Questions & Answers

Soy is rich in good quality protein, calcium, iron, dietary fibers and antioxidants. A balanced vegan diet can be maintained without soy; however there is no reason to give it up, since there is no scientific basis to the fear of it. Most of the rumors about soy concern its phytoestrogens (also called isoflavones), a group of estrogen-like substances, which are thousands of time less active than estrogen. Contrary to the rumors, studies have not found a connection between soy and premature sexual development, nor have they found an influence on the male reproductive system. However, they have found that soy may assist in the prevention of heart disease, as well as in the protection against breast cancer.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (ADA) and the American Academy for Pediatrics, vegetal diets are suitable at all stages of life. The development of children who eat a balanced vegan diet is completely standard. A vegetarian or vegan diet in childhood may be beneficial in acquiring healthy eating habits, which assist in the prevention of diseases. It is important to plan a balanced diet containing all of the nutrients essential for growth.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' (ADA) position paper reviewing studies on plant diets: vegetarianism and even veganism "may be nutritionally sufficient during pregnancy and can lead to a positive outcome at birth". A plant-based diet may even reduce the risk for gestational diabetes. Of course, a rich and diverse diet must be maintained, containing all of the essential nutrients in sufficient quantities. Just in case, it is advisable to consult a clinical nutritionist and to take the supplements recommended for any pregnant woman, whether a vegetarian, vegan, or meat-eater.

There are many vegetal sources for calcium: soy, tahini, broccoli, white beans, cabbage, peas, flax seeds, and more. The amount of calcium in two spoonfuls of raw whole tahini is more or less equal to the amount of calcium in a glass of milk (approximately 200 mg). The sources of calcium should be diverse; do not depend on a single source. Remember, too, that other than calcium there are additional factors affecting bone density, such as vitamin D and physical exercise.

Whole grains are grains (wheat, rice, buckwheat, etc.) from which the peel and the germ have not been removed in their processing. Approximately two hundred years ago the practice of removing the peel and the germ from the grains began, as the grain looks nicer this way. However, since the peel and the germ are rich in nutritional value -- protein, fibers, B vitamins, and more -- it is recommended to consume whole grains instead of "white" grains. In every supermarket you can find whole rice, whole wheat pasta, and whole wheat pastries.

In the Western world protein deficiency is extremely rare and appears only in cases of malnutrition. There are plenty of protein sources in a vegan diet. In order to acquire complete protein, legumes and grains should be consumed. The legume group includes lentils (yellow, orange, black, green), chickpeas, beans (white, red, black, lima, black-eyed, mung), soy, peas, and others. The grain group includes rice, wheat, oat, buckwheat, and others.
It is not necessary to combine the grains and the legumes in the same meal, even though it can be done quite easily: rice with lentils, pitta with hummus, spaghetti with soy bolognese gravy. These combinations ensure a complete protein from a plant source, including all of the amino acids essential for the human body and in optimal portions.

Unambiguously, yes! B12 is the only vitamin that cannot be acquired nowadays from a vegetal source, and many meat-eaters take B12 supplements as well since its absorption tends to be problematic. There is no need to choose an expensive brand. One usually takes a few tablets a week, sublingually (usually they are cherry flavored). There is no harm in taking more B12 than necessary. The minimum dosage depends on the results of your blood tests; B12 deficiency may cause an irreversible damage to the nervous system, and is not worth the risk.
There are foods that contain B12 as a supplement, but it isn't advisable to rely on them alone for a regular supply of the vitamin. In the past people obtained B12 via germs found in the earth and the water. Over the years sterilization processes have evolved and an awareness of hygiene arose, so nowadays we consume cleaner yet B12 deficient food. By the way, animals in the food industry also receive supplementation of B12 (or of cobalt, the element from which the germs produce the vitamin).

