HookedOnPlants

When getting hooked is a good thing

julia

Hooked on People: Lauren Toyota of Hot for Food + Her Pesto Pea Linguine

By

Lauren Toyota is hot for food (as long as it’s vegan).

She moved from being a MuchMusic VJ to starting her own YouTube channel in 2015. Since then she’s grown to 473,000 subscribers and over 36 million channel views. Her debut cookbook, “Vegan Comfort Classics: 101 Recipes To Feed Your Face” is officially a best seller! Not only is she an incredible chef with an awesome personality, but she’s authentic and so relatable. 

She’s on a bit of a spiritual journey as well, and has a beautiful perspective on life. So let’s get to know Lauren a little bit more …

Photo credit: Vanessa Heins

LIFE STUFF:

Hooked on Plants: But first: what’s Snickles doing right NOW?

Lauren Toyota: Sleeping and dreaming of the next time he will be eating!

 

HOP: Do you remember the day you decided to switch from MuchMusic gigs to YouTube? What’s one tip you can give someone jumping into a new scary change or challenge?

LT: Well I sort of didn’t decide this. I was part of a company wide restructuring and lost my job at Bell Media in 2014. By that time I had launched the new incarnation of hotforfoodblog.com in February 2014 about 6 months before this happened. It had gained some momentum and I had already built a good following on @hotforfood IG as well since 2013 so when I was left without a full time job I figured I would just blog and create social content full time since I felt I had something to work with. That was as far as I thought. I didn’t even think about going on to YouTube until a couple months after the layoffs. If you find yourself in a similar situation or you’re trying to decide if you should make a career leap my advice is you probably should and NEED to. Life is calling you, but that’s just fear whispering to you about all the reasons why it won’t work. You have to try and work with it but kind of push it out the way. Push through the fear if you can and take the risk. The reward is always much better when you put yourself in these uncomfortable situations. It’s how you grow and expand as a human. You need to push beyond your comfort and safety zone. 

 

HOP: Let’s chat meditation for a sec.

For those who haven’t dabbled at all… what’s your tip for starting?

LT: Just start. Again it’s kind of the same annoying voice trying to convince you that you don’t NEED this practice or that it’s BS or silly. It’s that ego self, the small self, trying to keep you small and protect you. But it’s not serving the higher version of you that you desire to expand into. Meditation WILL allow this process to unfold. It will help ease that resistance and allow you to flow. There are many many ways to meditate and many practices and so I get that it’s intimidating but you might as well start with something, see if you like it, and you can always keep exploring until you find something that resonates. I always recommend going on YouTube and just search meditations or you can get a free app called Insight Timer. There is SO much content out there and you’re bound to find something that lights you up and resonates, but you have to take the leap or step in that direction and then it’s just a personal intuitive exploration from there. You’ll start seeing the momentum behind it and you’ll be guided to new things to try or you’ll read something or you’ll end up meeting someone. As you notice all these signs and synchronicities being revealed you’ll feel like you’re aligned to something higher. But you did it for yourself just by starting a new habit or practice. It really starts to take on it’s own life and you flow with it, discovering more and more about who you really are.  

HOP: As for manifesting your reality: this is something I try to practice daily by focusing on the things I’m grateful for, rather than the things I lack.

But, for someone who may feel this is ‘woo woo’, what’s the best tip you can give to them that will help them open up to this powerful perspective on life?

LT: Well I’m finding more and more that the idea of these practices is becoming less taboo or ‘woo woo’ so that’s a nice shift. I feel like I’m noticing people from all walks of life speaking this language and identifying their own power. Gratitude is a powerful practice and can help shift perspective from victim stance to creator stance. A couple of small things one can do to open up is writing down 5 things each day that you appreciate and are grateful for. It can start making dramatic shifts in how you see the world. I think spending time in nature is also key. Nature is so abundant but we don’t always see it that way if we focus on problems like climate change and the negative effects of fossil fuels, but if you can walk in nature or spend time in grass even. You can see how abundant it is. There are infinite blades of grass just in your immediate vicinity or what appears like thousands of trees, leaves, and insects if you’re walking through a forest, say. Notice that. Appreciate that. It’s very powerful to see the world with those eyes.  

HOP: You’re one of the first recipe bloggers I started following when I was exploring veganism, so THANK YOU for the ongoing inspiration.

How long have you been vegan now?

LT: Thank you. That’s so cool! I have been vegan since January 1, 2010. I started transitioning in the fall of 2009 but set the start of a new year as my “no going back” date!

