If You're Broke, Go Veggie

In light of what's going on with the never-ending job losses across the nation, I was a member of the UC - Unemployment Club from October and finally got a job last month - To God be the Glory! I'd like to share with you a new revelation. I could've come up with so many excuses as to why I should not participate in this veggie challenge. Don't know what to buy, it's too hard; don't know how to cook those meals, that doesn't look kosher [pun intended] etc. etc. Truth be told, I've been excited about this challenge since Shake & Bake sent me that last minute email, but I digress.

The one thing I couldn't really say was 'I can't afford to go on a vegetarian plan'. The reason I was able to avoid expensive Christmas trips, extravagant Inaugural Balls, and a lavish birthday party was simply I didn't have the dinero! I could class it up and say I'm on a tight budget, but you know the deal.

If any of you have been bold enough to take a look at your monthly expenses, you can't help but wonder, I spent how much on food?!? Eating out is a budget killer, but cooking your own food is still a close cousin. Stay with me, I'm going somewhere with this.

However, if you decide to go vegetarian all you have to do is walk in your local grocery store and walk down the colorful aisles of fresh produce. I particularly like Grand Mart but there's a warning ahead. Their produce is always fresh though and it won't break the bank folks. You can get a pound of apples, a bunch of bananas, and a bag of grapes all for less than 10 bucks! You can have fruit salad for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! LOL What more can you ask for? Healthy, affordable, and no cooking required! Sounds good to me!

Warning: the people who shop at Grand Mart have no manners! Expect to bump into peeps frequently and throw dem 'bows. One other thing, barely anyone speaks English, so be careful what you ask for, there's no telling what tempeh translates to in another language.

Regardless, when all you have is a few bucks and feeling hungry, hit the produce aisle at a grocery store near you.

Mango & Avocado Salad with Black Beans & Lime Vinaigrette

I went to Wholefoods website and saved a few recipes that I will try to prepare during our 60 Day journey.

I haven't tried it yet, but I will let you know when I do!

The first is Mango & Avocado Salad with Black Beans & Lime Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Tropical flavors of mango and citrus complement black beans in this colorful salad.


Ingredients
2 firm-ripe avocados, halved, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons lime juice, divided
1 firm-ripe mango, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, more for garnish
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

Method
Gently toss avocado with a tablespoon of lime juice in a medium bowl; add mango, jalapeño and salt and toss to combine. To make the lime vinaigrette, whisk together the remaining lime juice, zest, sugar and cilantro in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the black beans with the vinaigrette. To assemble the salad, spoon the black bean mixture onto the middle of a small platter. Arrange the chopped mango and avocado around the black beans. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.


Nutrition
Per serving (about 10oz/282g-wt.): 460 calories (310 from fat), 35g total fat, 5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 230mg sodium, 36g total carbohydrate (11g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 9g protein

Keeping it real...

We're here. Congrats to my fellow baby vegetarians that stood strong and didn't partake in meat products (or other unhealthy eats) while enjoying the big game last night. (btw - GO STEELERS! I heart Ben R. =) It was rough but I opted for the veggie burger over the other options and I'm so proud of myself!

I am currently at my desk laboring through my big leafy salad that's chock full of healthy veggies and I am finally ready to admit something to myself (and to you). I don't like vegetables all that much. I rather eat other tasty things that are high in sodium and low in nutrients but are pleasing to my palate. I've decided to get it out of the way, admit it and stop fighting the truth.

With that said, I'm happy that I'm learning to make mature dietary choices that are good for my body and will improve my health long term. As Auntie Oxtail and I discuss often, this challenge is as much about discipline than anything else. Learning to do what you should do as opposed to what you may want to do. Discipline in our eating may even be indicative of discipline in other areas of our live (exercise, daily devotion and worship, organization)...

As I embrace the leafy greens and H20, it brings me comfort that my fellow bloggers are out there with their salads and beans too. By the grace of God, WE CAN DO THIS! I look forward to a healthier (and ultimately happier) 60 days on this journey with you. Stay strong!

'Hot' Chik-fil-a

From Shane:

Ok it's on once again.We've revamped the veggie challenge from last year and are getting ready for a greater challenge in 2009. The votes are in, and we're doing 60 days this time. But it's not just about not eating meat, it's about eating more healthy in general. Our inspiration came when our pastor was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer about a year ago before going on a hard core regimen of fruits and natural products. He just got his 6-month check up last week and the doctors are amazed at how his cancer is gone!fact: dairy products are the # 1 cause for prostate cancer in african american males; That hit home for me since I was chowing down on some good pizza last week watching the game.

http://www.idph.state.il.us/cancer/factsheets/hbproscncr.htm

But anyway, stay tuned for more updates on the blog. Looking forward to your comments. Feel free to forward to others.

