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Walnut Meat & Other Nutty Adventures

So, one of the most frequently asked question about eating plant-based is, “What do you eat, then?” Many persons have gotten used to having animal flesh as the main feature of their meals and have a hard time imagining a tasty plate without meat. This is why meat substitutes are a major concern for most people considering switching to a plant-based diet. Yet, most people have never been exposed to the endless variety of animal-free foods that can satisfy their meat-loving palate. There are more options than you can imagine – some are great for the meat-lovers among us and others are treats for the gourmet fans.     

Vegan Meats (Source: VeganMiam.com)
Vegan Meats (Source: VeganMiam.com)

If you know anything about vegetarian diets, you will immediately think of fake meats or meat analogues like textured vegetable protein (TVP) – more popularly known as veggie chunks in Jamaica – or wheat gluten (also known as seitan, wheat meat, veggie steak). But, companies like Morning Star Farms, Quorn & Gardein have made it possible to pick up near duplicates of every kind of meat you can think of that are made from plants only. From burgers, nuggets and wings to sausages, bacon, and ribs, they have it all. In the early years, I tried many of them, but lately I’ve been trying to reduce the amount of processed foods I consume and I’m learning to make more whole food dishes just by stocking up on my legumes.

 

Jerked Walnut Taco "Meat" served on a bed of dark-green leafy veggies (tatsoi, mustard greens and lettuce) and carrots. Dressed with homemade cashew sour cream. (Source: Facebook)
Jerked Walnut Taco “Meat” served on a bed of dark-green leafy veggies (tatsoi, mustard greens and lettuce) and carrots. Dressed with homemade cashew sour cream. (Source: Facebook)

My gourmet-diva, sister-friend, Cheryl (of CherButters of Jamaica) is always creating some work of mouthwatering art in her kitchen. She uses a lot of nuts, seeds and other legumes to replace the animal flesh in popular dishes and always gets rave reviews. We don’t need ground beef for tacos when you have spicy walnut meat! She goes all out to make her dishes authentic and never missed the opportunity to blend up sour cream from cashew nuts. Cheryl’s tasty treats include lentils to make ‘meat’ loaves or ‘meat’ balls and even jackfruit seeds get transformed into ‘cheese’ for delicious vegan pizzas or veggies wraps. Lets just say that your tastebuds won’t ever be bored and her blenders and food processor are well-used. 

While it’s great to recreate all our favourite and more familiar dishes using meat analogues, variety is the spice of life. So, it is always a great idea to try some new recipes and get adventurous in the kitchen. As such, I want to give you some ideas. Below are some recipes I like. Check them out and try them all, then let me know how you like them.

Walnut Taco ‘Meat’

Classic Cashew ‘Cheese’

Chickpea Veggie Nuggets

Lentil ‘Meat’ Loaf

That’s four different recipes! Try even one a week, and see if you want to make them regular features in your diet. These are just more baby steps for you as you transition to more vibrant health.

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3 Sneaky Ways To Pile Your Plate High For Vibrant Health

We have all heard it: we should eat smaller portions, eat fewer meals and snacks and watch our calories. But that is extremely difficult when the food tastes really good! Not to mention when you’ve eaten they recommend portions and still don’t feel full. Well, I’ve checked in with the dietitians and nutritional experts, on your behalf. So, I’m excited to show you a few tricks you can use to get away with eating big portions, and as often as you want, and still achieve vibrant health!

 

Before we get into the sneaky stuff, let’s take a look at why “eat less” is such a common mantra. The calories we’re told to reduce come from the carbs, fats and proteins in foods that are usually sweet and greasy. But, while we’re being told to cut back on the calorie-dense sugary drinks and oily meats, we’re being encouraged to fill up on the nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables that are full of healing amino acids and protective phytochemicals. That’s why food researchers and nutrition scientists have been publishing eating guidelines in the form of food groups, pyramids and plates to help get us eating a balanced diet. Most of them (like the USDA’s MyPlate and Harvard School of Public Health’s Healthy Eating Plate) are plant-based. This means that majority of the food we eat come from plants, e.g. fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. However, I love the dietary guidelines of The Plant Based Dietician, Julieanna Hever, which serve up low calories and high nutrients in every meal. To follow a plant-based diet based on her guidelines, we’d eat our fill of Leafy Green Vegetables, High-fat Whole Foods (like nuts and avocado pears), Richly coloured & Starchy Vegetables, Whole Grains, Legumes and Fruit. That’s all! There is absolutely no need for seafood, meat, poultry, eggs nor dairy. This whole food, plant-based diet is the secret to eating all you want.

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“Cholesterol has been called the animals’ revenge because the animals you eat leave a little bit of themselves behind in your arteries every time you eat them.” ~Anonymous

 

The thing is, that meat, dairy and eggs are deficient in vitamin C and essential fats (omega 3 and omega 6), and they have no dietary fibre nor any energy-giving carbohydrates. Meat and eggs lack calcium, while dairy lacks iron. But, all these animal foods are high in protein and fat – saturated fat and cholesterol. This makes them high in calories without being filling; our bodies run down on energy just to digest these animal foods (which is why you feel sleepy at the end of a big lunch).

