“Eat your veggies!” We all heard the phrase as a kid, right? And I even tell my own daughter these words but how have I gotten so far from following this age old advice? I’ve realized for myself it’s because I was filling up on meat and other animal products. (I’m sure there’s an argument out there that some is okay, but my problem was that I’d rather eat a plate of cheese than get my greens in- and that’s not the healthy choice.) Since Ellie was born in April, I’ve been off dairy due to breastfeeding so I’ve taken the fast track to becoming more plant based. This small change has made a big impact in losing the baby weight and my overall feeling of health. I’ll share what has become my favorites over the last few months!
While we all are aware of what the term “veganism” entails – no animal products whatsoever- I’ve come to love the term “flexitarian”. This allows for eating a little bit of meat, eggs, and dairy (key word: “little”) if the body allows. Once I’m done breastfeeding I do plan on introducing small bits of dairy back in to my diet, but in moderation! And we do eat meat and eggs every now and then (like, maybe once a week). But I love the concept of what your body likes to eat, feed it that! And fill your plate real estate with vegetables.
Benefits of Plant Based Eating
- Improved gut health
- Reduce inflammation
- Boosts immune system
- Maintain healthy weight
- Lower cancer risk
Sourced from MD Anderson Cancer Center
Benefits I’ve felt include increased energy, an overall more relaxed and calm feeling, and I sleep better.
So ready to hear my favorites for a more plant based lifestyle? These include things like tools to make it easier to tackle, documentaries to hear the research for yourself, and recipes to make.
Favorite Tools
- Kitchenaid Food Processor – I use this processor so much! I always shred carrots for the week so I can throw them in a smoothie, salad, or stirfry, which is so handy in the processor. I also love the slicing option for potatoes or any vegetable.
- Magic Bullet Blender – I use my blender for making cashew cream. It’s powerful enough that I find I don’t necessarily need to soak the cashews very long before blending, which is very nice when I need to whip up a meal real quick! And as usual, the Bullet is great for making a great single serve smoothie.
- Kitchenaid Spiralizer – This is new to me but so fun! I made some “zoodles” the other day and they were great. I think this tool is essential to maximizing vegetable intake in a diet. Buying spiraled veggies at the store is doable but they end up quite soggy and I can’t deal with the texture, so this tool will be great!
**Also a great tool is food storage items for all the meal prepped items. I love the glass snap ware dishes but these S’well nesting bowls look super handy!
Favorite Plant Based Cookbooks
4. Love Real Food by Cookie + Kate – This cookbook has some great, easy recipes. They are very quick for the everyday but delicious! I haven’t tried something I didn’t like yet.
5. Love & Lemons Everyday – Another great cookbook, but this is a bit more labor intensive. The recipes are VERY tasty though- just a bit more of a labor of love to make! 🙂
Favorite Plant Based Documentaries
6. Forks Over Knives – This is a good starting point for anyone curious on the topic!
7. Plant Pure Nation – Very eye opening on the political side of things in the food industry. And it can be watched FREE on YouTube!
8. The Game Changers – Geared more towards athletes but the information is applicable to everyone. Very interesting to hear about the body going through injury and healing better on the “gladiator diet”. Currently on Netflix, so free to watch for most.
Favorite Plant Based Recipes
Detox Moroccan-Spiced Chickpea Glow Bowl – This was Chase’s first favorite plant based recipe- we make it weekly now! Instead of yogurt, we just use hummus on top and maybe a dollop of vegan sour cream.
Crunchy Thai Peanut & Quinoa Salad – Also a weekly rotation item- it can be made super quickly with items if they are food prepped. I like to have shredded carrots on hand as well as cooked quinoa, so it’s real slick! You could also use a store bought coleslaw mix if you were really in a pinch. I’ve thought about throwing this in a wrap or pita, as well- that would be tasty!
Vegan Italian Chopped Salad – This is a simple and yummy meal. This recipe helped me realize I could just throw things into a salad and it would taste good. I’ve used this dressing recipe for multiple other salads, and I love the roasted chickpea recipe in this salad.
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