plant-based Archives - Page 5 of 7

Should your melon go in the fridge?

May 16, 2017 By Cyd Notter

Do you recall where you learned how to store your fruits and veggies? No one ever taught me the proper way, and I wasn't paying much attention to how my mom handled it......so as an adult I just made it up as I went along. If I thought the fruit was hearty, I left it on the counter. If the item seemed fragile, I'd store it in the crisper drawer of the fridge.

Turns out I was off-base on a few things! I always put fresh ginger in the fridge (wrong) and let the peaches sit on the counter until they get too ripe/mushy (wrong). I've never stored my basil in water, and rarely have I used the right type of 'storage bags'.....although I did invest in the "As Seen on TV" Debbie's Green Bags several years ago. I don't recall having good luck with them, but again, it may have been due to my unscientific system.

Have you ever purchased a hard avocado, hoping it would soften up before Thursday night's fajita dinner?

Well, it turns out we can enhance that ripening process by storing the avocado inside of a paper bag along with an apple! Who knew?

Here's a link to "Fruit & Vegetable Storage 101", an article produced in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). You may find it helpful, as I did. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to view or print the handy-dandy pdf chart for easy reference.

Want to know the best way to CLEAN your fruits and veggies? Dr. Greger explains why a home-made salt solution (along with the mechanical action of rubbing) is a great option.....read more here.

Finally, please remember to keep eating those fruits and veggies! The recommendation is that adults consume 1.5 - 2 cups of fruit, and 2- 3 cups of vegetables daily; however, a study released by the CDC in 2015 revealed some very troubling data. During 2007-2010, 76% of Americans did NOT meet the recommended fruit intake, and 87% did NOT meet the recommended vegetable intake. Half the total US population consumed less than 1 cup of fruit and less than 1.5 cups of vegetables daily.(1) Those results are dismal to say the least, especially for such meager recommendations.

Sadly, the kids aren't doing much better. The CDC reported that improving fruit and veggie intake during childhood is definitely needed; 60% of children consumed less than the recommended fruit, and 93% consumed fewer vegetables than recommended during that same time frame.

The CDC says that eating more fruits and vegetables adds nutrients to the diet, reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, and some cancers, and helps manage body weight when consumed in place of more energy-dense foods.

We also know that a host of other ailments are relieved or reversed by consuming an entire diet based on whole plant foods - which by the way is the only diet proven to REVERSE heart disease.

Make it a goal to increase those fruits and veggies! (Especially now that we know how to store them).

Blessings to you and yours ~

(1) https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6426a1.htm

Photo credit: USDAgov via Visualhunt.com / CC BY
Photo credit: Aurimas Adomavicius via VisualHunt.com / CC BY-ND
Photo credit: cheesy42 via Visual hunt / CC BY-NC-ND

Three Thumbs-Up Recipes, and Our Next Potluck

May 1, 2017 By Cyd Notter

If you're like me, you might have a file folder (or computer file) labeled "Recipes To Try". Well I went into the folder this week and decided to make three recipes from Chuck at the "Brand New Vegan" website. Here's how they turned out:

Creamy Fat Free Macaroni and Cheese

The 'cheese' sauce for this recipe is really good. The base of the sauce is potatoes and carrots, and as Chuck points out in the recipe, it's creamy, cheesy and decadent. I agree! The recipe calls for a bag of frozen veggies to be stirred in at the end of the pasta boiling time, but instead I bought a bag of carrot/broccoli/cauliflower steamers, microwaved them, and stirred them in after the pasta was drained. The nice thing is that you can add it whatever veggies you want! Also, I did not have brown mustard on hand, but used Dijon and it worked fine. NOTE: The cheesy sauce recipe does make more than you'll need, so you can either make additional pasta, or save the extra sauce for potatoes, nachos, or wherever you like to eat cheese sauce!

Crispy Baked Onion Rings

I've been craving some really good onion rings, so when I saw this recipe in the "To Try" file, I quickly pulled it out and decided today's the day. I followed the recipe pretty much to the tee (except that I forgot to cover the onions while they were soaking in the fridge for an hour). I'm not sure if that mattered, I'll find out next time I make them. In any case, these turned out really well, and yes they are crispy!

Easy Veggie Lo Mein

I typically haven't chosen Lo Mein dishes in the past when we ordered Chinese....but this recipe looked like an interesting comfort food and I had almost everything on hand. One item I had to purchase was "chili garlic sauce", and I'm not sure if I used too much, but it proved to be a bit too spicy for my delicate palate. I can tolerate a little heat, but this one made me break into a sweat; again, perhaps I added too much. I was also expecting a sweeter tasting sauce, but I'm not sure why since I've never ordered Lo Mein! The recipe calls for only 1 tsp. of brown sugar, which should have been a clue. Anyway, I added a little "sweet chili sauce" to my own plate which made mine a bit sweeter (but still very spicy for me). This is a great recipe, I just need to tweak the sauce by cutting back on the chili garlic sauce. My advice is to start with just a little and add as you go.