Many plant foods are rich in iron: legumes, tahini, parsley, broccoli and others. In Israel, the amount of iron in the meat is small, because while rendering the meat kosher, the blood is removed via salting, thus removing a large portion of the iron. In chicken and turkey there hardly is any iron, and in a slice of roast beef there is only 1.1 mg of iron. In contrast, a spoonful of tahini contains 2.5 mg of iron; a slice of whole wheat bread, 1.5 mg; and in 30 grams of textured soy protein, there's 2.7 mg. In order to improve the absorption of plant iron, coffee should be avoided in proximity to mealtimes, vegetables should be fresh, and legumes should be soaked prior to cooking. (It is advisable to sprout them as well). Animal iron is absorbed more easily; however, this relates to heme-iron, a surplus of which may be harmful to the blood vessels and is even linked to cancerous processes.

The main vegetal sources for Omega 3 are walnuts, flax seeds and chia seeds. They should be part of one's daily diet, since Omega 3 helps to protect the health of the heart and blood vessels, and may also be beneficial to brain function. Intake of Omega 3 in the prenatal stage and during infancy is essential for the brain's development, and therefore it is especially important for pregnant woman to consume Omega 3 during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Most of the fish eaten in Israel are not a reliable source of Omega 3. Reliable sources include only deep-sea fish, which eat microscopic algae that contain Omega 3. Sometimes fish in pools receive Omega 3 supplements, but their food also contains bird droppings, drugs, and various toxins.
Vegetal sources for Omega 3 are healthier and safer. Flax seeds can be purchased cheaply (certainly compared with fish) in grain stands at the market and in health food stores; they should be ground in order to enhance absorption. It isn't necessary to grind chia seeds; their taste is neutral and they can be spread over various foods. However, it isn't recommended to cook them, since their nutritional value is damaged at high temperatures.

No, there isn't any evidence for such a connection. In 2014 rumors were spread in the media about research that supposedly tied veganism to a decline in sperm count; this reporting aroused severe criticism among professionals in the fields of fertility and nutrition. The rumors were based on an examination that included only 5 vegans, compared with 26 vegetarians and 443 meat-eaters. The analysis found a slightly lower sperm count for the vegans -- still within the normal range, however, and far from the minimum level. The findings were presented at a medical convention but have not yet been published in any scientific journal; it is doubtful that they ever would be, considering the small sample size for the vegans, as well as other methodological problems. As an aside, two studies that were published in the leading journal "Nature" found a connection between a plant-based diet and a decline in the risk for impotency. This is not surprising, since impotency has been found to be related to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A vegan diet may assist in preventing and coping with these diseases, and thus indirectly aids in the prevention of fertility problems.

Of course. The four main food groups that comprise a plant-based diet – vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains– are not fattening, and as long as you minimize the amount of oil and sugar added to the cooking, than a plant-based diet is nutritious and low in calories. Fried foods such as French fries and melawach should be avoided, and consumption of high-sugar desserts such as chocolate, waffles, and cakes (especially those with whipped cream) should be reduced. You should also stay away from salty snacks, such as Bisli and Bamba. Be careful of fatty tofu cream cheeses (up to 30% fat). Most of the fattening foods are processed foods, which are unhealthy as well. If you want to lose weight, you should also reduce your consumption of foods such as avocado, tahini, nuts, and almonds, as well as dried fruit. True, these foods have a high nutritional value, the fat in them isn't saturated, and normally they are recommended in a vegan diet; but they have a high caloric value, and therefore in the framework of a diet designed for losing weight, they should be consumed moderately.
It is recommended to consume whole grains (bread, pasta, or pastries from whole wheat, whole rice, and other whole grains), and to give preference to light bread, low-fat soymilk, and low-fat tofu cheese (preferably homemade). Instead of buying a readymade hummus salad, it is advised to make a homemade one, since the readymade kind have a high oil content. It is recommended to start every meal with a big vegetable salad rather than as a side-dish at the end of the meal.

A vegan breakfast can be based, for instance, on a big and diverse vegetable salad, a sandwich, morning cereal or granola with vegetal milk (soymilk, almond milk, etc.). You can also make vegan muesli – fresh-cut fruits, granola and orange juice or soy yogurt (you can find Tnuva's soy yogurt in any big supermarket). Another version of muesli – soy dessert, oat, sliced banana, nuts and raisins. You can also make porridge out of oatmeal.
You can also make a vegan shakshuka from tofu, as well as a scrambled vegan and chickpea flour omelet.
Another more festive option is a vegan pancake.

