The Non Chef

Raw-vegan-recipe

 

Good meals are simple meals. In fact, there is usually an inverse relationship with how long it takes to prepare a recipe and how healthy it is. I will argue that a great chef is one who is able to create a dish using only a few fresh ingredients, managing to enhance every flavour in a subtle way. Anyone can add tons of fat, sugar and salt to a meal to make it appeal to our addictions, but that’s not why you’re here. You want healthy, you want easy, and you want tasty. The recipe page on this website features many simple to prepare dishes that remove a lot of trial and error, while also allowing room for you to improve upon them. However, sometimes our problem with eating healthy is not that we don’t enjoy the food, but that we don’t have a consistent routine to fall back on. This article highlights some of the step by step instructions I give every new client as they begin to get into the groove of their food revolution.

 

Here is Your Checklist:

  • Make sure that you have some legumes, such as lentils, chickpeas, or a bean mix, sprouting on your kitchen counter every single day. Soak some seeds every evening so that they can begin sprouting the next day. This should become second nature to you.
  • Understand that the bulk of your calories should come from complex carbohydrates, such as the aforementioned legumes, and not from fat or sugar. In other words, learn to use nuts and fruits sparingly. Most vegan recipe cookbooks are guilty of relying too heavily on high fat and high sugar ingredients. Your plate should be filled with complex carbohydrates- these are the energy providers that are most associated with health and longevity in cultures throughout the world.
  • Make sure that you always have some salad sprouts on your counter each day as well, such as alfalfa, broccoli and salad mixes. Sunflower microgreens serve to elevate even the simplest of salads to new heights in both taste and nutrition.
  • Always have some regular vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, and spinach in your fridge, as well as some mushrooms. These will add taste and texture to every recipe.
  • Never run out of lemon, fresh garlic, herbs and spices.
  • Make sure you are the proud owner of a large, deep, food bowl. The beautiful thing about eating the right kinds of food is that we can enjoy lots of it without worrying about our weight.

 

Last Minute Potluck:

Sprouted-Bean-Mix-SaladNow, say it’s late in the evening and you’ve had a long day. You are too tired to prepare  a “fancy” meal and just want something warm that hits the spot. Here is an example of how simple it is to achieve this in just a few steps:

First, open your fridge and take out all the vegetables and leafy greens. If you have some baby spinach or other salad green, simply lay a generous amount into a big bowl. Next, look at what is sprouting on your kitchen counter, is it lentils or chickpeas today? Take about half a cup to a whole cup and place them in your steamer set. Third, check if you have any mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower, or broccoli. Take whatever you have and add it in your steamer, and steam everything together for about 8-12 minutes. While you wait, create a dressing using lemon juice, garlic and herbs of your choice, (olive oil is optional). When you are done steaming, pour everything into the big bowl on top of the spinach or other salad green. Do you have any salad sprouts growing on your counter? Got some alfalfa and broccoli sprouting? Got any sunflower microgreens? Great, throw what you have in the bowl. Finally, mix in your dressing, add some salt and pepper to taste and you are DONE. Grab a fork and enjoy.

It’s just that simple, but doing these rich, healthy and delicious potluck recipes is only possible if you make it a normal part of your routine to soak some seeds every evening, and this way you will always have something sprouting on your counter and available to you each and every day. For breakfast we always make sure that we have some grains sprouting, and for lunch and dinner we make sure to have some legumes sprouting. The fanciest and most renowned restaurants, featuring world famous chefs, do not have fresher or more naturally potent ingredients than the very sprouts that are growing on your kitchen counter. Imagine that! And it’s up to you to bring out the flavour without adding too many ingredients, or over cooking. Cooking is even optional because the less heat you apply the more you preserve nutrients such as antioxidants, enzymes and vitamins.

You can read my Food Revolution: Step 1 guide to learn more about how my clients successfully transition to a healthier lifestyle.

Marc Jaoudé
Naturopath, Health Educator
Nutrition & Exercise Specialist

 

7 Responses

  1. Hello, Dr. Marc:

    I was just reading your article “Food Revolution: Step 1” and had a question about the B12 recommendation.

    The MegaFood B12 product has 20,000% (!) of the Daily Value. I already take a multivitamin from MegaFood that contains 200% of the Daily Value for B12. Would the separate B12 supplement still be needed for most?

    If so, would one need to take 20,000% of the Daily Value each day? I’ve heard plant-based Doctors suggest taking a B12 supplement once a WEEK or even every FEW WEEKS, as they stated we store it.

    Thanks for your time and the many great articles.

    Paul

    1. Thank you for your question Paul. B12, in supplement form, is best taken daily as opposed to a larger amount once a week. The body’s ability to absorb B12 from supplements is limited, and that’s why you need a higher dose than the RDA of 2.4 mcg. There is consensus that 500 mcg daily is sufficient to overcome absorption issues that many people face nowadays, allowing enough B12 to be absorbed by way of passive diffusion through the intestinal wall. Whether you can be ok with a smaller dose depends on your individual health status. I wish I could have a short yes or no answer to your question! You would have to get your levels checked (including MMA levels). Wishing you all the best.

      1. Hello, Doctor.

        Thank you for the quick reply and helpful explanation!

        The way you explained it makes sense and I now understand why a daily MegaFood B12 tablet makes sense.

        Many thanks for the educational articles and videos. They are quality materials!

        Cheers,
        Paul

  2. I totally agree – putting together a meal with the sprouts is fast and easy. Now that winter is coming, there is nothing yummier and warmer than a home made soup to chase the cold and winter blues away – a bit of broth, lots of veggies and then throw in a few sprouts and some leafy greens at the end and you have a comforting meal within minutes!

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