Welcome to the VeganCoach.com newsletter focusing on everyday vegan advice. The Golden Banana Newsletter is dedicated to assisting you with your everyday vegan cooking and nutrition questions.

Happy New Year, my beautiful Vegan Coach VIPs! Hope your NYE was safe and fun and special. It was a gorgeous evening here in Reno, Nevada, and the town was HOPPIN'! I don't know about you, but I am glad to have a whole new year ahead of me. So much excitement and possibility lay ahead. Welcome 2010!!

Speaking of excitement and possibility, need to lose some pounds to kick your new year off right? The special offer for my new weight loss course Get Down With Sass! still stands. This is the time to jump in with both feet since you will save $$ if you order before January 15th, 2010. Details below.

This month, we'll discuss soy creamer substitute, low-sodium vegan cooking, and transitioning to a vegan diet. And you will LOVE the Recipe of the Month, Vegan Rustic Vegetable Soup, it will warm you to your kissers on a cold winter's day.

As always, thank you for joining me and for your support of VeganCoach.com. I am sending a giant hug your way!

Each month, The Golden Banana is created by you with the questions you send me. Do you have a question, comment, or something else you'd like to share with our growing community of Vegan Coach fans? Please don't hesitate to fill out the form on my Contact page. I look forward to hearing from you. :O)

It is my sincere hope that the information I provide on VeganCoach.com assists you in being the healthiest Vegan you can be.

Here's to a wonderful, fantastic, and incredible 2010! Cheers!

Big hugs to you,
Sassy

IN THIS ISSUE:

• * New Feature! * Vegan Frequently Asked Questions!
• Soy Creamer Substitute
• Low-Sodium Vegan?
• Transitioning to a Vegan Diet
• Last Chance To Save $$ on Get Down With Sass! 7-Week Weight-Loss Course
• RECIPE OF THE MONTH: Vegan Rustic Vegetable Soup

Do you have a nagging question about vegan cooking, vegan nutrition, or the vegan lifestyle? Then please visit the Vegan FAQ and ask away!

Or do you have some vegan experience under your belt and can assist others? Then please feel free to search out questions that you can answer with your very own special expertise.

Please note, the feature is brand new. So get on in there and play around. And stay tuned as more questions (and answers) are added on regular basis.

To visit the new Vegan FAQ page, please click here.

Enjoy!

Hi Caroline,

Great to hear from you. Many people have trouble with soy, so you are not alone!

Personally, I have never had to find a substitute for soy creamer. So I did a little searching on the net, and here's what I found:

• You might try coconut milk (full fat) and see if that works. Word on the streets is that FF coconut milk and cream have the same fat content. The coconut flavor might lend an interesting taste to the dish.
• Mimicreme. It sounds promising. Here is a list of retail stores that currently carry it. Or you can order it here.
• Another thing you might try is:

  1/3 cup cooked rice
  2/3 cup rice milk or water

  Blend until smooth. Makes 1 cup "rice cream".

Hope it helps. Would love to hear back if you (or anyone else out there!) gives any of these a try. :O)

Hi Chelsea,

Firstly, I just want to say that I applaud you for taking control of your diet and your health. Bravo to you!

While I do not specialize in low-sodium recipes, I believe you can switch out many of the ingredients in my recipes for low-sodium varieties, and still end up with a yummy dish.

For instance:

• Instead of salted veggie broth, use unsalted veggie broth (or make your own so you control the amount of salt);
• Instead of Bragg's Liquid Aminos or regular Tamari, use a low-sodium Tamari;
• Instead of purchasing pre-packaged non-dairy cheese, make your own at home (I recommend The Uncheese Cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak);
• Instead of regular canned beans (notorious for their salt content), use no-sodium canned beans, or make your own delicious batch from dried beans.

Also, I've found the best way to take control of one's diet is to prepare your food without a recipe and without pre-packaged ingredients. In this way, you can be certain that what you are nourishing your body with is going to be exactly what you want it to be. You are in total control.

To learn the best way to make sense of all the information about cooking without recipes that is jam packed into VeganCoach.com, start out by reading this very important page...

The Vegan Cooking Guide Tutorial

Finally, have you visited my blog? What you will find are vegan dishes I made on-the-fly in my kitchen with the whole foods ingredients I have on hand at any given time.

Most of the time I don't have any fancy ingredients sitting around, so I have had to create dishes using mostly whole foods and little else. I am sure you will be able to find some recipes (or pick up a shot of inspiration) if you look through the recipes in my blog. Click here to visit my blog Everyday Vegan Diet and Nutrition, and scroll to the bottom to see the list of categories to choose from.

I am absolutely positive you can learn how to make sodium-free whole-foods based vegan meals that taste delectable.

Best wishes. :O)

p.s. Be sure to check out the Recipe of the Month which can be made low-sodium.

Hi Randy,

To begin with please study the Vegan Food Pyramid, which will teach you the various vegan food groups you should eat on a daily basis, along with number of servings.

Shoot for the lower range of the servings if you are normal weight or trying to lose weight, and the upper range if you are underweight or lead a very active lifestyle.

