Building A Healthy Diet With Whey-Free Foods

If you are someone who has a whey allergy, then you already know how prevalent it is in our foods. Even if you avoid the obvious sources such as milk, ice cream, yogurt, cheese and other dairy products, you still can be exposed thanks to others ways it is used as a food additive. Since a whey allergy can provoke some severe symptoms ranging from hives and eczema to diarrhea, vomiting and anaphylactic shock, you need to know what to watch for when you are shopping.

Do not despair though! There are also many wonderful whey free foods that you can build your diet around without feeling like you are sacrificing too much.

What to Avoid in Addition to Dairy
Briefly, here is a list of other names you may see in ingredient lists that are synonyms for whey:

• Lipases
• Glycomacropeptide or GMP
• Transferrin
• Immunoglobulin
• Lysozyme
• Bovine Serum Albumin or BSA
• Anything that starts with the prefix “lact-“

These all come from milk products, and most are whey derivatives. Obviously, anything cheese, milk or buttermilk flavored is also likely to come from whey.

What You Can Eat – Meat Proteins
Many other plant and animal based sources of protein can fill your diet even without dairy. As long as you stick with broth based sauces – no cream or cheese sauce – you can enjoy many of your favorite meals featuring:

• Fish
• Poultry
• Beef
• Eggs – yes, eggs! Although sold in most dairy sections, they are not from cows so do not contain whey.

Plant proteins
Anyone with allergies or who just wants to consume a healthier overall diet understands that the bulk of the food you consume should be fresh fruits and vegetables. Plant based proteins have the added benefit of being free from the high cholesterol and saturated fat of meats and dairy.

•  Legumes – 1/2 cup of cooked black beans contains 8 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein.
• Soy
• Brown Rice
• Nuts and seeds
• Protein powders – added to a fruit smoothie for instance, there are soy, hemp, rice and pea powders that can add from 15-28 grams of protein.

Hopefully this list provides you with some great ideas on how to design a healthy, whey free diet that is appetizing and easy to follow. As always, read those label carefully and try as much as possible to avoid processed foods.

What is a Vegan Diet and Why the Growing Popularity Among Children and Adults Alike

What is a vegan diet?

"Veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients. Many vegans also do not eat foods that are processed using animal products, such as refined white sugar and some wines." (vegetarian.about.com)

"Veganism is a philosophy and lifestyle whose adherents seek to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose..." (Wikipedia)

The above definitions do a nice job of explaining to those of us who may not be quite as knowledgeable in the lifestyle of veganism as maybe we should be. When executed correctly, it can be a very healthy lifestyle full of flavor, fun, and rewards for both your body and the mind. According to the Baltimore-based "Vegetarian Resource Group", in 2012 approximately 5 percent of the adult population declared themselves "vegan". This doesn't sound all that surprising, but did you know the same group conducted a study in 2010 that found approximately 3% of children were described as vegan? It's suspected, though not verified, that the percentage now for children is likely around the same 5% that it is for adults.

These numbers are up from a similar study done back in 1994 that had about 1% of adults calling themselves vegan. No numbers were reported at that time on children. Perhaps because the idea of vegan children just wasn't really in enough prevalence to even report it.

On the surface, the idea of feeding your kids a vegan diet may seem, well...impossible. Given the fact that I need to go through hours of negotiations with my three old to get her to eat so much as one green bean on some days, I can't imagine her getting a healthy enough number of calories if I attempted a vegan diet for her. As usual though, a little education goes a long way.

Vegan diets don't have to be exlusively non-stop bean sprouts and broccoli. A child's vegan menu actually doesn't have to look a whole lot different than a non-vegan menu. How many kids do you know that like pizza? Yeah, mine can't get enough of it. Sure you have to make it with non-dairy cheese, but most kids won't notice. How about peanut butter and jelly? Or, a turkey sandwich? Okay, so the turkey would need to be tofurkey, but none of these items are going to cause your children to become social outcasts at school. In fact, there's a good chance that their friends, and non-friends for that matter, won't notice anything at all, and your kids like all those foods anyway.

In conclusion, a vegan diet is a way of life that can be enjoyed by all. Men, women, and children alike can realize a happy and fulfilling life through veganism. All it takes is a little knowledge and the proper execution of the lifestyle.

For some more help in starting and maintaining the Vegan lifestyle, whether you are a beginner or a confirmed fan of the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle, check here for the many more options available to you to enjoy a wide and varied diet.