I also used mixed greens instead of spinach, just because I had the mixed greens on hand.

Lastly, I found both the Chili Garlic Sauce and the Sweet Chili Sauce in the Asian section at my local Walmart.

Have you tried any new whole-food, plant-based, oil-free recipes lately that you feel are "keepers"? If so, we'd love to hear about it!

OUR NEXT POTLUCK: If you live in the area of Wilmington, IL, we're hosting our next "World's Healthiest Potluck" on Friday May 12, 2017. More details can be found here. (Seating is limited. RSVP's are requested, and the deadline to reserve a spot is Sunday May 7).

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. (3 John 1:2)

Aren’t Potatoes Fattening?

April 20, 2017 By Cyd Notter

While purchasing my groceries at the check-out line recently, the cashier made the two following comments:

As he scanned and examined a bag of lentils, he actually asked me if this was a food we eat for lent (seriously). I explained what a lentil is......he had obviously never heard of them.
Upon finishing the scanning of my groceries, he commented "boy, the only thing fattening you have here is that bag of potatoes." I politely remarked that potatoes aren't fattening, but when he made another similar comment, I explained that it's the TOPPINGS that make potatoes fattening, not the potato itself. I don't think it sank in.

His comment about potatoes led me to shed some light on the poor little potato, often blamed for everything from being a dreaded, fattening carb to having too high of a glycemic index.

Both potatoes and sweet potatoes are nutritious and delicious tubers which can be made into awesome main entrees or side dishes. And both fit into a healthy diet no matter if your goal is weight loss, health improvement, or both. And yes, potatoes are SAFE for diabetics; in fact, a whole-food, plant-based diet including starches is able to REVERSE Type 2 Diabetes in a short amount of time.

Complex carbs such as potatoes are the body's main source of energy, and our brains also depend on such carbs (remember, there's a BIG difference between complex carbs such as whole potatoes verses refined carbs such as French fries and potato chips).

It's a common misconception that starchy foods such as potatoes are fattening...... people often believe that the sugars in starches are readily converted to fat, which is then stored in our bellies, hips and butts. But while it's true that complex carbs break down into simple sugars, these sugars are absorbed into the blood stream and transported to trillions of cells throughout the body for energy.

Some reasons why potatoes aren't fattening (from Dr. McDougall's newsletter):

1) Don’t Be Dense. Potatoes are at the bottom of the list of calorie dense foods, at one calorie per gram. By comparison, sugar, cheese, and beef are about 4 calories per gram and vegetable oils are 9 calories per gram.

2) The Fat You Eat Is the Fat You Wear. Potatoes are 1% fat – so there are virtually no fat calories to wear. (By comparison beef and cheese can be 70% fat and butter is 100% fat).

3) Carbohydrate Satisfies the Hunger Drive. Potatoes are at the top of the carbohydrate list with about 90% of the calories from appetite-satisfying carbohydrates. (On the other hand, beef, fish, chicken, butter, and olive oil are a few examples of commonly consumed foods with no carbohydrates).

Of course, all bets are off if you top your potatoes with butter, margarine, sour cream, oil, cheese, bacon bits or other added fats. It's those high-fat toppings which contribute to the increase in heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, dementia and other chronic disease - not the potato itself! Fortunately, there are many healthy toppings you can choose, such as salsa, soups, chilies, dressings, low-fat guacamole, or this delicious Golden Gravy.

There are hundreds of healthy potato recipes out there......here are just a few of our favorites:

Fat-Free Cheese Sauce - great for Cheesy/Broccoli Baked Potatoes!

Sweet Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup

Sweet Potato and White Bean Curry Soup

Fit Fries

Potato Salad

Cocoa Black Bean Chili with Roasted Potatoes

Boiled Yukon Golds topped with Mushroom Gravy

Bottom Line: Potatoes are a nutritious, satisfying comfort food which contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, anti-oxidants and phytochemicals (with no cholesterol or fat) - and we can enjoy them freely when they are prepared correctly without the added junk.

Pass the gravy!

Taking a Week’s Worth of Food on a Flight

April 7, 2017 By Cyd Notter

I recently had the opportunity to accompany my hubby to Ponce, Puerto Rico, for one of his annual job assignments. The trip consisted of a 7-day stay.......his work schedule covered three days, and we arrived a few days early in order to explore and enjoy the area.

Sticking to a whole-food, plant-based, no-added-oil diet can be tricky on the road, and we were concerned about being subjected to 7 days of "iffy" restaurant food. So we decided to purchase a cooler on wheels - which could be checked in as luggage - and bring as much healthy fare as we could. Because there was a Walmart and another large grocery store in the area, the plan was to prepare healthy entrees for the cooler, and 'supplement' them with items from the store.

