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Growing Lettuce Indoors Over Winter

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In my growing zone (7A in the United States) the Winter Months are too cold for growing most crops in my outdoor garden. This past Fall I came up with the idea of growing lettuce in my garage. The garage is unheated but is attached to our house and keeps above freezing most of the Winter. I began my garage garden experiment in October 2021. It continues on. I hope you’ll take the time to see how I set up my garden and perhaps you’ll grow a garage garden of your own! The following videos begin with my set up and end with my harvest.
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Vegan Cheese Sauce WFPB

Most people who transition to a whole-food plant-based diet will tell you that the thing they miss most is cheese. The fact is that cheese has the perfect combination of things for our bodies to crave it—fat and salt. There is a reason that Dr. Neal Barnard wrote a book called The Cheese Trap. Cheese is one of many trap/trigger foods that are prolific in the Standard American Diet.

One kind of cheese that is very versatile is cheese sauce. It’s good for dipping, for using as a sauce over potatoes and vegetables, or for using in casseroles.

In searching for that perfect vegan cheese sauce recipe I came across many that just didn’t do it for me. Some tasted nothing like cheese. Some were just plain horrible. Let’s just say that I’ve composted more than one cheese sauce that I’ve made.

After trying, and making, and lots of tweaking I came up with this vegan cheese sauce. No dairy. No artificial ingredients. It’s made from fruits and plants with some seasonings and nutritional yeast. It does have a small amount of oil and a small amount of salt.

This is now my go-to whole-food plant-based cheese sauce. I’ve used it on nachos, in casseroles, as a dip, and as a condiment. It truly is the versatile sauce that I had searched for, but so much better for your body. Whether it is for a Super Bowl party with friends or a daily meal, this is my favorite cheese sauce.

Please make sure that the blender you use has a vent on the top. During blending the heat will build up, and might cause the container to explode.

Please let me know if you try this. Comments and questions are greatly appreciated. They help me to learn what people want.

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Take 1 cup peeled, diced potatoes—one large russet potato is usually sufficient. Peel and dice 1 cup carrots. Simmer them in water on the stovetop until they are tender. Drain, and place in a high-speed blender. Please note that you need to use a blender, such as a Vitamix, that is vented at the top. Even if you fully cool the potatoes and carrots, as the mixture is blending it will heat up and can burst a solid container.

To the blender add: ¼ cup water, 2 TB olive oil, 2 tsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp paprika, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp onion powder (optional), 1 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp dry mustard, and ¼ cup nutritional yeast.

Blend on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce is smooth. This recipe will yield about 1-1/4 cup sauce. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, but it seldom remains around here that long. The sauce can be reheated in the microwave.

Print Recipe

Best Vegan Cheese Sauce

A versatile vegan cheese sauce that can be used on chips, as a dip, or as the sauce ingredient in casseroles.

Equipment

  • High speed blender with vent at top of container

Ingredients

  • 1 cup peeled, diced potatoes approximately one large russet potato
  • 1/2 cup diced carrots
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp onion powder (optional)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ⅛ tsp mustard powder
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast

Instructions

  • Boil potatoes and carrots until they are tender
  • Drain well
  • Combine all ingredients in high-speed blender. The blender needs to be one that is vented at the top to allow the steam to escape
  • Blend until all ingredients are smooth
  • Will keep in refrigerator for up to a week. May be reheated.

Video

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Tofu Sour Cream

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When I began my adventure into eating whole-food plant-based I soon discovered that vegan products at the grocery store were very expensive. I’ve tried and tweaked a lot of sour cream recipes. Some use cashews as a base. Some use tofu as a base. This one was created with those with nut allergies in mind. 

Crumble ½ of a 1 pound block of silken tofu into a high-speed blender. To that add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional), 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder (optional), and ¼ teaspoon salt.

Blend all ingredients for several minutes until they are totally smooth. You may find that you need to add a little bit of water. Add it very sparingly, one teaspoon at a time.

