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Are vegans healthier than meat eaters?

Our eating habits are a crucial component of our lifestyle. People usually pick their food preferences based on taste, nutritional value, their budget, and their social and moral beliefs.  Vegans tend to justify their diet according to the environmental impact that meat-eating has or the belief that veganism is healthier. Social issues aside, my focus will be on the nutritional aspect of veganism vs omnivorism.   What is a vegan?  A vegan mainly eats plant-based food and omits meat and all animal products e.g milk, cheese, and eggs from their diet.  What is an omnivore?  An omnivore eats an assortment of foods of both plant and animal origin.  Pros of veganism 1. Prevention of certain life-threatening diseases. Statistically, vegans are at less risk of severe diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This is because vegan food contains less saturated fat. 2. Weight loss. This is also due to the fact that less saturated fat is consumed while ...
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HOW TO BAKE THE PERFECT CAKE


You spend a good amount of time preparing your cake batter, you slide it into the hot oven and then wait in anticipation. Your taste buds are eagerly jumping and your mouth is salivating. The wait is finally over, you open the oven door and low and behold...your cake is a catastrophe! You are perplexed and you ponder over what could have gone wrong. You are pained that you have to throw your failed cake away because not even your dogs want to eat it. 


Well, I have solutions. I will give you some tips and tricks you can apply on your next baking adventure so you never have to go through this traumatic event again!


Baking is such a joyous activity. There is nothing more heartwarming to the soul than a homemade cake made with love. However, this culinary art comes with its challenges, there is lots of room for error. Baking is both an art and a science. There are specific criteria that are required to produce a good cake. The temperature, quantities and mixing methods have to be optimal for your composition of ingredients to turn into a cake. 


Here are some key points to bear in mind when baking a cake:


  1. Follow the recipe! Unless you are a baking expert and you are sure your omissions and substitutions will not affect how your cake will turn out, you should follow the recipe strictly. Failure to do so may result in a cake that does not rise or the balance of flavors may be off. 

  2. The ingredients should be at room temperature unless the recipe says otherwise. At room temperature, the ingredients blend together more easily and allow for a more even-textured cake. Take out ingredients stored in the refrigerator 1 hour before baking and let them sit on the kitchen counter.  

  3. Do not over mix your batter. If you do this, it may result in a dense cake. Do the least amount of mixing necessary to create a uniform batter. 

  4. Put the cake dough in the oven as soon as you finish beating the mixture. Don’t let it sit. 

  5. Preheat the oven. In order for fermentation to take place and for your cake mixture to rise, the oven must be hot the moment you put your cake in the oven.   

  6. Make sure your baking pan is greased or lined with parchment paper so that your cake can be easily removed from the tin after baking. 

  7. Do not open the oven door frequently when it is baking. Doing so will cause the temperature in the oven to drop and the cake to flop. If you have to open it, do not open it wide, and if your cake is clearly not ready, close the door quickly. 

  8. After you have baked your cake, place it on a cooling rack. This will prevent the edges from condensing and becoming mushy. 


In conclusion, baking requires a lot of precision and practice, but once you grasp the basic concepts, the process will become easier and you will have less failed cakes. 



 

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