Caths Kitchen Chat November 25th
Staying in your healthy eating zone during the silly season is tough. This is the time that many stop with taking care of their health and indulge. Not so surprisingly it’s also the busiest time of the year for our cardiologists.
Listen, do I think you are going to destroy your health in one day of indulgence by eating Grans trifle - no! But for many it’s not just one day. For me it’s a door I can go through and struggle to find my way back to health. For others they simply enjoy their day of eating and the next day it’s back to normal. You know you best.
You can keep your health at this time of the year by focusing on one meal at a time. It could be breakfast, lunch or tea. Then the next step is preparation. Now I know you are thinking I haven’t got hours or the energy to stay in a kitchen preparing loads of food. And friends I’m with you. We all have busy lives and this time of the year it becomes even busier and we become more exhausted.
The secret to prep is to keep it simple. Have a think about what taste textures and flavours you like. Don’t eat food you don’t like - even if it’s considered super food. Trust me you will do much more for your health by being consistent and eating the veg you love than by feeling miserable eating a veg you don’t. After you have decided what you like you then need to prepare the following to make life super easy.
A grain or root vegetable/s - cook your grain and I roast my root veg.
A big dry coleslaw and greens , carrots, radishes etc
Protein - tofu, cans of beans, nuts and seeds
A sauce or dressing - hummus is great.
Literally this will take you less than 15 mins but will save you buying a takeout or eating ultra processed foods when you are tired and stressed. You can simply grab and go for a quick lunch or add a different sauce , switch up a protein or add in some steamed greens.
For me this week I batch prepared a gigantic coleslaw. It was red and green cabbage , kale and radishes. Next was to scrub and wash a mix of kumara x3 colours and a couple of potatoes. Simply roasted without oil but I do brush with my Aquafaba ( chickpea liquid and some mixed herbs). Then I made a double batch of hummus as this is my absolute fav. Of course you can buy it if this is going to make life easier.
My protein choice is tofu or a can of beans. Beans require nothing, just to be drained, rinsed and added to your bowl.They are packed full of fibre and protein and research tells us that they keep us full even into the next day! Just try to buy unsalted ones.
Now you are ready to whip up a nourish bowl for lunch or dinner super quick. You can use all of those as bases for a meal. The coleslaw can even be a stir-fry! I could add a grain like quinoa or pasta or rice. By adding a tin of tomato’s, a cashew cheese sauce now my lunch can easily become dinner. Find a dressing you like. I often thin my hummus with lemon, or add something spicy to my yogurt as a dressing.
You see, with WFPB cooking you will always get something tasty to eat. That’s the thing vegetables always go together. It may not have been what you were originally thinking it was going to look like but it’s always yum! Did I mention that cleaning up is a breeze with this way of eating as there are no oily or fatty dishes. That really is a bonus.
So what are you going to do with that extra time? Put your sneakers on and go for a walk! Get your 30mins of exercise in a day and watch your body heal from the inside out.
Big Plant Love
Cath 💚
