Calorie density- Eat more plants for long term weight management

As someone who has ruminated on food and weight since those awkward teen years, I am NOT writing this post from my ivory tower. My eating habits are a work-in-progress and I still eat tortilla chips on the regular. I will say that since using this general approach to eating, it's been surprisingly simpler for me to enjoy my meals with less anxiety.

You all know there are plenty of "diets" that work in the short term. You can avoid all sugar, eat only bacon, tape your mouth shut, etc. and drop some weight. The challenge is finding a way of eating that is sustainable in the long-term, reduces the likelihood of chronic diseases, and (most importantly) doesn't suck. Enter the calorie density approach.

Utilizing a calorie density approach can simplify healthier eating (and you can use this as a guide regardless of your meat-eating status). In a nutshell, if you eat more nutrient dense foods like fruits and vegetables vs. calorie dense foods like processed foods and oils, you will likely shed weight AND not starve. Sounds pretty good so far, right?

Here's a couple of ways to visualize this approach:

Fruits and veggies fill up our bellies with fewer calories.

By the numbers....

As someone who was once deathly afraid of carbohydrates, it's taken me some time to adjust. Now I am at peace knowing that raspberries and sweet potatoes are not the devil, and should not be put in the same "bucket" as chips, crackers and donuts.

you get the idea...

I'll share a few quick tricks I've adopted for swapping out calorie dense foods in favor of more nutrient dense ones:
1) Saute with vegetable broth instead of oil. If your main goal is to keep food from sticking to the pan, this one is a no-brainer.
2) Pile your pizza with your favorite veggies (assuming there are some you find tasty!) in lieu of some of the meat and go light on the cheese. This can save you hundreds of calories in a single meal. I would NEVER advocate giving up pizza; you can incorporate it into a healthy diet with a little maneuvering. 

This isn't for everyone. Baby steps. 

3) Two words. Riced cauliflower. I was a late adopter to this one (and hated cauliflower for most of my life), but now I'm converted. Sitting at approximately 30 calories per cup vs. 200 for brown rice, it's a nice option alone or mixed with "real" rice. I'm not saying brown rice is evil. It's not. Incorporating riced cauliflower is simply one way to feel more satiated with fewer calories.

that's me for sure

 4) Consider MEASURING out a portion size when eating whole plant foods like nuts, seeds or avocado. To put it into perspective, a quarter cup of cashews has approximately the same number of calories as an orange plus FOUR cups of Trader Joe's organic air popped popcorn. You can see how one of those options will likely leave you feeling more full.

No food is off the table (pun intended), but it's important to be mindful of how different foods fit into your eating plan. Taking small steps to incorporate more nutrient dense, fiber-filled foods can help you feel better and move toward, or maintain, a healthy weight.

Today's recipe has become a new favorite as we LOVE our Mexican food. It comes from Rachel Hartley nutrition. https://www.rachaelhartleynutrition.com/blog/2015/12/crispy-baked-tofu-tacos-with-cilantro-lime-slaw  Please note, you can reduce or eliminate the olive oil the marinade and it's still delicious. Also, I prefer Trader Joe's high protein organic tofu (extra firm) for this recipe.

See you next time!

Three Rules for Eating Plant-Based (or even vegan) without being an A@#$%&e

As a quick review- I am experimenting with a plant-based diet. This means no or minimal meat, dairy or eggs. I am not a vegan (and honestly that label scares me) as I still have some leather shoes, purses, etc. that I did not destroy when I transitioned my food choices. In addition, I still eat some junk food (chips, vegan cookies, etc.).  This means I do not eat a 100% "whole food plant based" diet. It means I'm a work in progress and doing what is working for me right now.

I mention that because there can be a lot of judgment around what people eat, especially if you think YOUR way is the BEST way, be that plant-based, keto, paleo, etc. Criticizing someone for what they eat or what their kids eat is the quickest way to send them diving head first into a Quarter Pounder or giant bag of Doritos. It's all too easy to place yourself up on a diet pedestal which only makes you an easy target for criticism and opposition. 

That being said, when you feel like you've found something that works - a healthy and affordable way to eat long term- it can be extremely difficult not to push those views onto others. Full disclosure- I'm working on this and sometimes I completely suck at it. Following are a few rules for eating plant based without alienating everyone around you:

1) It doesn't have to be all or nothing. I've had numerous people say that they are doing "Meatless Mondays" or eating vegetarian a couple days per week. That's great! Encourage people to make little changes, and they can judge for themselves how it's working and how they are feeling. Do NOT shame them for not being 100%...it's not practical for many people and it's just not nice.

