What Vegans Eat – Day 1593

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First Meal: We woke up this morning at the Hampton Inn. Yesterday had been a long travel day by train followed by a fun evening out. Today is Jared and Jennie’s wedding at the Cristman Barn. It was a little slow getting started. As Gary slept in, I went downstairs to check out the “complementary breakfast”. This is a followup to the article I wrote eight years ago called Dear Hilton Hotels, No such thing as a free breakfast…. Yesterday when we checked in one of the staff people behind the desk appeared very upbeat and excited when she told us about the new, updated breakfast items, like the smoothies. I couldn’t wait to see what that was all about.

 
The waffle machine was there, with a sugary, refined flour batter, sugary syrups and ooh, la, la,
Reddi Wip whipped Light Cream made with Nonfat Milk, Cream, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Whey, Inulin (Chicory Extract), Food Starch-Modified, Sodium Casinate, Mono- and Diglycerides, Carrageenan, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Polysorbate 80. Propellant: Nitrous Oxide. There’s nothing healthy in this can of whipped poison but the guests were lapping it up. No plus points for these offerings in my tally, just demerits.
 
Healthy milk options? No! There were two choices of cow milk, skim and 2% and no plant milks in sight. Next to the milks were the topping for the Oatmeal. They were all running low, a nut blend, brown sugar and dried fruit. The dried fruit was coated with oil and sugar and who knows what else. A few more demerits.

 
Then we had fresh fruit. I usually go for this. There were grapes, mixed with melons and pineapple. I scooped out what remained, one small bowl. The smoothies the staff person was boasting about came premixed with dairy yogurt. More demerits. Note the sign, Happy Breakfast Starts Here. I was not happy with this breakfast. I can assure you that the tortured cows who provide the milk for the yogurt were not happy either. They had been artificially inseminated (raped), separated from their babies and milked incessantly to make the Chobani Yogurt in the smoothies. In addition to the cruelty to cows, the acid whey produced in making Greek Yogurt is an environmental disaster. Researchers are trying to find uses for this waste product. In my opinion, it’s best not to make it in the first place.

 
Then there were the chafing dishes of Eggs and Bacon. No happiness here. Chickens and Pigs raised for eggs and bacon lead a miserable existence and contribute to a polluted environment. There were many large guests filling their plates. Were they happy? I couldn’t tell. Is increased risk of chronic disease, like diabetes, heart disease and cancer something to be happy about? Is painful arthritis in your joints something that brings you joy? Eat eggs and bacon increase risk of chronic disease, and reduce longevity and quality of life. I want to put up a sign that says, Where’s the Happiness?

 
All the same jellies I have complained about before were there to schmear on the refined white flour breads and muffins.

 
I loved this sign! There were two people working hard in the breakfast area and when one had a moment I questioned her, saying I had dietary needs. “Is the oatmeal made with water, not milk?” “Yes,” she said. “It wouldn’t be organic, by chance?” I asked. “Oh, no,” she replied. And I mumbled something like, “you know there is a lot of cancer-causing glyphosate residue in conventional oats.” I also asked about the smoothies and juices. She brought me out the bottle for the green juice. It was a V8 juice made with:
VEGETABLE JUICE (FILTERED WATER AND CONCENTRATED JUICES OF YELLOW CARROTS, SPINACH), FRUIT JUICE (FILTERED WATER AND CONCENTRATED JUICES OF APPLES, PINEAPPLES), FILTERED WATER, DEHYDRATED SPINACH, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVORING, CUCUMBER JUICE CONCENTRATE , CELERY JUICE CONCENTRATE , KALE JUICE, ROMAINE LETTUCE JUICE, GREEN PEPPER JUICE, VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID), SPINACH PUREE (SPINACH, WATER), HUITO JUICE CONCENTRATE (FOR COLOR), WATERMELON JUICE CONCENTRATE (FOR COLOR), BETA CAROTENE. It was probably the best thing offered but I winced at the “natural flavoring” knowing that natural flavors are no where near natural and can contain just about anything!

 
I went for the Cancer-causing, glyphosate-rich Oatmeal. There was very little left inside and I had to scrape the bottom. I put a few thick plops in two small bowls.

 
I brought the two bowls of Oatmeal upstairs with the fruit and set them down. I took a spoonful of Oatmeal and a spoon of fruit and spit them both out. We’ll be skipping breakfast this morning. The Happy Breakfast was no where to be found.

 
Now some would say that I should not complain about a free breakfast. My response is layered. First, it is not free. The cost of serving breakfast is included in all the costs of running a hotel when decided on the price to charge per room. We are paying for the breakfast whether we eat it or not. I should get a discount for not eating the breakfast, because it’s a breakfast that does not make me happy. But it’s attractive to many folks, especially families who like “free” breakfasts where one can choose what they want and take as much as they want. Many Americans unfortunately have been manipulated by corporate America into thinking these foods are good to eat, maybe healthy even, when all they do is make us fat and sick.
 
Once again, I will reach out to Hilton with these comments, requesting that they do something extraordinary and take the lead in offering delicious, healthy options, instead of disease-causing industrial products I can’t even call food.
 
After breakfast we went to the wedding. We rented a car and drove to Ilion. It was a wonderful day filled with love, music, poetry, family, good food and cupcakes. The Cristman Barn is a beautiful place! I was wrapped up in the days festivities and didn’t take any food photos. Vegetarian and vegan food was served. The vegan food was Mediterranean-style: Hummus, Babaganous, Olives, two Salads, Seasoned Rice and Vegetable Kabobs. There were other dishes too, Pasta with Marinara, Lasagna and Potatoes. Jared’s mom made a gazillion cupcakes and Gary and I brought a dozen vegan/gluten-free ones from Erin McKenna’s Bakery. It was a bit stressful when I wanted to ice them because the frosting was stiff and very cold. It took some time and Gary beating them into a frenzy to make them spreadable but it all worked out in the end and they disappeared.
 
 

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