Okra is a member of the mallow family, which places it in the same family as cacao, hibiscus, and cotton. It’s a flowering plant, native to West Africa. Traditional belief is that it made its way to the Americas coincidentally through the slave trade.

It is a good source of fiber (3.2 g./c. raw), vitamin A, vitamins B6 and B9 (folic acid – 88 mcg./c.), vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. See vitamin notes at end of article.

Okra is high in both soluble and insoluble fiber, making it beneficial in controlling blood sugar, increasing regularity while preventing hemorrhoids and constipation, and assisting with weight loss, while lowering the cholesterol absorption.

People often ask me if I can veganize the soul food I grew up as child. That answer to that is a loud resounding YES! I love soul food but so do my hips, butt, and thighs. And my cholesterol used to get a high off of that yummy cuisine too. So practicing a mostly vegan diet has been a real treat for me because I can make my favorite soul food meals low fat and cholesterol free.

A homemade version of a fun breakfast idea.

Whip up a batch of pancakes and freeze them in short stacks of three. Just a package or two of vegan sausage links is all that you needed to create this quick and economical meal idea. Thaw out a stack of pancakes. Heat up three sausages in the microwave. Wrap a pancake around each sausage.

Voila!

You’ve got an instant pig in a blanket. Eat it as you watch the last of your favorite morning show or as you walk to the bus stop. It can be eaten in the car without too much fuss or mess. For a sweeter taste and less mess, add a little maple syrup or agave nectar to the batter when makingthe pancakes.

When we transition over from meat eating to non-meat eating, one problem plagues us…..HOW DO I GET THE MEAT?

What I have come to learn is the the reason so many of us are into meat is not necessarily because of the taste but rather the texture. In the vegan world there are many ways to meet that desire for texture with the many ways we can create or purchase meat substitutes.

There are so many options for vegan meat substitutes and so many ways to prepare them.

If you are a Vegan, are considering becoming a Vegan, or know or love somebody who already is a Vegan, you probably have some idea of how important tofu is in the Vegan diet. Many people think that cooking tofu for Vegans is difficult to do, and many others still think that tofu doesn?t taste good but there are plenty of people out there that would choose to differ.