The Vegan Food PyramidIt is so easy to create a well-balanced diet using the vegan food guide pyramid. I don't know about you, but there are some nights when I get home from a long day at work and don't feel like laboring over the stove to put together a healthy meal.
I'm at the point now where I can whip together not a 30-minute meal, but a 10-minute meal that is healthy, filling, and delicious.
All you need to do is stop up on the basics at the grocery store. Then, when you are hungry, you can pull out a few key ingredients and make a 10-minute meal of your own. Learn how to use the vegan food pyramid to make your own healthy meals.
Of course, when I am feeling more like a domestic goddess, there are even more delicious meals that you can put together with those same basic ingredients and a little more time and effort. I have several favorite recipes for both occasions.
The vegan food pyramid is very similar to the more familiar food pyramid with meat and dairy. The basis for a nutritious vegan diet is whole grains. Throw out those ideas about carbs being the devil!! It's just not true. We need carbohydrates for energy, and we need good solid whole grains in our diets. Make sure you eat a lot of them-- 6-11 servings/day. We enjoy oats in the morning, whole wheat bread, sprouted grains bread with all kinds of grains, cereal that uses many whole grains, quinoa, millet, bulgur, barley, and fresh popped corn. That satisfies the grain section of the vegan food pyramid. Above that on the food pyramid, you want to make sure to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. The more variety, the better. An easy pointer is to try to eat every color of the rainbow daily. There are some great grocery stores out there that will carry all of these all the time, and others that do in season. You could also consider joining a CSA to get local, seasonal fruits and vegetables weekly. R apples, beets-- I LOVE beets, strawberries
Next we move to the next level--legumes. Beans, beans, they're good for your heart... And for your entire body. Eat lots of them, and again, try as much variety as you can. In my household, we love lentils, canellini beans, chickpeas, kidney beans... you get the point.
I tell you this because I want you to know that I am fully aware of what milk tastes like and yet, I love milk substitutes. I do want to let you know that the first time you try soymilk you have to keep in mind that it is not milk, and it's not meant to be. Also, it's not bright white like cow's milk. That may seem trivial, but it can throw you off to see a slightly brown product be called milk, and that can make you think you don't like the taste. There are all kinds of fortified milk substitutes that are equally tasty-- almond milk, rice milk that is sweeter, cashew milk, hemp milk, hazelnut milk, etc. Try them all and see what you like best. They are great in cereals, baking recipes, and as added ingredients in other vegan recipes. You will want to eat 2-4 servings of them to satisfy the vegan food pyramid's suggestions. Let's move to the topic of ice cream. We have an ice cream situation at home. My boyfriend loves it, and always has. Within the past year he has cut back significantly, and is moving towards cutting it out completely. (He has made the choice completely on his own and I don't pressure him) During this transition, we have tried many different brands of soy ice cream, and he really loves it. You have to understand that this is coming from a very discriminating taster because he truly loved the cow's milk ice cream. So, try it, and again, keep an open mind as you taste. It's not from a cow and it's not terrible for your health either. At the top of the vegan food pyramid are the oils and added fats I cook almost exclusively with olive oil. I am half Italian and I can cook anything with some garlic and olive oil. I am learning about other great oils like coconut oil which is delicious in baked goods, and grapeseed oil which is great for cooking and the skin. There are many, many vegetable oils and they are all in this top category-- used mainly as garnishes. _________________________________________________________________ *Plus, for signing up now, you instantly receive a free 5-page meat-free weight loss ebook*
You can also check out the USDA's new food pyramid, which is leaning more and more towards a plant-based diet, but just barely falls short. Putting this all together into one vegan meal...Once you know why you are eating everything you are, putting it all together can be very easy. I follow what the vegan food pyramid suggests and simply make sure that over the course of the entire day, I am getting the servings I need.For my 10-minute meals, I use the help of some canned beans. These could be chickpeas, cannelini beans, kidney beans, lentils, or anything else you like.
The next step is the vegetable/s. I sautee some garlic and olive oil (yum!) and add chopped vegetables. Note: These are sometimes frozen, if I have gotten to the end of the week and don't have any fresh ones left. Also, in the summer when our CSA provides us with fresh vegetables, I have more varieties of veggies, and all of these taste good sauteed with garlic and olive oil.
Once the grain is done and the veggies and beans are heated, I put it on a plate and eat. It's almost as fast as heating up a microwave dinner. Or as fast as baking some skinless chicken and potatoes.
Luckily for me the BF does the cleaning on nights like these.
There are many variations that can be made with this 10-minute meal. My sister makes a killer spinach/kale/any other leafy green dish where she sautees like above and then adds cranberries and nuts. So tasty! Get creative and add whatever you have left over in your fridge or cabinet.
On the nights when we have more time, I go to my stockpile of vegan recipes and follow along.
Eventually, when you have a great idea for what is on the vegan food pyramid, you don't have to look at it often because you already know what you need to eat. The vegan food pyramid serves as a great nutrition guide.
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As for fortified dairy substitutes...soymilk! I grew up in a household where milk was an absolute necessity and my mom would rush to the store if we were out. I drank glasses and glasses of milk a day.
I open those beans and put them in a pot with some garlic and a little water. Those cook by themselves on medium heat until heated through.
Next I get a grain cooking by boiling some water and adding half as much grain as water. For these quick meals, I really like whole wheat couscous or quinoa. Some of the others take longer to cook.
