Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [104]
As a Certified Holistic Health Counselor, I meet with Americans from every walk of life and background. Their health concerns usually stem from being overfed and undernourished. They get plenty of calories and plenty of carbohydrates, protein, and fats, but their diets are totally lacking in simple, energizing, living foods also known as “functional foods.” Don’t make that same mistake. As you begin planning your vegan menus, be sure to include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. These whole foods will collectively contribute the nutrients necessary for a healthy body. Also be sure to share delicious, healthy foods on a regular basis to ensure that your friends and family enjoy the vegan bounty and see how wonderful vegan eating can be.
The best ways to encourage a varied diet of fruits and vegetables are very simple: Maintain your vegan diet and stay away from junk food. Eating a vegan diet automatically increases your intake of plant foods, and serving simply prepared veggies and raw fruit at home is a delicious alternative to labor-intensive menus. Who doesn’t love some simple carrot sticks, steamed broccoli, lightly dressed salad greens, or baked sweet potatoes? Well, many people. But as you share more fresh fruits and vegetables with the people you love, their taste buds will start to love them. The less junk food you eat, the more you appreciate natural foods. And avoiding the fast-food and processed chemical-filled junk food is easy, because most of it isn’t vegan. Keeping the junk out of the house and only offering fresh, whole foods will ensure consumption of a wider variety of healthy foods.
When healthy food is the only option
My client D.G. decided to stop offering junk food to her teenaged son’s friends when they came over to play video games. Instead she put a big bowl of apples, bananas, and oranges on the table. When the boys said they were hungry, she simply said: “Eat an apple.” They did. All of them! When she saw how well that was working, she decided to go one step further. When the boys decided to stay over for dinner, she made a big pot of pasta, simple tomato sauce, whole-grain garlic toast, and a huge plate of steamed broccoli. They ate it all. Copy this example of sharing simple, vegan foods with friends and family in a non-confrontational manner, and everyone will benefit.
Here are some great ways to ensure variety in your diet and spread the vegan love:
Get away from boring (and boiled) vegetables and fruits: To get out of the rut, try the following alternatives: Eat green salads with fruit; leave bowls of dried fruit around the house instead of candy; and serve raw veggies with Tofu Sour Cream (see Chapter 13) or your favorite vegan salad dressing. Offering healthy, delicious snacks to people will help them understand why you love this diet.
Roast ’em if you got ’em: Roasted veggies taste delicious and keep well for a few days. Try tossing 1-inch cubes of carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, parsnips, sweet winter squashes, and halved Brussels sprouts with just enough organic olive oil to coat and a pinch of salt. Place the veggies in a glass baking dish or on a cookie sheet in a 375 degree oven and roast for 30–45 minutes, stirring once. These roasted veggies make a great side dish for leftovers and lunches.
Visit your local farmer’s market: Pick up a new fruit or veggie each week to expand your repertoire. Ask the farmer for an easy recipe or for his favorite way to cook this new produce. Though keep in mind that seasonal produce is picked at the peak of its flavor, so often it doesn’t need much preparation to taste good. Take your family or roommates with you to