Food for Thought: The Joys and Benefits of Living Vegan
501 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1.3K ratingsFood for Thought is THE resource for living compassionately and healthfully. Listen to insightful, common sense perspectives about food, animals, cooking, eating, health, language, politics, zero waste living, literature, film, advocacy, and so much more from the Joyful Vegan herself, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.
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Episodes
Eat Your Vegetables!
April 10, 2007 09:23 - 35 minutes - 12.1 MBStudy after study concludes that people just aren't eating their vegetables. They're eating plenty of meat, dairy, and eggs, but they're not eating their vegetables. In today's episode, I offer a number of suggestions and tips for incorporating more plant foods into our diet - from chopping veggies and planning meals in advance to identifying what it is we think we're craving and joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Because there is so much to say, today's podcast is a little lon...
Turning the Tables
March 27, 2007 08:30 - 29 minutes - 10.1 MBVegetarians and vegans often find themselves having to defend not only their own eating habits but vegetarianism and veganism as a whole - both philosophically and nutritionally. When it comes to health, those aiming for a plant-based diet are definitely on the right track, especially considering how few vegetables people are eating these days. When it comes to ethics, they are merely trying to live a life that reflects compassion. I think it's time we turn the tables and start holding each ...
What do Vegetarians Feed their Dogs and Cats?
March 19, 2007 08:31 - 29 minutes - 11.7 MBFeeding our dogs and cats the diet that is healthiest for them is something many people are concerned with. An ethical consideration arises when we become vegan or vegetarian and start to question the ethics of supporting the slaughter industry by feeding our dogs and cats meat. In this episode, I offer my opinion about feeding dogs and cats a plant-based diet, provide resources for the "highest grade" (sans by-products) companion animal food, and share my experience about a preventable canc...
Response to: Why don't you spend your time on people instead of animals? or Why don't you care about humans?
March 01, 2007 09:32 - 27 minutes - 9.56 MBAnyone who has ever acted or spoken on behalf of animals has learned that criticism will often follow. Sometimes, it's in the form of a provocation such as: "Why aren’t you helping people instead of wasting your time on animals?" Though it's formed as a question, the inquisitors are not really interested in the answer. I suppose they think they’re catching animal activists in some sort of trap that's supposed to prove that animal activists care more about nonhuman animals than their "fellow ...
Life After Cheese
February 26, 2007 09:32 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBIf you have ever said or thought that you could "never give up cheese," this episode is for you. In it, I explore our irrational attachment to this stuff and suggest that it is a combination of factors that foster our addiction to cheese. I suggest that our desire for it is really a desire for something familiar. I suggest that it acts as a trigger for a nostalgic memory. I suggest that we use it to bring us comfort. I also suggest that it may be as simple as craving fat or salt. And I sugge...
Soy is Not Evil
February 22, 2007 09:34 - 24 minutes - 8.4 MBA handful of individuals have been incredibly successful at demonizing a bean - a bean! Our obsession with single nutrients, our reliance on media sound bites for our health advice, our misunderstanding of the power of the anti-vegetarian agenda, our reliance on processed foods are the problems - not soy. Though soy foods are not miracle foods, neither are they poison. This episode seeks to put it all in perspective and demonstrate that whole soy foods can be part of a varied, whole-foods, p...
Becoming Re-Sensitized
February 17, 2007 09:33 - 24 minutes - 8.41 MBThe process of becoming de-sensitized to animal suffering happens at a very early age. Though our innate compassion is unfettered and unconditional when we're young, we receive messages that indicate that not only should this compassion be left on the threshold of adulthood but that certain animals are here to love and certain ones are here to use. As a result, many of us go through our entire lives detached from the animals who once permeated every aspect of our childhood and detached from ...
Mutilation: An Ugly Word, An Ugly Act
February 02, 2007 09:34 - 24 minutes - 8.41 MBThe root of the word mutilate means "to cut up, to cut off," and that’s what we do systematically to billions of animals — because we can. Join host Colleen Patrick-Goudreau as she explores yet another truth — disturbing though it is — about our treatment of non-human animals. —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to episodes, and other perks, depending on the option you choose. Support th...
Iron: An Essential Mineral
January 25, 2007 09:35 - 24 minutes - 8.48 MBIron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the U.S. and worldwide. The groups that are most susceptible are women who menstruate, pregnant and lactating women, teenagers, and children aged 6 months to 4 years. This is true for vegans and non-vegans / non-vegetarians. In this episode, host Colleen Patrick-Goudreau debunks myths about iron, names some iron-rich plant-based foods, explains why overconsumption of iron is a cause for concern, and suggests we give our blood away! ...
