So, let’s take a look at five delicious foods high in fiber.

1. Rice – a plate of rice is an excellent method to get a series of nutrients, including fiber. One cup of brown rice yields 3 1/2 grams of fiber. Plus you’re only limited by your imagination, on the type of rice combination to eat. Pair with beans, broccoli, potato stew, corn, mushrooms, etc. Why brown rice? It’s better because it’s not bleached and stripped, like white rice.

2. Cereal – Another fantastic source of vegetarian fiber is cereal. Many brands including Fiber One and Muesli have fiber-rich options. Look at the label of your favorite cereal box and read how much fiber it carries. If not much, switch to a different variety.

3. Raisins – Need a quick afternoon snack in the office? Grab a box of raisins. Better yet, grab a box of dried fruit which includes raisins for a sweet JOLT of fiber. You won’t spoil dinner or feel heavy at work.

4. Oatmeal – One of my all time favorite breakfast dishes is a bowl of oatmeal, because it’s both nutritious and delicious. So but so, good with maple syrup. Plus it’s especially nice in the cold Winter months. One bowl provides a whopping 4 grams of fiber.

5. Peanut Butter & Banana Bagel Sandwich – If I had to describe this combo in one word, it would be; YUMMY! This is one tasty and nutritious pairing, a peanut butter and banana bagel sandwich can yield 6 to 8 grams of fiber. Not too mention protein, Vitamin E and potassium. But don’t go crazy and fry it, like Elvis did.

It’s SO EASY to get fiber from vegetarian food, it’s not even funny. Your turn. What are some of your favorite tasty foods high in fiber? Share below.

When I think of the comfort and luxury my pets have, I also then think of all the animals out there who are homeless or in animal shelters. Then I think of all the WONDERFUL people who man these animal shelters and the good work they do.

So this is my ‘ode to animal shelters and animal shelter workers’ everywhere, 8 easy and low cost ways to help.

1. Donate Money – This is probably the most obvious way to help, to send money monthly or yearly and have the animal shelter do with it, what they will. This monetary aid is definitely not to be discounted, but there are other ways to help.

2. Donate Time – Shelters usually are volunteer staffed, and the reason for this is because they don’t have a LARGE budget to hire help. The generous work of volunteers allows the shelter to stay open and care for countless animals. If you have a young son or daughter who has a bit of free time on his or her hands, why not ask if they would like to spend some time at the local animal shelter. Heck, they might even enjoy it. But this isn’t an age thing, anyone can do it. Find your local center, call and see if (and when) you can volunteer.

3. Donate Goods – One thing many pet shelters across the US do is have a list of things that random strangers (yes, you!) can buy and simply drop off. It’s usually called a NEEDS LIST or WANT LIST, and all you have to do is call and ask what is on the list, visit the website (if they have one), or stop and visit. They will gladly tell you what they need, usually it’s things like cans of food, cat litter, dog beds, rags, newspaper for lining pet cages, etc. Ask, and they will tell you.

4. Get The Word Out – Perhaps you run a blog or write for one and wish to TELL THE WORLD of the good work and selflessness of those who work in animal shelters around the globe. It’s hard work, its constant work and its expensive work. Many shelter workers see things, we only read about or see in movies. They live it, day in and day out. Let your readers know about how they can help out, just as I am doing here with this article. Find your inspiration and make your voice heard.

Shelters need ALL THE HELP THEY CAN GET. Do what you can!

5. Leave a Gift in Your Will – If you’re financially happy, in other words; are well to do and have enough to leave a will in the first place. Consider gifting a portion of your estate to an animal shelter that makes your heart beat loudly. Maybe the vet clinic in your town is a god send and has helped or even saved the life of your beloved pet. A gift in your will, should go a long way in showing your gratitude for their services. Leave plenty and reap the rewards later.

6. Donate Labor – Are you a brawny masculine manly man who does construction work for a living or know a thing or two about plumbing, electricity, etc? Your local animal shelter would be DELIGHTED to avail of your macho services. Give them a ring, and ask what they need help with.

7. Donate Business Services – Maybe you’re an accountant or fabulous web designer and can provide services to the shelter on a pro-bono basis. Many shelters would be happy to receive your free or low cost administrative support whether it’s ongoing or a one time shot. This is one way you could definitely help out, without breaking the bank.