2) Don't skewer people for eating"fake meat"- I have seen a lot debate of this lately. With the introduction of Impossible and Beyond Burgers, as well as the myriad of meat substitutes out there, this is a hot topic. You can even see in-fighting between the vegans and the plant based folks on this one. For some, these products are baby steps as they move from a traditional Western diet to a more plant-based diet. Others may try these as a means to reduce meat consumption or to eat more sustainably. From my understanding, the Impossible Burger wasn't designed as a "health food"...nor was a Big Mac. Let it go.

Meat or non-meat?

3) Feed people delicious food made from mostly plants- Cut down on the preaching and get in the kitchen (or to a hip restaurant that makes vegan or vegetarian food). If people taste for themselves that they can eat amazing food without meat (or even cheese or eggs), they might be more amenable to incorporating more of these meals into their rotation. I enjoy "veganizing" recipes, especially any kind of Mexican food. I even fed my dad tofu and said it was chicken (yes, he liked it). I also like going out from time to time, and most restaurants are happy to accommodate my quirky requests.

Wood-fired pizza with spinach, shrooms, and arugula- amazing!

Long story short, everyone is on their own journey when it comes to food. What works for some people, won't work for all. Eating mostly plants has worked for me, but it took me 40 something years to get here (and I would never EVER have imagined that I would go in this direction). If you're giving this a go, be patient and find simple ways to sub out some meat in favor of beans, lentils or meat substitutes. If you have no plans to ever stop or cut down on eating meat, but you find this blog entertaining....thanks for reading.

Here's a peanut butter cookie recipe my husband was given (yes, it's always been on a post-it). A couple of notes:1) the sugar is listed at the very top, you won't to miss that! Feel free to use regular, brown, organic or not, all of part Stevia, etc. 2) a flax seed egg is 1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds plus 3 Tbsp. water (mix, let sit for a minute, then throw it in). These "eggs" work well in cakes, cookies, banana bread and many other baked goods.

Thanks for reading and see you soon!

Bodybuilding in Your 40s (while eating mostly plants)

After starting, and not finishing, several posts over the past year or so, I realized it was time to get back to it. The main reason for my procrastination is that I was unsure as to how, or if, I would share my latest "hobby". This new pursuit was integrated into the still somewhat new plant-based eating experiment....and it is bodybuilding. Yes, in mid-2018, I decided that I wanted to set a new fitness related goal, beyond fitting into a certain sized jeans or seeing a certain number on the scale.

You might ask, why not run a marathon? Well, I completed a marathon many years ago and generally dislike running, so that was out. Triathlon? Beyond the running avoidance, battling other swimmers like salmon swimming upstream is not remotely appealing to me. In addition, I've always preferred lifting weights to cardio, so I was hoping to incorporate that in some way. Enter bodybuilding - a sport that I was probably silly to consider WELL into my 40s. To do this while eating a diet largely devoid of animal products added to the challenge. Despite some general concerns about how this would turn out, I registered for a competition. And now, having competed in two shows (one in November of 2018 and one in August of 2019), I've learned a few things:

1) Jump in before you're ready. Researching all facets of your crazy ass goal is a recipe for changing your mind. For example, did I know that bodybuilding competitors wore bikinis? Yes. Did I look further and uncover that these are the most minuscule suits EVER and do NOT cover much of your backside AND cost hundreds of dollars? I most certainly did not! Would that have been enough to make me rethink this whole thing...hard to say for sure, but it would have certainly made it more terrifying from the jump.

Yep, that's all of it. And those SHOES!

2) You can build muscle and get stronger while not eating much meat (or eggs or dairy products). Everything I remember from friends who had competed in their 20s is that meat was a key component of the bodybuilders diet. Thanks to Google, I found several bodybuilders (male and female) whose diet consists mainly of plant-based foods. I'm not saying it was always easy to meet the protein requirements (which were higher than when I wasn't training), but it was manageable. I've gotten pretty creative with tofu and various types of beans! If you've pondered swapping out some of the meat in your diet for more plant-based proteins, but are concerned that you'll become weak and frail, check out The Game Changers documentary on Netflix https://gamechangersmovie.com The film highlights several plant based athletes (who are STRONG!) and the benefits of eating less meat. They do this without a an excess of judgment or an "all or nothing" perspective.

