Food for Well-Being

by Teré Foster

 

Recipes are based on 

Food for Well-Being 

Vegetarian Meal Starters

 

START EVERY MEAL WITH FOOD FOR WELL-BEING
Ethnic cooking is the easiest and fastest way to a healthy diet.
Other cultures have been eating vegan since
the beginning of time!

photo: Lettuce Boats filled with Black Beans, avacado, tofu, pico de gallo and cilantro.

- Challenge: Replace animal protein with plant protein.
- Action Step: Start every meal vegan and build out from there.
- Shopping List: Vegan Side Dishes - The Box
- Result: Animal products become an optional garnish.
When you start every meal with "vegan side dishes" it means that we have two whole foods for each meal that combine to make a complete plant protein. This way vegans and meat-eaters can eat the same meal together with the same dinner theme.

When we say that our meal starters are also gluten-free you know without doubt that they are because when you start with whole grains and beans purchased in bulk, add seasonings and simmer, you know that your meal is gluten-free, fat-free, lactose-free, low-sodium, sugar-free and absolutely no colors, MSG, preservatives or any other food additives that are causing so many diet-related illnesses. Can you get the same guarantee from the grocery store or any restaurant?

With deceptive labeling practices of the food industry we no longer fool ourselves into believing that reading the words on a package makes us conscious shoppers. The only way to know what you are putting on your dinner table is to take the course and make it yourself or let us cook it for you right in front of your eyes in your own kitchen.

The choices in this cookbook meet specific objectives:

• 1) Familiar: all meals are well-loved favorites with ethnic influences

• 2) Healthy: all meals are made from whole food ingredients.

• 3) Fresh: we add fresh, organic vegetables and fruits to every meal.

• 4) Whole: we incorporate whole grains, nuts and seeds in every meal.

• 5) Convenient: spice mixes add flavor and nutrition to every meal.

• 6) Store well: all ingredients must store for long periods of time in the smallest space possible and the least weight with no preservatives..

• 7) Inexpensive: buying bulk foods is cheaper than buying processed prepared foods.

 

Vegan Meal Plan

We cook our meals for the week ahead with whole food ingredients such as rice and beans with herbs and spices. Using quart jars as pots we are able to cook the meals for the week at one time.  This saves time and money while improving the nutritional value of your meals.

All meals in our plan are vegetarian except for the recommended fish once a week. We often top with cheese or sour cream but you wouldn't have to if you want to have a vegan diet.  We created the plan to be a flexible as possible.

Every day of the week is assigned an ethnic theme. The Dinner themes begin with the letters of the days of the week;

Monday Mexican
Tandoori Tuesday: East Indian Cuisine
Western Wednesday: American
Thursday Thai: Asian Cuisine
Friday Fusion: Latin Cuisine
Saturday Sicilian: Mediterranean Cuisine
Sunday Soul Food: Southern Cuisine

When you know what you will be serving each day, you can plan ahead healthy meals for the week, the month, even the year. To make dinner fast and efficient I mixed up a collection of dry mixes. I organized them in our Baker’s Rack with the recipe on the side of the container to make whipping up these hearty meals very easy. Even a child can do it.

Meals for the Week center around whole foods that spring from the ground and these are the very foods that store for long periods of time as well; rice, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds, herbs, spices and seasonings.

I have cooked these meals so often that I can vary them very easily. I can teach my children and spouse to cook very these familiar meals because it repeats every week. The stress level is reduced for meal time as well as for planning, grocery shopping and meal preparation.

Build out from there

Our Vegan Side Dishes are more than enough to keep my family happy throughout the week without adding much else.  If you have avid meat eaters in your home, you might try to bargain with them as I did with my own meat-eater.  We came up with a workable plan for our family to have Vegan meals on the weekdays and no diet restrictions on the weekends. We push any parties or celebrations to the weekend to keep this bargain going year after year.  Another bargain might be that if they would be willing to eat these Vegan Side Dishes each day, you would add something they love and are familiar with such as packaged taquitos or egg rolls.