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About Lindsay

Hi! I'm Lindsay and Happy Herbivore is my recipe website, home to more than 140 fat-free and low fat healthy vegan recipes! I cook with no added fats and mostly whole, unprocessed food. You won't find processed flour, refined sugars and oil or margarine in my recipes. What you will find, however, is food that is good for you and tastes great!

I'm the author of The Happy Herbivore Cookbook, Everyday Happy Herbivore, and Happy Herbivore Abroad available December 4, 2012. I write doable recipes that are quick and easy, you could cook from scratch three meals and day with whatever ingredients you have on hand. I take care to write most of my recipes so they can come together in twenty minutes, my recipes are no-fuss so you can save time and still improve your health while eating a delicious meal.

Why Plant Based?

Eating a plant-based diet is the nation’s fastest-growing food trend, and for good reason. The more plant-based meals we eat, the more benefits we will feel and bestow. Whenever someone asks me why I’m a vegan, I reply, “For my health, my pocketbook, the animals, the environment…and for you.” Here’s my post on what veganism means to me.

Health: A plant-based diet has zero dietary cholesterol, and a low-fat vegan diet also tends to be low in calories but high in fiber. Read about my path to a plant-based diet.

Wallets: A plant-based diet can be a bargain. Many vegan staples (like beans and rice) cost a fraction of the price of meat and dairy products. Eating healthfully will save you on health-care costs in the long run. I wrote a post about how to eat plant-based on a budget.

Why Fat-Free and Low-Fat?

Both my husband and myself chose a low-fat, no-added-fat vegan diet in 2007. That year we lost more weight than we thought possible and reversed or eliminated all of our medical conditions. We noticed a surge in our energy levels- we even completed out first marathon, something we never thought we could do before!

Oils are sneaky calorie bombs, both high in fat and high in calories. One tablespoon of oil has nearly 120 calories and 14 grams of fat- the same as a candy bar!

The body is always getting plenty of fat without adding extra, from greens and natural foods. Remember that all foods, even vegetables, naturally contain a little fat.

See this blog post for more information and sources on why oil can be harmful.

Getting Started

Most of the ingredients found for low-fat vegan cooking can be found in any supermarket, but a select few might require a trip to the health food store, of if you prefer, placing an order online.

I’ve compiled a basic shopping list to help you get started.

I’ve also created a How to Become Vegetarian/Vegan post that gives you tips and instructions on where to begin. I’ve also created three different plans on how to become a vegetarian.

Resources

Other helpful Sources for Information:

Films

Forks Over Knives (the book), King Corn, Food Inc. (the book), Earthlings, the Corporation, Fast Food Nation and Supersize Me.

Books

The Starch Solution, Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition, Eating Animals, Mindless Eating, Volumetrics, Skinny Bitch, Diet for a New America, the Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food, the Great American Detox and the 100-Year Lie.

Bon appetit!

Fun Fact: After living in a French country I learned that it is polite and recommended to tell a French person "bon appetit" which means good appetite.