An Essential Mineral: Iron
January 25, 2007 09:35 - 24 minutes - 8.48 MBIron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the U.S. and worldwide. The groups that are most susceptible are women who menstruate (that is, women of childbearing age), pregnant and lactating women, teenagers, and children aged 6 months to 4 years. This is true for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. I repeat: This is true for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Once again, this is not a case where vegans have to be concerned and non-vegetarians don't. This essential mineral is abunda...
Minding the Gatekeepers: Meat is Not Neutral
January 20, 2007 09:35 - 24 minutes - 8.4 MBI'm always struck by the notion that to be vegan is to take a position, the implication being that to eat meat is to be neutral. Mainstream media outlets tend to be reluctant to appear to bias toward veganism but seem to be unaware that they're revealing their meat-eating bias when they promote meat. —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to episodes, and other perks, depending on the option y...
Minding the Gatekeepers - or Meat is Not Neutral
January 20, 2007 09:35 - 24 minutes - 8.4 MBI'm always struck by the notion that vegetarianism is a political position but eating meat is neutral. You know what I mean? The media are usually afraid to touch the subject (vegetarianism) lest they be promoting a particular position, as if they're NOT promoting a particular position when they represent meat, dairy, and eggs in a favorable light. These are the gatekeepers that decide how issues are presented to the public. As a result, the public accepts the information as gospel and think...
Taking It All In
January 08, 2007 09:36 - 21 minutes - 8.55 MBA number of you have written and asked me to talk about what else you can do beyond just stopping eating animals and animal secretions. You want to do more, and I commend you. We need you. The animals need you, and there much work to do. In another show we’ll talk about specific things you can do, but first I want to talk about processing all of this information about the cruelty inflicted upon animals. Between "the learning" and "the doing," there is "the being," "the processing" of all thi...
Taking It All In: Considering Animal Advocacy
January 08, 2007 09:36 - 21 minutes - 8.55 MBBetween the learning and the doing, there is the being and the processing of all this new information. As aspiring animal advocates, we need to know where we are before we can get to where we're going. In this episode, I offer five suggestions for processing this information and taking it into the world effectively and humbly. —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to episodes, and other perks,...
Five Favorite Foods: Quinoa, Kale, Blueberries, Tempeh, and Tea
December 28, 2006 09:36 - 33 minutes - 9.69 MBI can tell you honestly that these nutritional powerhouses were not always on my list of favorite foods. Luckily, our palates change, and when we begin to eat healthier foods, we stop craving fatty, salty, processed, packaged junk. In this episode, I talk about my favorite foods, why they're so beneficial, and how you can prepare them easily and deliciously. —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early acce...
Don't Give a Cow
December 19, 2006 09:37 - 18 minutes - 7.24 MBI've always been perplexed by the claim that animal advocates are anti-human. It seems really odd to me because though we're reminded every day that humans steal, lie, cheat, kill, rape, and hurt each other, I’ve never heard any of these people called "anti-human." It seems to me that the accusation would better suit someone who actually acts against humans. It also doesn't say much about our capacity to care about more than one thing at a time. Why would my compassion for one group dimini...
An Essential Vitamin: B12
December 11, 2006 09:38 - 19 minutes - 6.64 MBGranted, this may not be the sexiest topic in the world, but understanding our basic requirements for optimum health is important. Despite what many people believe, vitamin B12 is not animal-derived. Take a listen to find out everything you've always wanted to know about this water-soluble vitamin.
Speaking your Truth
December 03, 2006 09:38 - 16 minutes - 3.83 MBI’ve heard some people say that they’re not vegan because they don't want to make their non-vegan friends and family uncomfortable, they don’t want to appear difficult, they don't want to appear different. Noble though it sounds, I think we underestimate our friends and family in the guise of "protecting them" from any discomfort, and in doing so, we’re not only denying our own ethics and perpetuating the socially sanctioned abuse of animals, we’re also - potentially - denying other people...
Common Responses to Vegetarianism
November 26, 2006 09:39 - 16 minutes - 6.78 MBI highly encourage vegetarians and non-vegetarians to engage in respectful dialogue about the issues that are not often in the public discourse. As vegetarians, we need to create a safe space for the comments and questions we hear - even if we've heard them a million times - and as non-vegetarians, we can expand our perspective by asking genuine questions. In this episode, I go through some common remarks about vegetarianism and invite you to find yourself in the examples I give. As always, ...
