I feel the need to post this information because the subject comes up everyday in the life of a vegan. I know its annoying, but "Where do you get your protein?"
The recommendation for protein for adult male vegans is around 56-70 grams per day; for adult female vegans it is around 46-58 grams per day.
Here are stats of some vegan protein sources: (food item, serving size, protein count)
Tempeh, 1 cup, 41 grams.
Seitan, 3 oz, 31 grams.
Soybeans, 1 cup, 20 grams.
Lentils, 1 cup, 18 grams.
Black Beans, 1 cup, 15 grams.
Kidney Beans, 1 cup, 13 grams.
Chickpeas, 1 cup, 12 grams.
Tofu, 4 oz, 11 grams.
Quinoa, 1 cup cooked, 9 grams.
Bagel, 1 medium, 9 grams.
Peas, 1 cup, 9 grams.
Peanut Butter, 2 tbsp, 8 grams.
Almonds, 1/4 cup, 8 grams.
Broccoli, 1 cup, 4 grams.
Spinach, 1 cup, 5 grams.
Brown rice, 1 cup cooked, 5 grams.
Whole wheat bread, 2 slices, 5 grams.
Soy milk, plain, 1 cup, 7 grams.
Oatmeal, 1 cup cooked, 6 grams.
VERSUS:
White Meat Chicken, 4 oz, 35 grams.
White Meat Turkey, 4 oz, 33 grams.
Lean Pork Loin, 4 oz, 31 grams.
Egg, one, 6 grams.

Basically, its easy to eat sans cruelty and still (GASP) get your protein. This subject gets even more fun when you are pregnant as you are accused on abusing your child in utero because you don't eat your meats. Lets all get educated and realize that a lot of what we hear is seriously a product of Nutritionism. (more on this subject tomorrow as Michael Pollan wrote an amazing article for the times this Sunday!)

Vegan Travel #1 PALM SPRINGS

I am seriously disappointed when it comes to searching for vegan travel sights either online or even books. I tried to find a source of inspiration online as I hoped to take a nice trip with my husband before our baby is born, but the lack of thrilling travel tips for vegans became frustrating. Just because I am vegan doesn't mean I want to go on a trip to detox or do 50 yoga classes in a weekend. This is my attempt at collecting information on easy trips to take that are remotely affordable and fun too! Geesh, is that too much to ask!?
I decided to write about PALM SPRINGS as a destination today. The main reason for this is a great article in Sunset Magazine with cool hotels and interesting hiking trails & a certain restaurant that ROCKS!
I can probably speak for most vegans that eating is a huge consideration when traveling. In L.A. about six months ago, I ate at a wonderful restaurant called Native Foods. I couldn't get enough of the gyro dish I had. I also took with me a slice of banana chocolate chip cake for later and OH MY LORD! So delicious. I bought the cookbook too. I made the monkey bars at home and many other savory goodies that come highly recommended! Palm Springs hosts Native Foods restaurant which has been in business for over 10 years. The chef to thank when you eat there is Tanya Petrovna. She is the CEO of the Native Foods collective and her cookbook gives a brief history as to how she came to be head honcho and a proud vegan.

Another sweet deal is the Veggie and Tea House. If you are in the mood for some veggie asian food that is filling and delicious, check out their amazing website with pictures AND nutritional information! This restaurant is an hour out of Palm Springs so maybe on the day you feel like taking a road trip. Oh, and I KNOW that us dedicated vegans will travel to EAT!
There are a number of kitchy hotels in Palm Springs. The following locations have ALL of the character you need at a decent price. I don't see that any of these have a restaurant on the premises, so no need to get upset about the hotel sizzling up bacon in the morning or slicing rump roast in front of you at dinnertime.

The Chase Hotel is a beauty, very clean and basic modern decor. Rates for this time of year range from $119 for a standard room, add about $20 for your own kitchen. Totally worth it for us vegans!

The Desert Hills Hotel is another modern gem featuring kitchens in most of their rooms. Hotel rooms are around $100 and studio suites will run you around $120. What a deal! They also offer complimentary cruiser bikes for your riding pleasure. This hotel is a short three blocks from downtown shops and restaurants.

If you have more money to spend on a fancier joint, try the Movie Colony Hotel. This place features a sunset wine hour around the firepit, featuring fancy California wines, private patios, top notch linens and decor, spa services, cruiser bikes and concierge. The rates are around $200 and up. Seriously swanky! Oh, and walking distance from downtown.
Palm Springs is chock full of vintage and recycled shopping destinations.
Check out furniture at Modern Way
and vintage clothing at Celebrity Seconds where you can literally buy clothing worn by Hollywood's biggest stars!
For outdoor activities, you can visit Palm Canyon where you will witness critters abound and some interesting vegetation. Depending on the time of year, you might see streams flowing and remember if its HOT, bring lots of water!
Don't forget to visit the Joshua Tree, not to be missed! Just be aware of most guides are in Hummers which is obviously not ideal. Bicycling is permitted on public roads, both paved and dirt. There are no bicycle paths along roads. Bikes are prohibited on back country and nature trails.
Beware, there is a place called The Living Desert which hosts some native plants which is intriguing but they also have a zoo which is super depressing for us vegan types!
Getting there is simple, look up any info on transportation at www.palm-springs.org or call 1.800.347.7746.

Poopeye's Spinach

Now that all of the hoopla has died down, we can rationally discuss this spinach crap. In order to get to the leafy greens, we first have to digest a bit of the hunk of meat on your plate. E Coli appears oh so proudly in cow poop. Because of the horrid conditions cattle live in in America's factory farms, that sweet poop ends up in the meat once the animal visits the slaughterhouse. Don't fret, the meat is nuked to kill the harmful bacterias in the poop in the meat, instead of going through the process of cleaning up the slaughterhouse or farm conditions. You don't mind a little scat in your burger, do ya? I am bothered by the need to use every version of the word "poop" in a FOOD blog. I guess that is the whole point here. The specific E Coli featured in your salad last month evolved in the gut of the cattle. Grain fed cattle can house the E Coli much longer than grass fed. This naughty Mr. E Coli cannot live long the rumens of a grass fed cow. Big business is harming our food supply by combining too much of our nations food into one big processing nightmare. These days, 80% of US beef is slaughtered by only 4 companies, 75% of our precut salads are processed by 2 and 30% of our milk by just 1 company! Remember that salad is being washed in water likely contaminated by, once again, E Coli thriving and spreading like wildfire on farms. We need to stop and think about who we buy our food from. Local farmers markets help to put a face to the food, helping us to feel a bit more secure when we take a big bite of that apple or piece of salmon we should enjoy as fish will be extinct in 40 years apparently!? Seeing food in its raw beauty is the fun of browsing the kiosks of local farmers. They appreciate your business and dedicate their lives to providing delicious food that is healthy for you and your family. Can you say that about TYSON or HARRIS RANCH? Ugh.
I look forward to seeing the same faces week to week at the farmers market. I know exactly what stands to visit for all of my favorite items! My least favorite part is having to watch people test out the samples of everything. Standing in the way, chewing with their mouths open, saying how delicious those juicy strawberries are....all the cliche's I can muster. I think I might know why they provide those pointy, albeit harmless toothpicks for samples....hmmm.
Percentages and facts quoted from Michael Pollan's article in the New York Times, October 15, 2006.