This is my third year in the three-week plant-based challenge run by UC Davis Integrative Medicine. I love that a major California university is charging ahead with cutting edge research and practical nutritional information, including regular blog posts, webinars, and this annual challenge that truly challenges my eating habits.
Because, counter-cultural as it may be, I know that I feel and look healthier on a plant-based diet. And it most closely coalesces with my ethics: a plant-based diet is better for me and for the planet.
Three years ago I tried oh so hard and it was hard and I did okay. Last year, life circumstances held me hostage and I flopped about. This year, end of Week 1 and I’m mostly on-point. It takes practice.
I appreciate that each year we’ve had a theme, and each week has its own focus. This year’s theme: Set it and forget it, all about meal prepping and utilizing the Instant Pot, the current kitchen it-gadget (one I happen to love!).
Week 1 cuisine focused on quinoa, potato, and black beans–perfect for me since I live in California and those ingredients play a solid role in our diet. One look at the suggested menu and I already had family-approved recipes that at least mostly fit the bill. Plus, I took into account what we had on hand and needed to use.
Breakfast:
Smoothies (this week’s rotation: frozen mango, canned pineapple in unsweetened juice, fresh spinach, fresh ginger, ground flax meal, with water to blend–my fav greener-than-green drink)
Avocado Toast–whole grain toast, avocado slices, with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Lunch:
Salad–I bought a bag of mixed cruciferous greens, which I topped with tangerine slices, peanuts, and peanut sauce dressing.
Dinner:
Tofu Chilaquiles
Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Baked potatoes and Veggie Chili
Snack:
Jicama sticks
Meal planning helps oh so much because it’s all about what’s on hand and what I need to have on hand. Family schedules dictate that I don’t cook every night, so I try to cook big to have leftovers.
I made chilaquiles because I had made enchilada sauce the week before. I made quinoa & black bean salad as a side-dish for chilaquiles, and then used it all week to top other salads.
I baked a whole bag of potatoes on Wednesday while I made the chili, and we had friends over on Thursday to eat leftovers; alongside, I served a huge green salad with all the veggies–mushrooms, bell peppers, tomatoes, avocado, green onions, cilantro, plus quinoa salad–and it was SO good.
Leftovers of that salad morphed into a taco salad with added kidney and garbanzo beans, topped with salsa. And, no kidding, a cooked baked potato, cold, even without toppings, makes for a delicious on-the-go snack.
Because I believe in doing my best, and grace, and most of the time rules the day, I didn’t worry over the tiny bites of artisan chocolate with my Napa wine pairing (yes, I do live 45 minutes from Napa and this gets to be an occasional treat in my life), and I didn’t make a fuss about the cauliflower-crust veggie pizza my husband bought and prepared for me when I got home from a long Friday at work. Both splurges were perfectly that–delicious, minute, lovely moments in my life this week.
On the whole, I fully enjoyed all the delicious food I ate. Honestly, I was surprised how I craved my upcoming lunch salad every single day; I never got tired of it! Because I’ve been at this for a while, I had the luxury of using my own recipes, mostly no/low-oil and salt, but again, I don’t fret about the occasional drizzle or dab of something because I know it won’t be an everyday/all-day occurrence.
Week 2 underway and, again, so far so good. More on that next week!