Common Responses to Questions about Veganism
November 26, 2006 09:39 - 16 minutes - 6.78 MBI highly encourage vegans, vegetarians, and non-vegans to engage in respectful dialogue about the issues that are not often in the public discourse. As vegans and vegetarians, we need to create a safe space for the comments and questions we hear — even if we've heard them a million times. As non-vegans / non-vegetarians, we can expand our perspective by asking genuine questions. In this episode, I go through some common remarks about veganiam and invite you to find yourself in the examples...
Talking Turkey
November 16, 2006 09:40 - 23 minutes - 6.64 MBIf you've never met them, turkeys are magnificent animals, full of spunk and spark and affection. I've introduced many people to the critters at farmed animal sanctuaries, and the animals with whom people have the most transformative experience are the turkeys. Every time. Never fails. Join me as I tell some stories of special turkeys I've had the privilege of meeting and as I explain why I'm still making amends to the animals, whose breasts, legs, and wings used to darken my dinner plate....
Replacing Eggs in Cooking and Baking
November 06, 2006 09:40 - 22 minutes - 7.69 MBAfter hearing our earlier podcast episodes on chicken's eggs, many of you have written to tell me you have eliminated them from your diet. On behalf of the 290 million hens being kept (and eventually killed) for their eggs, I thank you. This new path, however, has left you with questions about how to cook and bake without them. Join me as I give away all my secrets for eggless baking and offer my thoughts about why I can live without boiled eggs. —————— Join our awesome community and s...
Transitioning to a Vegan Diet: Tips for Eating Healthfully
November 01, 2006 09:41 - 20 minutes - 8.01 MBEven if you're not planning on transitioning to a vegan diet, I think you'll find this episode very helpful. Packed with helpful tips and shortcuts, this episode addresses the pragmatics of eating and cooking healthfully, offers suggestions for eating locally, speaks to those who say they are hungry when they eat vegan, and provides insight into why people react with anger and/or hostility when you tell them you're vegan. (You'll even hear from my cat, Schuster, who decided to chime in une...
Transitioning to a Vegan Diet - or - Tips for Eating Healthfully
November 01, 2006 09:41 - 20 minutes - 8.01 MBEven if you're not planning on transitioning to a vegan diet, I think you'll find this episode very helpful. Packed with helpful tips and shortcuts, this episode addresses the pragmatics of eating and cooking healthfully, offers suggestions for eating locally, speaks to those who say they are hungry when they eat vegan, and provides insight into why people react with anger and/or hostility when you tell them you're vegan. (You'll even hear from my cat, Schuster, who decided to chime in unexp...
The Rise of the Excuse-itarians (or The Emperor's New Clothes)
October 28, 2006 08:41 - 23 minutes - 9.22 MBI've heard every excuse in the book for eating animals, but I've yet to hear a convincing reason. The consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs is so ritualized, rationalized, disguised, and romanticized that an entirely new group of people has emerged: the "excuse-itarians." These are the people who spend enormous amounts of time and energy romanticizing the consumption of animal products and who have become pseudo-celebrities because of it. The rise in popularity of such people reminds me o...
How humane are "humane" meat, dairy, and eggs?
October 12, 2006 08:44 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBI have yet to meet a non-vegan who didn't care about the treatment of animals raised and killed for human consumption, and I have yet to meet a non-vegetarian who didn't declare that they're eating "humanely raised" meat, dairy, and eggs. When you factor in the breeding, transporting, and slaughter, is it possible to have "humane" animal products? —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to epi...
10 Tips for Eating Plant-Based in Social Situations
October 11, 2006 08:43 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBSome people are afraid that their social lives will suffer when they eliminate meat and dairy from their diet, since social occasions and food tend to go hand in hand. For anyone who has ever thought it's difficult as a vegan / vegetarian / plant-based person to dine out or to eat at the home of non-vegetarian friends, I hope this can be a guide and a resource. It also includes suggestions for having productive dialogue in social situations. —————— Join our awesome community and suppor...
10 Tips for Eating Vegetarian in Social Situations
October 11, 2006 08:43 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBSome people are afraid that their social lives will suffer when they eliminate meat and dairy from their diet, since social occasions and food tend to go hand in hand. For anyone who has ever thought it's difficult as a vegetarian to dine out or to eat at the home of non-vegetarian friends, I hope this can be a guide and a resource. It also includes suggestions for having productive dialogue in social situations.
