I watched Oprah's 7-Day Vegan challenge episode this week (it was a repeat, original air date was over a month ago), and I applaud Oprah for a) encouraging Americans to eat more consciously, b) making it clear that the vegan lifestyle is one choice among many, and c) being bold enough to show a tour of a slaughterhouse after having been sued by the meat industry. I also applaud the Cargill company for allowing Oprah's cameras into one of their plants (20 other meat processors turned her down) and being willing to have an honest discussion about how meat gets to our table in this country. I rarely eat factory farmed meat now, and I will likely eat even less after seeing this show. However, the one thing that really frustrated me with this otherwise bold episode of television was the lack of a single mention about actually eating more vegetables to improve one's diet!
Kathy Freston, Oprah's resident Vegan expert, got the most air time despite Michael Pollan also being on the stage. Pollan, the author of wonderful books like The Omnivore's Dilemma and Food Rules, raised the point that too often vegans replace the animal products in their diet with processed foods and refined carbohydrates. Freston agreed; however, the show's content focused heavily on making standard American fare fit the vegan lifestyle through the use of processed foods like meat substitutes and carbohydrate-based snacks, rather than encouraging people to eat a primarily plant-based diet full of veggies, unprocessed whole grains, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds. The majority of people participating in this "radical experiment" seemed to interpret the vegan lifestyle as one heavily supported by the cereal and frozen foods sections at Whole Foods rather than one consisting mostly of actual whole food sources like, um, vegetables! In addition to Freston, I have noticed this trend in media appearances by the Skinny Bitch women and Alicia Silverstone, all of whom promote a vegan diet without seeming to promote the VEG in VEGan.
I have long been irked by vegetables getting a bad rap (like those V-8 ads suggesting vegetables are so horrendous one must ingest them quickly and in juice form), but I feel especially peeved about so-called experts touting the benefits of a vegan diet without specifically encouraging the consumption of more fruits and vegetables. In my opinion, if you are a basically healthy person, switching from a diet high in eggs, cheese and beef to a diet high in packaged cereals, processed soy products and pasta (or worse, loads of sweets) is not exactly a winning proposition. However, ANY diet can benefit from more vegetables, fruits and legumes as they are nutrient dense, high in fiber and fill you up, hence crowding out less healthy items in the diet like high-fat animal products and refined carbohydrates.
Whether you want to eat less meat or just eat more vegetables, let's talk about loving vegetables because it is possible, trust me. Last night I ate a heavenly dinner consisting almost entirely of vegetables: fresh sweet corn on the cob buttered and salted, sliced heirloom tomatoes topped with thin slices of mozzarella and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and a hearty portion of spinach sauteed in olive oil and lemon. YUM. A few nights ago I made a meal of steamed carrots, brussels sprouts, asparagus and broccoli tossed with some butter and shredded parmesan cheese. Because most of the bulk came from vegetables, these were still low calorie dinners despite the butter, oil and cheese used as garnishes. On both of these days I had protein and carbohydrates at breakfast (eggs and whole grain toast) and lunch (black bean enchiladas, a salad topped with protein) so I had no worries about not getting enough protein.
Vegetables are an afterthought for most Americans if they eat them at all. People just throw some overcooked carrots or microwaved frozen broccoli on a plate and don't really appreciate the flavors. Many young adults were brought up on canned vegetables or vegetables boiled until the taste disappeared and believe they don't like vegetables as a result. First things first: TRY vegetables again. Either learn how to cook them properly or buy them prepared from a store like Whole Foods or a good local deli. Try them all -- taste buds evolve! Don't expect your toddler to love asparagus, but don't use her immature taste buds an an excuse for your lack of curiosity. Despite having parents who cooked vegetables well and often, I have gone from tolerating only about 3 vegetables in my twenties to LOVING every vegetable I can think of in my thirties. After you enjoy your first taste of sweet roasted parsnips or crispy brussels sprouts, I know you will thank me!
Because Americans are so geared toward thinking of a meal as a meat, a starch and a vegetable; most people don't realize that vegetables as well as whole grains and legumes make perfectly acceptable main course options and that such dishes not only taste great but make you feel great too. When you leave off the meat and the white starches, you can feel freer to cook and flavor your vegetables with healthy fats like olive oil, cheese or even butter without fear of gaining weight (granted, butter and cheese are not vegan so this would not work if you are shunning animal products for moral reasons).
In summary, whether it's for moral or health reasons, if you are thinking about eating less animal products, start by eating more vegetables and legumes. Chili and pasta don't need real or fake meat to fill you up - add roasted veggies tossed in olive oil to whole wheat pasta or make a 3-bean vegetarian chili -- you will be eating a healthy vegan meal without even realizing it! Soba noodles with edamame (and/or peanut sauce) and vegetables is a great high protein, naturally vegan meal. Avocado and hummus make tasty substitutes for mayo or cheese on a veggie sandwich. Adding more whole, fresh plant foods to crowd out the animal products and refined carbohydrates in your diet will allow you to "lean into" (Kathy Freston's phrase) a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, doing good for both your body and the planet, without increasing the processed foods in your diet and thus just replacing one problem with another.
For more yummy veggie and legume recipes, refer back to these Inhabit Health posts:
http://inhabithealth.blogspot.com/2010/09/recipes-legume-time.html
http://inhabithealth.blogspot.com/2010/06/recipes-veggies-4-ways.html
As always, thanks for reading and check out my website for information on my coaching programs to help you live a healthier life. www.inhabithealth.com
No comments:
Post a Comment