would also suggest Pandora (FREE) (after all, fantastic music mixes facilitate additional kitchen fun) and the increasing plethora of solely vegan recipe apps.
Note: Apps and information contained therein are constantly in flux, as is the pricing of said apps (pricing current as of today, 11/17); my list is based on my experience, but it is always good to do your own research too. Just in case you are wondering, I don't have any sponsorship or anything like that. I just like to share information!
And now...enough with the tech, time for Evanovich.
K
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