vegoftheweek

Inside the Oven: “Meat free since 1983″-a veggie restaurant’s anniversary, vegan cheesecake recipe, benefits of a vegan, gluten-free diet on rheumatoid arthritis in Week Links.  Dr. McDougall’s Hot Soups.

A quote from drmcdougall.com

Ever consider…

Diet vs. Drugs

Oatmeal vs. Obesity

Peas vs. Pills

Cabbage vs. CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting)

Supper vs. Surgery

Then consider meeting Dr. McDougall

I’ve never met Dr. McDougall, but I’ve certainly became acquainted with his vegan soups. Questions posed on the McDougall website are certainly no brainers-I’d take peas vs. pills and supper vs. surgery any day. But there are deeper, earth shattering, Nobel Prize questions to be thrown down and answered

Hot and Sour vs. Miso

Pad Thai vs. Tamale with Baked Chips

Split pea & Barley vs. Ramen with vegetarian Chicken Flavor

Since I can’t answer these questions, I usually end up buying all of them. Ahem…I’m also convinced this is why I haven’t won any Nobel Laureates yet.

 

A good pre-packaged vegan soup is hard to come by at times. Whether it’s the presence of dairy, “natural flavors” that don’t list the source, anonymous “spices”, the list goes on and on. At $1.79 per bowl, the price is perfect who anyone on a budget that doesn’t want to give up taste, health, or their eating ethics. My personal favorites would have to be the Hot and Sour and Pad Thai. When I say they are good, I don’t just mean good enough to fill you up, good enough to make you think it’s not healthy, but good as in worthy of an Andy Warhol print on the kitchen wall good.

It’s been said that there’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s (unless you’re a vegan of course, then any way is horrible), and I’ve found the same to be true with these soups. I never put water to the “fill” line as I prefer the broth to be very concentrated. I’ve also tossed in extras like green onions to add some flavor twists. Is there a way you prefer to eat Dr. McDougall’s soups? Have you ever met him?

 

Co-founded by Dr. John McDougall, a nutrition expert who promotes better health through adopting a vegetarian diet, McDougall’s Right Foods offers a variety of prepared vegetarian dishes, that are both pleasing to the palate and meet strict dietary guidelines: 10% or less of calories are from fat, cholesterol free, and even a separate line of light sodium soups. The full list is as follows:

 

Regular:

Black Bean & Lime

Minestrone & Pasta

Pilaf Vegetable Chicken Flavor

Split Pea with Barley

Tamale Soup with Baked Chips

Tortilla Soup with Baked Chips

Curry with Brown and Wild Fruited Pilaf…

Hot and Sour with Organic Noodles

Miso Soup with Organic Noodles
Pad Thai Noodle Soup

Ramen Vegetarian Chicken Flavor

 

Light Sodium (330-360 mg total sodium per cup)

Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup

Lentil Couscous

Split Pea

Tomato Basil Pasta

White Bean and Pasta

 

On my “to do” list includes the Tomato Basil Pasta and Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup. If anyone gets to these before I do, please let me know. And if you do meet Dr. McDougall, you’ll definitely have to give details on the encounter.

Week Links:

A gluten-free vegan diet may ease rheumatoid arthritis  (Natural News)

Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe (KSFY)

A Meat Lover’s Vegetarian Journal (Yourhub)

Veggie Diner has been “Meat free since 1983″ (Groovy Vegetarian)