My basic rule for deciding what to eat is that it has to have some sort of nutritional value. If I feel like making cookies I don't beat myself up over a craving. I will, however, make sure that I make them with whole wheat pastry flour, maple syrup and apple sauce instead of white flour, white sugar and oil. See? You can add nutrition to almost anything! Now that's not to say that I haven't been known to down a whole sleeve of Oreo's in one sitting (yes, Oreo's are vegan!) but I try to make that an exception to the rule.
Maybe a goal for this week could be to buy one of these things and replace it for something not so great. Maybe instead of a plate full of eggs and bacon in the morning, you could eat some oatmeal sweetened with maple syrup, or cook up some brown rice instead of white rice or pasta, or grab a handful of sunflower seeds and a couple figs for your snack at work instead of chips or pretzels. Baby steps!
Grains:
- Quinoa*- my favorite! It's super high in protein and sits much lighter than rice and other grains.
- Brown Rice*- Jon already liked this, but I was strictly a white rice girl. My advice: suck it up and eat the brown rice! You'll get used to it and start to prefer it!
- Steel Cut Oats- I have had oatmeal every morning for about 3 years. I will never get tired of it. Rolled oats are great for granola, baking and oatmeal, but I much prefer steel cut oats for this!
- Buckwheat- Very earthy, but it's great to cook like rice and serve with roasted veggies, sprinkled raw over yogurt or made into a porridge
Seeds and Nuts:
- Whole Almonds*
- Walnuts*
- Cashews
- Pecans
- Peanuts
- Sunflower Seeds*
- Sesame Seeds
- Chia Seeds- yes, you could make a chia pet out of these- but they're so much more fun to eat! Full of fiber and protein, chia seeds can absorb 9 times their weight in liquid! Put some in juice, yogurt or oatmeal and let sit for about 10 minutes or longer (even overnight). Because of the expansion of these seeds, you feel much fuller for longer!
- Flax Seeds- Great source of Omega-3's, but be sure to grind them before you eat them to get the most nutrients out of them
- Chia and Flax seeds make great egg substitutes for baking or binding. Just soak 1 tablespoon of chia or ground flax in 3 tablespoons water for 5-10 minutes. This makes one "egg".
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| Dried Fruits, Nuts and Sweeteners |
Dried Fruit (non-sulphate and unsweetened):
- Dates
- Prunes*
- Figs*
- Raisins
- Apples*
- Apricots
Flour:
- Whole Wheat
- Whole Wheat Pastry- great sub for white flour in baked goods and most breads
- Unbleached White- I try not to use white flour, but if I do I use about one third of the amount called for and sub the rest for whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour
- Oat- easily made at home by grinding oats in a spice or coffee grinder
- Almond- see above!
- Vital Wheat Gluten- great for making seitan, a delicious meat substitute
- Maple Syrup*- it's the best tasting stuff in the world and it's got lots of minerals, so it's good for you, too! Get Grade B because it's less refined, so it's got more of the good stuff in it!
- Raw Agave*- made from the same plant as tequila... how could you go wrong? I've heard mixed reviews about agave lately, as far as the fructose content, but everyone's a critic of something. It's plant based and minimally refined, so it's a much better alternative to artificial sweeteners and white sugar.
- Sucanat- short for sugar cane natural. Unlike white sugar, it hasn't been stripped of all its nutrients.
- Molasses
- Almond Milk*- we get unsweetened orignal
- Dark Chocolate Almond Milk* - Silk's brand is better than any chocolate milk I've ever had
- Soy Milk
- Oat Milk- we make our own for cheap!
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Beans & Legumes:
We buy ours in bulk to save money, but canned will do just fine!
- Black beans*
- Red Beans*
- Chickpeas
- Lentils*- loaded with Iron and Protein; especially when paired with quinoa
- Pinto Beans
Vinegars and Oils:
- Organic Apple Cider Vinegar*
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Rice Vinegar
- Coconut Oil*
- Olive Oil*
- Sesame Oil
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| Spices, Vinegar and Oil |
Spices:
- Basil*
- Oregano*
- Turmeric*
- Paprika*
- Fennel
- Cumin*
- Black Peppercorns*
- Mustard Seeds
- Chili Powder*
- Coriander
- Sea Salt*
- Cardamom
- Star Anise
- Nutmeg*
- Cinnamon*
- Allspice
- Dill
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Ginger*
- Garam Masala
- Curry Powder
- Chinese Five Spice
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| Spices and This and That |
This and That:
- Dark Chocolate*
- Nut Butters*
- Sriracha*
- Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids (kind of like soy sauce without the sodium!)
- Nutritional Yeast- a byproduct of molasses that tastes like cheesy fish food, but Jon likes it
- Curry Paste
- Homemade Mustard
- Homemade Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
- Agar Agar- dried seaweed powder that makes a great sub for gelatin
- Arrowroot- good sub for cornstarch, most of which is GMO
Hope this helps a bit in your search for new and exciting foods!
-Becca
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