3) It's never to late to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. Although I'm sure some (many?) think I'm completely crazy for jumping into bodybuilding at this stage in the game, I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of more than I thought. I've often played it safe...being afraid to fail...worrying about looking foolish...so I'm making up for lost time by taking a big chance. Could I have fallen on my face? Possibly. Had a mortifying wardrobe malfunction? Not out of the question. So far, neither of those things have come to fruition. A bonus has been a generally friendly and supportive bunch of competitors!

Not a required pose- just for fun!

My tan was modeled after the Oompa Loompa :)

So what's next? Although I'm rehabbing a couple of injuries, my plan is to compete in a Figure competition in November. It's a ways off, but I have a lot of muscle building to do between now and then. Stay tuned!

One more thing...continuing the trend of providing a delicious recipe, here you go! This one is super easy and comes from Forks Over Knives. https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/avocado-white-bean-salad-wraps/#gs.p1rimf. I tend to make the filling and just throw it into a high fiber tortilla (it saves me a little work of rolling and slicing). You can also add some jalapeños if you're feeling feisty!

Eating Like an Herbivore - Four Tips

This week, I was talking with one of best friends who expressed some interest in eating a more WFPB (whole food plant-based) diet. Coincidentally, her own mother has been 100% plant-based for years, and (like moms sometimes do) has given her some "gentle" encouragement to do the same.

One thing I've found over this past year of the plant eating experiment is that there are more people who are vegan, vegetarian, WFPB (or know someone who is) than I imagined. I have also fielded questions and comments from many who are considering a more, but not necessarily exclusively, plant-based diet and just aren't sure where to start.  When I asked this same friend what info I could share on this blog that would be useful, she suggested providing ideas for baby steps people can take toward a more plant-based diet. Please note, I will tend to use "WFPB" more frequently than "vegan" as vegan doesn't necessarily equal a diet full of healthy, unprocessed foods (and the label alone can evoke strong emotions from people!)

Enough said.

Before taking your baby steps toward more healthy eating, it's important that you identify your WHY (cue the eye-rolls!).  As we know, changing any behavior long term can be extremely difficult, so it is critical that you feel committed to any lifestyle shift you're considering. Most folks who go more plant-based fall into one of three camps- health reasons (weight loss and reducing risk of several chronic diseases), environmental (impact of industrial agriculture on the planet) or "the animals".  I got on the train because my husband was interested in the health benefits - I now feel more locked in because of what I've uncovered about the other two areas.

Are you considering moving toward a slightly more veggie-friendly way of eating? Here are a few ideas:

1) Vegan-ize a few of your go-to meals.  Most people - be they vegan, vegetarian, meat eaters or whatever- have a handful of dinner options in their rotation. Let's take tacos, for example. Now who doesn't like tacos??  We use what my kids call "pretend meat" in place of ground beef.  These products are often made of soy (we buy it from Trader Joe's, but there are various brands that can be found at most grocery stores).  You can use this in tacos, enchiladas, chili...the list goes on! You can also add black or other beans into the mix to add more fiber.  Eventually you may choose to only use beans or lentils in place of meat (as you move away from processed foods), but this is a great start!

Another option may be pizza topped with your favorite veggies and, dare I say, no cheese. If that's WAY out of your comfort zone, then just halve the cheese.

Veggie burgers are also a good transition option. If you're not yet interested in making your own, there are plenty of ready-made choices.  Remember...baby steps!

2) Do a little prep and planning. This may sound like words of wisdom from Captain Obvious, but if your fridge and pantry are stocked with more healthy food and less crap, you're more likely to eat it. Keep fruit and veggies cut up and ready to go as a quick snack when you arrive home from work starving and ready to chew on your own arm. One of my favorites is baby cucumbers with hummus, but you may prefer peppers or broccoli, oranges or apples. If it comes from nature and not a box or bag, it's likely to be a decent choice.  It's also helpful to make larger batches of whole grains like quinoa or brown rice (to use in burrito bowls or stir fry).  You can keep some in the fridge and store the remainder in the freezer.

