I didn’t do myself a lot of favors in the beginning of my quest to change our diets. I thought I needed to cook every meal from scratch and I soon became exhausted. Then we would ‘cheat’ by eating something not really legal although it was still vegan. Finally, I realized I couldn’t keep up this pace if I was truly going to make this a lifestyle and not a diet.
To start, I looked for vegan condiments that didn’t have SOS in them, not an easy task. And then I looked for cereals and snacks that were ‘mostly legal’ like frozen steak fries that only had 2 grams of oil per serving. Not great, but prepared in the air fryer they were actually pretty good in a pinch.
A big problem developed with my sweet husband. He loves going shopping and I do not. So, for years now he has done most of the grocery shopping. Can you see the issue? To him, frozen fries were frozen fries. Buy the cheapest, problem solved. I needed to find a way to enable him to make smart choices at the grocery store and it goes beyond reading the ingredients for obvious dangers. So, we watched this great video on YouTube: “Lifestyle as Medicine Lecture: Reading Food Labels with Jeff Novick, MS, RDN”. Jeff provides a simple matrix and straightforward process to evaluate any food item on the shelf. We have done screen shots on our phones that we reference frequently to ensure the fat, salt and sugar contents are within reasonable levels. Check it out if you want to reduce the dangers of processed foods and buy healthier convenience foods to augment your WFPB meals.
I make sure my pantry is well stocked with canned beans and tomatoes, some salsa and cooked brown rice. And the refrigerator staples always include lots of greens, and a couple bags of crucifers already cut up and ready to cook. Be aware that a few hours after cutting, some of the anti-inflammatory benefits that make me chose these veggies dissipates. It’s all about balance, and a pre-cut vegetable is better than no vegetable.
Be kind to yourself, and unless you just love cooking, give yourself a little break with some of the new WFPB packaged foods now available. I list a few on my resource page. Just last week, we got home late from a grandson’s soccer game and so we enjoyed a little green salad that I try to always keep in the refrigerator and a tasty cup of Lentilful’s Mexican Green Chile. Yum!
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 NIV)
“Not all ‘processed foods’ are created equally. The idea that you should aim for a diet completely devoid of process foods is neither realistic nor required.” (Reshma Shah, MD, MPH and Brenda Davis, RD Nourish – The Definitive Plant-Based Nutrition Guide for Families)
“Why consume cancer-causing meats “in moderation” when all levels of processed meat consumption has been deemed dangerous?” (Dr. Kristi Funk, Breasts The Owner’s Manual)
Yours for a Joyful Journey,
Joyice