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As a single parent and as a person who
wants to eat healthy, I have developed a two-hour, busy-cook plan which lends itself well
to vegetarian-vegan cooking. Most experts seem to agree that the base of a healthy diet is fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. I live by this. Every weekend I purchase/prepare a few things for the week ahead: 1. I chop onions, bell peppers, a poblano pepper, and some veggies such as squash, zucchini, broccoli, and carrots., then store them in zip-lock bags or covered with ice-water to maintain crispness. Tip: If you hate that chop, chop, chopping, buy vegetables from a good, fresh salad bar. It is more expensive but quick! And Green Giant sells chopped, frozen bell peppers and/or onions that work fine for stews, soups, etc. I prefer the crispness of fresh for most dishes. |
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It is not hard to cook a healthy diet, especially if you spend two hours per week planning and preparing. It is your health at stake! |
2. I have enough fresh fruit for a few days
so that I can eat at least two fruits per day, starting with breakfast or mid-morning
snack. Tip: Apples and oranges are two fruits that will stay fresh for a week. Save them until until the latter part of the week. 3. I have a can of diced tomatoes (with chilies, my spicy preference) ready to open when needed. After opening, I store the remainder in a glass container in the fridge. 4. I have a jar of purchased pasta sauce. Before purchasing, I read labels to make certain it does not include cheese or other animal products. 5. Tortillas that do NOT contain hydrogenated fat. I have to go to a health food store for these. 6. Mushrooms. 7. Veggie slices. I buy Galaxy Foods Veggie Slices, available at some supermarkets and natural foods stores. These cheese slices have casein (milk) and will not do for a vegan diet. 8. Romaine lettuce and other greens such as kale or spinach: washed, drained, and ready to eat. If they are well-drained, I can keep a week's worth in a well-sealed container. 9. Some nuts and seeds for snacks. |
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When you first arrive home, start the potatoes , quinoa, and rice cooking. When you have finished chopping veggies and putting your groceries away, your potatoes will be ready to mash. |
I keep some frozen vegetables, salsa, and bulghur
wheat on hand. I also start the week with the following goodies cooked and ready to eat: 1. Rice--preferably brown basmati. 2. Pasta--preferably the eggless, whole grain variety. 3. Mashed potatoes--I add soy milk for healthy potatoes and go very easy on the margarine because of that health robber: hydrogenated fat! Lately I have used a light olive oil, mixed well with the potatoes. It tastes the same but is not as yellow in color. Try Smart Balance for vegans. 4. Beans. Occasionally I cook beans but I usually buy canned black beans or vegetarian baked beans. I always add fresh veggies to the beans, even if it is only onions and peppers. 5. Quinoa. Cooks in about 20 minutes. All this shopping and preparation takes me about two hours on the weekend. When everything is done at once, it takes much less time. When I arrive home from shopping, I start the potatoes, quinoa, and rice cooking immediately, then cook the pasta. Once these are under way, I chop my vegetables, wash my lettuce and greens, then put my other purchases away. By the time the potatoes are ready to mash, I have finished everything. Tip: Rinse your pasta or rice immediately after cooking. Start each week with fresh food. If you have leftover food at the end of the week, you should trash it, cook it, or freeze it. If trashed, the leftover food rarely squanders many $$$. You soon learn to adjust the quantities to your eating habits. However, if you are tight (myself), you can make vegetable stew/soup from the leftovers.. What do I do with this food I have acquired for the week? Each night I prepare a large salad. When everything is ready to eat, a large salad is a quick, health bonanza. At least one night a week I add mushrooms and chopped vegetables to the bottled spaghetti sauce and eat it over my precooked pasta. I often take the remainder to work for lunch or eat some in a bowl while watching the news. I use the rice and chopped vegetables to make burritos one night, beans and rice another. I warm the potatoes in the microwave with a Veggie Slice on top. Good snack or a good meal accompanied by mixed, steamed vegetables. I steam veggies often. This is a low fat, high carbohydrate diet. Therefore, you will be hungry often. Eat when you are hungry. Pig out. Or better yet, graze small and often. Most people love this way of eating after they adjust, which takes about one month. Some men worry that they are not getting enough protein. Although this is most certainly not true, feel free to add protein powder from a sports nutrition source to any of these recipes. Whey protein comes from milk so I always buy soy protein powders. Also add protein from cooked moong dal purchased at an Indian or Asian food store. These dried, peeled, and sliced mung beans are very high in protein, store forever, and cook in about 20 minutes. And don't forget tofu for protein. Less than $1.00 per pound at an Asian store--slightly more at a health food store--good for smoothies, fajitas, and stir fries. You can bake the water from firm tofu and enjoy a thin, well-seasoned slice in a sandwich. Tofu is another story! Reprinted with permission of CyberParent. Dallas-Fort Worth Vegetarian Education Network. |
Books by Dean Ornish, MD, who was the first to prove the reversal of heart disease by changing lifestyle:
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