To answer your question, I talked about your email with our editor. Mistress McCutchan has been vegetarian since she was a teenager and now vegan for the nearly two years.

“I did not go about it in a very sensible way when broaching this topic with my parents! I basically got into a fight about it one night when I refused to eat the chicken my mom made for dinner. After storming away, the next day I discussed it with my mom and we came to an agreement. We went shopping at the health food store and stocked up on baked tofu and other types of meaty substitutes. I taught myself how to cook and found lots of great recipes. Lots of ethnic cuisines like Indian, Mexican, and Chinese food have lots of really great veggie options!

“It’s too easy to fill up on soda and candy, or overdo it on pasta and cheese, especially when you’re in high school. You don’t want to get stuck eating too much of the same thing. My mother always had raw veggies and fresh fruit in our lunches as kids, so I had a good example set in place early on! I made sure I ate pretty well. When I moved out to go to college, I did my own shopping and cooking and a lot of label reading. Don’t forget to also take a multi-vitamin.”

Do your research; you may want to pick up a book or two from the library and consider the types of things you are already eating. Approach your parents and let them know you are serious about this, and if they voice concerns over not getting enough protein or iron, you’ll be able to back up your ideas. Offer to help cook and shop; you may be able to introduce your family to new foods and recipes.

Some simple foods to introduce to your diet include veggie hot dogs with sauerkraut and/or vegetarian baked beans, hummus and toasted pita bread, peanut butter and apples, guacamole and tortilla chips, and salads with a variety of vegetables and chunks of seasoned tofu.

Good luck and let us know how your are doing in a few months.

It depends on the recipe, Eryn; you have a couple of options. In sweets such as cakes and cookies, applesauce or mashed banana work well as an egg substitute. Use a tablespoon of applesauce or 1/2 a banana per egg needed. These are sure to make your recipes nice and moist!

In savory type of recipes, you could also prepare flaxseed gel by boiling flaxseeds in water til it forms an egg white-like gel. For each egg called for in the recipe, use three tablespoons of water per one tablespoon of flaxseed. Strain the seeds out and just use the gel, although if you are making bread or cake, you may feel like leaving some in. They tend to give foods a bit of a nutty flavor, and they are very good for you!

There is also an egg replacer available, called Ener-G Egg Replacer, at most Whole Foods supermarkets or online at Vegan Essentials, which you mix with water and it helps “bind” your recipe. You combine 1 1/2 tablespoons of egg replacer with 2 tablespoons of water and be sure to mix it very well, otherwise it can be lumpy and chalky.

For other vegan baking ideas, check out The Post-Punk Kitchen and Vegweb. Thank you for your compliment!

Gelatin comes from an animal source. It is made from the boiled bones, tendons, and skin of animals. A vegetarian/vegan option for gelatin is called agar-agar, which is derived from seaweed. Other veg versions of foods and snacks may contain guar gum and carrageenan. There are vegan marshmallows available from suppliers at Vegan Essentials and Food Fight, a Portland-based vegan grocer.

Spirulina is a microalgae and is chock full of nutrients: protein, iron, vitamin B-12 and bera carotene. Spirulina is also a great source of essential fatty acid GLA, which is found in mother’s milk. This easily digestable protein and easily absorbed source of iron is a wonderful supplement for the vegetarian and vegan diet. It has been shown to support healthy cholestrol, aid digestion, strengthen your immune system, among other wonderful benefits. Just a teaspoon daily of the dark green powder can be mixed into your juice or smoothie. Spirulina can also be taken in tablet form.

Recipes using spirulina can be found at Spirulina World. Some people really don’t like the taste, but if it is mixed well, the flavor is mild.

Thank you for reading. Send your questions to me at witchhazel@morbidoutlook.com and stay tuned for the next column.