 

HOP: What was it that inspired you to make the switch to veganism in the first place? And what is it that makes it easy for you to stick with it?

LT: It was really how I felt that sparked the change. I was pretty good at ignoring my body for years, but eventually enough was enough. I didn’t feel good physically, mentally or emotionally eating animals and animal by-products. But it’s conditioning that makes us good at ignoring things. I remember watching Food Inc. and then reading Omnivore’s Dilemma and that’s what changed  my mind. The fact that I got so INTO my new way of life that I started blogging my transition from the beginning as hot for food, helped me stick with it. I was really excited by trying so many new foods and cooking techniques so that’s what made it stick. Once I saw how delicious it could be and I was really in control now of how I could feel, it just made sense and I never even considered switching back.

 

HOP: Would you tell people to go vegan overnight? Or take their time?

LT: I think everyone is different. I’ve heard many vegans tell me they just did it overnight. But I always recommend to take it at your own pace. You have to do what feels right for you. For some people, like me, if you force yourself to do something before you catch up mentally then it doesn’t’ work. So don’t worry about what anyone else is doing or telling you to do. You gotta do you! 

HOP: When will your new book be out?

LT: I’m hoping February 2021. The exact date isn’t set yet. 

HOP: People can check out your YouTube channels (Hot for Food and Lauren Toyota)  for TONS of What I Eat in A Day Videos… but short n’ sweet, what is a day in quarantine in food language sound like for you?

LT: Breakfast: coffee 

Lunch: salad with roasted potatoes and a creamy dressing

Snacks: homemade cookies, salt & vinegar chips, oranges

Dinner: pasta with veggies and sometimes beyond meat sausage

Dessert: more homemade cookies 

 

Fave Quarantine Recipe?


Hot For Food Vegan Green Pea Pesto Linguine
 
Save Print

Makes 4 Servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time 12 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pound linguine
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 tsp sea salt
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup vegan parm (could use this one)
1/4 lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Ground pepper
Instructions:
1 Bring large pot of salted water toa boil
2 Cook linguine until al dente and add 1 cup of the peas to the water in the last minute of cooking
3 Drain, but do not rinse
4 While the pasta is cooking, combine the remaining 1 cup peas (thawed and drained of excess water, if frozen), salt, 2 cups basil leaves, garlic, 1⁄4 cup of The Parm, lemon juice, and olive oil in a food processor until well combined and smooth but textured.
5 Place the drained pasta and peas back in the pot while it’s still warm.
6 Add 3/4 of the pesto and toss to combine well.
7 Serve the pasta with an extra dollop of pesto on top.
8 Garnish with the remainder of The Parm, ground pepper to taste, and basil leaves.

Excerpted from hot for food Vegan Comfort Classics. Copyright © 2018 by Lauren Toyota. Published by Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

If you make this, tag @hookedonplants and @hotforfood so we can see your creation!

Have you signed up to my bi-monthly emails packed with updates, veg tips, discounts, and all things hooked on plants?

Need help with eating more plants?  80/20 Plants app is where it’s at.

Don’t forget to follow on insta:

@whistlerveganfest   @hookedonplants   @8020plants

 

 

New Vegan? Here Are 5 Tips from a Veg-Curious Writer

By

Thanks to Jade Blossom for this guest post!

Going vegan is one of the most fulfilling decisions you can make, but many are scared to take a plunge because they think it’s too difficult to begin. Spoiler alert: going vegan isn’t scary! Read below for some answers to common questions on being a new vegan.

1) Will I need to take supplements?

If you find yourself eating more veg and fruit as a result of your new diet, chances are you’re getting a lot of vitamins and minerals that you weren’t before! However, our bodies have evolved over time and adapted to a lifestyle of eating processed foods and the like. Our B12 stores are an example of how our bodies have adapted, and this vitamin can be hard to come by on a vegan diet. It’s important to keep in touch with a nutritionist who will help you decide if you need to take supplements alongside your vegan diet.

*Note from Hooked on Plants: Fave supplement to cover the bases? Complement Plus (use ‘hookedonplants’ for a discount)

2) What about my protein intake?

This deserves its own subheading, as it’s one of the most common questions out there. As you continue to do research and find ways to move towards a vegan diet, you’ll find that there are tons of vegan protein sources that are equally as yummy as your favourite meat dish! Tofu is often cited as an alternative, but chickpeas and beans are equally great sources of meat that are also quite versatile kitchen staples.

