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Stuffed Bell Peppers - Not too difficult to adapt to Vegan plant based
I'll admit, during my birthday I probably cheated. I say probably because I don't know for sure that I did. I ate at a wonderful vegan restaurant but I didn't say everything had to be oil free as I usually do. I didn't go out and have a big steak and fries either. If the food had oil in it, I was OK for that day. My thinking is, don't even allow the option of cheating into your thoughts until you reach whatever goal you are trying to achieve. Once there, you will be able to adjust your eating to your lifestyle, though I think the habit of eating this way and the extra energy and pep in your step will forever change the way you view food.
I guess I have to ask the question "why do we wait for something dramatic and life changing to do something good for ourselves". The fact that you read this blog tells me that you're already questioning the way you ate up to this point. Don't you want the future to be more about living your life rather than re-gaining your health after a crisis? People want to do things to keep their brain more active, I say do this plant based food program. If you think it's difficult, use your brain to transform the foods you already know how to cook into foods that you know are good for you....it's not that hard.
If you had been able to eat the food that I made for Thanksgiving, didn't know I made it, didn't know it was oilfree plant based and vegan, you would never have thought twice about it. From the turkey to the gravy, it was delicious.
I hear a lot of great success stories as well. One person told me he didn't realize that he was allergic to dairy until he cut it completely out of his diet. Another said his diabetic numbers haven't been this good in years. A couple of women that have lost 20 or more pounds told me once they got in the groove of the program they sit back and watch the weigh poor off of them. Blood pressure is down, cholesterol numbers have not been this low for years, I can finally get rid of my fat pants, these are all things people have told me and thanked me for pointing them in this direction.
Be repetitive. If you find something you love to eat, eat it often. I was going to Subway for their Veggie sandwich (see the eating out tab above) 2 and 3 times a week. I eat oatmeal almost every day. It doesn't become monotonous if you like it and don't feel like thinking of something else to have. Find a few things you like and make them well and often. The Engine 2 avocado pasta in the recipe tab is wonderful and easy. Ask me for ideas, I'll get back before your next meal. Most of all, enjoy your new-found health....you'll never look back once the mirror looking back at you changes.
Ken
If you are really changing the way you eat, then cheating should never even enter your mind!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat is the best substitute for oil? I find this the hardest ingredient to avoid.
ReplyDeleteGreat question, and an important one. In most recipes, I look at them to determine if oil is crucial, or are they adding it because that's what they always do. I find the second answer is usually the one. When I'm sauteing something I start with a hot, dry non-stick pan. I add the ingredients, like if I was sauteing carrots, onions and celery, directly into the pan. Move them around for about 30 seconds, then wait about 30 seconds. They will probably start to stick, at which point you add about a half cup of water. This will loosen them up and release the fond (brown bits) which is where the flavor is. Do this one more time, ie. let the water evaporate, wait until they stick again, and add more water. They should be ready at this point (I call this steam frying). What other type of things are you looking to make that require oil?
DeleteWhat do you use for a oil substitute for salad dressings that usually call for 1/4 to 1/2 cup of oil? I understand you can use unsweetened applesauce for baking instead of oil.
ReplyDeleteThat sure seems like a big amount of oil. For Salad dressings I tend toward things like balsamic vinegar (or there are a lot of flavored ones as well). You can reduce it by half on the stove for a thicker, sticker dressing. I also put salsa on a salad with some red wine vinegar. I also did a post on this dressing which uses my aioli/Mayonnaise recipe as a base http://oilfreevegan.blogspot.com/p/aioli-garlic-mayonnaise.html , the post for the vinaigrette is here http://oilfreevegan.blogspot.com/2012/09/remember-to-kiss.html , and I know you can use guar gum which is natural as a clear thickener. Another thing I do is add citruses together like lemon, lime and orange for example to get the sweet and sour going. You could add this to dijon mustard and some apple cider vinegar with a little salt and pepper. There's an endless possibility. I still love eating chopped raw kale with and avocado, the juice of a lemon and s&p. You just put everything together with the kale and massage it in with your hands until everything is coated.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your reply. I do love vinaigrette but have never been able to tolerate the taste of mayo in any form. I will pursue the guar gum. Made your roasted butternut squash soup last night and it was excellent! It was simple and so satisfying. My husband loved it.
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