In my last post I said I would take a selfie – here it is!
As I’ve said in previous posts, I was looking to make a change back in late 2019. I knew that meant dealing with my increasing weight but in the back of my mind I was thinking what’s the point? “You know how this works Angela,” I said, “you lose weight over a short period of time, get fed up with the restrictive regime, start cheating and end up putting even more weight back on. After all, that’s what’s happened every time in the past!”
This time however, something was different. Losing weight wasn’t my main focus. Being healthier was! So I didn’t jump straight in to wfpb. Didn’t set a date to start and then eat everything in sight in preparation for the inevitable deprivation. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt!
Now obviously I didn’t know how wfpb was going to change my life when I started out on this process. But, I had joined a 21-day challenge and while not starting on day one, I was reading posts from those who had and that definitely gave me inspiration. I was amazed at the changes people were experiencing health wise in particular and so set my start date (no I didn’t do the whole binge eating of everything I could think of beforehand!) I can only put that down to something having switched in my brain – I was absolutely up for the challenge.
Where to start?
Obviously, this was such a big change, I remember struggling with how to actually start. I had already decided not to transition – because my thinking was if I didn’t go all in, would I ever fully succeed in going wfpb. So for me, I committed to eating whole food, plant based, no oil, no salt.
So I thought I’d share a typical days wfpb meals with you – I don’t remember where this breakfast idea came from, certainly not a recipe, but I felt I needed to keep it simple. This is absolutely delicious and remains my go to breakfast – I never tire of it.
1 chopped apple
1or 2 bananas, sliced
Small handful of blueberries and strawberries
A few chopped nuts
2 tbsp ground flax seed
Drizzle of pure maple syrup
For someone who would eat the occasional apple or a few grapes prior to wfpb – this was a game changer. That reminds me, if you haven’t watched ‘The Game Changers’ on Netflix, I highly recommend that you do. Watching this cemented my desire to change.
For lunch a favourite of mine is a Vegan “Toona” Salad sandwich from The Plant-Based Diet for beginners’ cook book by Gabriel Miller
- Vegan “Toona” Salad
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Method
- In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas and the avocado. Using a fork or a potato masher, smash them down until the majority of the chick peas are broken apart.
- Stir in the onion, celery, mustard, lemon juice, maple syrup and garlic powder, making sure everything is thoroughly combined and serve.
- I often eat mine on toasted whole wheat bread with plenty of salad and a generous dollop of cashew cream
For dinner, another favourite of the whole family is 10 Minute Vegan Rice Stir-Fry from dreenaburton.com
- Pinch sea salt (optional)
- 1 cup diced bell peppers or carrots
- 1 cup corn kernels or green peas or a combination of both
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions or chives (if chives – add at the end of cooking)
- 1/3 cup sliced celery
- 5 cups pre-cooked brown rice or quinoa
- I cup diced pre-cooked potatoes or 1/2 cup more rice
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup tamari
- 1 -2 tbsp water
- Sea salt to taste, optional
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste, optional
Instructions
- In a large nonstick skillet over high or medium-high heat, sprinkle on a pinch of sea salt and add the bell peppers or carrots, corn or green peas, green onions and celery, stirring occasionally
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the rice, potatoes (if using) and 1/4 cup of the tamari
- Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Add the water if the mixture is sticking
- Heat the rice through
- If using chives, add and stir
- Taste, add the remaining tamari, season with salt and black pepper if desired
- Serve
I regularly turn to Google when I’m looking for recipes, ideas and tips – it has become my right arm when looking for inspiration when researching wfpb and it can become yours too. My sister who is a Body Shop at Home Consultant posted on Facebook about their Moringa products and shared with me what she’d learned about the Moringa bean through her research on google. I learned that it is a super food and 100g of the Moringa leaf has 15 x more potassium than bananas, 36 x more magnesium than eggs plus many more nutrients. Moringa powder can be used in anything that would benefit from the flavour of what is akin to spinach. I have ordered some from Amazon and will let you know how I get on. Those of you with underlying health issues should consult a doctor or health professional before using Moringa.
My next post will include further insight into my wfpb journey, what I’ve learned, what worked, what didn’t, as well as shortcuts, ideas and tips that will be of benefit. Please comment on this post and feel free to make suggestions for what you would like me to cover in upcoming posts.
