In January, my son and I took the PCRM 21 Day Vegan Kickstart challenge. We loved it. When 3 weeks was up, we decided we wanted to keep eating that way, but we’ve found total veganism to be really hard to live with.
Both of us recognize that eating a vegan diet is one of the best things for our health and planet. With that in mind, we’ve been pushing ourselves to eat more and more vegan, and less vegetarian.
Five to try
My food philosophy is that if it doesn’t taste good to me, I don’t buy it and I don’t eat it. Here are five vegan items that I recommend you try that I think you’ll find more than “just palatable.”
Soy Yogurt
It’s taken me a long time to fully embrace plant milk. Soy was one of the slowest for me to be cool with. Silk Soy Yogurt is definitely one you should try. Don’t go for the unflavored or the vanilla. Start with a flavor. The black cherry is one of my favorites. These are easy to find at Whole Foods and Kroger.
Annie Chun’s Vegan Noodle Bowls
I first learned of these from watching Vegan Break, a blog with mini videos about all things vegan.
Here Vegan Break talks about trying out the Miso Noodle Soup. I love these for days when I have more work than I have time for a lunch break. A quick zap and I can enjoy at my desk. Pick these up at Trader Joes, Whole Foods or Kroger.
Dr. McDougal’s Oatmeal
You can’t go wrong with oatmeal in a cup. It’s fast, delicious and it sticks to your ribs. The portion is about double the amount you’d get in one envelope of the instant stuff many feed to their kids each morning.
These breakfast (or hearty snack) treats have other grains, such as barley, in the mix. Order them online at rightfoods.com or I’ve picked them up locally at Jungle Jim’s.
Portabella burgers
No, not a burger with portabellas on top – this is a “burger” that is simply a really large, de-stemmed portabella mushroom. We grill them and baste them with homemade barbecue sauce, then stick them on a multigrain bun with pickle slices and slivers of onion. ‘Bellas are chewy, firm, earthy and substantial. Your omnivore friends will love them, too.
Beans and greens
My cooking has always included a healthy dose of good old Midwest and southern deliciousness. You don’t have to hail from Cincy or points south to enjoy this one though, and it comes together in a snap.
Check out the recipe for Southern Beans and Greens here from NutritionMD.org
Use whatever your favorite green is here – collards, kale, chard – they’re all pretty interchangeable for this recipe. The recipe calls for 3 cups of beans – that is equal to two “soup-sized” cans. Drain and rinse well before use. I mix it up and use two different kinds of beans, such as black and great northern. You can also speed your prep by purchasing bagged collard greens (similar to bagged salad greens, but a bigger-sized bag).
Make your favorite cornbread recipe or steam some brown rice and it’s dinner time! Don’t forget to serve with your favorite vinegar and hot sauce, if you like. Vinegar improves the absorption of nutrients from dark leafy greens like collards, kale and the like.
