Life at the Chicken Coop

Food, Glorious Food

A couple months ago I was at the grocery check-out stand and the clerk was asking me about my groceries. She noticed I had things like soy milk and lots of produce (not too weird in my book). I said I don't eat as much meat as I used to and that I had cut way back on my dairy consumption as well. Then she asked me what I do if I feel like having pizza. The picture above is what I do when I want pizza: saute some tofu (that's been dredged in panko breadcrumbs) in olive oil and minced garlic (add some salt and pepper). Then I put some good marinara sauce on top. (Sometimes I'll put it on top of whole wheat toast which is good too). I have found that it hits the spot usually.

And though I've cut back on meat and dairy, I am still enjoying desserts, as you can see in these pictures.

And these from this weekend tasted GOOD!

A note: I sometimes think it comes off as kind of elitist to be so exclusionary about food selection. That is not my intention. I just feel like these things are right for me. Every body is different and certainly we are entitled to our own opinions about what we choose to eat. And while I've excluded most meat from my diet, I have also added lots of other foods to it. I've actually discovered the variety in a plant-based diet, not the opposite. I probably eat more fiber and protein focusing on eating plants than without doing so.

My nutrition beliefs (not that I always follow them!):

• Natural as possible (the less processed, the better)
• Lots of fruits and vegetables
• Nuts, beans, tofu and coupling foods like beans and rice for complete proteins
• Olive oil and other minimally-processed fats are best
• Eating sugar right before bedtime makes it hard to go to sleep
• Lots of water

And, while I'm on the subject, I thought I would share some quick, easy vegan meals that I make:

• Tempeh sauteed with olive oil, diced onions, garlic and diced zucchini or yellow squash
• Brown rice, pinto beans, salsa, lettuce and diced avocado (sometimes I'll crush some corn tortilla chips on top to give it some crunch)
• Fruit smoothies: silken tofu, frozen berries, orange juice, a little vanilla yogurt (I've used honey or agave nectar before), and a banana
• Dinosaur meat
• Boca burger with Perfect Broccoli
• Bean burrito (with whole wheat tortilla) and roasted vegetables
• Peanut butter sandwich and carrot chips
• Roasted veggie sandwich: hummus, sprouts, roasted veggies on whole wheat bun
• Fried rice with tofu
• Tofu stir fry
• Black Bean Soup
• Light Chicken Chili (minus the chicken)
• Tuna sandwiches with lots of lettuce on it (I do eat tuna periodically)

I would love to hear your thoughts and what has helped you stay on track with your eating plans!