Oatmeal is an excellent vehicle for all kinds of things. As I am slowly ramping my triathlon training, I sometimes feel like I need an extra nutrient-rich breakfast after a hard evening of tri training. I am always experimenting with my oatmeal by adding new things. This week I am eating a mix that is really high in protein, iron, fiber, and omega 3s. In my bowl:

1/2 a large apple or 1 large banana, chopped
1/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup soymilk
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
1 Tbsp chia seeds
2 Tbsp hemp seeds
1 tsp maca powder
Dash of cinnamon

1. Combine the fruit, oats, and milk and cook (stovetop or microwave) until it starts to thicken.

2. Stir in peanut butter then add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Note: The chia seeds have a tendency to thicken the mixture so you can pour a little extra soymilk (or other non-dairy milk) over the top if you wish.

I don't care for really sweet breakfast foods so I usually pass on adding any sweetener. If you prefer a sweeter version, drizzle a bit of real maple syrup on the top.

I frequently hear from people who are considering becoming vegetarian that they aren't sure what to eat. They wonder about protein sources and usually mention that they find the idea of combining foods to get "complete proteins" very daunting. If this has been a barrier for you, let me explain why it shouldn't be!

What are "complete proteins"?
The building blocks of protein consist of 22 different amino acids. Nine of those (the "essential amino acids") must be supplied by our food intake. The remaining 13 can be constructed in our bodies. Each protein is custom-built to meet its specific function from the 22 building blocks.

What is food combining and where did this idea come from?
In her book Diet for a Small Planet (originally published in 1971), Frances Moore Lappe emphasized the need for vegetarians to eat a variety of foods to meet their protein requirements. It was believed, at the time, that it was necessary to get all of the essential amino acids by combining different foods (e.g. beans and rice) to get "complete proteins" in each meal.

Do I need to combine foods at every meal to meet my protein needs?
No. When we eat a variety of foods, the amino acids from those foods are stored in our bodies. Those amino acids are then used to create proteins as needed. Some but not all foods provide all of the essential amino acids, however, by eating a assortment of plant proteins over the course of the day our needs can easily be met. Incidentally, the source of the amino acids (animal foods or plant foods) is indistinguishable in our bodies. In fact, the amino acids in all animal foods are derived from the plants (think cows eating grains or grass).

What do I need to do?
There is no need to carefully plan each day's meals. Simply enjoy eating a variety of plant-based foods.

Are you curious about what amino acids are in the foods that you eat? I'll give you a link but you must promise me that you're not going to use this to control-freak your meal planning, ok?

LINK

If you are considering making the switch to a plant-based diet, here are two excellent books that will help to answer many of your questions:

Becoming Vegan
The New Becoming Vegetarian
(Both by Brenda Davis, R.D. & Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.)

When I started foraging for dinner ingredients this afternoon, I found a few veggies from my CSA box in the fridge. I consulted a few of my favorite cookbooks and invented a soup recipe that was inspired by Deborah Madison's Vegetable Soups cookbook. The result was fantastic! Definitely a repeater (as my husband would say). This soup and some warm bread were the perfect way to punctuate a day filled with snowballs and wet socks.

Potato, Leek, and Cauliflower Chowder
Serves about 6

Milk and aromatics:
2 cups plain soymilk
Several sprigs of fresh parsley and thyme
1/2 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, quartered
15 peppercorns
2 bay leaves

Soup:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large (or 2-3 small) leek(s), thinly sliced
8-10 small red potatoes, chopped with skins on
1 small or 1/2 large cauliflower, chopped
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
3 Tbsp flour
4 cups water

Protein tip:
For a heartier soup that is higher in protein and fiber, add 1-2 cups of cooked white beans to the soup before pureeing.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. The way that I plan my meals, or rather decide what ingredients to include in my food, is a little nerdy. Ok, maybe you guessed that about me already!

The first step for me is to choose, what I call, a "vehicle". I'll be sharing more on this later but the basic concept is to choose a base (whole grain pasta, bread, rice or other grains, etc.) and then add in the other components of the meal (protein, fruits and veggies, spices, etc.). As an example, I'll make you hungry show you how this works with homemade granola.

These are the basic categories that I consider with each meal (in this case, granola):

Vehicle: Oats
Fruit and/or veggie(s): Dried cranberries and raisins
Protein: Various nuts and seeds
Omega 3s: Hemp seeds
Iron: Pumpkin seeds, oats, hemp seeds, raisins

This really isn't as complicated as it may seem and it is a good way to make sure that you're getting the nutrients that you need. It becomes automatic pretty quickly as you get used to knowing the nutrition profile of the foods that you eat on a regular basis. Because about 95% of my meals are vegan, I pay close attention to protein, iron, and omega 3s. Your mix may be as simple as: vehicle, protein, fruits and/or veggies.

Here's my granola recipe. The weather here in California is wet, cold, and windy- perfect granola weather!

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup shredded or fine macaroon coconut (unsweetened)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp blackstrap molasses
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/3 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2-3/4 cup raisins

We went to a restaurant for dinner on Friday night and, while we were reading our menus, I was thinking about how difficult it may seem to find a healthy choice while dining out. The food descriptions can be tricky because high-fat and calorie-dense dishes may be disguised as healthy choices because they are referred to as "fresh" or "all natural" or "vegetarian". While there is nothing wrong with foods bearing those descriptions, they are not necessarily the best options because of them.