A little aside here…You’ll notice that in my recipes onion powder will be listed as optional. I myself am allergic to onions. I can take a taste of recipes with onion powder in them, but beyond that small taste I will have a reaction. It’s interesting how many people I’ve met that have an allergy to onions.

If at one time you ate dairy sour cream you know that the flavor of sour cream will differ from one brand to another. I’ve found that if I vary the acid in the recipe, the taste will change. I sometimes use 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar. This gives the sour cream a sweeter flavor. Just play around with vinegars and see what you like the best.

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Print Recipe

Tofu Sour Cream

An easy to make vegan sour cream using tofu as its base
Keyword: sour cream, tofu, Vegan, WFPB, Whole-Food Plant Based

Equipment

  • High-Speed Blender

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb silken tofu (1/2 of a 1 lb container)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder (optional)

Instructions

  • Crumble tofu.
  • Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender.
  • Blend on highest speed for 3-5 minutes until smooth. You may find you need to add a bit of water. If so, add a teaspoon at a time.
  • Refrigerate for up to 1 week
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Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup WFPB

Growing up I used to enjoy so many casseroles made with cream of chicken soup. But this definitely is neither vegan or whole-food plant-based, so I had to come up with a good and tasty replacement. I think you’ll find this recipe spot-on.

The recipe is for a thick cream of chicken soup to be used in casseroles. If you’d like to use it for a soup just add more plant milk to the desired consistency. You can also add small pieces of soy curls that have been rehydrated in Better Than Bouillon no chicken base.

In a high-speed blender place 1 pound firm tofu that has been drained. Add 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base, 1 ½ tsp onion powder (optional), 1 ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp turmeric, and ¼ c plant milk.

Blend together for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture is very smooth. This will yield about 2 cups of very thick cream of chicken soup.


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Print Recipe

Vegan Cream of Chicken Soup WFPB

A great vegan soup for replacing cream of chicken soup in recipes.
Course: Soup
Keyword: Cream of Chicken, Easy vegan recipes, Vegan, WFPB, Whole-Food Plant Based

Equipment

  • High-Speed Blender

Ingredients

  • 1 lb firm tofu
  • 2 tsp Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base
  • 1½ tsp onion powder (optional)
  • 1½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ¼ cup unsweetened plant milk

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender.
  • Process on high for 4 to 5 minutes.
  • If using soup to eat (not for casserole recipes) add additional plant milk to desired consistency.
  • Soy curls soaked in no chicken base water can be added to simulate pieces of chicken in the soup

Video

 

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NOT My Mommas Mac and Cheese

Not too long after I started eating whole-food plant-based I searched for a mac and cheese recipe. Our two granddaughters were living with us and loved mac and cheese. They had always eaten the boxed dinner kind. I’d made them my mother’s mac and cheese and they loved it. But, I had discovered just how unhealthy this dinner from my childhood was for us.

I came across a recipe. I can’t really remember where I found it. It was titled something like Slow Cooker Vegan Mac and Cheese. So, I thought I’d give it a try.

I tried it and we loved it. The problem is that it doesn’t taste anything like any mac and cheese I’ve ever had. It has a totally different taste, but one that we love. I’ve also taken it to covered dish meals and received a lot of compliments on it. But it ain’t mac and cheese.

The recipe has been tweaked and altered some. The one thing that I’ve totally changed is the name of the recipe because it definitely ain’t my momma’s mac and cheese.

Begin by roasting ½ cup of raw cashews. Roast at about 350 degrees in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Just watch them so they don’t burn.

Take one butternut squash, peel it, remove the seeds, and cut it into 1” cubes. Make sure you are using a sturdy peeler and a really sharp large knife. Do not attempt to cut the squash with a small paring knife or you might end up cutting fingers instead. Butternut squashes are thick and tough to cut raw.

For removing the seeds I have a gadget that I bought. It’s used in my kitchen for more than removing seeds. I find it much easier than trying to scoop out the seeds with a spoon or ice cream scoop. And don’t throw those seeds away. You just might want to grow some squash plants.

Place the cubed squash and roasted cashews in the cooker of your choice. This can be cooked in a slow cooker for 8 hours or in an Instant Pot on high pressure manual for 10 minutes. Your choice.

To the pot add 1 onion, quartered. This is totally optional. I omit the onion. Add 1 clove garlic—no need to mince or chop. Also add ½ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1 teaspoon yellow mustard. Pour over this two cups of vegetable broth. I make my broth using 2 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon reduced-sodium vegetable base.

Cook as mentioned above. Blend with an immersion blender until the mixture is really smooth.

Cook one pound of pasta of your choice. You’ll want to cook this so that it’s still a bit firm.

Add the cooked pasta to your blended sauce. Place in a serving bowl. You’re done! And I guarantee you’ll say, “This is NOT my momma’s mac and cheese”. But, let’s face it. Had I named this recipe Macaroni and Butternut Squash would you have even considered making it?

THE RECIPE

1 butternut squash peeled and cut into 1” cubes

½ cup cashews, roasted

1 onion, quartered (optional)

1 clove garlic

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 TB olive oil

1 tsp yellow mustard

2 cups vegetable stock (I use Better Than Bouillon low-sodium vegetable base)

1 lb pasta

Add all ingredients except the pasta to a slow cooker or an Instant Pot. If using a slow cooker you will cook it for about 8 hours. For the Instant Pot you will cook it for 10 minutes at high pressure then release the pressure naturally.

Blend the cooked mixture with an immersion blender. Blend until it is creamy and smooth.

In a separate pot cook the pasta until it is still a bit firm.

Add cooked pasta to the blended squash mixture. Transfer to a serving dish or just serve it family-style from the pot.

Leftovers of this are best reheated in a microwave.

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Vegan Tamale Pie WFPB

There are a few things you will notice about this recipe. First of all, there isn’t anything really spicy added to it. If you wish to add cayenne pepper or some jalapenos, that’s up to you. Secondly, there are no onions in it. It’s not that I don’t like onions. I have an onion allergy. So, if you are good with onions go ahead and add about half of one that’s finely chopped.

I try to make my recipes as frugal as possible. Here I’ll be using dried beans. You can easily substitute canned beans for them. I would guess two cans of pintos and one of kidney beans. That will save you some meal prep time.

Take one pound of pinto beans and one cup of kidney beans (about half of a pound). Wash and sort the beans, cover them with water, and let them soak overnight. Or you can do the quick soak method. Cover the beans beans with water (about 2” over the top of the beans), bring to a boil, let boil for 5 minutes, turn the heat off, and let them sit for an hour. Either way, please make sure that you wash the beans thoroughly before soaking. I recently watched a video where the person just tossed the beans in. You’d be surprised how much dirt can be on the beans. Gritty eating is not my idea of a fine dining experience.

After soaking the beans, rinse them thoroughly then place in your Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of chopped pepper—the color of your choice. Add ½ tablespoon cumin powder and 1 tablespoon of chili powder. To this you will add 2 cups of water, one 15 ounce can of tomato sauce, a 15 ounce can of whole-kernel corn with its water, and a 15 ounce can of chopped tomatoes. If you look closely at the pictures you’ll see I used a 10 ounce can of tomatoes, but I go with what I have.

Set the Instant Pot for 30 minutes on high pressure. At the end of the cooking time just hit the cancel button and let the pot do a natural release.

In a medium bowl mix together 2 cups of finely ground cornmeal (I used masa that you would use for corn tortillas) and 2 and ½ cups of hot tap water. It will come together in a really thick batter.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the bean mixture from the pot and place in a 13 x 9 baking pan. You want to get almost all of the juice out of the bean mixture. I use a lasagna pan that is deeper than most 13 x 9 pans, so you may have some of the bean filling left over. You want the top of the crust to be about ½ inch from the top edge of the pan. Not to worry about extra bean mixture. Just eat it like chili.

Spoon the cornmeal mixture onto the top of the bean mixture. As you spread it around go in just one direction. If you try to change direction you may pull the bean mixture to the top and have it all over the top crust of the pie.