The Language of Meat
October 02, 2006 08:45 - 10 minutes - 11.9 MBThe words we use to refer to the animals we eat reveals a lot about how we feel about eating once-living creatures. If we can't comfortably call it what it is, then maybe we have a problem eating it in the first place. —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to episodes, and other perks, depending on the option you choose. Support this podcast today at JoyfulVegan.com/Donate Visit my websit...
Favorite Foods: Non-Dairy Milks
October 02, 2006 08:43 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBDespite the popular depiction of non-dairy milks being "alternatives" to cow's milk, it's really the other way around when you consider the fact that the milk from nuts and soybeans has been used for thousands of years. Join me as I explore the many commercial (and homemade) milks available to those of us who've weaned ourselves from the milk of cows. —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to...
Eating Animals
September 26, 2006 08:44 - 10 minutes - 11.8 MBThe practice of eating animals is a culturally ingrained habit. If you're in the U.S., you might dine on pigs, cattle, and chickens; if you're in Mexico, you might feast on goats; if you're in parts of Asia, you might devour dogs and cats. We humans have a funny way of judging other cultures for what we think is cruel, despite our own commitment to cruelty. To the animals, it's all the same.
Eating Animals: Dogs, Cats, Pigs, or Cows
September 26, 2006 08:44 - 10 minutes - 11.8 MBThe practice of eating animals is a culturally ingrained habit. If you're in the U.S., you might dine on pigs, cattle, and chickens; if you're in Mexico, you might feast on goats; if you're in parts of Asia, you might devour dogs and cats. We humans have a funny way of judging other cultures for what we think is cruel, despite our own commitment to cruelty. To the animals, it's all the same. —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscri...
The Myth of the "Perfect Vegan."
August 16, 2006 08:45 - 8 minutes - 9.65 MBSome people mistakenly think being vegan is about trying to attain perfection, so they resist any considerations of this lifestyle lest they have to "give something up." Being vegan is about living compassionately, consciously, and expansively; it's not about deprivation or being certified 100% pure.
The Myth of the "Perfect Vegan"
August 16, 2006 08:45 - 8 minutes - 9.65 MBSome people mistakenly think being vegan is about trying to attain perfection, so they resist any considerations of this lifestyle lest they have to "give something up." Being vegan is about living compassionately, consciously, and expansively; it's not about deprivation or being certified 100% pure. —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to episodes, and other perks, depending on the option yo...
Response to: "Eating meat is my personal preference, and since I respect your choice not to eat meat, I would appreciate your respecting my choice to eat it."
August 04, 2006 08:47 - 6 minutes - 7.94 MBThis is a common comment that seems fair enough on the surface, but what if we dug a little deeper? —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to episodes, and other perks, depending on the option you choose. Support this podcast today at JoyfulVegan.com/Donate Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com AFFILIATE PARTNERS: Nama Juicer — ...
Being a "Joyful Vegan."
July 11, 2006 08:46 - 7 minutes - 8.51 MBDespite the stereotype that characterizes vegans as "angry," I call myself a "joyful vegan" and find that most everyone I know who lives this way also radiates with a joy and peace that comes with being fully awake and open.
Being a "Joyful Vegan"
July 11, 2006 08:46 - 7 minutes - 8.51 MBDespite the stereotype that characterizes vegans as "angry," I call myself a "joyful vegan" and find that most everyone I know who lives this way also radiates with a joy and peace that comes with being fully awake and open. —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to episodes, and other perks, depending on the option you choose. Support this podcast today at JoyfulVegan.com/Donate Visit my ...
What about the insects killed for plant production - don't you care about them (and other tenuous arguments)?
July 07, 2006 08:51 - 9 minutes - 11 MBJoin me as I address some of the tenuous arguments against vegetarianism. The arguments that try to catch vegans in some kind of state of hypocrisy are particular favorites of mine, such as accusing them of torturing plants or not caring about insects. "Don't do nothing because you can't do everything. Do something. Anything." —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to episodes, and other perks,...
Response to: "If you were on a desert island and were starving, I bet you'd eat meat then; I eat only meat from humanely raised animals"; and other statements based on hypothetical scenarios and myths.
June 24, 2006 08:46 - 9 minutes - 11.3 MBIt seems that most of our excuses for eating animals have more to do with how we want to perceive ourselves and less to do with what is actually true. Explore this idea with me as we look at a couple popular justifications for eating animals. —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to episodes, and other perks, depending on the option you choose. Support this podcast today at JoyfulVegan.com/...
Milk is a natural food, and cows naturally give milk, so what's wrong with drinking it?