To illustrate my point, let's consider this meal: vegetarian lasagna, a side salad with Caesar dressing, and a small order of broccoli with brown butter and mizithra cheese. It sounds like a meal full of veggies and that is healthy, right?

Let's take a closer look:

Ack. This meal contains almost enough calories for an entire day and a terrifying amount of fat, sodium, and cholesterol. My stomach hurts just thinking about eating all of that!

So what is a better alternative? First, consider what is in or on top of the entree that you order. Here are some things to look for:

Salad tip: When ordering a salad, ask for the dressing to be served on the side. Instead of pouring it on the salad, dip your fork in the dressing before each bite. You will eat significantly less fat and fewer calories and you'll still get some of the flavor that you love.

Here is what I ordered on Friday night (this is for the portion of pasta that I ate- it was very large and I only ate half):

Healthy eating doesn't mean that you can never have your favorite foods if you make a few small changes:

Happy dining!

The kids and I played outside this morning and when we came in for lunch we were freezing! The thought of eating a salad or cold sandwich was not appealing at all. After warming some food for my boys, I stared into the refrigerator trying to pull together a recipe in my head. I decided on a pasta dish that was quick and easy, very nutritious, and delicious. I love this combo of things!

Ingredients:
4 cups of spinach
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
~4 large leaves of fresh basil, chopped
1 cup cooked whole wheat pasta
4 ounces cooked black beluga lentils, warmed
1/4 cup walnuts, lightly toasted
Olive oil for sauteing
Sea salt, black or crushed red pepper, lemon juice, and roasted walnut oil (optional)

*Bonus: Walnuts are an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids.

Because my post on 16 ways to increase your energy contained a lot of suggestions about what foods to eat, I thought it might be helpful if I provided some meal ideas with those things in mind. Here is a one-day menu of high energy meals.

Enjoy!

Breakfast
Cream of Wheat Berries with Cranberries and Cardamom
Serves ~4

(Note: this is a slow cooker recipe and takes 6-8 hours)

1/2 cup wheat berries*
1/4 cup cracked wheat
1/2 cup rolled (old-fashioned) oats
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (you can substitute cinnamon or allspice if you prefer)
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

Suggested mix-ins (these amounts are PER SERVING): 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds, 1 teaspoon gelatinized maca powder, 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, regular or vanilla soymilk.

*Please note that many of the dry ingredients can be found in the bulk foods aisle at your grocery store.

Snack
1 cup of soy yogurt, any flavor
1 cup of fresh raspberries

Lunch

*Tempeh is available at Trader Joe's or in the natural foods aisle at your grocery store.

Snack
Air-popped popcorn tossed with nutritional yeast, to taste.
1/4 cup walnuts

Dinner
Red Lentils with Kale
Makes a lot; freezes well!

1 1/2 cups rinsed and drained red lentils
3 cups water
2 cups chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1 Tbsp soy sauce (or to taste)
3-4 carrots, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
a few big handfuls of kale, chopped
about 1/2 or 1 whole onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of red chili flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil

Serve lentils over cooked quinoa or brown rice and with a slice of whole grain toast on the side.

I had dessert for breakfast yesterday. I know, scandalous right? Actually, not really.

It started out as a small bowl of oatmeal made with soy milk. I added a couple of scoops of my new love: Trader Joe's Valencia Peanut Butter With Roasted Flaxseeds. So yum! (Thank you Claire, for the recommendation!) Then things took a turn...I had some leftover apple crisp in the fridge. Apple crisp contains apples and oats- that is breakfast-y, right? Yes! I added a big scoop of crisp to the top of my oatmeal and topped the whole thing off with just a little more soy milk.

Remember how I offered the suggestion to try new recipes like "breakfast cookies" to nurture yourself this season? Well, this is just another way to put a smile on your face in the morning without going overboard. This turned out to be a delicious breakfast and it wasn't complete diet debauchery.

As a part of my "dessert breakfast", I also included a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds and two tablespoons of hemp seeds. If you're not familiar with hemp seeds, don't panic! I know they sound like something that you have to buy in secret, but they aren't. Hemp seeds are a great source of protein, iron, and omega 3s.

Here are the numbers for protein and iron (not including the apple crisp):

I am a vegetarian. As soon as those words leave my mouth, many non-veg people begin to look confused. To some, I might as well have said, "I eat only dirt and unicorn tears."

As most vegetarian people can attest, the first question is usually, "where do you get your protein?" That is followed by another confused look and a question like, "so...like...what did you have for breakfast?"

First, I need to tell you that I am NOT a vegetarian snob. By that, I mean that you can eat whatever you want and I'll still like you. If you order a steak when we are at a restaurant together, I won't move to another table. Unless, of course, you wave it under my nose and say, "are you sure you don't want some of thiiiiis?" But you wouldn't do that, would you?

Ok, back to protein. Where do I get my protein? From lots of different foods. I eat some tofu, yes, but there is also protein in vegetables, beans, lentils, peas, pastas, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. In hopes of dispelling the myth that vegetarians are protein-starved and weak, I'll occasionally share the ingredient list and protein content for my meals. I wish to illustrate this point: eating a variety of healthy vegetarian foods will provide ample nutrients, including protein. I will sometimes include information on iron and/or calcium as those seem to be of concern as well.


Appropriately, I think, I'll start with breakfast. I am a huge breakfast fan. Love it! I tend to eat quite a bit in the morning, so your portions might be smaller if you prefer a lighter meal.

Allison's "keep-you-full-for-hours" oatmeal: