By Rip Esselstyn on December 13, 2011
When it comes to competing for stellar placement in your grocery cart, consider vegetables to be the equivalent of Olympians—in fact, they are the gold-medal winners. Packed with fiber, macro- and micronutrients, phytochemicals, antioxidants, and other disease-preventing & health-enhancing qualities, they taste great and make you healthy at the same time.
1. Green leafy vegetables: Whether it’s kale, spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens, mustard greens, beet greens, turnip greens, bok choy or Brussels sprouts, these powerful yet graceful vegetables are the Michael Phelps of vegetables! Men, a little secret I’ll let you in on: The more greens you eat, the harder your wood gets. Leafy greens pump up the production of nitric oxide in your blood vessels, which is a potent vasodilator. Ditch the blue pill, and fill up on leafy greens. Cut them up, and toss ‘em in at the last minute to supercharge your soup or pasta! You can steam or stir-fry leafy greens with garlic and lemon juice or with a walnut or cashew sauce.
2. Sweet potatoes: Hearty and satiating, father of Olympic gold medal winner, Usain Bolt, attributes his son’s speed to his favorite food: the Jamaican sweet potato. His son has set two world records in the 100 and 200-meter dashes to show for it! ‘Nuff said. Wrap them up in aluminum foil, and place in the oven or toaster oven for one hour at 400 degrees. Sweet potatoes don’t need a thing; eat ‘em naked.
3. Beets: “Why so serious?” as the Joker would say. Anything that is blood red and can turn your stools a similar hue has every right to be deadly serious. Boil beets in water for 45 minutes or place in the toaster oven for 45-60 minutes. Immediately rinse them off in cold water, and feast your eyes on the beet as the brown outer layer flakes off and a glistening, silky red dermis reveals itself. Remember to cook up the beet greens as well!
4. Romaine lettuce: This robust, leafy green vegetable is a nutritional monster. Use this hearty and hefty lettuce as the foundation in salads instead of nutritionally vacant and boring iceberg lettuce. As an added bonus, Romaine lettuce will keep for several days in the chiller bin of your fridge.
5. Onions: Yeah, they may make your eyes water, but there’s nothing wrong with a few tears–even real men cry when they win a gold medal! Start any stir-fry, soup, or homemade pasta sauce with an onion. They are multi-layered and complex – just like us men.
6. Mushrooms: Technically a fungus, mushrooms are a strange breed, indeed. They come in a variety of weird shapes, sizes, and breeds–white button, shiitake, cremini, Portobello, and oyster to name a few–and all are delicious. Used as a meat substitute in any dish, mushrooms are a (wo-)man’s best friend.
7. Tomatoes: Tomatoes are a gift from the gods. Technically fruits, tomatoes are one badass, versatile food. You can use them in sandwiches, salads, casseroles, appetizers–like decathletes, they can be winners at almost everything.
8. Avocados: Ditch the saturated fat-laden and artery-clogging mayo and butter, and go for the green gold. Avocados are smooth, satisfying, and satiating, and win it all, either as a tasty condiment or a hearty side.
9. Bell Peppers: Red, gold, green, purple and orange, bell peppers make the top ten list due to their color, taste, presentation, and versatility. Whether cut up in pasta primavera sauce, stuffed, stir-fried, tossed in a salad, roasted, or even plain, bell peppers are an Engine 2 favorite and should be in every man’s quiver.
10. Asparagus: Asparagus was prized by the Romans as the vegetable of the Gods and is still valued as such today. Oddly, half of us have a gene that makes our urine stink within minutes after eating it. Ask ten people you know, and five will know what you’re talking about. But it’s a small price to pay for a wonderful veggie that can be eaten hot, cold, in salads, with grains and always makes a special addition to any meal.
Go for the gold!
For more on how to optimize your health, visit Engine2Diet.com
Photo credit: Darwin Bell
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By Gena Hamshaw CCN on November 4, 2011
In June of this year, I left my lifelong home of New York City for the nation’s capital. Having grown up in a mecca of vegan (and raw) dining options, I was spoiled: I had no idea what it meant to live in a place without juice bars in every zip code, vegan bakeries around the corner, and a mix of both fine dining and fast dining options for the herbivorous eater.
