You've got questions...
Q: I’m new to the plant-based lifestyle. Any advice or tips would be appreciated. What do you recommend?
A: I can’t recommend our meal plans enough — they are perfect for newbies! As for information, there's a wealth of info right here on happyherbivore.com. Click the FAQ tab or Get Started and start reading :) You can also subscribe to our "60 Days to Herbie Happiness" newsletter, which is at the bottom of the page.
Q: My friend’s baby is allergic to dairy, so she’s had to go dairy-free while she breastfeeds. The baby is also allergic to soy, so she’s avoiding soy foods and foods that contain soy. Is that enough?
A: Maybe. Here’s one thing we learned with my sister, who is allergic to cottonseed oil. Avoiding foods that contained cottonseed oil were not enough. Except for some corn chips, icings, and peanut butters, not many things contain cottonseed oil, but even when my sister avoided those foods, she still was having an allergic reaction. That’s when we found out that most livestock are eating cottonseed oil. Once she stopped eating meat, dairy, and eggs, she was “cured.” When you buy a chicken breast, it says “ingredients: chicken” — it doesn't also list all the things the chicken ate. It was a lesson for us that you are what you eat, and what it eats . Most livestock are also fed soy. So if your friend is eating meat or eggs (I know she’s already dairy-free), she’s still getting soy, which will come through her milk. Avoiding tofu, soy sauce, soy milk — that’s easy, but soy sneaks in to almost every processed food too, so she’ll have to avoid those as well or read labels very carefully. All the more reason to eat a whole foods, plant-based diet :)
Q: Do you have a Pinterest board? I want to pin your recipes on my boards and it would be so much easier if there is a Pin button or some other easy way to Pinterest up!
A: Happy Herbivore has a Pinterest Board , and all of the recipes on happyherbivore.com have Pin-It buttons. We also have Instagram (I’m @happyherbivore, hashtag #happyherbivore).
Q: I need help finding a way to use spelt flour.
A: Use it as you would use whole-wheat flour, though be mindful that it has a nutty taste so it might not work in every recipe. (Spelt flour is also not gluten-free).