8. Hold A Drive – Run a business or other organization? Hold a drive and raise money. This is a fun and great way to get a group of like-minded individuals together for a common cause. This can take the form of  a pizza outing, a cookie bake off, a car wash, a bingo partay, etc. You name it. Just get creative, call all your friends and raise some money. Your local shelter will HEART you forever.

What other ways did I miss? Share your ideas and thoughts below in the comment area.

simon cowell in bikini lol

Simon was prompted by fellow American Idol alum, the UK version (and long-time vegetarian) Leona Lewis who asked him to partake weekly in not eating meat.

Why? First because Simon is a big fan of Lewis and also because he’s an ardent animal lover. He plans to spread the vegetarian word to all his UK co-horts and as an international star, get the ball rolling all over the globe. Not too mention, that after a few more Meatless Mondays, he’ll look even more fetching in his itty bitty teeny weeny blue bikini. Ha!

Let’s also give credit to Sir Paul McCartney, who started the Meatless Monday campaign to give people an easy entry into the world of a plant-based meal. Essentially you’re given recipes, videos and other good simple ideas on turning your Mondays into a meat-free zone.

Kudos to Simon for supporting Meatless Mondays, and to Paul for creating it. Yay!

via Ecorazzi

We decided to explore the GIANT social networking site and will be offering the following to you, once you fan us up.

• Cool links to vegetarian sites that we don’t share here on the blog
• meatless meals video recipes
• Special offers we receive from various (veg friendly) companies
• polls
• occasional giveaways
• and whatever else we can cook up

We’ll try to keep the exclusives coming on our FB page, so fan us below and stay in the loop. If you’re wondering how to fan us, we have two fan boxes, one on the sidebar to the right of this entry and one below. Scroll down abit to see it.

Let us know what you would most like to see on our fan page? We’re listening.

The NFL couldn’t have picked a BETTER musician to sing the most beautiful song on the planet for Superbowl 2010.

The delicious Carrie Underwood who donned an all white pant suit was given the honor, but some are saying her rendition of the National Anthem was flat. Listen to the video yourself and see. I don’t find it flat at all, it was PERFECT.

And hearty congrats! to the New Orleans Saints for an exciting and awesome Superbowl win.

via This Dish is Vegetarian

In today’s meat-obsessed world, it’s not easy eating plants but a newly released book from Life Tips, Inc can help. So often seasoned vegetarians settle into an eating routine that may not be satisfying all of their needs… enter Staci Marquez-Nichols to the rescue.

Her book “101 Vegetarian Eating & Living Tips” provides info and insights veteran and newbie vegetarians alike can use to enjoy a smart and healthy vegetarian lifestyle – including ammunition you can use against veggie naysayers.

There are a ton of vegetarian cookbooks and books criticizing the meat industry available, says author Staci, but surprisingly few resources on how to make a meat-free diet work. This is what makes ‘101 Vegetarian Eating & Living Tips’ so indispensable. There are a lot of long-term vegetarians who don’t know what a complete protein is or how to combine their foods to form them. There are a lot of veteran vegetarians who don’t know that processed soy–i.e. fake meat–is really bad for you. I explore all of these things in my book.

“101 Vegetarian Eating & Living Tips” provides readers with humorous, real-world and engaging insights every vegetarian can use.

Tips and trivia include:

• Detailed vegetarian food groups (It’s more than nuts and berries!)
• The body’s vitamin and nutrient requirements and how to meet them
• The environmental impact of a vegetarian diet vs. the Standard American Diet
• How to deal with meat cravings
• Veggie-friendly fast food finds
• A list of famous vegetarians and vegans
• Thought-provoking quotes on vegetarianism from everyone from Albert Einstein to Leonardo da Vinci
• Specific chapters for vegetarian athletes, vegetarian kids, pregnant vegetarians, traveling vegetarians, and more

“101 Vegetarian Eating & Living Tips” is available from Amazon.com (where it has already earned a 5-star rating) for less than $10.

You can also check out Staci’s website, VegetarianTips.net.

crazy who dat fans

Who’s watching the Superbowl game this Sunday? This year promises quite the match, with Who Dat! Saints and Mississippi Boy “Peyton Manning” dueling it out for football supremacy.

My money is on The Saints, but only because the [Chicago Bears] are nowhere to be found. lol. I think everyone else has their money on Peyton and “The Colts”, because he’s so damn good. But i’ll be rooting for the underdog here. And they do have a pretty good chance, since they want it BADLY.

