I never knew what the word “gluten-free” meant until the summer of 2017. My mother took my sisters and me to the hospital for an allergy test, which concluded that I was in fact gluten intolerant. After the doctor explained that I couldn’t eat anything made with flour – i.e. bread, noodles, and pizza – my world just about collapsed in on itself. As a child, I ate everything, especially food made with flour. I was known as a “面肚子 miàn dǔ zi” by my family, which means a “noddle stomach.” That summer, we went to Canada, where grocery stores and restaurants had gluten-free sections and menus. There were gluten-free labels on various snacks, and I had gluten-free pizza. And it was at this point that I thought to myself, “Hey, maybe a gluten-free diet won’t be so bad!”

But when I came back to China, my world turned upside-down once again. No stores had gluten-free foods, waiters looked at me in utter confusion when I asked them for a gluten-free menu, largely because most of them didn’t even know what the word meant! I suffered terrible allergic reactions a few times due to hidden gluten in processed foods, or because restaurants claimed that the dish was gluten-free when it clearly wasn’t. Needless to say, it wasn’t pleasant, as my face turned into a red tomato and my swollen eyes and throat were itchier than a deadly mosquito bite. Thus, I began to research what a gluten-free diet entailed, such as the foods I could and couldn’t eat. I realized it’s not just wheat that I couldn’t eat, but also rye and spelt. All of which led me to discover not only the power of research but also Taobao. Unfortunately, however, gluten-free things aren’t cheap.

Thankfully, I live right next to Jenny Wang Grocery, and the owner – Jenny Wang herself – lives in my compound. I approached her with a plan, which was to import gluten-free products into her store. I mentioned that gluten-free products would attract more international customers as we live in a pretty international city. A month later, she approached me saying that the gluten-free products were a hit!

Now, as I mark nearly four years of a gluten-free life, I would like to share something special that has made my gluten-free time sweet and enjoyable. Of course, there is still a lot more to share about my gluten-free journey and healthy approach to life, but enough about that, because here is the moment you’ve all been waiting for: The recipe for a healthy version of brownies! It’s one of my favorite healthy recipes that I’ve experimented with – sweet potato brownies! I’ve made it so many times that it’s basically my go-to healthy baked good! My whole family loves it, as the sweetness from the sweet potato harmonizes perfectly with the bitterness of the cocoa powder. It is also full of fiber and perfect for chocolate lovers who want something healthy.

SWEET POTATO BROWNIES
Start to finish: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings:

300 – 400 grams sweet potatoes
1 egg
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup milk

1. Steam the sweet potatoes for 20-30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius when your sweet potatoes are done steaming.
3. Mash the sweet potatoes with a fork or mashing utensil while hot.
4. Add the egg, the cocoa powder, and the milk. Mix it well until everything is the same color and you get a nice, smooth consistency.
5. If your batter is too dry, add more milk. If your batter is too wet, add more sweet potatoes or bananas.
6. Please see my previous note under the ingredients list!
7. Add the baking powder and mix it very well. You don’t want lumps of baking powder chunked together, as that won’t taste good, and it won’t function properly. You have to act fast here!
8. Grease your baking mold with some oil and pour in your batter. Let the air out by lightly dropping your mold/tin on the kitchen counter a few times.
9. Bake immediately!
10. Bake for 40 minutes at the same temperature. Since each oven is slightly different, you may have to bake for a slightly shorter or longer time.
11. Take your brownies out of the oven and let them cool for 30 minutes. For a better taste, I would recommend you put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to a few hours. It is best if you leave them overnight in the fridge!

Enjoy your healthy sweet potato brownies!

Pro tip: you can decorate your brownies however you like! My younger sister loves to add whipped cream, whereas my mother loves to add yogurt. I like them just the way they are, without any toppings.

