Although this blog affords me the opportunity to share with you some recipes, products, and general information on nutrition, which promotes a natural and balanced lifestyle, I want to note that this should not be your only source to finding better nutrition. I hope it motivates you to want to learn more about what's really in your food and what you actually want to put in your body to live a long, healthy life. I plan to provide articles, documentaries, and books for additional information on the different topics discussed in my posts.
This is the "new food pyramid" for a plant-based diet. I found it pretty informative and well laid out. The author, Julieanna Hever is a plant-based dietitian who wrote a wonderful book called, "Plant-based Nutrition." You'll probably see me referring to it often.
Now, let's take a look at general misconceptions and the adventures of cooking with whole, plant-based foods. Most people look at you when you say you are vegetarian, vegan, or on a plant-based diet and think you literally eat grass or salads all day. Unfortunately for them, they are so wrong and there is a whole world of delicious foods and recipes just waiting for you to make them your new staples.
These photos are the faces of a plant-based diet. Doesn't look to shabby does right? In fact, I would assume most people think of the picture of spinach below as all you can eat.
Luckily for you that is not the case. Let's first take a gander at what a plant-based diet is and isn't. A PBD can be as much work as you want it to be. If you are cooking inept (like I used to be .. well kind of still am), that's ok. Start out simple with making lots of green shakes, basic sandwiches, soups, salads, cut up fresh fruit, veggies with hummus, stir frys, pastas, etc. If you want to be a PBD connoisseur ... well you are probably looking at the wrong blog then, but we are trying to get there! Eating a PBD is also not an excuse to become a junkfood vegan. What? Is that a sigh I just heard? Yes, I gave one too. However, we are trying to give our body everything it needs to function at its best and live a long, hopefully disease-free life. So instead of whining about missing out on all the added animal products, fats, oils, and sugars, let's figure out some delicious things to make in our kitchens to satisfy our tastebuds! Because believe me, I do not plan to live without dessert, salsa, or queso!
A new way of cooking for a PBD: I plan to explore this topic more in-depth in a later blog, but for now let's look at the basics of cooking with whole, plant-based foods.
Eggs - are easily substituted in recipes by whisking 1 tbsp of ground flax seed (or chia seed) and 3 tbsp of water per 1 egg. These seeds also add a great dose of Omega-3 and some much needed fiber!
Dairy milk - can be replaced by your favorite plant-based milk: almond, soy, rice, hemp, or coconut. Which is great because it is fortified with B12. If you get creative, you can make your own plant-based milk at home!
White Flour - is a refined substance that has been stripped of its amazing nutrients. Instead look for whole grain flour, whole wheat flour, brown rice flours, oat flours, etc. These all have their "whole grain" compounds still intact.
Oil - when baking you can substitute oil for applesauce on a one-for-one basis. You can stir-fry or sauté without any oil by simply heating the pan before adding the food. You can also add a tablespoon or more of water or vegetable broth to prevent sticking.
*We'll look deeper at the harmful effects of vegetable oil during another post.
Sugar - this can be as easy or tricky as you want it to be. I stick to recipes where they do not call for sugar, but instead date paste*, dried fruits, bananas, and applesauce to name a few. But if I do need an added sweetener, I like molasses, pure maple syrup, and stevia. Stevia comes from a leaf and has been around for thousands of years, has no bad side effects, and is zero calories.
*Date paste is the ultimate sweetener. It can replace sugars in baking and add a sweet flavor to dressings, smoothies, and sauces. To make it, you simply let dates soak in water for several hours to soften (add only enough water to cover the dates). When they appear flaky, pour out some of the water and blend with the remaining liquid for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.
Cheese - I have started looking for recipes that do not call for cheese because obtaining a vegan cheese is as undelightful as it sounds. Any packaged soy or rice cheese is going to be heavily processed and often still includes the same dairy ingredients anyway. So I like to make cheesy textures using nutritional yeast as described below in the following recipes, or making a nut cheese from scratch. However, please note I have yet to make my own nut cheese, I have only had it at vegan restaurants where it was delicious. I look forward to coming up with some recipes and trying it with you!
*For me, this was one of the most difficult "foods" to give up because it is actually addicting. Studies show that when you consume the dairy protein, casein, it converts into casomorphins which are nature's way to getting an infant to return to breast milk. Cheese has a very concentrated amount of casein and due to this powerful protein, it is literally like a drug addiction. Doctors have used naloxone, an opiate blocker medication that is used to counteract heroin and morphine, to cut cravings for cheese and similar addicting foods like sugar. They say if you cut out dairy, it takes three weeks for the cravings to stop.