It took some time, but as the summer went by, I began to explore and discover DC’s lean, green, and vegan scene. The city may not be able to rival New York or L.A. in terms of creativity or availability, but it does boast a strong and vibrant little collection of vegan-friendly dining options. We’d expect no less of the city that houses offices for PETA, COK, and PCRM; a local farm animal sanctuary, and a passionate community of plant-based eaters with an eye on political activism.
Lunch bites and snack breaks
Java Green
Featuring wraps, sandwiches, salads, and sides, Java Green is a great option for weekday pop-ins or early dinners. It features fresh vegetable and fruit juice, a clearly marked gluten-free menu, hot and cold soups, and even a gluten-free and vegan burger. Try the raw pizza and live “trio” salad (kale, sea veggies, and kimchi) if you’re in the mood for something extra green. The downside? Portion sizes are tiny, so order in bulk.
Sticky Fingers
A winner of the Food Network’s cupcake wars, Sticky Fingers offers the some of the finest cookies, cupcakes, and pastries in town–vegan or not! The sweet and salty cookie is to die for, and the peanut butter-fudge cupcake may just monopolize your birthday celebrations for good. If you’re craving something more savory than sweet, you can enjoy the restaurant’s tempeh BLT, it’s cheesy quesadillas made with Daiya cheese, the chick’n ranch wrap, or some good old-fashioned biscuits and gravy. If you’re a gluten-free eater, help yourself to the gluten-free chocolate cupcake, and float home on a chocolate high.
Sweet Green
Founded by three Georgetown students who were fed up with the area’s limited dining options, Sweet Green has now expanded beyond its flagship location, dotting the entire district with the best and most innovative salads around. Simple, healthy, and fast, Sweet Green sources local and organic ingredients, and offers such innovative salad options as the Chic P (Falafel, pita chips, chickpeas, and a delectably tart hummus-tahini dressing) and the Sabzi (spicy quinoa, raw beets, white beans, basil, sprouts, and dried cranberries). You can make your own salads or wraps with any of the restaurant’s seasonal offerings (I’m partial to the roasted butternut squash), and you can also help yourself to any of the tasty soups, many of which are vegan. If you’re fending off the DC heat, try the incredible watermelon lemonade for a cooling treat!
Comfort food
Everlasting Life Cafe
There’s something for everyone at this casual cafe, which also offers catering services. Raw foodies and health freaks can feast on the garlicky, raw kale salad, the pickled beets, or the parsley with plum vinaigrette. Other options in the restaurant’s extensive (and-100 percent organic) salad bar include Asian noodles and corn-and-black bean salad.
If you’re in the mood for something hot and filling, though, you’re really in luck. Try any of the restaurant’s daily rotation of hot bar options: highlights include veggie steak n’ cheese, a battered basket, spaghetti pie, barbecue tofu, and sheppard’s pie. With fresh smoothies and juices to boot, you can’t go wrong!
Busboys and Poets
Another crowd pleaser, Busboys and Poets serves up comfort classics in both vegan and vegetarian formations: most of the pizzas can be ordered with either vegan cheese or regular cheese, and and paninis range from tempeh to chicken. The restaurant’s hummus is not to be missed, and its ful medames dish is perfectly spicy and rich. Vegans will flip over the vegan nachos.
An inclusive list of desserts and coffee beverages–not to mention a small bookstore in house (in which diners are welcome to sit and explore)–ensure that all diners will be tempted to linger long after a meal is done.
Dinner for two
Elizabeth’s Gone Raw
DC’s only gourmet raw dining establishment, Elizabeth’s offers a five course pre fixe dinner every Friday night featuring a sumptuous and seasonal tasting menu. A weekly selection might feature such entrees as Wild Mushroom and Tarragon Bisque with Fennel Salad & a Sunflower Cracker, or a raw apple cobbler for dessert. Elizabeth Petty, the owner, opened EGR after a diagnosis of breast cancer in 2009, and her passion for the restorative power of raw food shines through these light and brightly flavored dishes. She’ll be glad to greet you as you dine, and share more of her excitement for raw food with you. The price tag at Elizabeth’s Gone Raw is not cheap (it’s a $75 tasting menu), but the experience is truly unique, and there is no finer raw foods mecca in DC.
