After many years of hemming and hawing over it, I’ve decided to go for it and commit to eating 100% plant-based/vegan, starting Jan 1st, 2021.
I was vegetarian for the first 8 years of my life, then another 3 years in my 30’s, and I’ve been eating about 50/50 vegetarian meals for the past year or so. That’s at least 11 years, over one quarter of my life, that I’ve been vegetarian. I’ve never gone full vegan, mainly because I’m allergic to soy and always thought it would be too challenging.
I found a couple great cookbooks that use almost no soy in their recipes, so I’m finally feeling ready to go for it. Brent offered to try it with me, and I’m super happy that Gayle is also on board (I cook for her too)… Micah not so much, but of course that’s totally fine, his life, his choice. Good thing he knows how to cook! Will be good practice to cook smaller portions for when he moves out later this year.
Anyway, here’s the two cookbooks:
https://eamonandbec.com/products/weekday-whip-ups (this one is a digital PDF and is loaded with easy recipes that are quick to make)
&
https://wholelifenutrition.net/books/the-whole-life-nutrition-cookbook (I have the second edition, it was gifted to me about 10 years ago and although not fully plant-based, most recipes are, and it’s fantastic!)
This is an old video, but one of the best lectures I’ve heard on all the positives to eating plant-based and reasons to never ever eat animal protein again. https://youtu.be/es6U00LMmC4
What will I eat??
Breakfast
- Toast with cashew butter
- Protein pancakes
- Protein berry shake
- Fresh fruit salad
- Oatmeal
- Granola
- Green juice
Snacks
- Trail Mix: Roasted nuts, seeds & dried fruit
- Zucchini bread/muffins
- Cinnamon rolls
- Pumpkin bread/muffins
- Soda bread/scones with cashew butter
- Hummus & veggie sticks
- Popcorn with coconut oil & nutritional yeast
- Tortilla chips & pico de gallo
- Energy balls
- Granola bars
Meals
- Barley soup
- Bean salad
- Beyond meat burger
- Buddha bowl w/ roast veggies, quinoa, pickled, seeds, avocado
- Butternut squash soup
- Chickpea salad on sandwich or kale salad (faux tuna)
- Chili (beans & veggies)
- Cream of broccoli or cauli soup made with cashew milk
- Enchiladas with bean & rice
- Falafel wraps or salad with tahini sauce
- Fritters – corn/zucchini
- Greek salad
- Grilled eggplant and mushrooms
- Hummus & veggie wrap
- Kabobs with mushroom, onion & pepper
- Lasagna (eggplant or mushroom)
- Lentil daal with Cauli-rice
- Lentil loaf w/grilled cabbage
- Lentil pepper stew
- Lentil shepherd’s pie
- Minestrone
- Pancit with cabbage & rice noodles
- Pesto roasted veg with beans & rice
- Pizza with g/f crust & daiya cheese
- Potato salad
- Quinoa meditteranean salad
- Ramen noodle bowl
- Roasted veg bowl
- Roasted brussel sprouts & cornbread stuffing
- Refried bean & yam quesadillas
- Salad or nori rolls with tahini sauce
- Sautéed garlic ginger kale & broccoli
- Spaghetti beyond meat sauce on g/f noodles
- Split pea soup
- Stir-fry or steamed veggies with beans & rice/quinoa
- Stroganoff w/mushroom & noodles
- Thai Curry chickpeas w/ rice
- Veggie fajitas
- Veggie pasta soup with beyond meat sausage
- Veggie wraps with hummus & tahini sauce
- Wild rice and veggie soup
Plum Hill 