Wait, I'm not ready...

...don't worry, neither am I! But in reality, I know that I won't be ready on March 1st either. And I certainly wasn't ready last year when we jumped in feet first, but (with the help of the vegetarian section of my favorite Chinese food menu) I was able to make it a full 30 days! And yes, you can too (chanting "Yes We Can" in the background lol).

To be honest, once I got started, there was a lot of momentum to keep me going. It started with the compliments about how bright and healthy my skin looked and continued with how well I slept at night. And I can't lie, my stomach was oh so flat by the time all was said and done. Yes, there was that dark day when I was craving some chicken drumsticks so badly that I got caught licking my lips and gazing longingly at my co-workers lunch but that passed when I flexed my crispy szechuan (sp?) tofu muscles. And in the end, they were trying to increase their veggie intake and one or two are gonna join us on the adventure this time around.

Some general guidelines we attempted to follow:

Try to avoid canned food and processed/frozen veggie food when possible. Try to focus on brown rice, brown sugar or honey, and other more natural choices like sea salt rather than fake sugars and bleached starches. Less juice, more fruit, and 100% fruit juice if you must (down with soda!). And don't substitute bad "vegetarian" options for meat, like chips and cookies. Drink lots and lots of water :o)

So. The countdown is on. Sunday, the first of February, a network of friends and family across the country will venture into this veggie thing once again. We decided that we won't go willingly into heart disease, cancer, and the host of other illnesses that come with a diet high in animal products. We don't need any more studies to tell us that a meat-heavy diet is bad for our bodies. We decided that we believe in eating - and living - healthier than we are now. For me, it's still about being less dependent on meat to feel full and get my protein. But it's also about increasing my water intake (back to 1L+ per day) and cutting back on my processed sugars.

I know we all have our own motivations and goals. So what's yours? Oh, and how are you getting ready?

MUCH love,
Auntie Oxtail aka jenine p.

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Curried Potato, Spinach and Garbanzo Bean Soup (sorry have to make the crispy tofu and jot down the recipe while I'm making it...soon come)

1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans (yeah, I know)
2 Tblsp olive oil
1 C coarsely chopped onion
2 1/2 teaspoons curry power
1/2 pound small red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 14 1/2 oz can vegetable broth
1/2 C canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup (packed) baby spinach leaves (about 1 1/2 ounces)

Transfer 1/3 C garbanzo beans to small place and mash beans until they are a paste.
Heat oil in heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until beginning to brown. Add curry power, stir 10 seconds or so. Add potatoes and stir to coat. Add broth, coconut milk, whole and mashed garbanzo beans. Bring soup to boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 mins or so. Add spinach; stir until spinach wilts, only a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Makes two slamming servings. Service with basmati rice pilaf or warm pita.

Victory is ours!

I'd like to congratulate all of you on completion of our month of fasting, education and enlightenment. I've enjoyed taking this journey with you all and I hope we all have learned something about cleaner/healthier living beyond simply not eating meat. Here's looking toward our next family adventure. Special thanks to Jenine for presenting us with this opportunity of self-discovery. (too deep?.........naaaahhhh)

Late Night Run

One More Week...

I don't know how vegetarians do it, but midnight food runs look much different to me these days. Most of us have hectic schedules and don't always have something marinating in the fridge or sitting on the stove for dinner each night. So we're sometimes left with fast food spots or late night 7-Eleven runs after a certain time...

Last night the only place that was open was a Chinese Food spot open until 2AM. I'm always skeptical of restaurants that stay open that late, because you never know how long your meal has been sitting there. But I was hungry so there was no room for questions. As I flipped through the menu of non-traditional meat items I got discouraged with each page. Meals like "Roasted Frog with Intestine", "Octopus & Tripe in Oyster Sauce", and my personal favorite "Sweet & Sour Cow Tongue" were the other options. YUCK. The Brown Stew Lotus Root did look good, but I wasn't feel that adventurous.

So I finally flipped to the page with vegetables and figured I would just combine three side dishes and make a meal out of that. So sad and anticlimactic! As I walked away with my spicy eggplant and steamed rice I finally started to miss CHICKEN & BEEF.

Sidenote: The business minded side of me began to think that we could open up a restaurant and make a killing on a"24Hr Veggie Hut". But that was just delirium from the lack of food to my brain...fall back fall back.

This experience was exemplary of what my last week of Vegetarianism looked like. It was the hardest week of them all. How was your last week...I'd especially like to hear from all those who haven't chimed in yet. Any final thoughts as we close this chapter?