Eating Mindfully_Days 5 & 6

Almost halfway through the 14 day WFPB eating challenge, and I can't really say its been much of a challenge!  I'm having so much fun creating meals, I feel great, satisfied, and healthy. Midway through the week the challenge became keeping it interesting during the day. Dinner was my main focus especially because I was preparing it for my family as well as myself.  The good news was that I was able to dig into leftovers as part of my lunches every now and then, and I prepared extra beans and quinoa from one meal to have on hand later in the week.

Meanwhile, Maggie has been my little sous chef, sorting chopped veggies, stirring risotto, and learning that asparagus is "yummy!"  Last night we made butternut ginger soup from "Finding Vegan" and tonight was the creamiest, richest risotto (with kale and peas) that I've ever had - and no cheese or cream or any other dairy!  Check out Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook, "Its All Good." She has lots of vegan and elimination diet recipes. Yummy stuff.

Butternut ginger soup

Risotto with kale and peas

Eating Mindfully_Day 4

Nourishing the body is nourishing the mind and spirit as well.  Its only been 4 days and I can honestly say I feel different and so much better!  I'm happier. I have more energy. I feel lighter on my feet.  My whole body feels uplifted. I've been less hungry eating this way than before. There's more food going into my body and all of it is REAL food. I can hear and feel my body saying thank you, and as someone who ate a very healthy diet even prior to this endeavor, I can only imagine what this would do for anyone eating a substantially less healthy diet. 

So, here's yesterday's meal plan:

Breakfast: I'm loving the gluten-free homemade granola from Barb's Garden and Pantry down at Farmer's Market, with coconut or almond milk. Added some sliced strawberries this time.

Lunch: Salad (who knew a salad could be so filling!) with an assortment of veggies.  I topped it off with some of the sweet potato, eggplant, and onion mix from the night before. Yum.

Lots of snacks throughout the day: raw almonds, carrots and celery with hummus, grapes, an apple, green pepper and tomatoes...

For dinner, I dug into Saturday's left over veggie stew which was even better the second time around because it had thickened and absorbed even more flavor!  To go along with it, I tried my friend Kelly's suggested recipe of kale cooked with coconut water, garlic, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Threw in some white beans and sun-dried tomatoes when the kale was almost cooked through. And for a twist tossed in some mushrooms as well.  She was right - super easy and delish!

Check out the recipe on my WFPB Recipes for the Savory Soul page!

Eating Mindfully_Day 3

“Eating is perhaps the single most important act for one’s yoga practice because nourishment of the body’s tissues forms a foundation for the nourishment of the mind and emotions.”  

~Scott Blossom, Yoga Journal, June, 2008

Coffee with no milk is a tough one...I love a good latte.  And unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of almond milk in my coffee.  Luckily, this morning I discovered that coconut milk is a far tastier option for my coffee fix. Whew! That, paired with the homemade granola I bought yesterday at market and some sliced strawberries made for a good start to my Sunday.

Lunch was a smoothie, inspired my mother-in-law: Kale, arugala (normally, that would be spinach but the spinach was gone...arugala was different but yummy. It gave it a bit of a kick!), carrots, strawberries, and coconut water.  For a side, tomatoes and some celery with hummus. Another beautiful spread as I was preparing this meal!

Dinner was my own creation: "Hearty Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Salad"
This consisted of a bed of arugala topped with quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, eggplant, and onion, some spices and a side of steamed broccoli.  Hearty, healthy, and delicious!

It feels so good to eat this way. Even without two of my favorite things, sushi and lattes, it just might be worth going without.

Be sure to check out my Savory Soul recipe page for this and any other creations that inspire you!

Eating Mindfully_Day 2

Took advantage of winter farmer's market this morning to pick up some local, seasonal produce with which to create meals!  I LOVE that we have farmer's market year round. I ventured out with no list and no planned menu (something I rarely do!) and came home with sweet potatoes, arugala, apples, tomatoes, carrots, and gluten-free homemade granola, among other treasures. Real food is so pretty - its amazing.

Today's breakfast was the same as yesterday's and a similar assortment of fruits and veggies for snacks.

A colorful lunch included a raw salad of spinach and kale, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, mushrooms, and some leftover split peas from soup a few nights ago.  A side of broccoli and carrots with hummus on the side. Best part of lunch?  My 2 year old's insistent request for "more bwocy (broccoli)". It makes my heart smile when she eats her veggies.

Dinner was a bean and veggie chili inspired by a recipe I found on Finding Vegan.  Delicious! And filling.  I also simply can't get over how beautiful all this food is.

Here's my take on the recipe:

Veggie Bean Stew

The Fixings:
2 celery stalks, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
½ large red onion, diced
3 cloves minced garlic
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
14.5 oz. marinara sauce
2 tsp tamari
2 tsp pure maple syrup
1 cup green split peas
½ cup great northern beans
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups water
14.5 oz. can corn

The Spices:
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp celery seed
2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper

The Add-Ons (optional):
Green onions, soy cheese, cilantro

The Creation:

1. Cover the bottom of a large pot with a thin layer of water or vegetable stock. Keep some water handy to prevent veggies from sticking to pot. Saute celery, carrots, bell pepper, and onion over high heat for 2 minutes.

2. Add all the spices to the veggie mix and sauté for 7 minutes

3. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute

4. Add the diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, tamari, and maple syrup. Add split peas, beans, baking potato, and water and simmer, covered, until potato is soft, about X minutes

5. Add corn and cook for 15 more minutes

6. Serve and Savor!

And so here we are at the end of day 2. I feel wonderful, satisfied, and inspired!

~Namaste.