• Spreads and salads from vegetables and legumes: hummus, tahini, eggplant in tahini, avocado, tapenade (olive spread), dried tomatoes, pesto. In health food stores you can also find "Hamatkon Hasodi" (literally means: the secret recipe) series of spreads.
• Vegan cream cheese, yellow cheese or vegan mayonnaise from tofu.
• Baked or smoked tofu, tofu or seitan-based vegan sausage.
• Sweet spreads: chocolate (parve), jams, peanut butter, almond and nuts spreads.
It is always tastier and cheaper when you prepare the spreads at home. You should, of course, upgrade your sandwich with fresh or roasted vegetables (antipasti).

There is a wide variety of vegan gravies and sauces – here is a partial list:
• Tomato sauce – as in the recipe eggplants in tomato sauce
• Cream gravy (based on soy cream) – as in the recipe penne with asparagus, whine and vegetal cream
• Tahini sauce – as in the recipe – mung and spinach stew in tahini sauce
• Pesto sauce – as in the recipe pesto gnocchi
• Mustard sauce – as in the recipe stuffed artichoke hearts
• Coconut milk sauce - as in the recipe creamed potatoes
• Soy Bolognese gravy – as in the recipe spaghetti "bologniese"

The distinction between a main course and a side dish isn't necessary. In the meat-eater's kitchen it is customary to consider the meat dish as the main portion, accompanied by side dishes of carbohydrates such as white rice or mashed potatoes, which are hardly nutritious or attractive culinarywise. If you remove the meat from the combination, you are left with side dishes that aren't nutritious enough or tasty enough. But in the vegetarian and the vegan kitchen, such a distinction between a main course and side dishes is unnecessary.
A meal composed of a single dish
You can, of course, open with soup, add a salad, and finish with a dessert. Ordinarily, though, you can make dishes that make a whole meal by themselves, such as "skillet meals", using the method of sautéing or stir frying, and get an easy-to-make, quick, diverse, colorful, and tasty vegetal meal. In a slower process, though with just as diverse and tasty a result, you can cook cholent or other cauldron dishes. Pastas with rich gravies can also make a meal in itself.
Meals that are composed of a combination of dishes
In addition, you can make a meal based on a number of dishes, or a combination of dishes and pastries, stuffed vegetables or cutlets, without the hierarchy of a main course and side dishes, as they are all tasty and nutritious. For instance:
• Bulgur and lentils pie, vegetable goulash, stuffed vine leaves
• Spinach cutlets, mujaddara, acra with tomato sauce
• Tomatoes stuffed with tofu, quinoa salad, yellow beans with herbs
A meal composed of a cooked dish on a bed of grains
Seasoned dishes, combining legumes and vegetables, can be served on a bed of grains to make a whole, nutritious and tasty meal. For example:
• Sautéed vegetables with textured soy protein on a bed of rice
• Mung and tahini stew on a bed of buckwheat
• Vegetarian couscous (vegetable and chickpea soup) on a bed of steamed semolina
Meat replacements
You can use vegetal products, similar in shape, texture and taste to familiar animal products. Usually, the nutritional value of the vegetal dish is higher than that of the meat-based dish. For example:
• Cutlets and burgers
• Tofu schnitzel
• Tofu skewers
• Seitan schnitzel

Tivall markets plant-based "minced meat" and even vegetal "chicken breast", Teva Deli markets vegan burgers, and you can find an assortment of vegetal sausages. A number of restaurants, such as Taste of Life, Buddha Burger and the Vegan Shawarma, serve an assortment of plant-based "meat" dishes. Sometimes the substitutes are based on soy, sometimes on seitan (wheat protein), or on lentils, beans, or other legumes. If you don't like one product, it's worth trying another. It is recommended to avoid making a comparison to meat, and just see if it's tasty.
Nutritionally speaking, there is no need for meat substitutes. Culinarily speaking, meat substitutes may be useful, and serve as "training wheels" for beginner vegans and vegetarians. Yet these products do not tend to have a central place in the vegan and vegetarian kitchen, which offers an abundance of tasty and nourishing foods which do not attempt to mimic the taste of meat, as they make a fascinating culinary world in themselves.