This is the first time the “New Orleans Saints” and Drew Bree’s have made it to the Superbowl, so a fight to the bitter end is guaranteed. And rightly so.

Who are you rooting for? Who will win the BIG GAME, and if you’re a COLTS fan – get out of my blog. Now!!!!!

p.s. Check out these great healthy vegetarian snack recipe ideas.

The Kind Diet Book By Alicia Silverstone

The top cookbooks of the last DECADE have been picked by PCRM (a committee of doctors) and you might be surprised at the results. Or maybe not!

In no particular order, below is a sampling of the cookbooks deemed as most healthy and lest healthy. By certified doctors!

Best Cookbooks – Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen, The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone, Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry.

Worst Cookbooks – Kitchen Classics by Paula Deen, Atkins The Complete Cookbook by Atkins, “Kill It And Grill” It by Ted Nugent.

It should come as no surprise on the Paula Deen book. I would go a step further and say ANY Paula Deen cookbook should be treated as heart-attack inducing material. lol. We all know this, but she is entertaining. Just wished she wouldn’t peddle such malarkey.

I don’t have Alicia’s book, but its definitely on my “must have” list. If you have it, weigh in below on what recipes you like?

via This Dish is Vegetarian (visit, then follow this cool blog via twitter or RSS)

Weekend link goes to: ChickandFit.com

http://chickandfit.com/10-reasons-to-eat-apples-dieting-motivation

Great article on the many health benefits of APPLES. I was surprised (but delighted) to read #8.

Apples prevent tooth decay, as the juice can kill around 80% of bacteria in the mouth.

via ChickandFit.com

Wanna be featured here next weekend? Send me your link. Must be veg related. (of course!)

image via The Hot Potato

Below are some cool Sunflower seed fun facts.

1. Sunflower seeds belong to that rare class of foods that are as healthy as they are delish. Due to no cholesterol content and cholesterol-fighting (phytosterols) they’re really good for the heart. In addition to that, they’re rich in fiber, minerals like zinc and calcium, iron for blood and also magnesium, selenium. Oh! and they have very high levels of Vitamins B and E. In fact, sunflower seeds are particularly a GREAT SOURCE OF VITAMIN E.
2. Phytosterol from sunflower seeds is known to make the immune system more robust, flush out toxins and reduce the risk of cancer, while also regulating the level of cholesterol in the blood stream thereby reducing chances of cardiac stroke.
3. The mineral selenium on the other hand acts as a catalyst in apoptosis – the self destructing mechanism of the body that sheds cancerous and abnormal cells growth. It also helps in DNA replication in various body repair mechanisms. Selenium isn’t abundantly available in common food types and the normal human intake of selenium is usually low. Having sunflower seeds, however, provides the body with ample selenium.
4. The scientific name of sunflowers is Helianthus annuus, latin for flower of the sun. Scientifically, sunflower seeds aren’t actually seeds, they belong to the set achenes – edible fruits of flowers in the shape of seeds where the fruit inside does not adhere to the outer covering.
5. Sunflowers grow throughout the year. Each sunflower consists of about 1000 to 2000 seeds and it takes about 3 months for a sunflower to mature. There are three kinds of sunflower seeds – black oil, striped and white. White seeds have not found much commercial use as yet.
6. If you like variety in your snacks then you can choose from a wide range of sunflower seeds – roasted, unroasted, salted, unsalted, with the kernel or without it, spiced, chocolate covered, mint covered, barbecued, honey roasted or sprouted! This healthy delicacy of a snack can be served up in innumerable ways.
7. You can also use sunflower seeds to garnish your salads and main courses, it gels with all kinds of food, bitter, sour, sweet, and salted. Sunflower seeds are also used to make sunflower seed butter, much like peanut better except its a lot more healthier.
8. Most South East Asian countries use sunflower oil to cook (as most of their food is made in oil) because it is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and has a very low risk of cardiac strokes even when used daily. Lots of other countries are following suit these days. Processed sunflower oil is made into margarine’s and used instead of butter. The residual content once the oil is squeezed from the seeds is used as feed for livestock.
9. Speaking of which, birds love sunflower seeds! Planting a few in your garden/farm is the easiest way to attract birds. Sunflower seeds make for good feed for livestock too.

Hope you enjoyed our sunflower seed fun facts, but feel free to share your own in the comment area. Cheers!