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Congratulations Lucy on your vegan March
March 31, 2012
By Deb Gleason
Lucy van Oldenbarneveld, Co-host of the CBC TV news put vegan on the map in Ottawa throughout the month of March as she committed to 31 days on a vegan diet. She created a real vegan buzz and showed her viewers that with just a small shift in how she prepared her food it was actually fairly easy to follow a vegan diet, and perhaps more importantly very enjoyable.
It was a real pleasure to meet with Lucy and take her on a vegan shopping tour at FarmBoy as we filmed a segment for the Food for Thought series. We had an enjoyable 30 minutes to chat before the segment was filmed and she had some really great questions for me which made it obvious that she had been giving this lifestyle some serious thought for a while. We chatted about protein, calcium and B12 and more importantly how to make delicious brownies with black beans instead of eggs.
One of the things she said to me was that she had known for a while that there was a little vegan deep inside of her that was dying to get out. From everything I saw over the month between our chats and what she had to share on Food for Thought that vegan has emerged and is living out loud. My hope is that the ease with which she transitioned to a vegan diet and the radiant health she is experiencing now will help encourage others who are thinking of following her lead. There is really nothing we can do in our lives right now that will have as positive an impact on our health, our planet and the animals we share it with as transitioning to a vegan diet.
I am thrilled to see that Lucy is committed to continuing her vegan diet now that her month of veganism has ended. Congratulations Lucy, you are truly inspiring and a very welcome addition to the growing vegan community in Ottawa!
Shopping for Vegan Food
March 13, 2012
By Deb Gleason
Last week I had the pleasure of vegan shopping with Lucy van Oldenbarneveld, Co-host of the CBC TV news. While I love shopping at the best of times it was extra fun with a camera crew following me around and a new and excited vegan peppering me with great questions.
Click here to see the final result of our shopping trip at Farm Boy as it aired on CBC TV
One question I get a lot from people just starting down the vegan path is where should I shop? There is a common misunderstanding that vegan food can only be found in small, out of the way and expensive stores. These days that is far from true as mainstream grocery stores are responding to our demands for good healthy food.
I do most of my shopping at Loblaws and spend all of my time in either the produce or the very full natural food sections. I get pretty much everything I need between those two area. I stop by the bakery for a loaf of whole grain bread and occasionally visit “the rest of the store” if I need something like recycled toilet paper. I have the same experience at the Superstores, Independent Grocers and at other large chains. Working with the CBC on this video also showed me that smaller stores like Farm Boy are carrying a lot of great natural and vegan food options these days.
When it comes to some of the specialty things I like to buy like really fresh organic kale or bulk grains, seeds or beans I head to the natural food stores. Natural food stores are so much fun for me – like Christmas really. There are always new vegan products emerging. The products that sell really well always make their way to the big supermarkets.
Vegan shopping can be done almost anywhere as long as you know what you are looking for. There is always fresh produce, canned beans, and breads even in the smallest stores. So get out there and explore!