Place the pan on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Bake until the top is golden brown. And, yes, the pan may boil over.

Remove from the oven and let it cool about 20 minutes before serving. The filling will thicken some as it cools.

This is one of many simple dishes that I make. I use what is on hand. When sharing recipes I try to keep things simple so that you don’t have to run to the store for one thing or another.

If you have it you could add some chopped kale to the bean mixture before placing it in the pan. You could also add black olives, or green chiles. Try it with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast over the top of the bean mixture. You’re the cook and the sky is the limit. Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Vegan Tamale Pie WFPB

An easy-to-make tamale pie with bean and corn filling and cornmeal crust
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker
  • 13 x 9 pan

Ingredients

Bean Filling

  • 1 lb dried pinto beans
  • 1 cup dried red kidney beans
  • 1 tbsp Chili powder
  • 1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 15 oz can whole kernel corn
  • 1 10 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup chopped green pepper (or your choice of color)
  • 2 c water

Cornmeal Crust (topping)

  • 2 cups finely ground cornmeal
  • 2 cups hot tap water

Instructions

Bean Filling

  • Rinse & soak beans overnight or do a quick-soak: cover beans with water, bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes, let stand one hour.
  • Combine soaked beans, spices, tomatoes, canned vegetables, chopped peppers, and water in Instant Pot.
  • Cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes. Then natural pressure release.
  • Using a slotted spoon remove bean mixture from Instant Pot and place in 13 x 9 pan. You need to make sure that most of the liquid is removed from the mixture.

Cornmeal Crust (topping)

  • Mix together cornmeal and hot water to make a thick batter.
  • Spread cornmeal mixture evenly over the top of the bean mixture. It is best to spread it just in one direction. If you try spreading it back and forth you may pull the bean mixture up into the crust.

Baking

  • Place pan on baking sheet. Bake in preheated 400° oven for 25-30 minutes.
  • Let cool 15-20 minutes. This will allow the bean filling to thicken some.
  • Leftovers can be refrigerated and then reheated in the microwave.

Video

Notes

This is a basic, mild-tasting recipe. Feel free to spice up the bean filling with jalapeno peppers, crushed red pepper, or other hot ingredient of you choice.
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Dump and Go Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

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One of the great things about eating Whole-food Plant-based is the wide varieties of soups you can make. Soups are a great way to start out any meal or can be used as a meal in themselves.

This is an easy dump and go recipe. You can make it in your Instant Pot or in your slow cooker.

The only chopping you have to do is the potatoes, celery, and garlic. The rest of the ingredients are ready to just dump in.

Chop two large potatoes into bite-size pieces. Chop two celery stalks into small pieces. Mince or chop two cloves of garlic.

Dump one 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes of your choice (no salt added please) into the pot. Add 4 cups vegetable broth. I like to make my vegetable broth with Better Than Bouillon reduced-sodium vegetable base. Add one 12 ounce bag of frozen mixed vegetables, the potatoes, celery, garlic, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning (I use Badia Herbes de Provence—actually a French blend) to the pot.

Give everything a stir. Set the Instant Pot on manual for 6 minutes. In a slow cooker you’ll probably want to cook it for about 4 hours on high—until the potatoes are tender.

If using an Instant Pot let it do a natural pressure release.

RECIPE

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

4 cups vegetable broth (I use Better Than Bouillon reduced-sodium)

1 12 ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables

2 potatoes, peeled and chopped in bite-size pieces

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced or chopped

½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper

2 tsp Italian Seasoning or Badia Herbes de Provence

1 cup chopped cabbage (optional)

Combine all ingredients in Instant Pot. Stir them around. Set Instant Pot for 6 minutes manual high pressure then let it do a natural release.

If you want to use a slow cooker, cook on high for about 4 hours. Slow cookers vary as to how long they will take to cook the potatoes to the point where they are tender.

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Losing Weight on a Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet

Throughout my years I’ve tried a lot of diets. I don’t mean a way of eating here. I mean a means of losing weight.

