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Diets and the Environment: Part Three

Diets and the Environment: Part Three

The waste created by the billions of farmed animals also creates an environmental and logistical problem. Methane is a noxious greenhouse gas, which scientists assert is 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at causing global warming. It is produced naturally and anthropogenically; however, the anthropogenic sources – the largest being animal agriculture (37%)– are growing annually posing a…

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Diets and the Environment: Part Two

Diets and the Environment: Part Two

The animal agriculture industry represents a lot of ethical issues, from animal welfare to climate change and resource depletion, to public health, to environmental justice. Before I was sure I even believed the magnitude of what was beginning to unravel before me, I was certain that I couldn’t continue to pretend to be outraged at the fate of our environment due to human impact but consciously…

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Changing something about your lifestyle is always difficult at first, especially when you find yourself away from home. Only two weeks before returning to Tulane, I decided to remove all animal-based products from my diet– meat, fish, dairy, and eggs among others.

Never a fan of diets or dietary fads, I had long snubbed efforts at vegetarianism and veganism by my friends, not seeing the reason or true value behind their personal and ecological commitment. After becoming aware of the devastating effects of animal agriculture on the environment and the wellbeing of all species and communities, I had to make the choice to stop supporting that industry. Since committing to a lifestyle of healthier choices for my body and the environment I’ve come to appreciate all of the true benefits of transitioning to a vegan or “plant-based” diet.

I thought moving back south to New Orleans for the school year would present significant challenges in my quest for cruelty-free, environmentally-sustainable, and nutritious food. I was nervous that eating on a meal plan would restrict my options and leave me with repetitive and bland meal options. Luckily, Tulane’s dining services have an all vegan station and offer a few additional on-campus dining options that tend to have healthier options.

There are abundant vegan restaurants in New Orleans and the options Uptown alone, that cater to vegan diets has continued to amaze me. There are many restaurants that specifically target vegan and vegetarian populations such as Seed or Bearcat Cafe. Some of my favorite spots to sneak away to off-campus to indulge in a flavorful and filling vegan meal are:

Seed

Seed is an entirely vegan restaurant with the mission of creating food sourced from local, organic, and natural ingredients that still have the classic New Orlean’s taste. They have a diverse menu of staple vegan choices like avocado toast and an extensive build-your-own salad section, but they also offer traditional New Orleans dishes made vegan including an eggplant or fried tofu po’boy, and gumbo. My personal favorite dish is the southern-fried Tofu nuggets – a much-needed comfort food in the wake of chicken nuggets. The vegan buffalo sauce is just the cherry on top of the cake! Don’t sleep on the brunch menu – only available on the weekends – it might be your only chance to score some vegan chicken and waffles.

Avocado Toast with a Tofu Scramble

Vegan Beignets

Surreys – Uptown

Surrey’s is a classic uptown brunch eatery, notable for its funky atmosphere and art-lined walls. The menu features Latin-inspired breakfasts along with other popular specials. While the menu doesn’t feature exclusively vegan options, they have a great asterisk system working for them; one for vegetarians, two for vegans. What puts surreys on the map in the name of vegan-friendly restaurants is the option to substitute eggs for tofu in any of the original breakfast options at no extra charge. Going vegan, for me at least, has meant substituting a lot of the protein you used to eat for tofu, and you start to become wary quickly at restaurants who unnecessarily charge at your dietary requests (don’t even get me started on almond milk). My classic order is the tofu breakfast plate with a side of avocado mash… 10/10.

Tofu Breakfast Plate

Satsuma

If you’ve ever asked a Tulane student what their favorite brunch spot close to campus is, odds are you’ve heard more than one person respond with “Satsuma”. On the corner of Maple and Fern street rests a popular cafe that serves breakfast and lunch, with a paid attention to locally sourced ingredients. Their menu is loaded with healthy options, and vegetarian and vegan choices as well. Once going vegan I had to do away with my classic order, a lunch plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and avocado mash. I try and switch up the vegan options I get, but my favorite and new classic order, is the quinoa market salad (with no cheese), a side of toast with avocado mash because I’m never honestly filled up with just a salad. With all the incredible vegan options available, possibly the best part of going to Satsuma is indulging in their delicious double chocolate chip cookie, which you would never know was vegan if not for the little “V” in the top-left corner of the pastry label. Since I spent the first few weeks of school just trying every vegan option or combination on the menu, here’s a few more photos than just my usual order.