Meat substitutes - I first want to say, that I am not a fan of any commercially packaged meat substitutes. They are heavily processed lumps of soy that are not a good foundation of a PBD. Instead, I do like tofu (since it is minimally processed and comes from a fermenting method that has been around forever). But, we will discuss the dilemmas of soy products at another time. As meat substitutions go, it is simple to make your own black bean burgers, your own "meatballs", your own faux meat without having to resort to processed substitutes. However, aside from bean burgers and using tofu occasionally, this is not my forte because I have been a vegetarian for so long that meat textures never mattered to me. If you are desiring meat-like things, I encourage you to venture out of the box and do some research on more DIY plant-based faux options.
*You can find a quick list of go-to alternatives if you are having a craving at this site - http://www.oprah.com/health/Kathy-Frestons-Vegan-Alternatives
*Although, I prefer making any faux animal products from scratch so whole ingredients are used and they are less processed ... but I have had some very yummy almond-based ice creams!
So when you are eating in or out you should primarily be focused on obtaining the staples of your diet (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds) with as minimal processed items as possible. But with that all said, it is alright to have the occasional food with added oil or sugar like vegan birthday cake, that pesky vegan donut you are craving, or Amy's brand vegan items like her mac n' cheese. If you are eating a product with such added ingredients or sometimes cooking with them, it is best to use coconut oil or grapeseed oil and maple syrup, honey, molasses, brown rice syrup, and stevia because they are slightly more healthy and less processed compared to very refined vegetable oils and white sugars. However, as a cautionary note, it is all too easy to fall into a junkfood vegan realm and lose sight of the reasoning behind maintaining a plant-based diet. It is also just as easy to do a little research and get creative in the kitchen to make whatever you are craving with whole, plant-based foods!
Also, keep in mind that you do not have to limit or label yourself. Your cooking options are endless.
PBD Recipes
"Cheesy" Cauliflower
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower (medium head serves 2)
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
Preheat oven to 400F.
Cut up cauliflower into florets on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 20-25 min (until golden brown edges). Remove from the oven and sprinkle with nutritional yeast flakes. Serve warm.
*The nutritional yeast flakes provide a cheesy, nutty texture to the subtle sweet flavors of roasted cauliflower. You can also try this with broccoli or other roasted veggies.
*Note that nutritional yeast may be available at your major supermarket, but if not, any natural grocer will carry it, often in the bulk section.
Lentil Beans & Rice Casserole
Ingredients:
1 medium onion (yellow or white)
1 uncooked cup brown rice
1 cup dried lentils (green, red, or whatever color you prefer)
1 cup cut up spinach (or your favorite leafy veg like kale or collard greens)
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 can diced tomatoes (or whole can if you really like tomatoes, which I do!)
1 tbsp fresh chopped or 1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp fresh chopped or 1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp fresh chopped or dried oregano
4 cups vegetable broth (low-sodium if available)
Preheat oven to 350F.
Chop the onion and herbs. In a large casserole dish, combine all the ingredients and stir gently. Bake covered for 90 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes to prevent sticking. Baked until bubblng and browned. Serve warm.
*You can also add corn and other vegetables like carrots and zucchini.
*During the last 30 minutes, you may have to bake it for an extra 10-15 min, look for the browning and bubbles to verify it's done.
Enjoy the recipes and benefits of plant-based nutrition! If you find yourself in a jam and out of ideas, remember that a plant-based diet is one of the simplest ways to eat. Fresh fruits and vegetables require no cooking, soup, salad, sandwiches, wraps, side of rice, cous cous, quinoa, etc. are all pretty easy and harmless on your time and budget. It requires no calorie counting and virtually no guilt (unless you get into a giant bag of dried mangoes ... oops). In the next blog we will look at protein: myth or magic, and later next week I'll provide you with some PBD starter-kit ideas.
Happy Thoughts from Your Healthy Herbivore,
S
"To make a change, you have to lean into it. When I decided to become a vegan, I did it gradually: one thing at a time over the course of a few years. If I had pushed myself to stop eating all animal products at once, I might have given up." - Kathy Freston, Wellness Expert and Author of Veganist.
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