Cooking grains and legumes does usually take a while indeed. Yet it is definitely possible to prepare a quick, tasty, nourishing vegan meal. Here are a number of options for fast cooking:
- Rice noodles require only a few minutes of soaking in boiling water, and they are ready. It is recommended to toss them in the skillet with vegetables – onion, strips of carrot and cabbage, sprouts and so forth – with the addition of soy sauce and spices according to taste. Within a few minutes you can get a full-fledged meal.
- If you don't have the time or energy to slice vegetables, you can use frozen vegetables (such as Sunfrost) or even canned (peas, carrots, corn, etc.).
- Couscous or fine bulgur cooks faster than rice.
- Another carbohydrate dish is sweet potatoes or potatoes, brushed with olive oil and cooked in the oven or toaster oven.
- Gnocchi is a sort of pasta made from potato flour. It is sold in vacuum packages half-cooked, and all you need to do is pour the package into boiling water and sieve them out after two to three minutes. It is recommended to eat the gnocchi with pesto (a dressing based on basil), which you can buy or prepare in advance.
- Spaghetti is also relatively fast – approximately 10 minutes in boiling water. You can use a readymade tomato sauce.
- Legumes from cans – beans, chickpeas and others. It is recommended to rinse the preservative liquids before use.
- "Meat substitutes": spicy tofu, seasoned seitan slices. Plant-based "minced meat" – all are nutritious products that you can toss in the frying pan.
- A review of meat replacements and readymade meals

The eggs' role in pastries and cutlets is to hold the mixture together. When the recipes contain just a single egg, you can more often than not just skip it or add two spoons of water, without having the pastry or the cutlet fall apart. In recipes which contain more than one egg, it is recommended to replace the eggs with vegetal substitutes:
• 60 grams of cooked beans mashed in a food processor with a bit of water
• 60 grams of cooked mashed potatoes, mixed with a bit of water
• 60 grams of tofu mashed in a food processor with a bit of water
• 60 grams of peanut butter mixed with a bit of water
• 60 grams of tahini mixed with a bit of water
• A mixture of two spoons of flour, a spoon and a half of oil, half a teaspoon of baking powder and two spoons of water
• Half a banana mashed in a food processor
• A quarter of a cup of apple (or other fruit) sauce
Any of the above mixtures is equivalent to one egg. You should remember that these products also give the recipe taste, and therefore they should be suited to the type of pastry or cutlet – for sweet foods it is recommended to use fruit sauce, and for salty foods all the rest. The mashed tofu and the peanut butter are suited for all food types.
For inexperienced cooks it is recommended not to "veganize" recipes, but plan ahead to use vegan recipes.

In ordinary bread there is no egg; the common dark bread, as well as most bread types (if not all) sold in grocery stores and supermarkets are vegan. In special bakeries there are sometimes a number of breads which aren't vegan or even vegetarian, and therefore when buying in such a shop you should check. Apart from the dark bread (which is vegan as mentioned above), most of the breads in grocery stores and supermarkets are sold in a package, on which the ingredients list appears, so it is easy to check. Pitta bread is vegan and so is ordinary challah (a Jewish braided bread eaten on Sabbath), but sweet challah is usually not vegan – it usually contains egg. Buns are sometimes coated in eggs on top (it is easy to tell), but there are many types of vegan buns that aren't coated in egg. Burek (a filled pastry) is also sometimes coated with egg, and it is easy to distinguish the darker coating in such a case.
Puff pastry, which burek is made of, does not contain egg, so if the filling is vegan, and the dough isn't coated in egg, then the burek is vegan. Baklava (a Middle Eastern sweet pastry), too, which is made from puff pastry or phyllo dough, is a vegan pastry. In bakeries you can find additional vegan pastries – sambusac (another type of filled pastry) filled with potatoes or mushrooms; and every type of bagel; and of course you can make vegan pastries at home as well.