*Note from Hooked on Plants: Every essential amino acid is found in the plant kingdom. Simply eat enough calories, and you’ll be getting enough protein! Don’t worry about it:) The people who do need slightly more than the recommended 0.8g/KG of body weight are body builders, teens, and seniors.  Check out these athletes who are far from protein deficient

3) Do I have to eat everything raw?

While vegans do love salad, it’s far from the only thing you get to eat! In fact, new vegans are at a great place to start experimenting in the kitchen and creating fun alternatives to their daily food staples. For instance, did you know that you can make your own almond milk at home? Culinary experimentation is one of the fun by-products of going vegan that most people don’t know about. Adopting a new diet is the perfect way to exercise those creative muscles while doing a bit of research, too!

*Note from Hooked On Plants: Just because you’re going vegan, doesn’t mean you have to put pressure on yourself to all of a sudden go raw vegan, 100% whole foods, be the next best endurance athlete, quit drinking, or simply try to be perfect in every way. Being vegan should be fun, casual, normal and super enjoyable. We love raw foods, but eat cooked to… it’s all about veganizing old fave’s and eating as much variety of fibre-rich plants as you can to diversify your microbiome (right Dr. B?)

4) Low-carb, high-carb, why the confusion?

Use this as a time to embrace whole grains such as brown rice. This switch from refined white rice to brown is easy to make, as the rice cooker reviews and guides on this website prove that today’s modern rice cookers aren’t just made for white rice. If you’re going vegan as a way to maintain overall health, don’t be afraid of complex carb in-take (potatoes, whole grains, legumes, fruits and veggies should be the base of your healthy vegan diet).

* Note from Hooked on Plants: Carbs get a bad reputation because refined carbs are lumped into the same category as complex/whole carbs. They are far from the same. Refined carbs include things with white sugar and flour, stripped of their fibre and most of their nutrients. Complex/Whole Carbs are in their natural state with fibre, vitamins, minerals and all, like nature intended. Eat your potatoes!  (And, whole grains, legumes, fruits + veggies). They’re life-giving packages of goodness.

5) Is a vegan diet okay for athletes?

Of course! If you’re someone who likes to keep an active lifestyle, you can rest easy knowing that a vegan diet can still give you enough energy you need to power through a workout. Some athletes even credit the mental health benefits of going vegan. As your body adapts to your new vegan diet, you’ll find that you may be feeling less fatigued and more energized all the time. That’s a huge win!

*Note from Hooked on Plants: Eating more whole food plant based benefits athletes greatly and helps injury recovery too. The food is packed with anti-inflammatory antioxidants to help combat chronic fatique and helps you recover from your last work out so you can get back to training sooner, too. Watch the GameChangers on Netflix if you haven’t yet, for inspiration! 

While any new lifestyle change comes with some growing pains, the journey to becoming a vegan is a fun time to re-visit your relationship with your body and where your food is actually coming from.

Good luck!

Exclusively written for hookedonplants.ca by Jade Blossom

*Note from Hooked on Plants:

Check out 80/20 Plants, our new app with 1:1 coaching (with me, Plants First Nutrition, Clare Minded, Esther and Matt), video lessons, meal planning and recipes.

We just launched our new look in the app store!

5 Vegan Easter Treats that will Blow Away Your Bunny Ears

By

Easter was a huge deal when I was a kidlet.

Painted Easter Eggs, a string to follow that would lead me to the hidden chocolates under the couch and behind pillows, then a big kids Easter Egg hunt all over the forest with one mega, sought after chocolate bunny prize.

Why that doesn’t happen on Easter day anymore as a young at heart adult? I DON’T KNOW. Bring it back, please. When did we all grow up and think we’ve outgrown easter egg hunting? We’re all kids at heart, and that kinda stuff should continue on whether it’s for the new generation of kids, or just for yourself. Because you deserve to be a kid always, and forever.

Anyways… I thought I’d bring some Vegan Easter Treats to you that will complete your weekend  from some of my favourite veganista blogerellas. Hopefully this brings some nostalgia back to your Easter, or at least amps it up with a bit more deliciousness.