Notes: Use 300 if your sweet potatoes are the white, glutinous kind or 400 if your sweet potatoes are the red, watery type. For people with a sweet tooth, if you find that the sweet potatoes aren’t sweet enough, you can add a brown banana or any other sugar substitute. But if you do this, you will need to add more milk or cocoa powder, to taste. Every time I bake, the ingredients tend to change, and I always trust myself. Even if it doesn’t work, I try again as failure is the mother of success! Don’t give up! Additionally, for people with dietary restrictions, you can use flaxseed eggs or any other egg substitute. And if you are lactose intolerant, you can use plant-based milk.

I hope you enjoy this healthy alternative to brownies, and remember, a healthy life is a happy life!

Photos of the steps:

Ingredients

Mash the sweet potatoes and add the egg

Mix well!

Baking time

Yum, yum, yum!

Don’t forget to refrigerate your brownies for a better taste and consistency!!!

Keep Reading: Camel, Cow, and Oat: What Do These Things Have in Common?

Images: Helena Zhao

Bubble tea has exploded onto the Beijing food and beverage scene, and if like this great city, this phenomenon has also taken you by storm, you’ll want to know where you can get your bubble fix. 

Originally created in Taiwan in the 1980’s, bubble tea soon spread throughout China and Southeast Asia, and can now be found upon the shores of Western regions. Bubble tea is made using boba tapioca pearls and is synonymous with sweet add-ons like condensed milk and flavored syrups. Tapioca is a type of gluten-free starch that is extracted from the cassava root, but before you go adding this sticky treat to your one-a-day gluten-free healthy snack list, note that you’ll be getting your tea with generous helpings of cream and other sweet goodies!

You may be familiar with the classic spots to partake of a cup of bubble tea—Coco, Gongcha, and Yidiandian. However, new and on trend Internet-famous bubble teas are popping up all over Beijing, some with a 30-minute wait attached to your purchase. I’ve taken the liberty of checking the top five of these Internet-famous drinks and ranked them so that you don’t waste any time in that line. In order to get the most authentic experience, I ordered everything without customization, but you can adjust sugar and ice levels in every place except for The Alley.

Ranked: #5 The White Rabbit Milk Tea, RMB 20

Honestly? This drink disappointed me. The shop is tiny, and so very crowded, there’s also no place to sit down during the 10-minute wait. The amount of tea I got was disappointingly little, and nearly half of the cup was filled with ice. The taste wasn’t impressive, either. The only thing separating this from your average milk tea was that it was slightly creamier and smoother than usual, though that ended up diluting any tea flavor that was left. I could barely taste the white rabbit. If you’re looking for a very mild milk tea, this is the place to go but if you come in search of white rabbit milk tea, you will be sorely disappointed.

Ranked #4: Xicha’s Strawberry Cheezo, RMB 32

The reason that this drink became so popular in the first place is because of its famous “cheese cap”, yet I got much less of a cheese flavor than I expected. The strawberry-ice blend is very refreshing; however, the more I drank, the sweeter it became. I would ask for less sugar next time I order. It was kind of hard to get a sip of both the cheese cap and the strawberry drink. Overall, the drink is pretty good, just not worth the 30-minute wait time and the price.

Ranked #3: Xicha’s Grapefruit Tea, RMB 25

This drink, filled with grapefruit juice and actual slices of grapefruit, was somewhat worth the 30-minute wait. The taste starts sweet, but the more you drink, the more you will get a hit of grapefruit. This drink is the perfect refresher after a day of shopping, and the slightly bitter taste will force you to drink it slowly instead of chugging the whole thing at once.

Ranked #2: The Alley’s Brown Sugar Pearl Milk, RMB 22

Often known as “dirty tea,” this drink gets its name from the beautiful gradient created as the cold milk is poured on top of a pearl and brown sugar mix. The pearls were slightly too chewy, but the sweetness of the brown sugar made them very flavorful. The milk was refreshing and allowed me to finish the whole thing without getting tired of the sweetness. My only problem with this is the price. RMB 22 is a lot of money for a tiny drink. However, the taste and the overall presentation live up to the hype.

