by Olivia Wong
I am usually a stickler for following directions and heeding the advice of doctors, but sorry doc, not this time. A primary care physician that I recently went to see for the first time asked if I ate meat. I said my plate is full of vegetables with a little bit of meat. She asked if the serving of meat was the size of my palm or less. I could tell by her expression and tone that she wanted me to say the palm so I gave in and said so in order not to have an argument with a doctor I just met. I could sense it was headed that way. Then I said that sometimes I do not eat meat at all. I eat a lot of beans and other forms of plant protein. She was aghast and insisted I eat more meat (both red meat as well as chicken and fish.) At least my comeback remark was that I drink protein shakes. That satisfied her a bit. I didn't say they were vegan protein.
Why do I eat so many vegetables? Because they make me feel like a SUPERHERO! I want to jump off the walls after eating a bowl of sauteed kale, mushrooms, roasted brussel sprouts or sweet potatoes, brown rice, and sprouts. Back when I ate more meat, I would feel lethargic, bloated, full but not feeling great. Now I am energized, feel nourished and powered up. It feels like the embodiment of "food as fuel."
Entering the produce section of a grocery store is like being a kid in a candy store. I love looking at all the varieties and colors, touching and thinking of how to combine them into meals. I could care less for the meat and deli departments. The center aisles, freezers and dairy are grab and go. Produce is where it's at.
There are so many varieties of vegetables that it never gets tiring eating them. Bowls are more popular than ever and they are my current favorite way to eat veggies. I liken bowls to fried rice or stir fries. Growing up we threw whatever we could find into them. That's how it is with bowls. There are endless combinations and flavors. You can have a well balanced meal with just a little bit of planning ahead. Here are just a few ideas:
- roast diced sweet potatoes
- roast or saute brussel sprouts (cut in half)
- saute kale or spinach with minced garlic and mushrooms
- defrost frozen corn
- defrost frozen shelled edamame
- cook brown rice
- cook quinoa
- add sliced almonds
- add dried cranberries or raisins
- add canned sardines or other fish
- pan fry or bake salmon or chicken breasts and cut into bite size pieces
- season diced firm tofu with teriyaki sauce and broil until crispy
- add any Fullei Fresh sprouts, Organic Sprouted Garbanzo Beans or Crunchy Mix
- add any of your favorite sauces, drizzle olive oil or enjoy the pure flavors of the vegetables
In this picture, I made brown rice, roasted cut sweet potatoes at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, sauteed kale and mushrooms, and mixed in canned sardines in oil (discarding most of the oil) and a handful of Fullei Fresh's Gourmet Sprout Salad.
Have fun combining ingredients and enjoy! The great thing is sprouts go well with any bowls. Be sure to post pictures on social media and tag #fulleifresh #addsprouts #sprouts
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