On the other hand, there are tonnes of benefits to gain from piling our plates high with plant foods. For one, fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains are cholesterol free! Plant foods are low in calories, but high in both macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Protein, Fat & Water) and micronutrients (Vitamins, Minerals, Phytochemicals & Antioxidants). As such, they are proven to reduce our risk of developing chronic diseases (like heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes) and are key to strengthening our immune systems. Plants are the only source of dietary fibre, so they are the best for feeling full without the lethargy, since they also boost our energy levels.

 

So, now that you know what to pile your plates with, and why, let’s dive into the 3 ways you can make the veggie binge easy:

1. Soups
An amazing habit to pick up is having a vegetable-based soup with your meals. It’s a great filler and you will be sure of getting in your best nutrients before you dive into the other dishes.

2. Salads
It’s a great idea to have a large vegetable salad at the beginning of your meals. Use as many different kinds of produce as possible and make it as colourful as you can. Toss in nuts, seeds and legumes for extra protein and to vary the texture and flavours. Just changing the salad dressing can add even more variety to your veggie routine.

3. Smoothies
Always begin your day with a green smoothie, green juice or a fruit plate.

 

So, let’s start a new healthy binge together – piling our plates high with fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes for vibrant health and tummy happiness 😉

 

 

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4 Simple Eating Guidelines You Should Adopt For Vibrant Health

For the past 5 years, I have been enjoying renewed health and increased vibrance by maintaining a plant-based diet. Many persons have asked me for tips on eating healthily and often shared their desire to cut back on eating certain foods. But, what exactly does a plant-based diet look like? How can you start improving your well-being by consciously choosing the foods you eat? Well, I’ve put some thought into it and settled on four guidelines that I know every one can follow without feeling deprived or missing out on the mouth confetti (food that tastes so good it throws a party on your tongue).

 

FFill Your Plate With Plants
We need to eat more plants. By plants, I mean fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. These are the foods that heal, grow and sustain our bodies, because they supply us with fibre, vitamins, protein, minerals and complex carbohydrates. The more plants we eat, the more energised we are and better able to fight off disease.

 

 

EEat More Leaves
Many people eat a lot of plant foods, but not enough dark-green leafy vegetables. One doctor says, “Greens are the secret weapon to fight almost all diseases. Add greens to everything!” Another doctor encourages his patients with heart disease to eat leafy greens at least 6 times a day. This is why green smoothies are essential to health and wellness.

 

 

E1Eat Real, Whole Foods
The biggest mistake some vegetarians and vegans make as they switch from eating a meat-heavy diet, is replacing it with lots of ultra-processed foods. Real nourishment and vitality can only be found in whole (natural or minimally processed) foods. So, instead of eating pineapple-flavoured soft drinks, enjoy a bowl of fresh pineapple slices; or a package of corn curls snack, try having some boiled corn. Choose home-made over factory-processed.

 

DDrink More Water
This is a personal struggle for me. But, I know that water is life! High performance athletes often drink up to 6 litres a day. But, we shouldn’t drink less than a 2.5 to 3 litres a day if we hope to avoid dehydration (which is more common than you think). So keep drinking until your urine is colourless or a light yellow.

 

Those are my four guidelines for feeding my body right! I’m sure you can eat for vibrant health, too. Please share which of these eating rules you’ll be adopting today?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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10 Mouth-Watering Desserts You Can Enjoy Without Any Guilt

You’ve just completed a hearty meal in a fine restaurant and the waiter returns with the menu, inviting you to try their decadent-looking desserts. Dessert or no dessert? This is the question that many of us mothers struggle with on a daily or weekly basis; we want to provide treats to satisfy that innate desire for sweetness, but we also have to struggle against the all too common sugar addiction and its accompanying diseases.

Today’s Sugary Habits 

We don’t need to look very far to observe the dangers of feasting on ice cream and cake. There are kindergarteners on insulin for type 2 diabetes, obesity is becoming more prevalent among elementary school children and teenagers are being hospitalised for heart disease and stroke.

The times have certainly changed; our eating habits and our food choices have deteriorated, and now we’re paying  the price. School canteens, corner shops, and quick-service restaurants have become regular features in our daily lives, having replaced home-cooked meals and fresh foods. These businesses provide us with shelf-stable, readily-made and pre-packaged desserts loaded with genetically-modified ingredients, synthetic preservatives, artificial flavours and unnatural colours. These individually-wrapped novelties are mass-produced and high-fat, high-calorie and sugar-laden with little to no nutrients, even though they bear the same names as the lovingly-prepared, wholesome desserts we enjoyed as children. Additionally, these treats are sold very cheaply and marketed, not as once-in-a-while bites, but snack items to enjoy between meals. Ice cream sandwiches are munched during TV time, sticky donuts and hand-held pies are served for breakfast. The average child can consume a handful of chocolates and caramels in half an hour without anyone batting an eye.