Cafe Green
Cafe Green is the place to be if you’re seeking out a casual and health-minded dinner bite. The restaurant features extensive raw options, including an impressive raw pizza with sprouted quinoa and buckwheat crust, raw avocado and spicy soup options, a marinated kale and mango salad, and raw crackers. Fresh juices are served up daily, along with fresh coconut water and kombucha. If you’re not into uncooked cuisine, try the gluten-free mung bean pancakes or the incredible mac n’ cheese. Let the buyer beware, however: the restaurant is very often out of options, especially raw ones, so be prepared to be flexible.
Founding Farmers
Though not vegan or even vegetarian, this restaurant, which is situated three blocks from the White House, is famous for sourcing local produce. The restaurant’s architecture is LEED- certified (a fancy way of saying it’s eco-friendly and environmentally conscious) and it’s other green features include front-of-house and back-of-house recycling, high-efficiency water and energy usage, menus printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks, and water served in reusable glass carafes. Veggie dining options aren’t exactly innovative, but they do include some tasty grain salads, entree sized salads, a savory veggie burger, and a roast eggplant tartine.
Restaurant Nora
Restaurant Nora has bragging rights as the nation’s first certified organic restaurant. This means that the restaurant was churning out organic fare in 1999, long before there was consumer pressure to do so. Nora Pouillon, the restaurant’s founder, has stayed true to her original intention of serving the DC population dishes that are freshly sourced from local farms. Though this is not a vegan restaurant, nor even vegetarian, it is focused on produce, and very high quality produce at that. Many of the salads are easily veganized, and your server will be happy to help you create a vegan meal. (When I went, I was lucky enough to enjoy a creamy risotto with morel mushrooms and fresh corn.) Prices are on the higher end of the spectrum, but the restaurant itself delivers a true fine dining experience, and is well worth it for a fancy dinner.
Firefly
This trendy restaurant in DC’s trendy Dupont circle offers up a menu of local and seasonal fare, including numerous vegan options. Though portion sizes tend to be modest, you can count on robust flavor and New American classics served up with creative flair. All vegans are accommodated: I recommend the tofu skewers and the quinoa with roasted fennel. Another notable feature is the restaurant’s extensive gluten-free menu, which features risotto, quinoa and a heaping of sides. A great and inclusive spot to bring friends of all dietary orientations!
Nightcap
Science Club
Science Club operates primarily as a bar and lounge, featuring a solid (and reasonably priced) wine list. What’s most notable about this particular bar is its emphasis on vegan dining options on the bar menu. These include a quinoa salad with balsamic reduction, hummus, and tofu skewers. DJ’s spin at Science Club every night of the week, and the restaurant also hosts private parties. This is your best late night bet for a vegan snack and sip of wine!
As you can see, DC’s vegan scene may be less outspoken than other cities’, but seek and ye shall find many an option. Enjoy plant-based fare while you soak in the spacious parks and green vistas of our nation’s capital!
For more information on how to optimize your health, visit choosingraw.com
Photo credit: Chris Hall, ciao-chow, Michael Banabila, Martin Kalfatovic, James Sullivan
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By Guest Blogger on November 2, 2011
I’ve been married to my omnivorous husband for three years now. We’re soulmates in every sense of the word.
We grew up in the same town and went to high school together; he was captain of the football team, and I was a cheerleader. We share the same affections for gourmet food and travel. We both love spending evenings in with a glass of red wine and, after knowing each other for 15 years, we still haven’t run out of things to talk about. We share the same political views, believe in the same causes and even like each other’s friends. Our parents were even married on the same day and year – July 29, 1978. Our destiny was clear; we were meant to be together.
But here’s the rub: He eats meat and I don’t.
During the time of our post-collage courtship, engagement and first year of marriage, I went through a major soul-searching journey of finding my own way of eating. For a long time I had been a “mostly plant eater” who occasionally ate meat. Then no meat, but I’d do fish and eggs. About a year into our marriage, I went full veg.
