Vegan Lemon Loaf (Gluten-Free)
This vegan lemon loaf (Gluten-free option) is the EASIEST TASTIEST recipe I’ve made. I’m so excited to share this tangy, moist, dense and slightly chewy lemon loaf recipe because IT’S SO GOOD you won’t believe it is actually free from eggs and dairy! It literally takes up less than 5 minutes to whip the batter up. I promise, this is SO GOOD.
Benefits of lemon
1. Improve digestion
For those with weak or insufficient stomach acids due to stress, old-age or other reasons, lemons are a great addition to your diet as it aids digestion, especially after a heavy meal with lots of oil (for example, pizza.) The acid in lemon juice will also help you break down food more efficiently, allowing maximum nutrients to be absorbed and utilised by the body after a meal, while at the same time reducing bloating as food is properly digested. In TCM, yellow foods are also good for the spleen — an important organ which works with stomach to facilitate good digestion, absorption of food nutrients.
2. Increase iron absorption
If you are a vegetarian/vegan, the term ‘iron deficiency‘ may be familiar to you. You should have heard the usual advice from people around to ‘eat more red meat’. However, do you know? Absorption of non-heme iron from dark leafy vegetables can be increased by up to 75% just by pairing them with vitamin C–something that lemon is rich in! So the next time you eat a salad, remember to drizzle these green lovelys with lemon instead. (Read up the full guide of iron-deficiency in plant based diet over here.)
3. Supports liver and immunity
Lemons contain vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, and plant compounds called flavonoids, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Antioxidants help protect the body’s cells from damage by mopping up free radicals created by oxidative stress. By reducing cell damage, antioxidants reduce the risk of many health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, obesity and cancer. Flavonoids also reduce inflammation in the body. These antioxidants and flavonoids in citrus fruits can improve heart health and metabolic health markers, including glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and fat metabolism.
5. Weightloss
According to MedicalNewsToday, in 2016, 84 Korean women with a high body mass index (BMI) followed a lemon diet or another diet for a week. The women who followed the lemon detox diet showed greater improvements in insulin resistance, body fat, BMI, body weight, and waist-hip ratio than those on the other diets.
Recipe details for vegan lemon loaf
You will need:
1. 1 cup almond milk (any plant milk)
2. Vegetable/seed oil such as walnut oil/avocado oil…!
3. 1/2 cup lemon juice
4. 3/4 cup sugar (use coconut sugar if possible)
5. 1 tsp baking soda
6. 2 tsp baking powder
7. 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (use wholemeal flour if possible, or replace with All purpose Gluten Free flour)
8. 1/2 tsp of salt
9. a dash of cinnamon (optional)
Mix everything together and pour into a loaf pan. Preheat your oven to 180C and bake for 45 minutes! That’s all! Very easy right?
This vegan lemon loaf is so soft and dense…SO GOOD you can just eat it on its own. Or you can top it up with some nut butter or seed butter like a bread. Enjoy!!!! Make sure to try this omg it’s literally my thing to whip up on my lazy days when I have literally no mood to make any complicated recipes (do you guys relate), and the taste…absolutely delicious <3.
About the writer
With a dedication to health and a heart for animals, Little Ling Chef is passionate in making cruelty-free, healthy vegan foods.
“Let food by thy medicine, and medicine by thy food.” Healing comes from the inside, I always believe that we have a choice to decide what we put into our bodies, food is to nourish, to energize and to heal. Let’s make your health and the world a better place together <3.