The One Tweak That Will Optimize Your Vegan Diet

Two former vegans, Amy Cramer and Lisa McComsey, explain why they've tweaked their diet in favor of more omega-3s.

Everyone knows the vegan diet is boring, restrictive, and unhealthy ("how do you get your protein?")—and that vegans are pale, Birkenstock-clad treehuggers who sport "Meat is Murder" bumper stickers and proselytize at cocktail parties.

So it was a bit of a shock when we fell in love with veganism. We even wrote a how-to-go-vegan guide and cookbook (The Vegan Cheat Sheet) to share our passion for the plant-based lifestyle. All those preconceived notions about being vegan? Baloney!

We felt fit, healthy, strong, and satiated. And did we mention we had curves?

Several years into our vegan bliss, we had a fall from grace: We were seduced by seafood. Having gone vegan for health reasons, we couldn't ignore that we were missing one important nutrient: the high-quality, essential omega-3 fatty acids you can get only from fish.

It was our dirty little secret for a while. One day, Amy was caught red-handed eating a 2½-pound lobster, and her "friends" (aka the vegan police) tried to post her sin on social media. Lisa was fingered sneaking calamari off the appetizer platter.

Now that we've come out of the closet, we believe a seagan (seafood + vegan) diet is the gold standard of eating. You get a rich variety of nutrients from fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans, and grains—with the added boost of omega-3s from fish. Plus, for those who resist going "whole-hog" vegan, this is a more approachable diet with plenty of options when dining out or at home.

The American Heart Association recommends two to three servings of seafood a week. Stick with sustainably caught varieties that are low in contaminants, such as Pacific wild-caught salmon, North American haddock, Arctic char, domestic crab, and small fish like sardines and anchovies. Look for the "certified sustainable seafood" label when shopping, or ask your fishmonger what's fresh and local.

Frozen, canned, and pouched seafood are excellent choices, too, and are super convenient for last-minute meal prep. Just follow the same guidelines for sustainability and try to find BPA-free cans.

Important note: Pescatarians are vegetarians who eat fish but—unlike seagans—they also consume dairy and often eggs, which we don't consider healthful choices.

Serves 4 for dinner or 8 for appetizers

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. If you don’t have a nonstick baking sheet, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Pulse the tofu, spinach, sherry, and salt in a food processor or with an immersion blender until just blended, or mash together with a fork. Fold in the flaked crabmeat.

3. Lay the tortillas on a flat surface. Spoon ⅓ to ½ cup of the crab mixture into the center of each tortilla. Fold the bottom half of the tortilla up to the center of the mixture. Fold each side into the center. Fold the bottom up to the top to form a square.

4. Place each packet on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until the tortillas begin to crisp.

Makes 4 bowls or 8 cups

Preparation

1. In a blender or food processor, purée the cashews and water until smooth and creamy.

2. In a heavy dry pan, sauté the onion, carrot, and celery over medium heat until the carrot is tender. If the ingredients begin to stick, add water, 2 tablespoons at a time.

Serves 4

Preparation

1. In a small blender or food processor, purée the cashews and ⅓ cup of water until smooth.

2. In a large frying pan, over low heat, combine the cashew cream, marinara sauce, vodka, remaining 2 tablespoons water, and nutritional yeast.

3. Add the halibut steaks to the pan in a single layer, skin-side down, and spoon the sauce over the fish. Cover and cook until the fish is done, around 8 minutes.

Serves 4

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients except the sea salt until blended. Chill the ice-cream mixture overnight in the refrigerator in a small covered bowl.

2. Remove the ice-cream mixture from the refrigerator, beat it with a handheld mixer for 10 minutes, then cover it tightly. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice. Add the sea salt. Nest the covered ice-cream bowl inside the salt-ice bowl so the ice-cream bowl is surrounded by ice.

3. Place the bowls in the freezer for 45 minutes. Remove the cover of the ice-cream bowl and beat the ice cream with a hand mixer for 5 minutes. Return the bowls to the freezer and freeze for several hours or longer.

If you need it now, this version is firm and icy in texture:

1. Fill a gallon-size zip-top bag halfway with ice. Add ½ cup of kosher salt. Place the ice cream in a zip-top bag inside of the ice bag. Seal the ice bag well. To avoid leaking, double-bag the ice bag.

2. Shake and rotate the bag continuously for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the inner bag and check the ice cream for firmness.