I remember an argument one night that ended with me in tears, not understanding why my smart, always supportive, well-educated husband couldn’t see the value of not eating animals. But what about the poor animals in factory farms? The antibiotics? The hormones? The humanity?! OMG, did he turn Republican on me?!
He agreed with me that animals should always be treated with love and kindness and we shouldn’t support anything to do with factory farms (and that he wasn’t a Republican – phew!).
But it went on. “We buy organic chicken and beef and eat it with salad. There’s nothing wrong with that,” he argued. He also pointed out the nature of the food chain on the planet and how we just happened to be at the top. I didn’t agree, and just kept getting more frustrated as more tears came. In hindsight, I really just didn’t have the right words to communicate what I was trying to say.
We went round and round and he finally said, “Liz, if you don’t want to eat meat, I support that. I’m not judging your eating habits, so why are you judging mine?” Touché. And he was right, he was a very healthy omnivore. He didn’t eat fast food. He ate tons of salads, veggies, fruits, beans and nuts, and rarely consumed any sugar or refined carbs.
There it was. That one thing that every happily married person has come to grips with in at least one major aspect of their life: compromise.
OK, then, I’ll be vegetarian and you’ll be an omnivore, I thought. But how would this work? What about date nights? And having company for dinner? And grocery shopping?
As time went on, we found ways to happily coexist with our individual eating habits. I learned how to make some delicious, filling vegan entrees that were so yummy that he didn’t even miss the meat (black bean tacos anyone!?). We found our favorite restaurants that satisfied both of our tastes and food wishes. Before I went to the grocery store, I’d ask if he wanted anything in particular; sometimes he asked for chicken or beef and I was OK with that. On those nights, I’d make a big seed and nut salad or buy a piece of fish if I was in the mood, and he’d grill them up for us. Burger night? I’d buy him organic buffalo, and a veggie burger for me.
I also found the right words to communicate my values with him, and he became very receptive. I used the word “I” a lot and not the word “you.” I said things like, “I feel so clear-headed when I don’t eat meat,” instead of, “You’d feel better if you didn’t eat meat.” I introduced him to all kinds of yummy, interesting plant-based foods that he fell in love with: hemp seeds, homemade granola, green smoothies, raw chocolate, and more. I learned the more plant foods and vegan recipes I could introduce him to that he loved, the more it would crowd out the meat.
And I finally understood that asking him to go down this path with me was a mirror of my own personal journey all along. It’s a process and doesn’t happen overnight. I remember my first thoughts of going veg in my early 20s and thinking, “But what will I eat?!”
That’s the key: When you ask someone to give up (or at least cut back on) meat, their mind immediately goes to scarcity and starvation. They have to be introduced to the abundance of delicious, plant-based foods before they can wrap their heads around cutting out the meat.
Fast-forward to today, and we happily coexist on our “mixed marriage.” I want to give you my three best tips for you to do the same with your significant other:
1. Don’t judge. And ask your partner not to judge you. You can’t expect him to be supportive of you if you’re not supportive oh him. You both need to understand that even if you’re in different places, you can’t judge each other. Turn any judgment you have back on yourself and do some soul-searching to release it.
2. Know the time and place to talk about your views and values. The worst thing you can do is tell someone how acidic meat is to the body when they have it on a plate in front of them, or worse, when other people are around. They’ll feel attacked and go on the defensive. Instead, ask to have an open conversation about the benefits your way of eating. Go for an evening stroll and ask if you can let your significant other know all the benefits you see. Use words like “I” and “my,” not “you” and “your.”
3. Whip up some stellar vegetarian fare! Learn to make spectacular meat-free dishes that your partner loves. Sometimes people, men especially, don’t want to go meat-free because they think vegetarian food is boring. My husband loves my spicy black bean chili, garlicky lentils, and tons of other vegan dishes, not because they’re meat-free, because they’re delicious! Make it your personal mission to introduce new great-tasting plant-based foods into your marriage every week – the options are endless.
The moral here? You’re both going to need to compromise in the sense of understanding each other’s habits and ways, but you don’t have to compromise your values or choices.
So take action and commit to living in a judgment-free zone. Stand your ground on your values, and think of at least three new flavor-filled veg dishes you can make your honey over the next week that will knock his (or her) socks off!