Go to any store and you’ll be bombarded with ideas. Check out the magazines at the checkout counter. The front of the magazine will have the latest, greatest, guaranteed-to-lose-weight diet. The book section of the store will have numerous books on the most recent weight loss craze.

I’ve read the magazine articles. I’ve bought the books. Some gave me a bit of success, but the results weren’t sustainable.

You may be beating yourself up for past failures. I know I used to do that. Well, I hate to tell you, but you aren’t alone in those past failures. Don’t believe me? Go to any used bookstore or on eBay and search for used diet books. The stock of them seems unlimited.

Among the weight-loss diets I tried were the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the cabbage soup diet, the Mayo Clinic Diet (don’t know if that one even had anything to do with the clinic), the look up 1001 foods and calculate each and every calorie diet, the Richard Simmon’s diet… shall I go on? The thing I learned from all these attempts is what doesn’t work and what made me feel weak and horrible.

When I was facing my sixty-fifth birthday I found myself raising two teenage granddaughters. Both are very athletic and it was hard to keep up with them. I knew that a large part of my lack of energy was carrying around 40 extra pounds. It’s like putting a 40 pound backpack on your back and trying to walk around with it on all day. It definitely doesn’t work, nor does it make any sense.

My search started on the internet. I put in “Healthy way to lose weight fast”. I came across a lady named Chef AJ. I watched some of her videos. The most recent one was on her new book The Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss. Her way of presenting things, her knowledge, and her enthusiasm were contagious. Four weeks before the big 65 I ordered her book on Audible. I began listening to it and couldn’t seem to stop listening and playing it over again. It was SO different from anything I’d tried before for weight loss.

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This was just the beginning of my whole-food plant-based adventure. I began checking out the doctors to whom Chef AJ referred. I watched videos, I bought Kindle books, bought more audible books, and visited a huge number of websites. My weight-loss, healthy-eating adventure had begun!

I began by totally eliminating all animal products. Whole foods were the ones I turned to. Junk food was no longer an option for me.

I redefined my definitions of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast didn’t have to be eggs and bacon or cereal and toast. Breakfast could be vegetables. My favorite became air-fried zucchini and chick peas.

Lunch no longer had to be a sandwich and chips. Lunch could be a huge salad with oil-free dressing, or a vegetable soup, or a baked potato. The vegetable sky was the limit!

Dinner was an anything veggie goes meal. Our dinners were family dinners where we all sat around the dining room table. And yes, I cooked a WFPB dinner for myself and a “normal” dinner for the rest of the family. Actually, that “normal” dinner quickly turned to healthier ways of preparing foods.

Extremely important in the weight-loss adventure is knowing what the calorie density of individual foods is. An easy way to understand the calorie density is to watch this short video by Jeff Novick. He explains it well. It is important that you get a calorie density chart ingrained in your mind. To lose weight you’ll need to stick to foods with a low-calorie density.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gTLpTq1nQk&t=42s

You’ll notice that oil has the highest calorie density. For years you’ve been told you have to saute in oil, or you have to have oil in your salad dressing, or you have to add some sort of fat to homemade bread or muffins, but these things aren’t true. Yes, I used to think that the first step in cooking something was to saute the vegetables in oil. I now saute the vegetables in water. And, no, they don’t dry out or lack in taste.

To lose weight on a whole-food plant-based diet you need to stick with foods that have a low calorie density. That means you will eliminate seeds, nuts, avocados, and oil. Those are all high calorie density foods. If you want to stop wearing the fat you have to stop eating the fat.

By eating low-calorie-density foods I was able to lose almost 40 pounds. Local charities benefited from the stacks of clothes that were too big for me. A quick suggestion here is that while you are on your weight-loss adventure shop resale and thrift stores for clothes to wear. These clothes will be your temporary wardrobe and will be replaced with smaller sizes from time to time.

My weight loss brought with it a surge in energy and numerous health benefits. I just felt better and felt better about myself.

