The Warsaw High School Times

Graphic by Sonia Bajorek

If you would have walked through a grocery store ten years ago, you would probably see few plant-based options such as coconut milk or soy cutlets. But nowadays you may see an enormous number of plant-based products such as meat alternatives, non-dairy milk, yogurts, etc.

Firstly, it is important to note the differences between vegetarianism, veganism, and a plant-based diet. So, all of these diets exclude meat, poultry fish, and products that derive from them, such as gelatin. From the three aforementioned diets, vegetarians may eat eggs, dairy products, and honey, which differs from others. Many people often mistake veganism for a plant-based diet because both exclude products mentioned in the definition of vegetarianism. The difference between them is the fact that veganism is a lifestyle that seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for clothing or any other purpose. This does not apply to individuals following a plant-based diet, who may use items made from animals.

This article will be focused on veganism, as November 1st was World Vegan Day. There are many myths about veganism, some of which will be debunked here.

1. There is a stereotype that vegans do not consume enough protein, which then contributes to malnutrition. This is an exaggeration, as if the diet is well-balanced and contains a variety of vitamins & minerals (through supplements or meat substitutes), there is no reason for it to cause malnutrition.
2. Another myth is the conception that the diet is expensive, yet it is possible to save money by buying vegan alternatives, such as tinned goods including chickpeas or pulses and grains, which are not poor in protein.
3. There is also a misconception which states that the vegan diet is very restrictive, but there are so many different foods that vegans can still eat, many of which are fundamental in any type of diet. The only obstacle is the fact that not every restaurant hosts vegan options, which sometimes forces vegans to choose French fries and vegetables.
4. One of the funniest myths is that plants also have feelings. This can be debunked quickly – plants don’t have a central nervous system. If you pick up fruits from a tree, it will not hurt them; it is just like cutting your hair.

There are many famous vegan individuals, including, but not limited to:

1. Billie Eilish – the famous singer has been vegan since she was twelve, and now she is opening a vegan restaurant in Los Angeles with her brother Fineas.
2. Joaquin Phoenix – an Academy Awards winner who has been vegan for most of his life, these are some famous words he once said: ”We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. Then we take her milk that is intended for her calf, and we put it in our coffee and our cereal”
3. Natalie Portman- a feminist and actress who has been vegan for quite a while. She, in the past, had linked her passion for animal rights and women’s rights together. “We’re exploiting female bodies and abusing the magic of female animals to create eggs and milk”.
4. Paul Wesley- a Polish actor who played in Vampire Diaries is an activist for animal rights; “we need to shift to vegan diets to protect our rivers, oceans, air, and soils,” he said in a statement shared on Twitter in 2022.
5. Mary Shelley- the author had spent a lot of time with many individuals who played an important role in the spreading of veganism. Throughout her life, Mary Shelley was a strong vegetarian supporter and against animal harm. Some say that her vegan lifestyle is presented in one of Dr. Frankenstein’s creature sayings “My food is not that of man; I do not destroy the lamb and the kid to glut my appetite; acorns and berries afford me sufficient nourishment”.

While the point of this article is certainly not to persuade or force the reader to become vegan, I would like to share some nice and delicious vegan recipes.

Life-changing tofu– it is one of the most popular recipes from a blog named Jadłonomia. If you hate tofu, you just haven’t eaten it in the right way!

Portions: 2

Ingredients:

• 180 grams of tofu
• 2 tbsp of potato starch
• Neutral oil to fry
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 2 tbs of some kind of sweetener
• ¼ cup of water
• One clove of minced garlic

What to do?

1. Cut the tofu into small cubes and dry it with a paper towel.
2. Place it into a reusable zipper bag, and add the potato starch.
3. Mix it well, then heat well on a frying pan (if you would like to bake the tofu or air fry it, you may do that as well).
4. Fry it until golden, in the meantime mix soy sauce, sweetener, and garlic.
5. Add the sauce to the pan and mix well.
6. *If you would like to fancy it up: remove the tofu, add sauce, and cook it until it starts making bubbles, then add the tofu, and well done!*

Eat it with rice or noodles, and maybe add some vegetables!

Aubergine with smoked tofu in soy sauce (if you have miso paste, it is highly advised to add it too)

Portions: 2

Ingredients:

• One aubergine
• 180 grams of smoked tofu
• Oil to fry (the best one in my opinion is sesame oil)
• 3 tbsp of soy sauce
• 2 tbsp of sweetener
• if you have miso paste, add a tbs of it and reduce the number of tbsp of soy sauce to 1.5 tbs
• tbsp of salt

What to do?

1. Cut the aubergine into small cubes, throw them into a bowl, pour water, add salt, mix, and leave it for 10 minutes. In the meantime, cut the tofu into cubes.
2. Remove the water from the bowl and heat the oil on the pan.
3. Throw the aubergine and tofu into the pan and fry until golden.
4. Add the soy sauce, sweetener, and miso paste (if you have one) into the pan and mix.

Serve it with rice and vegetables for example cucumber.

Tofu pancakes with apples (a vegan version of Polish serniczki)

Portion: 1

Ingredients:

• one apple
• 180 grams of tofu
• 2 tbsp of potato starch
• 3 tbs of spelt flour
• 2 tbsp of sweetener
• 3 tbsp of plant milk
• 2 tbsp of oil
• a small amount of salt

What to do?

1. Peel an apple and cut into small pieces.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a blender (the dough should be thick), then add apple, mix by hand.
3. Heat oil on a frying pan and start putting the dough on the surface (one tablespoon is perfect).
4. Fry until golden on both sides and then remove and spread the dough again on the pan.
5. Serve it with jam, yogurt, spreads, maple syrup, etc.

I would like to end this article with some Instagram accounts and blogs recommendations, as, in my opinion, it is really important to experience daily plant-based/vegan content.

From Poland:

• Roslinnabaza
• Jadłonomia
• Ervegan
• Vegannerd

Foreign accounts:

• Fitgreenmind
• Sophsplantkitchen
• Sepps
• Calumharris

To summarize, I would like to point out one fact that the point of this article is not to persuade you to suddenly become vegan. My goal is to introduce veganism to you, and maybe you will try some of my recipes, follow some of the people I mentioned before or just explore the vegan world.

Sources:

https://www.myvegan.com/blog/lifestyle/vegan-facts-myths-stereotypes/

https://vegnews.com/vegan-news/vegan-celebrities