Elizabeth Rider is a Board Certified Holistic Health Counselor and author of WholeLivingBlog.com, a collection of free delicious vegetarian recipes, wellness tips and holistic living advice. She’s also the creator of the Hot Body Nutrition School, a 28-day online nutrition program dedicated to teaching women about health & proper nutrition.
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By Guest Blogger on October 10, 2011
As a mother of four, one of my biggest pleasures in life is feeding my kids nutritious meals. Unfortunately, it’s not always as easy as I hope it will be! I tend to romanticize while making my evening meals, thinking to myself, “My family will all love dinner tonight! They will wipe their mouths, clear their dishes and give me a hug to say thanks for your efforts, Mom!
And then I’m reeled back into reality when I hear, “No way I am eating that! It’s green!”
So for all you masterful mommies out there trying to feed your children nutritious meals, here are some helpful hints to get these nutrient-packed foods into your weewellness-warriors:
Smoothies. This is one of the easiest ways to get some greens into your kids’ diets. A handful of spinach is hardly detectable, and the flavor can easily be masked by fruit (use darker fruit like mixed berries to mask the color, too). A children’s cup with a lid is also an easy solution for those stubborn eyes! Try starting with a 3-to-1 ratio (3 fruits to 1 green) Be creative; who said you can’t put a little zucchini in a smoothie?
Start small. Younger children might be a little pickier, and you may need to do a little “sneaking” for these ones. Chopped kale can be thrown into just about any dinner meal without so much as a second glance from the youngsters. An entire bunch can be finely chopped and put into soups, fajitas, pot pies, pizzas or pasta dishes like lasagna and spaghetti. The key is to chop it small enough so that it cannot be easily picked out. If you’re not already, get familiar with kale. Even a little of this dark leafy green packs a powerful punch for our kiddos.
Set the stage. “Children have never been great at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” If you want your kids to eat their greens, then you need to do the same. We can’t fall into the old adage, “Do what I say, not what I do”. Want to make an impression? Walk around the house munching on a whole cucumber – if they don’t notice, their friends definitely will!
Solicit support. Get your kids involved. Children’s minds are like sponges that are anxiously waiting to be filled. Teach them why we want to eat broccoli, spinach, celery and lettuce. Excite them by teaching them about the powerful pac-man qualities of veggies. Let them choose the vegetable in their lunch or dinner. Have them help with a garden or the grocery shopping. It’s often easier to do things ourselves, but our children will benefit from being involved (especially when they sense approval from Mom). And of course, don’t forget to invite Dad to jump on board. Healthy kids are a team effort,
Stock for success. Let’s be honest. If you want your kids to eat their greens, then you need to actually stock your kitchen with them! Find the ones that you know your kids will eat, and make sure to have them on hand as well as a few others for them to keep on trying. Their little tastebuds will eventually “hatch”, and someday they’ll thank you for it. You mommies are busy women, so take some time each week to clean and chop veggies that can be kept in the crisping drawer in the fridge. When snack time comes around, your kids can reach for the fridge instead of the pantry. (Keep some tissue on hand for that day when you shed a little tear for your success!)
Following these 5 simple hints you can jumpstart your family’s health today! Your meal times will have less resistance, you will feel like ya done good. And … you never know … green might become your children’s favorite color!
Charity Lighten is a wife, mother, business owner, Food for Life Instructor, and a lover of food! She has a passion for nutrition and the power of food – especially as it pertains to disease prevention. She has a love for life and finds great joy in inspiring others to recommit to great health!
Photo credit: Maigh
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By Guest Blogger on October 3, 2011
Fall is here, and winter is creeping around the corner. We love this time of year because the sun starts to set earlier, and the weather cools down. What does that mean to us? It’s time to get back in the kitchen and get cooking! Using your oven to cook will not only warm up your home, saving you from turning up the heater; it’ll also make your house smell amazing, and you’ll get to eat the “fruits” of your labor.
