Let's get Veguated! Dairy edition: Quickie Vegan Mac & Cheese

Mac and cheese is one of the biggest comfort meals out there. Cheese is one of the reasons for many vegetarians who want to go vegan but say they can’t give it up. I get it. Cheese is delicious. I will never deny that.  But dairy is not all that it’s cracked up to be. Here’s a little info on dairy and its effect on the body:

 We are the only species in the world who drinks another’s bodily fluids. That’s weird for me. Animals drink a mother’s milk to get maximum nutrition to grow a healthy, strong body. We are all then weaned off milk and begin eating solid food.  Cow’s milk is meant to grow a 400 pound cow not a 150 pound human. Hmmmm.

 Many cultural backgrounds are lactose intolerant in some degree. African American, Hispanic and Asian are almost all intolerant of dairy. It has historically not been a major part of these diets. The incidents of osteoporosis, cancer and diabetes are the lowest in countries that do not consume much dairy. And only since the addition of dairy to their diets has the rates of these ailments been on the rise.

 We have always been told that we need to drink 3 glasses of milk per day to grow strong bones, keep them strong and ward off osteoporosis. It is true, dairy has lots of calcium. I will refute that but it is highly acidic. Our bodies are very efficient and when we eat something that is acidic our body automatically reacts to regulate our blood ph. It does this by releasing calcium from the bones. So every time we have dairy, we put calcium in and then take it out. That’s not exactly how I want my body to operate.

 Calcium per 100 gram serving:

·         Butter 20 grams

·         Whole Milk 118 grams

·         Chickpeas 150 grams

·         Collard greens 203 grams

·         Parsley 203 grams

·         Soy beans 226 grams

·         Almonds 226 grams

·         Sesame seeds 1,160 grams

Woah! Sesame seeds are a star provider! Jeez. Good to know! Sprinkle those little seeds on your salads, soups, or eat some hummus and you get a huge load of calcium. J

 Dairy is also very addictive. It contains casein which breaks down into casomorhins....as in morphine. This has an opiate effect on your body which makes you feel all awesome, relaxed and happy. Casein is even more concentrated in cheese which explains why people are so passionate about it. And I was DEF passionate about my cheese. I was never a milk drinker but cheese? OMG. LOVE. Especially blue cheese and Borsin. Mmmmm. Casomorphins are designed to make the calf feel all warm and fuzzy so that they bond more with its mother and want to drink more milk. This way it can grow and get strong.

 Consumption of dairy is also linked to asthma, allergies, hormone irregularities and heart disease. So get off the dairy or at least cut if down significantly. Try daiya....its the BEST vegan cheese I’ve ever had. OK well there’s my rant about dairy, I could go on more but I think this is enough. LOL So here’s an easy recipe to get you into your dairy free life!

 Quickie vegan mac and cheese

Ingredients
1 cup almond milk
2 cups cheddar daiya
½ tsp veggie stock
1 tsp chili flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring almond milk to a light boil. Add remaining ingredients and stir until the cheese has melted. Once melted and well combined toss with your choice of pasta.  Cooking time is about 5 minutes.  This sauce makes enough for 2-3 servings, depending on how much sauce you like. J

I sriracha'ed the ish outta this dish too! Mmmmm.

Peace

xoxo

K