Cooking Dessert the Old Fashioned Way

When I was a child in Jamaica, we had desserts for special occasions; Easter buns and Christmas cakes during the respective holidays, sugar buns and rock cakes at special events, and my grandmother’s homemade puddings and pone whenever we had good sweet potato and corn harvests. Whenever my mother had time on the weekend, she tolerated us tangling her feet in the kitchen while she ‘rubbed up’ batches of pineapple-upside-down cake, orange cake or baking sheets of warm, flaky plantain tarts. When things were hectic, a scoop of rum n’ raisin ice cream or a small bowl of strawberry Jell-O was our Sunday afternoon delight.

Since treats were not a regular part of our diet, if we wanted something sweet after dinner, we had to make do with freshly picked fruit or baked nuts. Or, instead of drinking plain water or limeade with the evening meal, we might get to guzzle down homemade fruit juice.

When I think back to my childhood desserts, I think of homemade goodies – not the stuff from the supermarket shelves or pastry shops. My mother and grandmothers always knew exactly what went into their baked goods and sourced high quality produce to create them. I can’t help but agree with medical professionals and nutritionists who’ve been saying that we, the new generation of Mommies, need to return to real, whole foods.

Planning for Dessert

The strategy of meal planning and pre-cooking can be applied to desserts – especially if you reserve dessert for a special/Sunday night dinner. Even if you decide to satisfy your sweet tooth on a daily basis, fruit-based desserts are an excellent way to get yummy tummies without the guilt or dietary ills. You’d be amazed at how fresh fruits can be transformed, quite quickly and easily, into freezer pops, ice creams, sorbets or slushies without giving you any extra work. By searching out some whole  food, plant-based recipes, you can discover dishes that are easy for children to make and allow for them to enjoy something sweet without the adverse effects of excess sugars, fat or refined carbohydrates.

Healthy Dessert Ideas 

The following list of whole food plant-based desserts are a great place to start. If they become regular features in your family’s meal plans, you will certainly be decreasing the amount of ‘products’ in your diet and increasing the amount of ‘produce’ you consume. Here’s to healthy and delicious desserts, for your family and mine:

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  1. Mint-Melon Sorbet Recipe here

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  1. Raspberry Lime Freezer Pops  Recipe here

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  1. Peanut Butter-Banana “Ice Cream” Recipe here

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  1. Vegan Chocolate Banana Mousse Recipe here

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  1. Dairy-Free Chocolate Bars Recipe here

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  1. Raw Strawberry Peppermint Cheesecake Recipe here

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  1. Coconut Cream Pie Recipe here

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  1. Vegan Strawberry-Banana Cupcakes Recipe here Picture1
  2. Vegan Cinnamon Rolls Recipe here lemongrass-dreadlocks-500x500
  3. Vegetarian Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe here

 

Which of these will you make first?

 

 

 

This article originally appeared on BabyandBlog.com.

 

 

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12 Easy Meatless Dishes to Boost Your Health

Two months into the year, you’re probably debating which health-improving resolutions habits were too unrealistic to stick with. But, that doesn’t mean that you need to give up on efforts to improve your health. How about making smaller changes and working on more achievable goals? After all, this is your health we’re talking about!

 

If you’ve been paying attention, you’d have noticed the international health campaign to get everyone to eat more fruits, grains, legumes and vegetables and less meat, fish and poultry. That’s because, even the healthiest of gym-rats and the biggest green smoothie fan can benefit from reducing the amount of meat she eats. I know… You’re not a meat-addict! You watch what you eat and make a conscious decisions to limit your junkfood intake. In fact, you could easily drive through the tempting smoke and sizzle from the Pan Chicken vendors on Red Hills Road without a thought to drool! LOL. Well, that’s exactly why Meatless Mondays is the one of the easiest health-boosting habits you’ll pick up for 2015.

 

Meatless Monday is a global campaign that encourages us to avoid eating meat once a week. Basically, you make a commitment to leave out the meat every Monday, and eat regularly from Tuesday to Sunday. Yes, it’s quite simple and just takes a little bit of planning to make it into a habit. Cutting out the meat once a week comes with a lot of health benefits, “because going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.” (Read “Why Meatless” here.)

 

But, before you start grumbling about not knowing what to eat, let me remind you of 12 easy and delicious meals that you enjoy regularly, or can get easily at a quick-service restaurant. The various dishes are linked to their recipes, so you have no excuse!

Breakfast

  1. Peanut Porridge
  2. Baked Beans
  3. Scrambled Tofu
  4. Pancakes

Lunch

  1. Callaloo Loaf
  2. Vegetable Pizza
  3. Veggie Burger
  4. Vegetable/Ackee/Soy Patty

Dinner

  1. Veggie Stew Peas
  2. Daal Curry
  3. Vegetable Stir-fry
  4. Spaghetti with Chunky Tomato Sauce

So, there you have it! An entire month of Meatless Mondays covered – without repeats!

 

While you’re thinking about when to start your meat-reduction commitment, please go over to the Meatless Monday Jamaica website and LIKE the Facebook page. You will get even more info and recipes to help you realise that “Small Changes Make a Big Difference.”