Peanut Better Balls  by Oh She Glows

Why I love em’:

  • 7 ingredients
  • Taste like Reeces pieces
  • Finger food heaven

Vegan Chocolate Creme Eggs by It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken

Why I love em’:

  • Just look at the creamy rainbow falling out of them!
  • They’re just fun.
  • Just like Cabury MINUS the dairy
  • Playful and perfect for making with the kids

Vegan Easter Cookies by Vegan Family Recipes

Why I love em’:

  • They’re coloured with turmeric, beet and matcha powder
  • They’re totally dip-able
  • They’re ready in 20
  • They wake up the creative side, and I’d most def’ be making them with my Grandma if she made a visit this weekend

Cashew Cream Egg by Nest and Glow

Why I love em’:

  • They’re on the healthier side (so we can all eat more)
  • Look how pretty they are!

Vegan Sachertorte by Moi and Mom

Why I love it:

  • A fool proof, dense, chocolate cake that is loved by all every time
  • It’s chocolate heaven
  • It’s ridiculously easy

ok…NOW I’M DROOLING.

Are you?

Here’s a few more Egg-y and Chocolate-y tips:

  1. Check out Pamela Fergusson’s blog post for a dozen things you need to know about eggs (this will enlighten you about the reasons why I steer clear of them…even on Easter)
  2. Ready to eat vegan Easter answers:

If you make any of these, tag me and the blogger so we can see your creations!

Happy Easter.

Have you signed up to my bi-weekly emails packed with updates on everything going on, plus tips from yours truly Hooked on Plants loves?

Need help with eating more plants?

80/20 Plants app is where it’s at.

3 Ways the Meat Industry Harms PEOPLE by Lindsay O’Donnell + Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

By

Meet Lindsay!

She’s inspired me over the last few years by putting out motivating, quality content at first, and then by her personable way of reaching people and simply making everyone feel loved and support. She is AWESOME.

 Lindsay O’Donnell  is celebrating her 20th anniversary as a vegetarian and 10th anniversary as a vegan! She is the owner of @PiquantMarketing, a Vancouver-based agency that builds community around food brands that promote health, sustainability, and food innovation. She also runs @lindsayisvegan, a vegan-activist account that focuses on the impact our food choices have on our planet and each other.

By Lindsay:

3 Ways the Meat Industry Harms People

When it comes to the meat industry, people will often say their motivation for going vegan is how destructive mass animal agriculture is to our environment. Or how utterly cruel it is for the animals. Maybe they might be doing it for their own personal health.

Each of those reasons on its own is enough to make you want to reach for tempeh instead of pork chops.

But the meat industry is also incredibly harmful to us and our communities.

  • Slaughterhouses Increase Crime Rates

Even though The Jungle is a book that is more than 100 years old, it is still incredibly effective at painting a picture of inside slaughterhouses. It’s a place where exploitation is the norm and unsafe situations are common for the sake of ‘efficiency’. It also makes it easy to see how these types of environments desensitize its workers. It all makes a 2009 study that linked crime rates and the presence of slaughterhouses entirely believable.

The study looked at data from 1994-2002 and found that all things consistent (education levels, income, immigration, etc.), the presence of slaughterhouses increases crime rates in the communities they are in. And not just petty crimes but violent crimes like murder, rape, and assault.

This has since been dubbed ‘The Sinclair Effect’ after The Jungle author who so accurately captured the trauma of working in a slaughterhouse.

  • Slaughterhouses Exploit Our Most Vulnerable People

We often argue that we need to be protecting our most vulnerable creatures, not exploiting them. And we’re often talking about the animals who are exploited for their bodies.* But this multi-billion dollar industry often harms vulnerable people too. People who work at ‘processing facilities’ or slaughterhouses are often illegal immigrants or people who are less empowered to fight for their basic human rights.

Recent raids in the USA have shown that slaughterhouses are filled with illegal immigrants who are asked to process animals at alarming rates. Reports have also shown that employees are pressured not to report injuries or illnesses that are caused by unsafe working conditions and unsafe expectations. Often, workers aren’t given sick leave or are fearful of losing their jobs altogether so they continue to work for little pay (the average annual pay for a meat or poultry work was about $26,000 a year in 2014).

  • It Is Bad for the Economy

*Gasp* I brought up the economy! What about all of the people who work in the meat industry! What about our farmers?!? I’ve always hated that argument because economies are always evolving. (Ask Blockbuster.) And to prevent change for the sake of nostalgia or to maintain the status quo that is no longer productive is ridiculous.

A 2016 study found that if we continued our current trend of eating meat, it would cost the US economy between $197 billion to $289 billion a year. And it would cost the global economy $1.6 trillion a year, all by the year 2050.