Keep healthy stuff on hand

3) Find support. It goes without saying that transitioning to a plant-based diet, or simply eating more whole foods, is easier when the whole family is on board.  For us, it took watching the "What the Health" documentary on Netflix to consider changing our eating habits for our long-term health. If you're focused on eating more fruits, veggies, high-fiber grains and legumes and your family only wants processed foods and drive-thru fare, it's going to be more challenging. If you're the one who cooks, then you have a little more say in what gets put on the table.  As a start (if there is a threat of mutiny if you remove all meat, dairy and eggs from the house), begin sneaking in more veggies and whole grains.  Use meat as the "extra" vs. the star of the meal.  Also, refer back to Tip #1- investigate simple ways to make your regular meals delicious and meat free.

If your family is reluctant, find a friend or co-worker who has already made some changes who can provide advice and support and talk you off the "I must have bacon!" ledge.

4) Do your own research. I'll tell you that the marketing folks for the plant based camp suck compared to those advocating a high protein diet (think Atkins, keto, etc.). And who doesn't want to believe they can have long term health and wellness by eating eggs, cheese and meat?? I am a convert from the "must have animal protein" camp, so I was amazed at how much data exist on the benefits of a WFPB diet.  Here are a couple of blogs that I've found interesting - The Plant Yourself Podcast, Nutrition Facts with Dr. Michael Greger and The Exam Room.  I might also suggest checking out info on the Blue Zones.

I'm sharing yet another recipe from Thug Kitchen- perfect for the fall. If need be, refer back to Tip #1 and sub in "pretend meat" in place of some of the veggies! Also, there is quite a bit of colorful language on this website, so consider yourself warned!  https://www.thugkitchen.com/bean_and_beer_chili

Thanks and see you soon!

Happy Vegan-ish Anniversary - Lessons Learned

First off, for the few of you who have read this blog and found it mildly entertaining (Mom- this means you!), I apologize for my lengthy hiatus.  I won't bore you with excuses, but I'm back.

And yes, it has been approximately ONE YEAR since my diet has been approximately 97% free of meat, dairy and eggs. Please don't ask me about what constitutes the 3%- it's simply my way of saying that I'm not perfect or completely militant about food preparation.

I don't have an exact day on which to celebrate because, quite honestly, I didn't think this would ever stick. I still recall the day when my husband and our daughters were watching "What the Health" on Netflix, and he suggested we try a plant based diet. I smiled, nodded and said "sure", feeling quite confident that we'd be on this train for a week, maybe two, tops!

My "inside voice" when hubby suggested going plant-based

I won't say there haven't been challenges or bumps in the road, but overall it wasn't as difficult as I would have thought. I also feel pretty darn good!

Now for a few things I've learned:
1) I CAN give up cheese.  I've heard many people say "I could never give up cheese".  That was totally me and, amazingly, I've eaten little to no cheese since last August. I will occasionally eat a fragment that was stranded on a piece of left-behind pizza crust- don't judge!
2) It's not more expensive to eat a plant-based diet.  When you swap out meat (red meat, fish, chicken...whatever) for tofu or cans of beans, you're going to save money.  This is especially true if you're someone who buys organic, grass fed beef, etc.
3) There is some planning involved. This is true AND it is also true for any foray into healthy eating, be it plant-based or otherwise. If you don't keep healthy stuff in the house and take zero time to plan out your meals, you'll grab whatever is quickest. And Lord knows there is not shortage of easily accessible processed food!
4) I get enough protein. I go into specifics in an earlier post, but suffice it to say that nearly NO ONE has a protein problem, even peeps who don't eat animal products. Many people are low on fiber, fruits, veggies and legumes (love saying that word), but not protein.

Someday I'll buy this t-shirt

5) Tortilla chips are my nemesis, and I'm working to get that under control.
6) I still feel a little bitter that I believed all of the marketing hype such as "Got Milk?" (insinuating that we need some), "The Incredible Edible Egg", "Pork- the Other White Meat", etc. I felt that I needed animal products for protein, to be strong, to have good teeth, etc. I've seen enough data to, at the very least, question several things I thought to be true.

I've learned a lot more than this, but these are a few of the highlights.  More posts to come soon, as there is other news I would like to share.

As I've typically done, I'll share another recipe that has gotten a thumbs- up from our 10 and 12 year old daughters (who are mainly vegetarian since last August- their choice).  This is another one from Thug Kitchen, posted from another blog as I couldn't find the original.