You too can lose weight by going whole-food plant-based. One thing I want to caution you about is that you need to listen to your body. If you are on medications you need to make certain that your doctor is aware of your new way of eating. There are certain medications such as blood pressure medications and diabetes medications that you may need to reduce or eliminate along the way. Make sure you are consulting with your doctor(s) before continuing or discontinuing medications.

I will not lie to you. There will be challenges along the way. There will be people who simply don’t understand your new way of eating. Order from or eating at restaurants will be a bit more challenging, but it can be done. You’ll find that most of your challenges will be a result of eating foods that you yourself have not prepared.

Perhaps my best advice as you start this WOE to lose weight is to go by the KISS system. Keep It Simple Stupid. A simple baked potato topped with salsa and a salad and some fruit makes for a great low-calorie-density meal. You can buy frozen foods when the fruits and vegetables are not in season in your area. You can buy pre-cut vegetables and fruits. Just KISS.

I hope you will take time to share with me your experience of weight loss on a whole-food plant-based diet. I will continue to share with you more details on how this way of eating has changed my life.

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Benefits of a Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet

First of all, let me say that when I talk about a whole-food plant-based diet I am speaking about a way of eating. It is not a temporary fix for weight problems or whatever else you are facing. It is a sustainable way of eating.

The whole-food plant-based diet brings with it many benefits. These benefits have been supported by scientific research. Research continues on the individual aspects of the program. Some of the results of these very detailed research studies will cause you to totally rethink what you have been taught for years.

I myself enjoy researching things. Okay, go ahead and call me a nerd. One of the greatest sources for research on a whole-food plant-based diet is Dr. Michael Greger. He has a non-profit website on which he posts results of research done throughout the world. He has a team of researchers that work with him. The articles and videos are relatively easy to understand. They definitely are very thorough. You can visit the website at: 

https://nutritionfacts.org/

In addition to going to Dr. Greger’s website I have two of his books. I began with How Not to Die. Then when he came out with his newer book How Not to Diet, I bought that one too. I will add links to these books. They’ll be my Amazon Affiliate links. If you purchase by clicking on the link I’ll be paid a commission with no additional cost to you.

Now on to the benefits! The first of the benefits—the one that attracted me—is easy, sensible weight loss and management. This is a way of eating where not only will you lose weight, but you will keep it off.

With a whole-food plant-based way of eating there is no counting and calculating of calories, or measuring foods, or spending all your time writing down nitty-gritty details. With a few restrictions you can eat as much as you want and still lose weight. You never have to go hungry. An added plus is that you may discover foods that you never knew existed.

Another benefit which I myself have experienced, is disease prevention. A whole-food, plant-based diet can prevent, stop the progression of, or even reverse some diseases. Most notable among these diseases are heart disease and diabetes.

I myself have benefited in so many ways that the subject of disease prevention and reversal is extensive enough that I will be posting a separate blog on the subject. What has been amazing to me is that I discover a change in my body, do some research, and find it comes back to the whole-food plant-based diet.

Benefit number three is one that you’ve probably not even thought of. A plant-based diet has an effect on the environment. No need to farm the ocean’s fish and other seafood. No need to cut down forests to create fields to grow crops to feed to factory-farmed animals.

In conclusion, a whole-food plant-based diet benefits you by:

Making weight management simple

Preventing diseases

Having less of an impact on the environment

  


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Transitioning to a Whole Food Plant Based Diet

So you’ve been eating the Standard American Diet (SAD—and it truly is sad) for years and are considering changing to a Whole-Food Plant-Based (WFPB) diet. You may begin by jumping in all at once. That’s what I did. It worked for me but doesn’t work for everyone. It may/may not be the way for you to change. 

   

Let’s first address the “Plant-Based” aspect of this way of eating. This means consuming no animal products. So, let’s get into a bit more detail on what animal products are. In eating WFPB you will eliminate all meat, dairy, seafood, and eggs. Keep in mind that foods on the grocery store shelf may contain ingredients that are derived from these animal products.

Many people choose to ease slowly into this new Way of Eating (WOE). You can chose to go animal-product-free for a couple days the first week, then add another animal-product-free day the next week. Then continue on until all seven days of the week are animal product free. This works for many, and it may be the way you want to transition.

