GASP!! Why is Jennifer Lopez "Going Vegan?"

ALERT THE MEDIA: J Lo is “Going Vegan”!!

When someone announces that they’re “going vegan,” this decision, which many would call ridiculous and extreme, seems to send up a red flag, calling for people to take notice. When a celebrity announces that he or she is “going vegan,” do people gasp and think, “She’s gone mad!” Most of the time, the phrase, “going _______”, is not a good thing, as you can see from my collection of numerous negative examples using the phrase, below:

going berserk
going AWOL
going off the deep end
going commando
going nuts
going crazy
going rogue
going down the wrong path
going off the rails
going against the grain
going off on
going postal

The negative connotation of “going” anything is evident but let’s just say that “going vegan” shouldn’t be lumped in with these wretched “going” idioms. According to reports all over the internet, Jennifer Lopez has “gone vegan” and, trust me, that certainly does not mean that she’s gone berserk or crazy. The 44-year old superstar recently discussed her new plant-based lifestyle in an interview with New York radio station Z100.

Having flirted with vegetarianism several years ago, J Lo has now eliminated all animal-derived food products from her diet, thus adopting a vegan eating plan. And the reason for “going vegan” is because she feels better! As she told Z100, “Being vegan, it’s basically no dairy, no meat, everything is plant based and from the ground…You do feel better. I do recommend the vegan diet because you wake up and feel great!” J Lo, we already knew you looked fabulous and now, we’re excited that your insides are as gorgeous as your outsides. Bravo!

Apparently the only thing Jennifer misses is butter. Vegan American Princess doesn’t recommend using lots of vegan butter substitutes but recipes that call for moderate amounts can make food taste delicious, familiar and butter-y. Earth’s Balance, coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil may make you feel better, Jenny, but go easy on them!

As explained by Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine,

“Vegan diets continue to surge in popularity and for good reason. Studies show people who adopt a plant-heavy diet are at reduced risk for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and some forms of cancer. Other benefits include an increased lifespan and improvements in skin complexion, mood, and memory.”

Jenny, here are several vegan recipes that use a bit of Earth’s Balance that we know you’ll absolutely love:

Vegan Mashed Cauliflower With Chives

From Cooking the Whole Foods Way by Christina Pirello

Makes 3 or 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1/8 cup unsweetened soymilk
3 tablespoons vegetarian buttery spread (like Earth Balance)
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
Small bunch chives, finely minced

Directions:

1) Place cauliflower in a steamer basket above a pot of boiling water.
2) Cook, uncovered, until fork-tender, about 12 minutes.
3) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
4) Lightly oil a 9-inch baking dish and set aside.
5) Transfer cauliflower to a food processor or blender.
6) Add soy milk, the spread and salt and pepper to taste and puree until smooth. 7) 7) Spoon into prepared baking dish and bake, uncovered, about 8 minutes, until bubbly.
7) Fold in chives and serve hot

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP WITH WHITE BEANS AND CAULIFLOWER

from “Made Just Right with Earth’s Balance”

Ingredients

16 ounce Chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove liquid
14 ounce Canned artichoke hearts, drained
8 ounce Cauliflower, steamed until tender and cooled
15 ounce Canned navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup Earth Balance MindfulMayo Dressing and Sandwich Spread (or your favorite vegan mayonaise)
1 cup Vegan shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
2 tablespoons Nutritional yeast flakes
3 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In food processor chop artichoke hearts until fine, but not mushy, and transfer to a large mixing bowl along with thawed, squeezed spinach.
3. In food processor combine mayo, navy beans and cauliflower until very smooth.
4. Add mayo mixture, vegan cheese, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, oregano, thyme, cayenne, salt and black pepper to the mixing bowl and combine thoroughly with other ingredients.
5. Spread mixture into a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges, stirring once half way through baking time and again when done baking.
6. Allow dip to sit for a few minutes before serving with chips, bread, or fresh vegetables.

Easy & Delicious Classic “Chick’n Piccata” with Lemon and Capers

–adapted from Gardein Recipes

Ingredients

2 packages of Gardein Lightly Seasoned Chick’n Scallopini (total 8 cutlets)
5 Tablespoons of gluten-free, all purpose flour
vegetable oil spray
4 Tablespoons of capers
1/4 to a 1/2 cup of white wine (or vegetable stock)
juice from half large lemon
2 Tablespoons Earth’s Balance Vegan Spread

Method

Place the flour in a ziploc bag and shake each frozen cutlet in the bag one by one, lightly covering each one with flour.
Spray vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan or coat the pan with a spoon of oil.
Over medium/high heat, place the frozen, flour dusted cutlets in the pan and sauté on each side for about 3 minutes.
When lightly browned on both sides, remove the cutlets from pan and put aside.
Add capers and white wine to pan and reduce the liquid to about half.
On low heat, stir in the Earth’s Balance and the lemon juice until melted and blended.
Return the cutlets to the pan, turning each cutlet so that each side becomes coated with sauce.
Serve with a spoon of sauce and capers drizzled on top of each cutlet and a slice of lemon on the side.

Click here to read the Ecorazzi article, “Jennifer Lopez Feels Great on a Vegan Diet”

Click here to read the Mind Body Green article, Jennifer Lopez Goes Vegan!”

Click here to read the PCRM article:, “JLo Goes Vegan: An Inside Look into the Surging Popularity of Plant-Based Diets.”

Click here for the recipes for Mashed Cauliflower with Chives

Click here of the recipe for Easy & Delicious Classic “Chick’n Piccata” with Lemon and Capers

Click here for recipe for SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP WITH WHITE BEANS AND CAULIFLOWER

Click here to read about Jay Z and Beyonce’s Vegan Diet

Enjoy!!

xox Ellen