Plant-Based Perfection 101!

Now what?  I’ve encouraged you to try a meatless meal, Monday or lifestyle, right? I know you can do it, and hope you really want to!  You’ll surprise yourself with the incredible flavors that you’ll create and devour!  As you rediscover food in its naturally wild state, remember that your body will soon be thanking you and your mind will be rolling out the red carpet for your fabulous self, as you strut into the kitchen, or any restaurant, armed with powerful plant-based option knowledge!  YAY, YOU!

It’s easy to follow the path of least resistance, our “programmed” standard way of eating, fast and processed foods, meat and dairy heavy, everything covered in an oily blanket of cheese…often, too easy, but what is the cost to your health, future and your family?  Are you excited to begin a new tradition of adding more vibrant and colorful plant foods to ignite your vibrant and colorful life?  Have you, like me, watched your loved ones deal with chronic illness, spend their golden years in doctor's offices, the hospital or worse?  The good news is that you can change that outcome for yourself and your family. Starting now.

Start with beans and feel your body rejoice! Complex, creamy, filling, full of fiber.  My favorite F-word!  Just begin to add beans, which includes tofu, tempeh, lentils and all the other amazing legumes, to your meals. They are inexpensive, nutritious, versatile and delicious. Beans can create amazing comfort foods, main courses, creamy thick sauces and dips, crispy-crunchy snacks, and delectable soups. Canned, boxed, frozen or cooked from dried.  If you aren’t used to eating them, start slowly, a couple of tablespoons added daily and increase weekly, so your digestive track has a chance to acclimate to their vivacious health impact! They ROCK!

Bring on the whole grains and starches. Rice, quinoa, pasta, oatmeal, grits, polenta. Cook them with flavor in veggie stock or plant milk with herbs and spices which add even more nutrition goodness. Potatoes, sweet potatoes and squashes can be steamed, roasted, sautéed, mashed, baked, air-fried and topped with many tasty toppings like cashew cream, black bean chili, lentil Bolognese…the possibilities are truly endless.

Next add lots of veggies. Cooked, steamed, raw, stir-fried, roasted, sautéed, just no butter or oil, please. Sautéing vegetables in water or vegetable stock instead of oil can be a BIGTIME game changer to release excess weight, as well as a health boost to prevent and even reverse chronic disease.  Avoiding or reducing oils, the most calorically dense and processed food on the planet, can be a major contributor to reclaiming your health.

Don't forget the fabulous decadence and vast variety of incredible fruits!  In meals, on the side, as a snack or dessert, you will only thrive exponentially from the multi-colored, uber-amazing flavor of fresh fruits!

Add sauces, like teriyaki, BBQ, peanut sauce, oil-free dressings.  All can be purchased or made from scratch, which is easy and creatively, soul-filling! When homemade you can control the ingredients, but hey, do what you can to make it easy and delicious!

Fresh or dried herbs and spices can take this whole thing to new levels of flavor and kick up the nutrition value!  Top your chickpea quinoa salad with fresh basil, mint or parsley, your black bean rice bowl with mango salsa, cumin, chili powder and cilantro or your tofu (or chickpea!) salad sandwich with sprouts, tarragon or dill!

Challenge yourself to wildly mix and match these fundamentally phenomenal plants to your liking, and abundantly enjoy the wild creativity that your soul craves, your taste buds desire and your health adores!