Ranked #1: CouCou Hot Pot’s Classic Bubble Tea, RMB 20

Even though a hot pot spot isn’t where you’d expect to find good milk tea, give CouCou a try. A small stall outside of the main hotpot shop sells the tea, and there’s usually not much of a line. The drink itself is creamy and smooth but still retains the aftertaste of oolong. The pearls are a little smaller than usual, but a perfect balance between chewy and soft. This drink is everything you’d want in a milk tea drink, and honestly, RMB 20 for it is pretty good.

Photos: Riley Xiong, Pixabay

Having allergies or food intolerance is not fun wherever you live in the world. Living in Beijing elicits even more challenges: it’s hard to read the words on the packaging and communication with servers in restaurants can be difficult. Gluten intolerance is one of the harder allergies since Beijing is filled with the great noodles and dumplings. International supermarkets sell gluten free products and Chinese supermarkets sell different flours without gluten, but it’s hard to find, and may or not be in the supermarket. I have created this Granola recipe with ingredients bought from my favorite place to shop, the Sanyuanli Market. I have made this granola for months now and know stall 77 at the market is a reliable spot to get the ingredients. This is granola is especially good with some YeYo coconut yogurt, for those that are lactose intolerant.

Ingredients for Gluten Free Granola:

3 cups almond flour

1 cup almond flakes

2 cups coconut segment

1 cup cashews

1\2 cup seeds

1\2 cup coconut oil

1\4 cup honey

1\2 cup cia seeds

1 cup dried cranberry

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients (excluding the cia seeds and dried cranberries) in a big bowl. The coconut oil and  the honey will make the mixture clump together like granola
2. Preheat the oven to 200 Celsuis.
3. Spread the mixture over a baking sheet, making sure the mixture is lumpy.
4. Bake for 3 minutes and mix, bake again for 3 minutes and mix again. Continue this cycle till all the granola is golden brown. Stay with it as its easily burned.
5. Add the cia seeds and dried cranberries into the bowl and add the cooked granola and mix together. Let the granola cool and keep in an air tight container.

The raw granola mixture

The baked Granola mixture

Cooked Granola with added cia seeds and cranberry

Pauline van Hasselt has been working for beijingkids since October 2016. Born in Wassenaar, The Netherlands, she moved with her husband and her 3 year-old daughter to Beijing in June of last year. Prior she lived in the Netherlands, Belgium, Paraguay, Texas, and London, studying and working as a chef. Pauline enjoys biking around Beijing, finding markets and new restaurants, reading crime and fantasy books in bed, and most importantly, turning her house into a home for her family.

TRIBE café on Gongti Dong Lu serves up healthy eats, with an emphasis on nutrition and organic produce; everything on the menu has a glossary of goodness that identifies what’s vegetarian, vegan, sugar free, gluten free, or probiotic. Their latest venture is TRIBE Nutrition, a customized meal-plan delivery service that brings fresh organic meals to your door.

Their suite of meal plans is designed to meet every need; whether you want to bulk up, slim down, or just want to eat healthy but don’t have the time or inclination to cook. There’s even one for kids ages 6-12:  the “Happy Sprouts” meal plan. It’s simple to order; just let TRIBE know which meal plan you want, how many meals you need a day, and where and when to deliver it. Their chefs will cook and deliver your meals to you fresh daily, and your kids can enjoy tasty, nutrient-balanced meals at home or as part of their packed lunch for school.

Our Happy Sprout diner is 7-year-old Madelyn Young, a student at The International Montessori School of Beijing (MSB). From the US, Madelyn has been living in Beijing for two years. Her favorite foods are salami and cold-cuts, and she loves peperoni pizza. Madelyn samples a whole day’s worth of kid’s meals, and the portion sizes are very generous, perfect for growing kids.

