Brand New Vegan FAQ
I chose the name “Brand New Vegan” because at the time…”I” was a brand new vegan myself, and wanted a place to share everything I was learning, including a place to store my recipes.
I started BNV following a Plant Based Diet, thinking at the time that’s what ‘vegan’ was all about. The plant based movement had not really started yet, and I simply didn’t know any different. Today, I don’t draw a line between the two. I’m doing this for my health AND the health of our animals friends and our planet.
I’m Chuck Underwood and I grew up on the east side of Indianapolis, Indiana. I’m married and have 4 children and 4 grandchildren. My career path has always found me in Semiconductors, working in Fabs like Texas Instruments and Intel. I just recently retired so I can blog full time. I currently live in the Pacific Northwest.
I mentioned I have always worked in Semiconductors – so my career background has always been High Tech. I am NOT a doctor, dietician, or a certified nutritionist ….. if that is what you are asking. I am however a graduate of T. Colin Campbell’s Plant-Based Nutrition Course from Cornell University, and also have some experience as a certified Emergency First Responder.
I started my BNV blog in November of 2013. I have been blogging full-time since June of 2017.
I love to blog, so just started a brand new blog teaching people how they too can get started blogging. You can find it here at https://brandnewbloggers.com. I also enjoy photography, music (I was a band geek and used to play trombone in my community band), reading (Stephen King is a fav), and watching anything Marvel or SciFi.
Yep, over 22 years this time (and 7 the last time). I have 1 son, 3 step-children, and 4 grandchildren.
I was born in a small town in Kentucky and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. I lived in Texas for 5 years, New Mexico for 10, and over 20 here in Oregon.
I was born in 1962. So old enough.
Food FAQ
I have had a variety of influences. My mom was a true southern gal who was raised in the backwoods of Kentucky. I remember a lot of recipes that her and grandma used to make. I also lived in Texas for 5 years, so I learned to appreciate good Tex-Mex. From Texas, I moved to New Mexico and spent the next 10 years learning to love authentic New Mexican foods, especially their Green and Red Chile. And finally, I ended up here in the Pacific Northwest. So I get my recipe ideas from the comfort foods I have always loved.
I follow a whole food, plant-based diet as recommended by doctors like Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Neil Barnard, and Dr. Dean Ornish. Which means I try to use as many whole foods in my recipes as I can, with very little processed. My recipes are also oil-free.
Easy, my Oven Baked French Fries are extremely popular, and so is my Vegetable Stew, my Cheese Sauce, my Cauliflower Tacos, and my Chili. In fact, my Best Damn Vegan Chili Ever Recipe has won so many Chili Cookoffs - I've lost count.
Oil - no matter which plant it came from (coconut, olive, corn, peanut, etc) is highly processed. It is no longer a 'whole' food, as the majority of nutrients and fiber have been stripped away. All that's left is pretty much pure fat - and at 120 calories per tablespoon, it is THE most calorie dense food we can eat. It's basically empty calories.
I don't personally worry about protein. There is protein in just about everything we eat, including potatoes. As long as you are getting enough calories, rest assured you're getting plenty of protein. There has never been a recorded case of protein deficiency, ever.
I take Vitamin B12. That's it.
I eat foods as close to nature as I can. Real food. Foods my grandmother would recognize. Usually Oatmeal in the morning, with blueberries, a little flax seed, maybe a drizzle of maple syrup. Salads for lunch, sometimes potatoes. And then whatever I fix for dinner. We eat a lot of stir frys, peanut noodles, rice, potatoes, soups, stews, chili, that sort of thing.
I'm not a doctor or dietician or anything, but I figure if millions of Asians have been eating soy products for thousands of years....it can't be all bad. I just make sure I buy organic when possible, and whole food products like miso, tempeh, and tofu. I do NOT eat anything with processed soy proteins or soybean oil in it.
Whichever one you'll listen to. Personally, I follow all of them. They're mostly saying the exact same thing....which is eat plants.
I try to. A good diet is the most important part, but we should all try to move around too if we can. I like to walk and do my DDP Yoga.