Veganist_ Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World - Kathy Freston [89]
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Tip: You may need a few weeks or a few months between each step; you will most likely know when it’s time to push yourself to let go of another animal in your diet.
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After you’ve found your footing and gotten used to one fewer animal in your meal plans, take out another. If you decide to give up red meat next, try chili with beans rather than chili con carne; instead of tacos with ground beef, try them with Smart Ground meatless crumbles. Gardein makes a great product called Beefless Tips, in the frozen section, that you can use to make dishes like beef stew and beef stroganoff, and they’re great for stir-frys as well. Trader Joe’s also makes fantastic meatballs that you can put into spaghetti or on a sandwich. They can be found in the freezer section of your local market. There are meat-free cold cuts, which make great sandwiches, and even kids don’t seem to notice the difference. And you can do just about anything with tofu or seitan, too, so experiment with your traditional recipes by simply replacing the meat with a veg protein.
2. Instead of pork bacon or sausage, discover all the wonderful veggie versions. They vary in taste and texture, so keep experimenting with brands until you find the ones you like the most. One of my favorite weekend meals is scrambled tofu with onions and sun-dried tomatoes, with veggie bacon on the side. It fulfills my traditional longing for a hearty “scramble” on a lazy weekend day without all the fuss.
3. Substitute tempeh, which is cultured soy, for tuna fish. Tempeh is high in protein and fiber, low in fat and can be mixed with vegan mayo and relish, with some nori (seaweed) crumbled in for a great tunalike salad to spread on crackers or fold into a sandwich.
4. Take weekend jaunts to the health food store and farmers’ market so you can pick out new foods to get excited about. Try tamari-roasted almonds or dried apples or hummus; find ripe avocados and mangos and radishes to put in your salad. Pick up a spaghetti squash and see how delicious and easy it is to make (just bake it in the oven with some olive oil, and then shred it for a hearty side dish or add tomato sauce, to make another version of pasta!).
5. And while you’re at it, try eating only natural sugars like stevia or brown rice syrup instead of the ones that will fatigue you and cause you to gain weight. Opt for sparkling water with a squeeze of lime or a bit of pomegranate juice rather than sugary sodas or juices (fruit juices spike your blood sugar and send you on an insulin roller coaster, even though the sugar is natural). Choose healthy treats made with whole grains and good quality sweeteners rather than the stuff that will get the old “addict” in you going. For instance, I switched to flax crackers with almond butter and agave nectar drizzled on top from cookies or pastries. Making changes like these can inspire you to get healthy all around, and I encourage you to find where your weak spots are and fill them in with healthier alternatives. (My book The Quantum Wellness Cleanse is a good way to begin this process.)
6. Let go of eating eggs, too. There are far better (delicious, nutritious, and cruelty-free) alternatives readily available. For baking, use Ener-G egg replacer (a blend of tapioca starch, xanthan gum, and other natural ingredients) or, for each egg called for, just blend 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons water and microwave for 10 seconds. You will discover a whole world of vegan treats once you start looking for them!
7. For soups and sauces, there are wonderful vegetarian broths to replace chicken or beef broth.
8. Discover nondairy milks and cheeses. Dairy was the last thing I gave up, and it was the thing that I loved the most (until I learned all about the dairy cattle industry!). The hardest