Starting with a breakfast dish of savory rice and egg omelet, the rice is nutty and cooked well, the organic eggs full of flavor. The dish is topped off with a tangy and tasty tomato purée. Lunch is chicken Madeira with mushrooms and spaghetti. The chicken is very tender, coated in a tasty mixed mushroom sauce, with spinach. For a re-heated dish, the chicken remains moist and the pasta cooked just right.
Madelyn’s exclamation of “I love this chicken!” says it all.

Dinner is grilled sirloin with roast broccoli and beet whipped potatoes. The sirloin has great flavor, cooked slightly pink, which helps it remain tender after re-heating. The beet potatoes are a wonderfully pink hue. Beetroot is an acquired taste, and unfortunately one that Madelyn hasn’t picked up yet. However, her friend who came to hang out and watch the shoot absolutely loves the beet potatoes and digs in with gusto.

Madelyn samples three snacks; carrot, apple, celery, lime, and ginger juice, roast cauliflower with carrot hummus, and oatmeal cookies served with ginger apple sauce. Celery and ginger are the major flavors that come through in the juice, which may not suit all younger palates. The hummus is quite sharp, rather than being a sweet carrot flavor. The cookies with sauce are a huge hit, and are by far Madelyn’s favorite part of the whole meal.

The dishes are exciting and fun, and the presentation is very good. Some of the flavors will no doubt be new to the younger end of the “Happy Sprouts” age range. Breakfast is RMB 50, lunch RMB 60, dinner RMB 70, or for RMB 180 you receive three meals and three snacks. The food comes in sturdy microwaveable containers with serving instructions, packed into a reusable insulated bag.  Each container details the number of calories, plus grams of carbohydrates, fat, and protein.

Right now, they only deliver to a specified zone around the TRIBE café and their kitchens. A detailed delivery map is on their website. The menu changes every week, and they do repeat some dishes throughout the week.

TRIBE Nutrition
(5900 3088, ask@tribenutrition.com) www.tribenutrition.com

TRIBE
Daily 10.30am-10.30pm. China View Plaza, 1/F, Bdg 3, Gongti Donglu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区工体东路2号中国红街大厦3号楼一层 (8587 1899)
www.tribeorganic.com

This article originally appeared on page 26-27 of the beijingkids September 2015 issue. Click here to read the issue for free on Issuu.com. To find out how you can get your own copy, email distribution@truerun.com.

Photos: Dave’s Studio

In China, eating healthily can sometimes seem like a formidable undertaking for the best of us; the unending slew of food scandals leave many overwhelmed. Then, there are those who have an added layer of complication to their diets, for whom certain foods or food groups are restricted. Dallas Tokash, Ewan MacDougall, and Laura Fanelli tell us what’s on their plates.

Gluten for Punishment – Dallas Tokash defies flour power
Dallas Tokash (US), Student of Chinese Medicine at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM)
Dallas Tokash moved to Beijing in 2010 to study Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Why did you go gluten-free?
I had the symptoms of celiac disease for a long time, but they built up gradually and so I tolerated them. Eventually I found out I had celiac disease because I ate a lot of gluten steaks at vegetarian places, which increased the symptoms that I had gotten used to.

What foods are restricted by your diet?
I avoid all gluten-based flours, which means most breads and many kinds of noodles and pastas are off the menu. In China, I’m lucky in that it’s relatively easy to find oat and rice noodles.

Is it difficult to be gluten-free in China?
I don’t find it difficult at all. Obviously I don’t have the breadth of gluten-free dining choices I would have in the States; I don’t expect to find gluten-free pancakes or flatbreads on the menu. Having lived here for a few years, I know what I can and cannot eat in China. It’s not always possible to find a main dish I like because I am also
vegetarian, which complicates things further.  In that case I usually choose a few sides.