Also, take a peek at my Top 10 Basics for eating vegan, which will get you off to a great start.

If you would like more individualized assistance I offer one-on-one coaching through my Vegan Diet and Nutrition Coaching service.

Finally, you might want to check out my newest course (mentioned below), Get Down With Sass!. While this was created to be a weight-loss course, it does double duty as a primer for how to go vegan in a healthy and smart (and delicious!) way.

Get *DOWN* With Sass!
* Special Offer *

Happy New Year!

Here is your final opportunity to purchase Get Down With Sass! Vegan-Friendly Weight Loss Course at a special price.

In the spirit of the holiday season, I have cooked up a Special Offer just for you Vegan Coach VIPs.

My little way of saying "thank you" for your support of VeganCoach.com.

If you have been struggling to lose weight, and you need to find a way that actually works in the long term, then you need this course.

How Does It Work?

Get Down With Sass! is broken down into 7 weekly lessons which give you 2-3 very specific goals to achieve each week. The goals are simple yet effective -- and edible! Whoo-hoo!

At the end of the 7 weeks, you have all the tools you need to make healthy choices for the rest of your life -- not to mention you should notice your body slowly but surely moving to its ideal weight.

The course has been getting rave reviews, and I think you are going to love it.

Okay, Sass, I want to take advantage of your special offer. How do I do it?"

• Click the link below to visit Get Down With Sass!.
• Click "Add to Cart"
• Paste the code GDWSGB12 into the Discount Code box
• Click "Update Cart"
• Checkout

Remember, this special offer expires midnight on January 15th, 2010. So take advantage of this special offer.

Makes the perfect holiday gift -- to yourself!

Are you ready? Let's Get Down. ;O)

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

So let's keep warm and cozy with another soup that is filled with chunky veggies. It is just SO tasty and comforting.

Click here to read the full blog, Vegan Rustic Vegetable Soup.

Or, if you are in a rush you will find the recipe below.

Try it this week -- you're going to love this warming and delectable soup.

p.s. Easy to make low-sodium!

Vegan Rustic Vegetable Soup
Serves 6

6 cups veggie broth (my fave is veggie bouillon by Organic Gourmet)
1/3 cup pre-soaked barley
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup onion, chopped
4 medium carrots, cut into 1" chunks
4 red potatoes, skins on, cut into 1" chunks
2 cups cooked black beans
Pinch of celery seeds

Flax oil, to taste (optional)

1. Place veggie broth in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add pre-soaked barley and rinsed quinoa, cover, and bring back to a boil. Lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Add onion, carrots, and potatoes and bring back to a boil, covered. Lower heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until all veggies are tender. Add cooked black beans and celery seeds and heat until warmed through.

* You'll notice I didn't add any ingredients to flavor the soup. That's because the flavors of the grains and veggies were shining so brightly, the soup was just perfect as is. An addition of a little squirt of flax oil to each bowl helps to give a further bump in nutrition, and is optional.

I served our soup with toast slathered with cashew butter and agave nectar. Perfection.

Get *SAUCED* With Sass!




How To Create Delectable
Meat-Free, Dairy-Free and Egg-Free
Vegan Sauces
without Recipes!

Click here to learn more!

As a Vegan Nutritional Consultant I assist my clients by examining their current diet to figure out areas that might need more attention. It’s nice to have someone you can go to for advice that's YOU-nique.

"Working with you, I felt at ease right away. You were very concerned with what I was or was not doing and helping me eat right as a Vegan. I felt like you were a good friend and even a family member."
- Aleta J., Claremont, California

"Last week Sunday, I began following your advice from our coaching call. There was no feeling of coming home and wracking my brain about what to eat, and then passing out before I even make a decision, going to sleep without dinner.

"I've had a fresh and colorful green salad every day, and something good and nutritious to eat in the morning. Thank you so much for your advice. I can literally feel myself getting healthier!"
-- Yvette P., Los Angeles, California

"You have a bubbly personality and although I have never met you in person, I was very comfortable sharing personal information with the knowledge that you would be able to offer healthful insights.

"Reinforcement of the necessity of eliminating sodas was a huge thing for me, as was the guidelines for purchasing organics."
-- S.S., Roseville, California

If you...

• want someone you can call on to take your hand and walk you through the maze of vegan diet and nutrition information that you are constantly bombarded with;
• need someone who can answer all your questions about how to create a successful vegan diet plan with patience and understanding;
• simply don’t have the time to figure out which foods are best for your unique nutritional needs and vegan weight loss plans;
• want to spend your time doing what YOU love instead of spending hours on research;
• have limited special knowledge about food or nutrition -- but you're ready and willing to learn more...

...then working with me, your very own personal Vegan Diet and Nutrition Coach, may be just what you need.

For more information about this service, please visit the Vegan Diet and Nutrition Coaching page.

That wraps it up for this edition of The Golden Banana newsletter.

VeganCoach.com has been created to help YOU. To contact me with questions, comments or suggestions, please fill out the form on my Contact page.

Thanks! :O)