Raw Sweet Potato and Greens Slaw

[As I mentioned last time, I’m thrilled beyond words that my cookbook, Sweet Freedom, is one of only three cookbooks recommended on Ellen DeGeneres’s new “Going Vegan with Ellen” page!  If you’ve had success with the recipes or if you have the book and like it, please hop over and leave a comment to let Ellen know as well!]

There’s just enough time to squeeze in one more summer giveaway before we all head back to the city from the cottage, back to school from the parks and beaches, back to work from our holidays, or just back to autumn after the long, lazy, delightful days of summer–so how could I resist?  Besides, with autumn in the air in these parts (the mornings are already feeling a wee bit chilly), I needed something to cheer me up!

These days, the importance for Omega 3s, those essential fatty acids (EFAs) that we can only acquire from foods (our body can’t make them) is being emphasized all over the media and the supermarket aisles.  EFAs are even added to foods in which they’d never appear naturally (such as orange juice), in what seems to me a pseudo-GMO fashion.  And everyone is concerned about how to get their fill.

When I was in nutrition school back in the early 2000s, hardly anyone had even heard of Omega 3s.  In class, we learned that the best sources for EFAs were salmon, walnuts, and flax seeds.  Our teachers advised us to consume at least 1-2 teaspoons (10 ml) of the stuff a day.  And the product they recommended most often to ensure we achieved our daily quota was fish oil.

For couple of years after school ended, I forced myself to take my fish oil daily, despite the fact that I was entirely unhappy with its source; further, the “lemon flavor” never really tasted like lemon to me, and I had a hard time swallowing it (literally).  I tried mixing it in smoothies, but found that the flavor simply overpowered the smoothie.  Finally, I determined to stop taking it when I cut other animal products out completely, and I turned to walnuts, flax and, later on, chia seeds for my Omega 3s.

Well, imagine my surprise when I learned that there’s a totally vegan Omega 3 oil out there, and one that is derived from plant and algae sources! It’s called NutraVege.

When I first tried it, I set up my station by the sink, ready to go:  open bottle in one hand, teaspoon in the other, full glass of water to drown out the taste.  I poured; I slid the spoon into my mouth; I swallowed and grabbed the glass.

And then–the strangest thing happened!  There was no need to drink.  No need to mask the flavor at all, in fact, because it was actually extremely pleasant!  The oil is smooth and clear with a subtle citrus note that lingers for a few seconds.  In fact, the taste was so pleasant that I felt I could happily incorporate the oil into my recipes, though honestly, you can eat this stuff entirely on its own.

First I added some to a smoothie (this one has kale, cucumber, lettuce, plum, cinnamon, and coconut water):

As I suspected, it was dee-licious!

Next, I made this fantastic salad based on a recipe from Nava Atlas’s VegKitchen, subbing part of the oil with NutraVege.  The addition of a citrus boost worked beautifully with the lime-based dressing.  (You could also simply use olive oil for the dressing if you don’t have the NutraVege at home, of course). 🙂

Apart from its lovely flavor, NutraVege is also a powerful source of Omega 3s for vegans (with 20 times more DHA than flax, according to their website).  One of the problems with plant-based sources of Omega-3s is that they don’t readily convert to DHA (those with low thyroid function, for instance, have a hard time with flax-based Omega 3s), but since NutraVege is derived from the Echium plantagineum plant (I had never heard of it before, either!), its source is readily converted and so offers a great alternative to fish-based oils.  And the Algal DHA it contains is identical to that found in fish, since it’s actually the source eaten by the fish to provide their own DHA. (The company also provides a neat little chart comparing their oil to flax oil in terms of both cost and effectiveness. Take a look for more info.).

I’m really excited to have a healthy, delicious and vegan alternative to fish oils available for a great boost of Omega 3s and 6s.  Now it’s easy to obtain all your essential fatty acids without animal products!

And if you’d like to try that amazing salad, here ‘s the recipe. 😀

Last Year at this Time: Fresh Corn Soup with Smoky Garnish (and some very corny jokes) (ACD stage 2 and beyond; gluten free)

Two Years Ago: Nava’s Cool as a Cucumber Soup (ACD stage 2 and beyond; gluten-free)

Three Years Ago: Pre-Blog Entry Blog Entry

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