Mexican Breakfast Plate (no cheese, no eggs, add tofu)

Asian Tofu Scramble

My New Classic – The Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with a side of avocado toast and an orange juice

Dat Dog

Dat Dog is a popular franchise in New Orleans that expands upon the classic hot dog, by offering nine different types of sausages to choose from, plus three vegan ones, and over 30 toppings to mix and match. Popular locations on Freret Street and Frenchman Street draw crowds to the brightly colored oasis with a quick meal that will satisfy your taste buds, and not break the bank. The first time I returned to Dat Dog as a vegan I tried the Spicy Chipotle Dog, but the second time around, I got the Field Roast Italian Dog, and liked that one much better! Perfect for parties with mixed dietary needs, Dat Dog has options for everyone – even if you don’t like hot dogs, they have fish and chicken “dogs” as well. Be sure to stop by the Magazine Street location on the weekends to eat your hot dog amidst an Art Market that pops up in the courtyard of the restaurant each weekend.

Vegan Chipotle Dog

There are dozens of other vegan and vegetarian-friendly restaurants in the area to choose from like Hivolt, Slim Goodies Diner, and Poke Loa, which are perfect for dining with your friends, so you don’t have to nervously scan the menu, hoping to find a dish you can eat. I’d love to know; what’s the best restaurant for a vegan meal in your area?

Raw Vegan Brownie and an iced vanilla latte with almond milk from Hivolt

“Huevos” Rancheros from Slim Goodies with a tofu scramble and vegan bacon

Tofu Poke Bowl

    vegan food in new orleans! Changing something about your lifestyle is always difficult at first, especially when you find yourself away from home.

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Diets and the Environment: Part One

Diets and the Environment: Part One

Growing up, I had a childhood friend who, through her own volition and love for animals of all kinds, adopted a vegan diet from a very early age. My young mind couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of not eating pizza and cupcakes at a birthday party, or chicken nuggets when a parent would relent and pick up McDonald’s for an after-school snack. I understood not wanting to hurt innocent animals.…

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Diets and the Environment: Part Two

Diets and the Environment: Part Two

The animal agriculture industry represents a lot of ethical issues, from animal welfare to climate change and resource depletion, to public health, to environmental justice. Before I was sure I even believed the magnitude of what was beginning to unravel before me, I was certain that I couldn’t continue to pretend to be outraged at the fate of our environment due to human impact but consciously…

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The Travels Continue! (Belgrade, Budapest, Vienna)

missing my summer adventure!

(Disclaimer: This travel update was a bit lengthier than I intended. I really just wanted to tell everyone about the pure magic that is St. Gilgen, but felt I had to move in chronological order for the sake of my avid readership and of course – accuracy. Read as you may, but feel free to skip to the end and just read about St. Gilgen)

To share every story of every city and country would be a…

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Taking a short break from the warm weather of New Orleans, I spent the last four months studying abroad in Amsterdam, which has always been one of my favorite cities. Though I had been there before, I was excited to experience the city again, from a more comfortable position, knowing that I could take my time getting to know the narrow streets. At the same time, I also found myself with more time on my hands and an eagerness to fill that time with something exciting.

I’ve always loved taking photos as a way of remembering the places I’ve been and wanted to look at my surroundings through a more detailed lens. I purchased a cheap second-hand film camera to alleviate the costs I’ve incurred buying disposable cameras, and started taking more photos throughout my day and on other trips I went on during the semester.

Here are some of those photos to try and showcase what I’ve been up to the past four months, all taken on one of two film cameras I purchased this semester (an Olympus Trip 35 and a Fujifilm Clearshot 20 Auto). Though this is a blog, meant for words and lengthy descriptions, pictures seemed like the most authentic way to give an accurate depiction of the wonderful places I was lucky enough to find myself in this semester.

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some film photos from the most beautiful city! Taking a short break from the warm weather of New Orleans, I spent the last four months studying abroad in Amsterdam, which has always been one of my favorite cities.

