Eating Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet recipes, On a Budget.
Starting tomorrow I will be posting sample meal plans that show you how easy it is to change to a plant based diet. I’ll include recipes, tips and also some of the products I really like.
If you want to give it a try but don’t know where to start stay tuned.
Last night I made my very first veggie burger. They tasted oh so delicious! They were quick and easy to make so I expect to make these tasty burgers often.
These burgers do not taste like your typical fast food but if you are choosing not to eat meat you can whip these up quickly and have a pretty good burger.
If you’ve been eating store-bought veggie burgers you may have noticed some of the mystery ingredients in those. The craziest thing in the burger is quinoa and I think we can agree that it’s good for you. If you’d like to try your hand at making your own veggie burger try these.
Serve these burgers on a whole grain bun with all of your favorite burger fixings. Pile on the lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, mustard, and even guacamole as pictured above.
Enjoy this with Sweet and Tangy Pasta Salad or add this Chili for a Chili Burger!
Photos by Melodee Fiske of mlfotography.
Finally a veggie burger that tastes better than a restaurant!
Today marks the second week of the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart that I’m doing. For the last week I have refrained from eating any meat or dairy products. I’ve also been cutting out processed sugar. The first few days without sugar and caffeine were tough. Now I’m on the other side of those cravings and happy that I didn’t give in. I don’t really miss the meat or dairy. I’ve discovered that dairy makes me ill so that is a really good reason to keep it out of my diet.
I’m looking forward to the next two weeks of the kickstart.
Learn more at www.21daykickstart.org
I don’t know about you but I love tacos! In my mind, Taco Tuesday is a real thing.
Most kids love tacos, and I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t consider tacos to be a family favorite.
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I first started using lentil in tacos before we went plant-based. We had three growing (read hungry) kids at home who were in elementary school and we were on a tight budget. I started adding cooked lentils to our ground beef to make it go further. My kids barely noticed the lentils.
That moved started my love of lentils. They are a low fat and high fiber food with 9 grams of protein for a half cup serving. That’s basically 2 tacos for me.
Additionally, lentils are inexpensive and very easy to cook, perfect for beginners.
You can buy dry lentils in the bean section of any grocery store. They will cost less than $2 per pound for conventional lentils. I almost always buy brown lentils. I like buying them from Amazon because I can get a better variety. This kind cost more but they are non-gmo and you can trace which field they were grown in. Pretty cool!
UPDATE: If you have an Instant Pot check out my Instant Pot Lentil Tacos!
This vegan recipe is so good even the carnivores will be asking for more.
The tacos can be made to each family members preference. My husband and I enjoy ours with lettuce, lentils, guacamole, and fresh salsa. If I had been making burritos or nachos I would have made a dairy-free cheeze sauce and possibly added more beans.
Lentil Tacos are a family favorite! Win over friends and family with these vegan tacos.
When we switched to a plant based diet we were hoping to change our health. My husband and I both lost pounds and inches, we felt better and looked better. There were several changes that we didn’t anticipate.
Trash
First, we had a lot less trash. Before the switch we would take out our 13 gallon kitchen trash can daily. After the switch it was every few days. On a plant based diet you (should) eat a lot less processed food which means a lot less packaging coming into your house. That means a lot less packaging going in the trash or recycling. So if you were wondering if a plant based diet would help you save the planet the answer is yes.
New Tastes
I grew up eating more Little Debbie snacks than fruits or veggies. Every summer brought a new batch of red plum jelly from my Memaw. I would eat fruit occasionally but who needed fruit when there was Chef Boyardee to be eaten. Now I love broccoli! Who knew that broccoli could be admired. Even a few years ago if I HAD to eat broccoli I would cover it with cheese and butter. Now I’ve matured a bit and I can appreciate broccoli, naked with no adornments. If you have trouble getting passionate about broccoli try steaming it and adding to you a baked potato, or eat it as part of a stir fry.
I love my grains, my husband even gets excited when I make quinoa. He loves it for breakfast with raisins, cinnamon, and a touch of agave. I prefer it with beans, salsa and my new love, avocado. Since I no longer eat greasy fast food I find a lot of satisfaction from the high fat content in avocado. It taste great in any Mexican food but it also good in sandwiches and wraps. Speaking of Mexican food, lentils make a tasty meat substitute in tacos or burritos. They cook very quickly and can be seasoned for whatever food you are wanting. I made a terrific chili using lentils, pinto beans, and red beans.
Maybe you don’t like any of the food I mentioned. Truth be told I didn’t like them either but as you eliminate junk from your diet your taste buds become accustomed to new tastes. Once you’re no longer fueling your body with over processed stuff (was it really food anyway) you body will crave healthier foods.
Grocery Bill
If you typically buy and eat a lot of meat you’ll save a lot of money by eliminating those purchases or only eating meat products a few times per week. When we eat meat we buy organic and it is not the main dish. One organic chicken breast is more than enough for our family of four. Beans and whole grains are not expensive if you buy in bulk. Buying seasonal fruit and veggies, or frozen veggies is best. Avocados can run close to $2 each. I usually only buy them then they are on sale for 49 cents each. I recently stocked up on potatoes during the holidays when a 10 pound bag was 99 cents. Potatoes last a long time so we have about 30 pounds of them in the pantry. If you can’t bring yourself to buy 20 pounds of beans see if a friend will go in half with you. You’ll both save money and you can share recipes.
Ego Boost
The last unintended effect is the ego boost you get when you realize you can change your diet, you can improve your health, and you can look and feel better than you have in a long time. Your friends and co workers will compliment you and want to know how you did it.
Have you made the switch? Share any unintended effects you’ve noticed.
Today is Day 3 of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) 21 Day Kickstart. Although it is still early I’m feeling much better than the first two days. The week between Christmas and New Years was a busy week filled with grab and go yumminess. We had Starbucks 4 times (that is about how many I get Starbucks in a typical year) and ate out almost daily. I would order “better” options but the food at restaurants is just not as good for you as the food you’ll have at home. I wasn’t as concerned about what I ate since I knew the kickstart was coming up on January 2nd. Let’s just say there has been some detox going on here.
The 21 Day Kickstart is 21 days of eating a whole food vegan diet. We eliminate animal products, oil, and a lot of processed food like white sugar and flour.
To learn more or sign up for free go to www.21daykickstart.org