Tofu is a product of soy beans that have been subjected to a process that was developed in China some two thousand years ago. This process consists of creating a mash out of soy beans and removing the fiber until the mash has a creamy consistency. Upon heating this mash, and adding a number of condiments, including sea salt, the mash starts to clot into a chunk. These chunks are sold in stores in vacuum packages as tofu. Tofu is rich in protein and calcium, and low in fat.
Tofu makes an excellent substitute for dairy, meat, and eggs. Dairy-like cheeses, ice creams, and desserts can be made out of tofu. As a meat substitute, you can easily make tofu schnitzels or tofu skewers. And mashed tofu can substitute for eggs in baking (see, for instance, banana and chocolate chip cake or carrot cake).
You can combine mashed tofu in soups (see pumpkin and tofu soup) and use tofu cubes in salads (see lentils and tofu salad) and in cooking (see ptitim with tofu and sweet potato cubes).
It is important to remember that tofu on its own has very little taste and therefore some say that it isn't tasty. In fact, tofu readily takes on the taste of spices and other ingredients with which it has been mixed or cooked, and therefore well prepared tofu products taste great.

Buffet meals are a great solution not only for big events but also for hosting at home. All of the dishes are served on a table (which the guests do not sit around), and every guest approaches the table and loads his or her plate. The advantage is that there isn't a main course, but rather a varied selection of dishes, and everyone can choose what they like. There is also a significant advantage for the hosts: They don't need to stress themselves with serving the food and can hang out with the guests. Here's a suggestion for a buffet-style hosting, which is suitable for every hour of the day (brunch, lunch, or dinner) and for every event.
Opening course:
Sweet potato and coconut milk soup
On the buffet:
Buns with herbs
Greek eggplant salad
Roasted pepper salad
Quinoa salad
Broccoli pie
Stuffed artichoke hearts
Tofu cheese and hyssop pastry
For dessert:
Sewed fruit
Apple pie

Nutritional yeasts are inactive yeasts, which are sold as small flakes or as a powder in health food stores. Nutritional yeasts are rich in B group vitamins, yet not in B12 as was previously thought; they also contain a lot of minerals, such as iron, potassium, zinc, and phosphorus. Nutritional yeasts are also sold as a dietary supplement; however, the supplement is more expensive, and the consumption of nutritional yeasts as food can improve the taste and texture of foods.
Nutritional yeasts have a texture and taste which resembles parmesan cheese, and the best and simplest way to consume them is by spreading them over salads and cooked foods (such as pastas and rice dishes). You can also make a nutritional yeasts spread, which you can apply on bread or use as a gravy. Nutritional yeasts can be used for creaming dishes (such as creamed spinach cannelloni, or creamed kohlrabi slices) and can be added to cutlets and various dishes such as oatmeal burger, although some of the nutritional yeasts' ingredients are ruined by cooking.
The powder and the flakes are used similarly and have the same nutritional value. The powder is more compact: one volume unit of powder equals two volume units of flakes.

Albumin is a water-soluble protein. It is one of the most common proteins in the blood. One type albumin -- lactoalbumin -- is found in milk; another type of albumin -- ovalbumin -- is found in eggs. Ovalbumin constitutes 50% of an egg's proteins. Plants also have albumin in low concentrations, but it is unlikely that albumin would be produced from a vegetal source in the food industries.
When the ingredients list of a food or cosmetics product notes "albumin", it nearly always refers to protein derived from eggs. Sometimes the label says "albomen" (egg whites). There is also albumin which is derived from veal's blood (unlikely to be marketed in Israel because of the laws of kashrut).
Bottom line: albumin is not suitable for vegans.