May 30, 2006 08:47 - 12 minutes - 13.7 MBCow's milk is indeed a natural food — for calves, just as human milk is made for humans, rat's milk is made for rats, and dog's milk is made for dogs. Calves stop drinking cow's milk when they're weaned, and humans stop drinking human milk when they're weaned, but somehow we've all been convinced that humans should continue drinking cow's milk — and never wean. —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early...
PART II Humans are meant to eat meat. Just look at these incisors in my mouth.
May 15, 2006 08:49 - 8 minutes - 10 MBLet's examine the physiological differences between carnivores and herbivores and see who humans resemble most. Check out Part I if you haven't already. —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to episodes, and other perks, depending on the option you choose. Support this podcast today at JoyfulVegan.com/Donate Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: Joyfu...
PART II Humans are meant to eat meat. Just look at these incisors in my mouth.
May 15, 2006 08:49 - 8 minutes - 10 MBLet's examine the physiological differences between carnivores and herbivores and see who humans resemble most. Check out Part I if you haven't already.
PART I Humans are meant to eat meat. Just look at these incisors in my mouth.
May 08, 2006 08:50 - 10 minutes - 12.4 MBIf you've ever heard this or said it yourself - even once - you might want to listen to this episode. And then follow up with Part II. —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to episodes, and other perks, depending on the option you choose. Support this podcast today at JoyfulVegan.com/Donate Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com ...
Skipping the Middle Animal: The Nutrients We Need are Plant-Based (Not Animal-Based)
April 26, 2006 08:50 - 13 minutes - 15.1 MBPerhaps the biggest, most persistent myth is that the nutrients we need are animal-based. We're told we should get calcium from cow's milk, omega-3 fatty acids from salmon, and protein from meat. In fact, the nutrients we need are plant-based. Not animal-based. Listen to this podcast episode about why it makes absolutely no sense nutritionally, ethically, or ecologically to go through an animal to get to the nutrients that the animal got because the animal (theoretically) ate plants....
Skipping the Middle Animal: coming to terms with the fact that plants are the source of all our nutrients.
April 26, 2006 08:50 - 13 minutes - 15.1 MBWe're told we need to eat animals and their secretions to obtain certain nutrients, such as calcium, iron, B12, Omega 3 fatty acids, but what we're not told is why the animals' flesh and secretions contain these nutrients in the first place. Here are a few clues. Calcium = mineral found in the ground. (Cows [are supposed to] eat grass, which contains calcium.) Iron = mineral found in the ground. B12 = grows on bacteria. (Bacteria is attracted to, well, corpses.) Omega 3 fatty acid = a type o...
A Visit to Two "Free-Range" Egg Facilities
April 05, 2006 09:16 - 17 minutes - 6.07 MBJoin me as we journey to two different egg-laying facilities who label their eggs "organic, free-range, and cage-free" and discover that, though the hens may not be in "battery cages," everything else remains the same. —————— Join our awesome community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to episodes, and other perks, depending on the option you choose. Support this podcast today at JoyfulVegan.com/Donate Visit my websit...
Aren't free-range eggs better than eggs from battery-cage hens?
March 31, 2006 09:51 - 11 minutes - 13 MBMarketing language is a powerful thing, and we're all being duped. Let's take a look at the mystique and myths around free-range eggs. —————— Join our community and support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to episodes, and other perks, depending on the option you choose. Support this podcast today at JoyfulVegan.com/Donate Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com AFFILIA...
What's wrong with eating eggs since the chickens aren't killed to get her eggs?
March 29, 2006 09:52 - 8 minutes - 9.96 MBHowever much we want to believe it, hens don’t produce eggs because they figured out they were good binding ingredients for baked goods. Products of a chicken's reproductive cycle, eggs are simply the waste produced when they go unfertilized. Not as appetizing as what the egg industry tells us. What else are we not being told? —————— Don't forget to support this podcast through Patreon or as an Apple Subscriber for bonus material, early access to episodes, and other perks, depending on t...
The Protein Myth
March 08, 2006 09:54 - 8 minutes - 9.81 MBBecause this prevailing myth continues to cause even the most independently minded person to ask where vegetarians and vegans get their protein, our first episode is dedicated to debunking this myth. Support this podcast today at Patreon.com/ColleenPatrickGoudreau Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com AFFILIATE PARTNERS: Nama Juicer — Use this link and coupon code COLLEEN10 and get 10% off my favorite juicer. Plaine Products ...
The Protein Myth and Vegetarianism
March 08, 2006 09:54 - 8 minutes - 9.81 MBBecause this prevailing myth continues to cause even the most independently minded person to ask where vegetarians get their protein, our first episode is dedicated to debunking this myth.