For example, we packed cooked Pasta, Mexican Black Bean Burgers, BBQ'd jackfruit, and Lettuce Tofu Wrap filling with the intention of buying buns, spaghetti sauce, steamer broccoli and greens at the store; other entrees in the cooler included Corn Chowder, Layered Bean Casserole, Mushroom Pot Pie, Oat Bran Muffins, Peanut Butter cookies, a few condiments and oatmeal trimmings (nuts, currants, cinnamon, brown sugar); the store list included instant organic oatmeal, fruit, plant milk, peanut butter, jelly, bread, salad fixings and perhaps some 'steamer' veggies.

Everything was packed in plastic containers (no glass, of course), and other essentials such as ice packs, paper plates and bowls, plastic silverware, a sharp knife, baggies, a dish wand filled with soap, and a dish towel were also included. We tightly packed any empty cooler space with towels to prevent the containers from being jostled around. The weight limit for a checked item is 50 lbs, and the cooler weighed in around 38 lbs.

Here are the PROS and CONS we learned from this maiden voyage of traveling with a cooler full of food:

PROS:

We had just the right amount of food for the trip (including hubby's work lunches) and didn't need to purchase any restaurant food while there.
Having food on hand saved a lot of time which would have been spent searching for compliant restaurants, waiting for the food, etc. Instead we enjoyed time dining on the balcony overlooking the Caribbean Sea.
Saved lots of money by not eating out.
Peace of mind knowing that we were eating nutritious, heath promoting food with no questionable ingredients.

CONS:

I grabbed some whole-grain buns from the garage freezer and didn't realize they were freezer burnt until later. But we could NOT find any healthy buns in Ponce, so we ate our burgers and BBQ on whole-grain bread. Not a big deal, but note for the future.
We brought paper plates but neglected to bring a hard (microwave) plate to use as a cutting surface. Having one would have come in handy for cutting up melon, salad fixings, etc.
Two of the plastic containers were cracked or damaged in the cooler, but fortunately the foods inside were also sealed in zip-lock bags so there was no spillage.
Bring more than one dish towel and dish rag!
Prices at the store were notably higher than at home. But as my hubby reminded me, we were on an island and everything there had to come by boat.

We're looking forward to next year's visit to this beautiful island - with our cooler in tow!

Are you Getting Enough Protein?

March 23, 2017 By Cyd Notter

Every now and then, a topic will pop up in conversation several times during the week. I consider that my "cue" to address the topic. Lately, the subject of PROTEIN has been mentioned quite a bit. People consuming a whole-food, plant-based diet can still be a bit worried that they're not getting enough protein. If they lack energy or get into some other type of slump, protein deficiency is often the first thing that comes to their minds; sometimes they mistakenly confuse hunger signals with a lack of protein as well.

So let me assure all of you plant-eaters out there. For those who are consuming a whole-food, plant-based diet, AND are consuming enough calories every day, it would be impossible that their protein needs would not be met. Think about it - have you ever known anyone to be 'protein deficient'? I highly doubt it (unless the person is not eating enough calories).

All foods contain three macronutrients: Carbohydrate, Fat and Protein. Plant foods contain every nutrient we need, including protein (all of the amino acids) required for human growth. The healthiest diet for humans is 80-10-10: 80% Carbohydrate, 10% fat and 10% protein. When eating a WFPB diet such as The 'Plan A' Diet, these numbers naturally fall into place and you don't have to worry about it.

We just live in a society where PROTEIN has been promoted as the be-all and end-all nutrient. Manufacturers have not overlooked our obsession with protein, and are quick to take advantage of it at every opportunity. How much protein do you need every day? And how much are you actually consuming? Those are two questions that most people cannot answer. Our protein needs are actually quite low, and a plant-based diet easily meets the requirements.....you can read about that in Dr. T. Colin Campbell's article. Even mother's breast milk, which provides protein at the crucial stage of a baby's growth, is only 5% protein.

Have you been told that Animal Protein is better than Plant Protein? Wrong! Read why here.

On the other end of the spectrum, EXCESS protein in the American diet leads to many health issues, which you can read about here (kidney and liver issues, osteoporosis, cancers and more). Steer clear of the high-fat, high-protein diets, which are known to destroy health and can be quite dangerous.

Here are some helpful links on the topic of protein:

Dr. McDougall's article: When Friends Ask "Where do you Get Your Protein?"

Dr. McDougall's short video on the topic here.

To get a rough idea of how many GRAMS of protein you need, this PCRM Article may be of help. A plant-based diet can easily provide at least 60 grams per day.

Great sources of protein include beans, greens, grains (quinoa is the highest in protein), lentils, whole soy foods, steel cut oats, potatoes, nuts, seeds, and basically all plants. There are thousands of easy recipes, too! Think about Black bean/quinoa soup (just omit the oil), No-Fu Love Loaf, Chef AJ's Quinoa Salad, or a Chocolate Tofu Pudding - all delicious and packed with protein! And the nice part is, you don't have to make gourmet recipes...... it can be as simple as a bean burrito, a potato topped with McDougall soup, a bowl of whole-grain pasta with mushroom marinara, or a quickly-prepared chili with a whole grain, seeded roll.

Do you have a simple recipe you'd like to share?

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