Gelatin is one of the animal food industry's byproducts. This is a substance which is derived from the bones and skin of cows or from fish bones; outside Israel, pigs' bones are used as well. The bones are thoroughly crushed, and the resulting product is used as a substance which solidifies when cooled. Gelatin is sometimes marketed as E-441 and sometimes as a "stabilizer".
Gelatin is also commonly used in the drug industry. Most capsules marketed in Israel contain gelatin. However, most of the common drugs can be acquired in the form of tablets or syrup, which do not contain gelatin. Certain vitamin producers use vegetal capsules, a fact which is usually highlighted on the package with the writing "suitable for vegetarians" or something similar.
Vegetal substitutes for gelatin in cooking are tapioca and agar agar (which can be found in health food stores) as well as a synthetic vegetal jelly powder. The jelly powder marketed in Israel is, at least in most cases, vegetal and does not contain gelatin or other components from an animal source.

There are events, especially gatherings of family or friends, in which you should contact the host in advance and explain what you eat. It is best to offer to bring a certain dish, vegan of course, large enough for all the guests.
Your family and friends surely wouldn't want you to have nothing to eat. They may simply be unaware of the issue, so it is important to bring it up in advance. When it is impossible to bring food or change the menu (for instance, at a wedding), it is recommended not to show up hungry. It is likely that even in an event such as this, there will be many salads and side dishes, and in many cases the desserts are milk-free for kashrut reasons as well.

For kosher keepers who don't avoid grains and legumes for Passover, there is no problem with keeping kosher for Passover. On the other hand, maintaining a vegan diet is somewhat challenging while avoiding legumes and grains, but it is certainly possible. In such circumstances, potatoes and sweet potatoes, as well as matza and matza flour, can serve as the primary carbohydrate component, while seeds, nuts, and almonds supply the protein and calcium. The various vegetables, fresh and cooked, provide various vitamins and minerals (such as iron) and provide culinary diversity.

A vegan diet isn't necessarily more expensive – in fact, it can be considerably cheaper than a diet based on animal products. Granted, processed plant-based products such as tofu cheese and soy milk are more expensive than their parallel animal product, but you don't have to buy those processed products. The basic vegan ingredients – grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables – are especially cheap, much cheaper than animal products. It should be noted that soy products could be much cheaper than animal products, but they are currently more expensive because they are manufactured on a smaller scale than animal products, they are not subsidized, and in many cases they are exported. However, the more the consumption of vegan products grows, the lower their price will be.
Vegan meals based on grains, legumes and vegetable dishes – such as vegetarian cholent, mujaddara, cooked beans and corn, dal, sautéed vegetables with textured soy flakes - are especially cheap.

In many military kitchens vegetarians can find soy- or corn-based schnitzels, which contain eggs. It is usually hard for vegans to find a satisfactory meal in the average military kitchen, although the situation varies considerably among the different bases. Therefore the military provides vegans with an allowance to purchase their own food.
The vegan recruit should contact the individuals' (tbd) section in the recruiting station, and bring certificates of approval from a nutritionist, a lawyer, and the family doctor, testifying that he or she leads a vegan lifestyle. Recognition can be granted after at least 6 months of veganism. Vegetarian soldiers are exempt from this procedure, unless they want to receive vegan clothing (non-leather shoes and non-wool beret).
When serving in a closed base or in the field, it is advisable to prepare ahead of time and bring supplies of nuts as well as canned legumes such as chickpeas, beans, and cholent.

This depends on the parents' motives for objecting. Perhaps they sincerely fear for your health, and wrongly presume, as many do, that a meatless diet would not satisfy all of your body's needs for the nutritional ingredients necessary for your development. There may be other reasons as well, and it is important to understand what those reasons are. In short: it is time to understand your parents! The article "Mom, Dad, as of today I'm not eating meat!" sums up the problems that may arise in a home where the child has announced the transition to vegetarianism, and provides advice on dealing with such problems. The article "domestic peace around the table" focuses on practical advice for compromise agreements between the parents and the only vegetarian in the house.
If the parents' resistance has arisen on the grounds of nutrition and health, it is important to learn how to eat healthy: eat lots of legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains (whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, whole rice, etc.) in preference to "white" grains. Take vitamin B12 supplements. It is recommended to bring home and show your parents the Clalit health service's vegetarianism booklet and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (ADA) position paper on the subject.
You and your parents can also arrange a counseling meeting with a clinical nutritionist who specializes in veganism.