Adventure Dining

My husband joked when he asked me yesterday, on my day 4 eating whole plant based, what adventure meal he would be faced with for dinner.

Indeed, it is a whole new adventure for me to discover new grains, vegetables I never used and learn more about eating whole vegan.

Yesterday during lunch hour I overcame my inner couch potato and walked to Whole Foods from my office. I timed the walk, it takes me 10 minutes one way give or take depending on the two traffic lights I have to cross. This leaves me with at least 30 minutes shopping. 30 minutes is not enough to cruise all the aisles but if I focus on one or two food groups, I have time to study labels and the different products. Money is an issue therefore I also compare prices with products I can get at Trader Joe's, Nob Hill, or even Walmart. The walk during lunch gives me exercise and sun exposure for Vitamin D intake.

I was focusing on grains and legumes yesterday and could not believe how much is out there I have never heart of and never used in a meal. It does not have to be rice and beans all the time. Wheat-berry, spelt, and pink lentils. I felt excited and adventurous when I bagged my choices. When I looked up the different humus brands to find one without added oil, one of the store attendants gave me a great hummus recipe to make my own after he heard that I eat whole plant vegan like he did too. Hummus is based on chick peas and very easy to prepare. I can make a bowl on Sunday and have enough for the whole week. I also found big Forager pro-biotic non dairy plain almond yogurt for my breakfast muesli. Yes, it works with unsweetened almond milk but I prefer the yogurt texture in my muesli. The word "plain" is the keyword for a diabetic like me. An 8oz non-dairy fruit yogurt contains 14 to 16 grams of sugar depending on the fruit content while a plain one has less than half of the amount, 6 gr. This is also true for dairy products like Greek yogurt btw. Whatever diet you eat, go with plain yogurt and substitute your own fruit. You take a whole less sugar in that way.

Today is day 5 and another food adventure. For lunch I packed a vegan sandwich (whole bread with sprouted grains on a low glycemic index or pumpernickel are my bread choices) with cucumbers, sprouts and hummus. For dinner I plan roasted taters, vegetables not decided yet, and a vegetarian burger. My husband adds chicken kebab from the bbq for the carnivores in the family. Even if my peeps adds meat and dairy products, just eating the vegetables and whole grains and fruits with me instead of fries and fat drenched processed food, makes their diet already healthier.