New Year's Resolutions

Go global
Ever try Indian food? How about Tibetan? New flavors wake up your tastebuds and make eating an adventure. Why not try one food from another culture at least once a month all year long? Indian restaurants have loads of vegetarian choices, as do Tibetan, Chinese and Middle Eastern cuisines. Be adventurous!

Savor seitan
If you've not yet tried seitan, now's the time to give it a go. Seitan is flavored wheat gluten and it has a very 'meaty' texture - which may or may not be appealing to you. You might have already tried it in products like 'fake' sausage, hot dogs or chicken. Look for it in your local health food store or market. Read all about seitan and how to make in this article from the Vegetarian Resource Group.

Sample soy
You know by now the health benefits of eating soy. Have you tried it in all its varieties? Tempeh is a cultured soybean cake with a firm texture. It tastes great marinated and grilled. Tofu comes in various textures from silken to extra firm and each can be used in infinite ways. For example, silken tofu can be used to reduce the amount of egg used in recipes - or, use it in place of sour cream or yogurt. Textured soy protein (TSP) is sold as a dehydrated, granular product that, once re-hydrated, has a texture similar to ground beef. Soy milk is a great substitute for cow's milk as a beverage, in cereal or in recipes. Miso is a paste made from soybeans that tastes rich and salty. You may have tried it made into a soup in a Japanese restaurant. Learn all about soy and how to cook it from soyfoods.com here.

Drink less caffeine
Instead of drinking caffeinated coffee or tea all day, why not give an herbal infusion a try? True herbal 'teas' do not contain any tea leaves (hence, no caffeine) but are infusions (or tisanes) of herbs and spices (such as mint, chamomile, cinnamon or rose hips). They're so mainstream you can even get them at Starbucks. Your local market should stock several varieties (at least) of naturally caffeine-free herbal teas - check the labels to be sure the type you choose is caffeine-free because some packaging may be misleading.

I wish you all a very happy, healthy, prosperous New Year!

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