What’s your favorite restaurant to eat out in Beijing and what do you typically order?
My top three picks would be Hatsune, Bellagio, and Frost. I think the most innovative and exciting dish for gluten-free diners in Beijing is Jeff Powell’s gluten-free, vegetarian lasagna at Frost. Instead of pasta, he uses tofu skin between the sauce layers.

Is your diet healthy?
Overall I eat a balanced diet, but without gluten in my diet my body is absorbing nutrients properly, which means it’s easy or me to gain weight now. I’m trying to lose a few kilos and reduce my blood sugar. I aim to eat what nurtures me and not just give into my cravings for mozzarella, jelly beans, and kettle chips. I still indulge in treats occasionally, but only splurge on the best-quality carbs on special occasions – think crème brûlée at Mosto rather than an ice cream sundae at McDonalds.

Do you use supplements?
I use TCM herbs prescribed by a doctor at Beijing Guoyitang clinic, which is attached to BUCM. I’m on a student budget, so they take that into account when designing my treatment. What they prescribe costs about RMB 120 per week.

Do you miss wheat flour? Are there any gluten-free approximations that you recommend?
Overall I don’t really miss bread, except at Assagi when they bring fresh focaccia to the table. I haven’t found gluten-free bread in Beijing, but April Gourmet and Jenny Lou’s both stock Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flours, so you can bake cakes and breads at home. They also stock corn tortillas and chips.

However, gluten-free products from western supermarkets are quite expensive so I suggest shopping at Chinese supermarkets and trying local buckwheat flours, rice flours, and potato starches. You can also mill your own flours in your food processor. Otherwise, I recommend stocking up when you’re overseas; for instance, I bring back gluten-free pasta back from Italy.

Do you cheat and eat restricted foods occasionally?
Having lived in Italy for ten years, it’s inevitable that once every two to three months I crack and go to La Pizza for a margherita. After I eat gluten, I take the herbal formula baohe wan (保和丸). It’s a treatment for gluten intolerance rather than for celiac disease per se, but it helps. I still develop some minor symptoms afterwards, but it’s worth it. I’m on a mission to develop good gluten-free pizza dough, but I think studying medicine is probably an easier pursuit.

Typical Daily Menu:
Breakfast:
Three or four egg cheese omelet
Cup of coffee
Juice
Protein shake

Lunch: Sushi

Dinner:
Hummus
Cheese Salad
Falafel

The Caveman Diet – Ewan MacDougall is pleased to meat you
Ewan MacDougall (US), CrossFit Trainer at Middle Kingdom Fitness
American (despite his Scottish name and UK passport), Ewan MacDougall has lived in Beijing for just under two years. He came here to witness the rise of China from the inside and works as a public servant.

Why did you adopt the Paleo diet?
A sedentary grad student lifestyle combined with a diet high in carbohydrates resulted in a raised cholesterol count and some weight gain.

I ran into an old friend who convinced me that humans were evolutionarily designed to eat meat, and that calorie-dense foods were more satiating and therefore less likely to induce overeating than less calorie-dense foods, particularly carbohydrates.

So I switched to the Paleo diet over a period of three months. Each month, I took a notch off my belt without working out. Even without exercise I can maintain body fat below 10 percent on this diet, whereas with other diets I cannot.

What foods are restricted by your diet?
I eat veggies, meat, nuts, and fruit – in that order.  I try to avoid anything that comes out of a box or can. I don’t eat pasta, bread, rice, cereal, grain, wheat, pizza, white potatoes, processed sugars, beans, legumes, or dairy.

Basically, I eat the foods our earliest ancestors ate when we emerged as a species. These foods are what we are evolutionarily designed to eat for optimal genetic expression – they’ve enabled us to survive and thrive as a species.

Is it difficult to be Paleo in China?
I find it very difficult to stick to the diet here. Trying to explain these dietary restrictions in restaurants usually results in utter confusion. The notion of not eating rice or soy sauce (which contains soy and wheat, both proscribed by the diet) results in waiters who seem genuinely concerned that something is seriously wrong with my eating process.

Paleo people also pay close attention to how their foods were raised and prepared. Many cooking oils and techniques are proscribed. Buying and cooking my own food resolves some of these issues, but not all.

But it’s a fool’s errand to try to eat organic in China because of all the pollutants that seep into the soil and water. There’s often no telling how animals were raised, and these factors can have a huge impact on the nutrition profile of the food that winds up on your plate. Beyond ingredients, there’s no telling what’s in the cooking oils. It’s tough not to be a bit cynical after all the gutter oil scandals.

Is it expensive to follow a strict Paleo diet in Beijing?
In the States I’d buy grass-fed beef – known to have much higher Omega-3 fatty acid content than grain, soy, or corn-fed beef, which is very high in inflammation-inducing omega-6s – for roughly USD 4-6 per pound, including roasts, Delmonico steaks, sirloin, and filet mignon. In Beijing, I have to spend roughly USD 20 per pound; it’s not sustainable.

What’s your favorite restaurant to eat out in Beijing and what do you typically order?
If I’m trying to be strict about diet and eat out – which often don’t go hand-in-hand – I’ve found Frost to be a big winner. Modo has some good salads and Element Fresh is a good, safe bet too.

I’ll order meat and veg and substitute the starchy sides out, though food substitutions are not always possible.

One more reason I like Frost is because they’re almost always accommodating. I cook most of my own food, but when I eat out I enjoy it. I don’t order heaps of jiaozi and baozi, but I’m not a stickler either.

Is your diet healthy?
This diet is nutrient-rich. You’re only eating whole foods and never eating empty calories like French fries or chocolate cake. This is a relatively low-carb, high-fat diet.

Carbs, while they may be recommended on the food pyramid, aren’t necessary for healthy living. I can get sufficient calories from other sources in a safe and healthy way more conducive to low blood sugar and lean body mass – in a way that prevents obesity, diabetes, inflammation, and heart disease.

Do you use supplements?
I use fish oil to maintain the right Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio. Omega-6 fatty acids are found widely in vegetable cooking oils and in grain-fed animals. They are far more abundant today than they were in the days of our earliest ancestors, so supplementing with Omega-3s in fish oil helps keep the ratios in balance. It helps reduce inflammation, which has a host of health benefits for heart, brain, and skin.

Do you miss carbs? Are there any Paleo-friendly approximations that you recommend?
Pasta, pizza, hamburger buns, chocolate cake – those things are delicious. I usually substitute a natural sugar like honey or maple syrup for refined sugar, and almond or coconut flour for wheat flour.

Do you cheat and eat restricted foods occasionally?
I find that it’s easier to just stay on the diet rather than allow myself to cheat here and there. Cheating has a tendency to creep. If you cut out sweet, salty, carby foods, your body and your palate adjust and the cravings go away.

When they return, you’re able to satisfy them with something healthier such as berries and coconut milk with cinnamon, instead of double chocolate devil’s food cake with deep-fried ice cream.

Many of the ingredients in processed foods are designed to overstimulate our palates and keep us craving more. If you cut them out, you’ll be surprised how your body finds a new equilibrium. Return to them, and you’ll be surprised how unhealthy they make you feel.

Typical Daily Menu:
Morning:
Three sweet potato and almond butter-based pancakes.
Fruit and veggie shake made from frozen berries, frozen leafy greens, nuts or nut butter, seasoning and spices, coconut milk, and protein powder.
Sausage and veggie flourless quiche.

Mid-morning:
A few chicken breasts with roasted veggies

Early afternoon:
Usually something from the slow cooker

Late afternoon:
Norwegian salmon plus green veggies

After work:
Protein shake

Post-gym:
Protein shake
Sweet potato

Evening Meal:
A hunk of leg of lamb plus some veggies

Vegan Make It Work – Laura Fanelli ruminates on a plant-based diet
Laura Fanelli (US), Chef and Former Restaurateur
Laura Fanelli first came to Beijing six years ago to do an advanced Mandarin course at Tsinghua University. She has lived here on and off since then. A chef and former restaurateur, she is an active promoter of the organic food movement in China.

Why did you adopt a vegan diet?
I was vegetarian first for about 15 years, for all of the usual reasons – slaughterhouse cruelty, environmental concerns, and health. I realized that by the same logic I should avoid dairy and eggs, so six years ago I did a one-month trial with veganism. I predicted I would feel bored and deprived, but conversely I felt amazing; it just worked for me.

What foods are restricted by your diet?
I avoid all animal parts and by-products – no meat, seafood, dairy products, or eggs. Like most vegans, I also don’t eat honey.

Is it difficult to be vegan in China?
It’s a piece of cake if you speak Chinese, harder if you don’t. It’s almost impossible for vegans who are strict about contamination. I warn servers that if I find meat, I will have to send it back without paying, which generally does the trick.

Qingzhen (清真) or Chinese halal restaurants are especially understanding since staff are familiar with Muslim dietary restrictions. Eating vegan is relatively expensive in western restaurants here. You’re generally charged comparable prices for vegan food as for imported meat.

I will pick the vegetables out of meat dishes if I have to. You don’t get very far being self-righteous in China or anywhere else. Once people discover your preferences, they will generally try to accommodate. Certain people feel that simply by avoiding animal products you are judging their food preferences, so it can be a touchy subject.

What’s your favorite restaurant to eat out in Beijing and what do you typically order?
I like eating at any of the Gulou-area Yunnan restaurants. I order the fried kidney beans, mint salad, spicy mashed potatoes, doumiao (pea shoots), rice noodles, tofu wrapped in lotus leaves, and a mushroom dish or two.

Is your diet healthy?
I eat a wide variety of whole foods and my protein needs are met. Vegetarians and vegans are sometimes grilled about nutrition, but really anyone can end up with vitamin or mineral deficiencies. It’s about eating healthy, no matter what kind of diet you follow. If you eat instant noodles or baozi all day every day, you can’t expect to be healthy whether you’re vegan or an omnivore.

Do you use supplements?
I take vitamin B12 – it is recommended for vegans.

Do you miss animal products? Are there any vegan-friendly approximations that you recommend?
I sometimes miss cheese and eat vegan cheese, but only occasionally because it’s so processed. I love fake jerky for the spices. I cook, so of course egg and dairy-free baked sweets are never an issue. People often tell me that my vegan chocolate cake is better than non-vegan chocolate cake. Lots of vegans miss meat, and there are a few stores that sell mock meat, such as Zheng Long Zhai Vegetarian Goods on Baochao Hutong.

Do you cheat and eat restricted foods occasionally?
I allow myself to have something verboten whenever I want it, which isn’t very often.  Eight years into my vegetarianism, I craved steak so I ate a rib eye.

In 23 years, I have purposefully eaten meat on two occasions. I have no regrets. Some kinds of meat taste OK, but being vegan is not about the taste. I have no taboos with food, and so I don’t feel deprived.

The big picture is what counts; it’s OK to be a plant-eater who sometimes eats cheese on a pizza or has a piece of cake made with eggs if that helps you sustain your diet. I think we need to be forgiving of ourselves.

Typical Daily Menu:
Breakfast:
Black tea with soymilk
Tofu scramble with homemade whole-grain bread

Lunch:
Organic vegetable curry with mixed grains
Fresh-squeezed juice

Dinner:
Vegetable fajitas
Red or white wine

Snacks:
Liangpi (cold noodles with chili, sesame paste and garlic)
Vegan oatmeal cookies
Foccacia and hummus
Mixed nuts

This article originally appeared on page 44-49 of the beijingkids Health Guide 2014. To get your free copy, email distribution@truerun.com or view it online at Issuu.

Photos: Ken & file