Perhaps you aren’t ready to give up all animal products on one specific day each week. Then choose just one or two to not eat. You might eliminate dairy, red meat, pork, chicken, eggs, or seafood. Elimination of any of these leads you toward your goal of no longer consuming animal products.

Another aspect of WFPB is the fact that you will be eliminating highly-processed foods. That entails eating foods closest to their original state as possible. That means no refined flour, sugar, or oils. A good example is that you eat an olive—that would be a whole food. You eat a teaspoon of olive oil on your salad—that would be a highly-processed food.

   

Sometimes processed foods can help you make a transition to a WFPB WOE. (How about that, you now know some abbreviations you’ll see over and over in your journey) A temporary diet that includes veggie burgers from the store might be the answer you’re looking for. Or perhaps those chickenless patties for a sandwich might help you along your way. Just do keep in mind that these foods are temporary.

When it comes to eating totally animal-product-free there is something you absolutely have to do. That something is reading each and every label. Before you put that item in your grocery cart at the store or online read the label. You’ll be shocked at the products you currently have in your refrigerator or pantry that have animal products in them. A great example of this is bread crumbs. Yes, you’d think bread crumbs are bread crumbs, but many brands of them have milk and/or eggs in them.

In recent years reading labels has become easier. At the bottom of most all ingredients lists you’ll find items highlighted that are common food allergies. It’s stated simply like: contains milk, soy, wheat, etc. If you see animal products listed there you don’t have to waste your time reading the entire list of ingredients, just move along to something else.

If you find yourself the only one in the store reading labels, don’t worry. Kudos to you for being diligent on what you’re eating. I do recommend that you pull your cart to the side of the aisle and let people pass by. Many people just can’t seem to grasp the idea of reading labels. Those people definitely don’t want you wasting their time by standing in front of them while reading a label. Just remember that if those passing by want to put just anything and everything into their bodies, that’s their decision. You’re doing the right thing. If you want to make it really easy shop only on the produce aisle and buy only the many fruits and vegetables found there.

One of the very best things that you can do to support your efforts to go WFPB is to get all animal products out of your house. Yes, I said out of your house. Go through your refrigerator and your pantry and perhaps even the console of your car. Yes, I hate throwing away food and I imagine you do too. If it’s something unopened, unexpired, and shelf-stable you can donate it to a local food pantry. Just do an internet search or go on social media and you’ll probably find there are a lot of food pantries in your area. In other words: Clean your environment. This idea is best summed up: if it’s in your house it’s in your mouth.

So now you are thinking that you can’t clean your environment because the other people who live with you aren’t about to go animal product free. Not to worry. I faced that when I went WFPB. My husband and two granddaughters weren’t about to give up their burgers, cheese, and chicken nuggets just because Gran did. Add to it the fact that I did and still do most of the cooking. Trust me, you can do the WFPB eating without “cleaning your environment”. It will be harder, but if you are determined it is doable.

Now for the really good news. I’ve told you to eliminate this and eliminate that. The good news is that you are about to find so many things you can add to what you have been eating for years. You’re going to be amazed at the number of fruits, grains, legumes, and vegetables there are in this world. Just when you think you’ve had them all you’ll see something in the produce aisle or in a recipe that you’ve never seen or heard of before. Don’t be afraid to explore new whole foods. Try a little of each. You just might find a new favorite thing to eat.

You may find yourself venturing into new places to shop. Perhaps you’ve never been to a farmers market or what you might consider an ethnic grocery store. You’ll soon find these places to be wonderful and interesting places to shop. Who knows, you might even find yourself stopping to chat with that farmer who has parked his pickup truck with veggies along the highway for the past ten years. You’ve passed right by him before, but now you will see that opportunity may have been staring you in the face for years.

In summary, whether you are going to jump in 100% the first day or transition slowly into a WFPB WOE, my congratulations go out to you. Not only do I congratulate you, but in a remarkably short period of your entire body will begin to congratulate you.


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