It’s almost a new year and a time to stop for reflection. Often this is the time for resolutions and goal-setting. I never really was a resolution type of person, but I do like to reflect. So in this post I will look back at some of the things I have discovered since becoming vegan. And if you are looking to set a resolution, maybe one to shift to a more plant-based diet, I hope this post will give you a little inspiration and motivation and show that there is a lot of opportunity with a vegan diet.
Everyone thinks going vegan is a huge deprivation. That it is so restrictive. Or maybe that the only thing you can eat is salad. These myths could not be further from the truth. In fact, since going vegan I have eaten so many new varieties of foods that I didn’t even know existed before!
I am having so much fun experimenting with new foods. There are many fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans that I never even considered before. And there are countless combinations that make it so much fun. Abundance is the name of the game, not deprivation.
Now the standard American fare actually seems quite restrictive to me. Generally people use the same few staple vegetables, fruits, and animal flesh. But now that I’ve become vegan, I’ve actually expanded my palate. It’s exciting because it feels like I have an endless array of options, in fact I sometimes feel like I’ll never have time to try all the foods I want to try.
A Few of My New Favorites Since Going Vegan
Mustard
Ok, I know you’ve heard of mustard. And I’m sure you’ve used it often. But it proves my point that vegan food is just food. Somewhere along the lines people started thinking vegan food was fancy or elitist. But a lot of the foods you already eat, like mustard, are actually vegan.
And mustard is your best friend on a whole food vegan diet. It is an emulsifier so it is great in sauces and dressings. It adds so much flavor, I use it in almost every savory dish I make. And there are many different kinds of mustard to choose from. Plus it can help you absorb some of the nutrients from other foods. A little mustard on your cruciferous vegetables boosts the power of the sulforaphane, a powerfully healthy phytochemical.
Nutritional Yeast
Affectionately known as “nooch,” this vegan favorite is a flavor-booster. It is often used to add a “cheesy” flavor to vegan dishes, but it can also simply add an umami flavor to make your dish taste more balanced and robust. Sprinkle it on top of popcorn, salad, or mix into sauces and dressings.
Bragg Liquid Aminos
This is simply a soy-based condiment. It is very similar to soy sauce, but with much less sodium. Like nooch, this can be added to many dishes to give a richer, more interesting flavor. It works in place of soy sauce if you are trying to reduce your added sodium intake, so it is great for stir fries or Asian-inspired dishes. Or can also just add some depth of flavor to a chili, soup, or any other dish. It also makes a great salty addition to salad dressings.
Soy Products: Tempeh/Tofu/TVP/Soy Curls
I already have a post talking about some of my first experiments with tofu and tempeh. Since then I have also experimented with textured vegetable protein (TVP) and soy curls. I don’t think I personally will continue to use TVP as it is a more processed and refined product, while the soy curls use the whole soybean. But any of these products are great for adding a higher protein plant food to your meal.
Remember to opt for non-gmo soy if you choose to eat soy products to avoid unnecessary amounts of glyphosate residue. And while these foods are technically processed, I still include them in the “whole food” category as they are minimally processed and do not add sugar and oil in the process.
Whole Grains
Generally we Americans stick to the same few grains: wheat, rice, corn, and maybe some oats. These are great, but there is a whole world of whole grains to explore. You already know I love oats if you checked out my five days of oatmeal. But some of my new favorites include sorghum, amaranth, fonio, farro, barley, black rice, and whole wheat berries.
I probably never would have tried some of these if I hadn’t become vegan because I just ate the standard American fare and never explored further. Just one more example of how becoming vegan is actually an exercise in abundance, rather than deprivation as many think.
Beans, Legumes, Pulses
What do all of the world’s longest-lived populations have in common? Their diets are rich in beans! Maybe we should take a hint. Unfortunately, like with whole grains, Americans tend to eat very few beans. Maybe some baked beans on fourth of July or some black or pinto beans in a burrito, but that’s usually about it.
I eat beans three times a day now and never get tired of them. There are so many to try! Red beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, kidney beans, adzuki beans, red lentils, black lentils, brown and green lentils, split peas, garbanzo beans, soy beans, black soy beans…the list goes on and on. There are so many to try and so many different ways to combine them with different whole grains and different vegetables to make an endless array of different meals.
And yes, I’ll go there…you’ll poop a lot better when you’re eating these fiber-rich powerhouses! I know people don’t like to talk about it, but just between you and me…don’t you feel so much better when you’re pooping regularly? I mean I seriously wonder about the average American. A majority of American adults do not get even the recommended amount of fiber. Is it a wonder everyone is so cranky and short-tempered? I would be too if I was a walking around constipated all the time. As someone who used to suffer from ulcerative colitis, I can say it makes a big difference!
Just remember to go easy on the beans and fiber-rich foods if you’re not used to it. These foods are incredibly healthy, but you need to slowly ramp up to give your good gut bugs a chance to adapt to the amount of fiber you’re feeding them to avoid too much gas or bloating.
Vegetables
This is another category where I think vegans get a bad rap. When you say vegetable, the standard American probably thinks only of a few staples: carrots, celery, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, maybe broccoli. So when those are the only vegetables you’ve been regularly eating your whole life, it is understandable when someone says they eat a plant-based diet, you might be a little leery of giving it a try. But there is so much more out there.
I regularly include these staples as well as so many others. I like to go to the farmer’s market and see if I can find new vegetables I haven’t tried before. There are so many varieties of greens, squash, potatoes, different cruciferous veggies and more.
Eat Real Food
Do you see a pattern here? None of these are anything extraordinary or extravagant or weird. It’s just food. You’ve been eating vegan food your whole life because it is just real whole food.
I hope this has inspired you to at least consider swapping some animal products for some vegan foods. And I hope this shows that it is easy to have an abundance of food to choose from as a vegan. Choosing to be more compassionate and refusing to give your money to the industries that kill trillions of sentient beings each year does not mean you have to deprive yourself in any way.
As the new year draws closer, I wish you the best and hope you have a year filled with love and compassion. Why not start your year off with this lucky vegan dish, my simple black eyed pea stew.