How? Marco Springmann and his colleagues at the University of Oxford looked at climate change and health care costs. In fact they even calculated that if the world went vegan, every person in the US would save approximately $1,600 a year both directly and indirectly through health care and climate change costs.

At this point, I can’t think of any reason not to go vegan and ‘I love bacon’ or ‘I could never give up cheese’ is starting to seem like an even more pathetic excuse. Especially since being vegan has never been more delicious, easy, or satisfying!

*Sound familiar? Spend some time reading about the link between veganism and feminism to have your mind blown! 

Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper and Mint Pasta with Pistachios

(Serves 4)

All of December I’m usually hosting, drinking, and eating decadent, delicious food. So for me, January is all about simplifying. I’m usually really busy with work and getting back into routines so I am all about tasty recipes that are fast, simple, and made with ingredients I already have on hand.

I LOVE this recipe. You can make it in about 20 minutes and the colours are so bright and sunny and I love all the flavour notes that blend together so beautifully.

Ingredients:

  • Pasta for 4 people
  • 4 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
  • 4-6 stems of fresh mint
  • Juice from ½ a lemon
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 4 tbsp. nutritional yeast
  • ½ cup pistachios
  • ½ cup of olive oil
  • Dash of salt

Instructions:

  • Slice and pit the peppers, drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with some salt before putting them in the oven on broil for 15-25 minutes until the edges are blackened
  • When the peppers are almost done, start cooking that pasta
  • Put the rest of the olive oil in the blender with the chopped garlic and blend until the garlic is nice and blended
  • Add the peppers, yeast, salt, lemon juice, and mint to the blender and mix until smooth
  • Then add the pistachios for just a few seconds (I like them chunky in the sauce but you can blend for longer)
  • Taste and add more salt or mint depending on your preference
  • Mix the freshly cooked pasta with the sauce and top with any remaining fresh mint you have!

If you make this tag @lindsayisvegan @piquantmarketing @hookedonplants !

Check out @8020plants for all the help you need for going plant based

Mushroom Mylk | Maple Vanilla Chaga Almond Milk

By

This mushroom mylk is foamy, a little sweet, creamy, and packed to the brim with benefits + antioxidants.

… taken to the NEXT LEVEL with Stay Wyld Organics Chaga mushroom powder.

It foams nicely for that next latté… or just pour yourself a big glass for the dipping experience paired with Peanut Butter Quinoa Cookies, Chickpea Coconut Cluster Cookies, Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, or these One Bowl Breakfast Cookies.

Now might be a good time to introduce you to a new mushroom biz I’m a part of:

Stay Wyld Organics!

I’ve always been amazed by the benefits of the fungi family, so I’m very excited to be a big part of Stay Wyld and all that it stands for.

These medicinal mushrooms are steam extracted, North American grown, organic, a blend of the fruiting bodies and mycelium, plus they come in plastic-free packaging!

Chaga, Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Reishi, and Turkey Tail.

Check out all of the benefits on the site! (Use ‘Julia10’ for the 10% discount)

I throw a mix of the powders in my smoothies, lattés, overnight oats, energy balls, cookies, you name it!! You can’t even taste the mushroom powders (I usually put 1/3 cup mix of all 5 mushroom powders in our smoothie every day).

More about Stay Wyld will be coming soon… but for now, enjoy this Chaga mylk.

Chaga has the highest ORAC score (the measure of antioxidant potency) of any superfood. Antioxidants combat free radicals in the body, preventing inflammation and disease.

Get it in ya!


Maple Chaga Almond Milk
 
Save Print
Prep time
Total time
 
Easy nut milk recipe for your next latté, packed with mushroom benefits!
Author:
Recipe type: Drinks
Serves: 2 litres
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups almonds, soaked in water overnight, then strained
  • 1½ to 2 litres of water
  • 2-3 tsp chaga powder (using Stay Wyld Organics)
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1-2 tbsp maple syrup
  • ½ tsp salt
Instructions
  1. Add the almonds and water to the blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds.
  2. Strain into a big bowl through a nut milk bag.
  3. Pour the strained milk into the blender again, and add in the rest of the ingredients.
  4. Blend for another few seconds.
  5. Pour into your fave milk jar (or mason jar), and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days

Making this? Tag @staywyldorganics @hookedonplants 

Need a guide towards a plant-based lifestyle?  Try the 80/20 Plants Program

Check out my e-book (your new vegan handbook) AKA …all you need for a #PlantsForAWeek mini challenge.

For more inspiration and info on eating plant-based, sign up to my emails for bi-weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants!