Author name: Nándor Barta

Thanksgiving 2025 is shaping up to be a holiday of smart choices. Americans will have leaner budgets, yet they still have an unwavering will to spend time with loved ones. While wallets are tightening, Thanksgiving travel bookings are up year over year as Americans are determined to reconnect in person. This holiday is not about doing…

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The post Mindful Choices And Tight Budgets Will Define Thanksgiving 2025 appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Americans overwhelmingly believe that cooking at home equals eating healthy. While home cooking may boost confidence, it doesn’t always translate into better nutrition. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that people who cook daily are more likely to describe their diets as healthy: 29% say their diets are “very healthy” and 58% “somewhat healthy,”…

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The post New Data Shows Americans Confuse Homemade With Healthy appeared first on My Pure Plants.

The United States is experiencing a corn surplus this fall. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects a record 16.8 billion bushels this year, the most since the 1930s. The National Corn Growers Association predicts that this year’s oversupply will likely keep corn prices even lower than they already are. That means slimmer profit margins for farmers,…

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The post Corn Prices May Drop Just As Comfort Food Season Begins appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Chipotle Mexican Grill prides itself on using real ingredients to create Mexican food, and its menu includes a range of vegan and vegetarian options. Since 2014 when Chipotle introduced Sofritas as its first vegan protein option, it added more vegan items to its menu to the delight of the vegan community. But are vegans still…

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If you are new to the vegan diet and want simple, budget-friendly meals without stocking up your pantry to the brim, this one-trip vegan grocery list covers five easy dinners for two that will likely cost around $35. I chose five of my recipes that use overlapping basics like rice, beans, lentils, canned tomatoes, potatoes, onions,…

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The post Vegan Grocery List: 5 Meals for $35 in One Shopping Trip appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Building a strong foundation in vegan cooking opens up incredible possibilities in the kitchen. Plant-based cooking techniques require specific skills and knowledge to create delicious, satisfying meals. I’ve found that mastering a few key principles makes the transition to vegan cooking smooth and rewarding. New cooks often rely too heavily on processed meat substitutes instead…

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The post 5 Common Vegan Cooking Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) appeared first on My Pure Plants.

The secret to creating deep, rich flavor in vegan stew lies in combining umami-packed ingredients with specific cooking methods. I find that dried porcini and shiitake mushrooms, paired with slow-cooked caramelized onions and fermented miso paste, create a base that’s incredibly satisfying and rivals any traditional meat stew. Start by sautéing aromatics until they reach…

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The post How to Build a Flavorful Vegan Stew (Even Without Meat or Stock) appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Jackfruit stands out as nature’s largest tree fruit and serves as an excellent plant-based meat substitute. This impressive fruit, native to southern India and Malaysia, features stringy, meat-like fibers that soak up seasonings perfectly. I’ve found it makes an outstanding replacement for pulled pork, chicken, and other meat dishes, offering better value and environmental benefits…

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The post What’s Jackfruit? How to Use It in Vegan “Meat” Dishes appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Nutritional yeast transforms everyday cooking with its savory, cheese-like flavor and impressive nutritional profile. This deactivated form of Saccharomyces cerevisiae packs a powerful punch of complete protein, B vitamins (including B12), zinc, and selenium. I find it especially valuable in plant-based diets since it’s naturally low in sodium and gluten-free. The golden flakes come in…

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The post How to Use Nutritional Yeast in Everyday Vegan Cooking appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Quick vegan meals require minimal effort and time with the right approach. Setting aside 15 minutes for meal planning helps maintain a steady plant-based diet, saves money, and minimizes waste. Success depends on having proper equipment, key ingredients, and a clear plan ready to go. A food processor, quality knife, and instant pot serve as…

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The post How to Create a 15-Minute Vegan Meal Plan (with Template) appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Plant-based meat substitutes offer countless protein-rich options to replace traditional meat dishes. I can transform any recipe using alternatives like tofu, tempeh, and seitan. These ingredients match meat’s nutrition while creating appealing textures and bold flavors in your favorite dishes. Natural meat alternatives exist all around us. Portobello mushrooms give that rich, savory taste you…

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The post 21 Most Popular Vegan Meat Substitutes appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Plant-based bacon alternatives deliver the smoky, savory flavors you crave without animal products. Multiple options exist – from protein-packed tempeh and seitan to innovative choices like rice paper and coconut flakes. Each substitute offers distinct characteristics and nutritional advantages while capturing that classic bacon experience. Creating authentic bacon flavor starts with a foundational marinade. I…

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The post 12 Most Popular Vegan Bacon Substitutes appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Let’s start with something real! Switching to a vegan diet requires a fundamental shift in your eating habits. Cutting out all animal-derived products can be very hard. There, I said it. A diet that centers on vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds should not be hard but in the world of convenience and endless…

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The post How to Start a Vegan Diet? 9 Honest Truths appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Rice paper wrappers make up the foundation of spring rolls. From pure rice flour-based sheets to rice and tapioca starch blends, Vietnamese companies offer different circular and square sheets to buy in the United States. Cathay and Three Ladies are the most popular choices, but they are not the only ones you can find in…

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The post 5 Vietnamese Rice Paper Brands You Should Buy appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Plant-based proteins transform vegan spring rolls into satisfying, nutrient-rich meals. Each option – from tofu and tempeh to innovative substitutes like jackfruit chicken and vegan shrimp – adds distinct textures and flavors to these handheld treats. Tofu Firm or extra-firm tofu makes an excellent protein filling for spring rolls, offering an adaptable base that absorbs…

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The post 9 Delicious Protein Ideas for Vegan Spring Rolls appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Spring rolls and egg rolls are different. Egg rolls as a Chinese-American dish that adapted traditional Chinese methods for a new audience. While Asian spring rolls have seven types, all with its unique characteristics. If you know what are they, you can easily differentiate between them. Origin & Cuisine Spring rolls trace back to ancient…

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The post 5 Differences – Spring Rolls vs Egg Rolls appeared first on My Pure Plants.

The classic filling of Chinese spring rolls includes shredded cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and sometimes bamboo shoots. However, Vietnamese spring rolls has usually lettuce, herbs, carrots and cucumbers. But getting creative is the best part. You can mix and match endless combinations while staying true to traditional spring roll elements if you want to. The everchanging combination…

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The post 10 Best Vegetables for Spring Rolls appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Vietnamese cuisine features unique ingredients that add authentic character to any dish. From rice paper sheets to pickled daikon and hoisin sauce, these seven ingredients will work brilliantly beyond traditional recipes, creating aromatic flavors and unique textures. Rice paper wrappers Rice paper sheets, known as bánh tráng in Vietnamese, are thin, translucent sheets made from…

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From earthy shiitake and rich porcini mushrooms to versatile eggplant and tofu, there is no shortage of delicious alternatives. Maitake mushrooms come closest in taste and texture, but this guide will walk you through each substitute and show you exactly which lookalikes work best for different recipes and also which ones are the worst alternatives. What are oyster mushrooms? Oyster mushrooms…

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The post Best and Worst Oyster Mushroom Substitutes For Cooking appeared first on My Pure Plants.

The key to exceptional spring rolls lies in julienning vegetables into thin strips approximately 2-3 inches long and ⅛ inch thick. The matchstick-sized pieces makes rolling easier without any danger to break the wrapper. In short, washing, peeling, and cutting are all you need to do for most vegetables. Best Vegetables for Spring Rolls Talking…

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The post How to Prepare Veggies for Spring Rolls in 4 Steps appeared first on My Pure Plants.

Oyster mushrooms are one of the most popular mushrooms out there. However, there are over 200 varieties. Are you curious about which type is best for cooking? This guide highlights seven that are the easiest to buy and cook with. Oyster mushrooms can be cooked 11 ways such as sautéed, stir-fried, roasted, grilled, or even…

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