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Studying abroad in Amsterdam last semester, one of the things I was most looking forward to was exploring all of the vegan restaurants I knew were hiding throughout the city. I had been to Amsterdam before, and hit a few of the popular vegan sites such as the Vegan Junk Food Bar, which serving exactly what it sounds like is famous on Instagram for over-the-top burgers; and the Happy Pig, a Dutch pancake joint that serves long and rolled-up pancakes.

    But living and eating in Amsterdam for four months is different than filling a weekend with outrageous vegan food. I was so impressed with all the vegan options all over the city, from tons of restaurants that are entirely vegan to most places offering at least a vegetarian option, and every establishment offering at least one alternative type of milk. My friends, none of them vegan, were also super into exploring the different options and came with me to all of these restaurants and enjoyed their meals, which any vegan traveling knows can sometimes be a problem.

Here are some of the best spots I’ve found over the last couple of months for vegan fare in Amsterdam!

If you’re looking for a cozy Sunday morning brunch, Mr. Stacks is a pancake restaurant with plenty of options for everyone in the group. At this restaurant, the items marked with an asterisk show that they are not vegan, which is a nice change of pace from the usual breakfast restaurant. I ordered the savory stack both times I dined here, which along with three fluffy pancakes came with pink beetroot hummus, avocado, and a side salad. My friends chose to satisfy their sweet tooth, one of them ordering cinnamon roll pancakes with “cream cheese” icing, and the other ordered the most decadent chocolate pancakes I had ever seen. I snagged a bite from both of them and they were obviously delicious.

    Beetroot Hummus Stack and Cinnamon Roller Coaster Stack

Choco Protein Stack

Another go-to brunch restaurant for my friends and I was Coffee and Coconuts, a three-story coffee house and cafe with unique and comfortable seating and an inviting ambiance. The restaurant’s menu rotates, but they always have a vegan option on it. Last I went, I ordered an open face mushroom sandwich with an amazing pomegranate garnish and dressing, but I’ve since heard they’ve changed it for something new!

Amsterdam has a few vegan restaurants with a fun concept to them such as the Dutch Weed Burger Joint, where each menu item is infused with seaweed in some way, offering plant-based versions of the fast food items every vegan sometimes craves. I was intrigued at the idea of seaweed burgers and nuggets and convinced my family to come to try out this unique restaurant with me, and we were all extremely impressed with the options and the taste.

If you’re traveling on a budget, there are a ton of accessible and affordable vegan options in Amsterdam. Some of the bigger fast food chains have vegan options. Dominos, Papa Johns, and New York pizza all serve vegan cheese upon request. If you’re looking for “fancier” pizza, Sugo Pizza is right across from the De Pijp metro station and has 3 different vegan slices, all loaded with a tasty mix of veggies.

Another place my friends and I frequented was Maoz, an entirely vegan fast-food chain serving falafel sandwiches with a complimentary salad bar with dozens of toppings, and delicious hot fries with a variety of sauces. Either for a casual lunch in between classes or a late night snack at the end of a night out Maoz, definitely gives you a great meal at a very reasonable price.

Food Hallen is a large indoor food court with a really inviting and communal environment, housing a variety of high-end food stands with an international focus. From sushi and poke to barbecue, to Mediterranean and Mexican cuisine, there are options for every type of palate and eater.

In Amsterdam, while I didn’t feel pressured to google vegan restaurants in advance – because so many places were naturally very accommodating and vegan options were always readily accessible – I did enjoy doing some research to discover some gems I may have otherwise missed! If you’re planning a trip to Amsterdam, or are someone who’s lived there and is looking for new options, I encourage you to try any and all of these restaurants! You’re in for a delicious and (sometimes) healthy treat.

    vegan food guide to amsterdam! Studying abroad in Amsterdam last semester, one of the things I was most looking forward to was exploring all of the vegan restaurants I knew were hiding throughout the city.

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Books of 2019!

check out my most recent post!

Growing up I had always loved reading and would dive happily into any series of books aimed at young readers. As I grew older and busier I found it more difficult to incorporate reading into my routine lifestyle; however, finding pleasant company in the different characters of my favorite fiction novels or unique and interesting anecdotes from my favorite non-fiction works always provided me a…

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From VSCO

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@_moyap_ via @nikki_makeup

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