For Meat-Eaters Too...

Before I start tracking my six-week vegan challenge on this blog, I wanted to point something out to you all that may not be so obvious. The stories and information that I'll be sharing here aren't just for vegans or vegetarians or people considering one of those diets. If you're a proud and happy meat eater, my vegan blog posts are for you too! Especially if you've been searching for a way to be just a little bit healthier and feel a little bit better, without turning your world upside down or feeling like you are sacrificing all your favorite foods. 

How, you ask? Well, stop looking at it so black-and-white! 



Consider this: Just having one vegetarian/vegan meal per day or one vegetarian/vegan day per week may boost your health.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says, in its position paper on vegetarian diets:

The results of an evidenced-based review showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. Vegetarians also appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than nonvegetarians. Furthermore, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates.

While I doubt I will remain 100% vegan after the six weeks are up, my hope is that I will discover a bunch of vegan foods that I love and can start adding to the rotation of my meals to make my usual diet even healthier than my current diet. You can do this too and reap some of the benefits of eating more fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes and less meat.

3 Ways to Eat Just A Little Less Meat

Meatless Monday is probably one of the better known tools for eating less meat and more fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes. Meatless Monday is a non-profit program that aims to "improve our health, reduce our carbon footprint and lead the world in the race to reduce climate change." Read more about Meatless Monday on their website and in this January 2013 article from Today's Dietitian.

Vegan Before Dinnertime is the strategy that Mark Bittman follows, in which he eats fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes until dinnertime, at which point he pretty much eats whatever he wants. Read more at this February 2009 New York Times article.

Vegetarians with Benefits is what my husband calls our plan. We primarily follow a vegetarian diet that includes dairy, eggs, fish and other seafood but no meat or poultry. Then, once a month, we'll enjoy one meal that includes meat. We usually save it for something special like a dinner out with friends, a big holiday meal or a mad craving for a steak or burger!

Vegan Recipes Even Meat-Eaters Will Love!

So, this post came a bit later than planned as I didn't get to publish it before leaving for a short vacation; however, as promised, I've come prepared with delicious recipes and great resources that I've already found in my prep to become vegan and that I want to share with you.

These are my three favorite vegan recipes so far and they are so delicious even serious carnivores will appreciate them:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes. Monique at Ambitious Kitchen has a recipe for pancakes so yummy even my 10-year old niece approves of them! I add cinnamon & vanilla to mine in the blender, then toasted nuts & chocolate chips while they cook in the pan. When they are all done I top them with a pile of sliced strawberries. Here's a huge list of vegan chocolates from VegNews to help you with this recipe. If you have trouble finding chocolate chips you can always make chocolate shavings from a bar. Aim for dark chocolate (60% cocoa content or higher).

Chickpeas in Spicy Tomato Gravy from Food & Wine. When served over rice, this spicy Indian dish becomes a warm bowl of comfort food to curl up with on these cold winter days. I like to enjoy it with a side salad made from whatever is in my fridge, most recently, bibb lettuce, cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced leeks and lemon juice with a little drizzle of EVOO.

Classic Black Bean & Veggie Chili from Isa Chandra Moskowtiz. My culinary nutritionist friend, Jackie Topol, RD, introduced me to the work of Isa Chandra Moskowitz, whose book, Appetite for Reduction is filled with hearty flavorful vegan recipes (that's not an oxymoron) like the chili I whipped up a batch of just the other day. Here's a version of that recipe, slightly adapted by BistroKatie.com, but you should check out the book and Isa's website, Post Punk Kitchen, to really get the full affect of what this lady can do with fruits, veggies, beans and grains!

When I get back from my little time-out, my husband and I officially go vegan so stay tuned to find out how it goes!

Cheers!,
Diane

Before I start tracking my six-week vegan challenge on this blog, I wanted to point something out to you all that may not be so obvious. The stories and information that I'll be sharing here aren't just for vegans or vegetarians or people considering one of those diets. If you're a proud and happy meat eater, my vegan blog posts are for you too! Especially if you've been searching for a way to be just a little bit healthier and feel a little bit better, without turning your world upside down or feeling like you are sacrificing all your favorite foods. 

How, you ask? Well, stop looking at it so black-and-white! 



Consider this: Just having one vegetarian/vegan meal per day or one vegetarian/vegan day per week may boost your health.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says, in its position paper on vegetarian diets:

The results of an evidenced-based review showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. Vegetarians also appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than nonvegetarians. Furthermore, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates.

While I doubt I will remain 100% vegan after the six weeks are up, my hope is that I will discover a bunch of vegan foods that I love and can start adding to the rotation of my meals to make my usual diet even healthier than my current diet. You can do this too and reap some of the benefits of eating more fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes and less meat.

3 Ways to Eat Just A Little Less Meat

Meatless Monday is probably one of the better known tools for eating less meat and more fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes. Meatless Monday is a non-profit program that aims to "improve our health, reduce our carbon footprint and lead the world in the race to reduce climate change." Read more about Meatless Monday on their website and in this January 2013 article from Today's Dietitian.

Vegan Before Dinnertime is the strategy that Mark Bittman follows, in which he eats fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes until dinnertime, at which point he pretty much eats whatever he wants. Read more at this February 2009 New York Times article.

Vegetarians with Benefits is what my husband calls our plan. We primarily follow a vegetarian diet that includes dairy, eggs, fish and other seafood but no meat or poultry. Then, once a month, we'll enjoy one meal that includes meat. We usually save it for something special like a dinner out with friends, a big holiday meal or a mad craving for a steak or burger!

Vegan Recipes Even Meat-Eaters Will Love!

So, this post came a bit later than planned as I didn't get to publish it before leaving for a short vacation; however, as promised, I've come prepared with delicious recipes and great resources that I've already found in my prep to become vegan and that I want to share with you.

These are my three favorite vegan recipes so far and they are so delicious even serious carnivores will appreciate them:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes. Monique at Ambitious Kitchen has a recipe for pancakes so yummy even my 10-year old niece approves of them! I add cinnamon & vanilla to mine in the blender, then toasted nuts & chocolate chips while they cook in the pan. When they are all done I top them with a pile of sliced strawberries. Here's a huge list of vegan chocolates from VegNews to help you with this recipe. If you have trouble finding chocolate chips you can always make chocolate shavings from a bar. Aim for dark chocolate (60% cocoa content or higher).

Chickpeas in Spicy Tomato Gravy from Food & Wine. When served over rice, this spicy Indian dish becomes a warm bowl of comfort food to curl up with on these cold winter days. I like to enjoy it with a side salad made from whatever is in my fridge, most recently, bibb lettuce, cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced leeks and lemon juice with a little drizzle of EVOO.

Classic Black Bean & Veggie Chili from Isa Chandra Moskowtiz. My culinary nutritionist friend, Jackie Topol, RD, introduced me to the work of Isa Chandra Moskowitz, whose book, Appetite for Reduction is filled with hearty flavorful vegan recipes (that's not an oxymoron) like the chili I whipped up a batch of just the other day. Here's a version of that recipe, slightly adapted by BistroKatie.com, but you should check out the book and Isa's website, Post Punk Kitchen, to really get the full affect of what this lady can do with fruits, veggies, beans and grains!

When I get back from my little time-out, my husband and I officially go vegan so stay tuned to find out how it goes!

Cheers!,
Diane