Thug Kitchen Chilaquiles from The Ruby Spoon blog


Have a great day!

Let's play a word association game. I say "vegan", you say....

Wow...tough crowd! What is it about this word that conjures up a fair amount of judgment as well as visions of birkenstocks and hugging of trees? Looking at the title of this blog, you can see that I also have a few hang-ups with this label. I'm sure I'm offending someone (or many someones) with my thoughts on the "vegan" topic, but I think it's worth exploring.

If you can't say anything nice...

I lean toward saying I eat a "plant-based" rather than vegan diet, even though it's not the most common lingo. The main goal of our eating experiment (which is closing in on the eight month mark!) is to improve our health by eating more fruits, veggies, beans and whole grains. Yes, it's good for the animals and the planet, but I was thinking much more selfishly at the outset...but I digress.  One reason I shun the vegan label is because vegan doesn't necessarily equal healthy. A steady diet of Coca-cola and Twizzlers would technically be considered vegan but is NOT exactly the direction I'm looking to go. At one point, I had even heard that Oreos were vegan but conflicting results emerged from my Google search on that topic.

These are like potato chips...hard to eat just one!

The other reason why the vegan label doesn't really resonate with me is that it seems too hard core for my purposes. I want to stay on track but don't want to be super obnoxious when eating at a friend's house or at a restaurant. If something contains a trace of eggs or milk, I can live with that. Also, I have yet not burned or donated my leather shoes and handbags, and I think that is a prerequisite of the vegan club.

Sad but sometimes true

I feel pretty good about a solid 95% plant based diet...and don't need to panic over an occasional bite of something that once walked, swam, crawled or flew.  I'm also not ready to say that I'll never go back to eating meat, eggs or dairy. That being said, I'm pretty terrified of how my body might react if I devoured a traditional pizza or a few steak tacos, so I'm not in a big hurry to revert back.

Eating a cheesy pizza might not go so well...

To be clear, my eating habits are far from perfect.  I made some cookies an hour ago and my consumption of chips and salsa is not well controlled. I take it day by day and do the best I can.

And now for the recommended recipe- tofu taco scramble from Thug Kitchen. Although I was a little wary at first, this was a hit with the whole family and can be an option for breakfast, lunch or dinner.   (I LOVE Thug Kitchen, but might I suggest another source for recipes if you're offended by colorful language).  I couldn't find the original recipe online, so I'm giving you the best copy I could find. Tofu scramble tacos

Chickpea freakin' nuggets!

What in the world?? In perhaps my boldest "I wonder if the family would eat these" moment so far, I set forth to make nuggets out of chickpeas. Pretty ridiculous, right? Before the plant-based experiment began, my children were big fans of the more traditional nuggets aka the ones made of chicken (or at least parts of chickens).

There are numerous products out there that pose as meat, including chicken-less nuggets,  but we haven't tried too many of those beyond the soy "crumbles" that we use for tacos and enchiladas.  These "pretend" meat options are often pretty processed, but they can be a great way to dabble in plant-based eating or are simple options for Meatless Mondays.  I was curious to see if I could make a truly plant-based nugget.

Before I go into specifics about the nuggets themselves, I'll say I have a love/like relationship with chickpeas aka garbanzo beans. I love LOVE hummus (especially when paired with baby cucumbers). I also enjoy chickpeas roasted until crispy, jazzed up with cumin, chili powder, salt & pepper. I do not, however, have a great affinity for plain 'ol chickpeas thrown into soup or a salad. I won't die if I eat them, but I find the mealy texture a little off-putting.

<$1 to around $2 (depending on if you want organic)

The nugget recipe was quite easy to throw together (and inexpensive).  The baking time was a little long at nearly 40 minutes, so you'll want to find something to keep you entertained for a while.

They look pretty nugget-like, right??

While baking, they smelled pretty delicious (seriously), but I was worried for the moment of truth when everyone prepared to taste them. I'm super excited to report that the family ate EVERY SINGLE ONE of the approximately two dozen nuggets...there was almost a skirmish over who would get the last one.  I knew attempting to create nuggets from chickpeas was a risk- and it could have resulted in a dinner of PB&Js- but it was ultimately an unexpected success.

Here is a link to the recipe. The only change I made was eliminating the turmeric and adding a little extra cumin. https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/chickpea-nuggets/#gs.Ib_xwrs

See you next time!