In fall, Thanksgiving and the upcoming year-end holidays are always in peoples’ minds. We appreciate this special time of year because it’s based around people sitting at a table and enjoying a thoughtfully prepared meal together. Unfortunately, these aren’t always the most vegan-friendly times for people who don’t eat the bird. We’ve heard from a lot of friends that “coming out” to their families as vegetarians or vegans is always a challenge around the holidays, because it seems to require a change in some family food traditions.
Often our family members think most deeply and critically about the food choices of we vegetarians and vegans. We’ve taken a responsibility to show every person at the dinner table that veg. cuisine has all the flavors, textures, and colors that non-veg recipes have. The heat is on, vegans and vegetarians – and you can take it; we know you can! Plus, we’re here to help!
In our experience as vegan cooking instructors, our vegan students often tell us that if they’re invited to a dinner, they’ll feel like they have to bring along a vegan dish to share so they can actually eat, participate, and enjoy themselves. We say: Instead of just bringing a lone vegan item to someone else’s bird-fest, take control, and throw the whole dinner party yourself, providing everyone with lots of incredible vegan food!
Food is the best introduction to a cruelty-free, thoughtful way of life, and there’s no better way to open people’s eyes than by cooking for them. Nine times out of 10, if you invite someone over for dinner, they’ll accept! A home-cooked meal? Yes, please!
Some tips for making an easy-peasy dinner for friends are to do a little planning in advance. If you can prepare a dish, or prep some veggies the day before, then your work will be lighter on the day of your party. Also, don’t be afraid to improvise if an idea or recipe isn’t exactly how you expected it to be. One of the main concepts that we teach is “kitchen confidence,” which allows you to master cooking for any number of people, from two to twelve, or more.
The other tiny tip that may seem obvious is to read a recipe fully before diving in. Some recipes may sneak in a “refrigerate overnight” or “dehydrate for 12 hours,” so reading it all the way through before you get started will be a huge help!
If you’re not comfortable throwing dinner parties, make it easier on yourself by creating dishes that you know well and are familiar with. Don’t try something new and complex for your first dinner party, or this could lead to majorly overwhelmed feelings, and burning.
We just wrote our first cookbook, “Spork-Fed”, which is full of easy recipes that are sure to excite long-time vegans, part-time vegans, or anyone cooking for steadfast meat-eating friends. Use these recipes to win over any guest at your next party!
We want to share this recipe for our Crispy Brown Rice Cakes with Adzuki Beans and Scallions, from “Spork-Fed” because it’s really satisfying and super simple!
If you make this recipe for your friends or family, you’ll feel balanced and energized, and even though it’s pretty simple, it counts in the “comforting foods” category that people crave in the fall months. Another great part is that these cakes won’t add to your “winter coat,” so you can have seconds.
Crispy Brown Rice Cakes with Adzuki Beans and Scallions
Yields about 10-12 (2-inch) cakes
-2 cups water
-1 cup short grain brown rice
-3 tablespoons tamari
-2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
-2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
-1 teaspoon hot pepper sesame oil
-1/3 cup panko bread crumbs, plus 1 cup for coating patties
-4-5 scallions finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
-1 (16-ounce) can adzuki beans, (about 1 ¼ cups)
-2 tablespoons neutral tasting high-heat oil
Bring water to a boil in a large (6-quart) pot, and add rice. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook about 35-40 minutes, or according to package.
Let rice cool slightly, and place in a large bowl. Add tamari, brown rice vinegar, brown rice syrup, and sesame oil. Stir to incorporate all ingredients. Add 1/3 cup bread crumbs, 1/4 cup scallions and adzuki beans. Stir mixture together well, mashing some adzuki beans into mixture with a wooden spoon, until mixture holds together.
Place remaining bread crumbs in a shallow dish and set aside.
Form rice mixture into 2-inch patties.
Heat a large sauté pan, and add high-heat oil. Roll patties in bread crumbs and pat gently to remove excess crumbs.
Cook patties over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, or until golden. Flip, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Serve warm, and garnish with remaining scallions.
Note: Panko are Japanese-style bread crumbs, and they are a bit more coarse than standard bread crumbs.
For your smarts
Thinking about soaking your own beans? If you’ve been intimidated, just stick with this plan: Cover them with about 3 inches of water in a bowl, soak them for 8-12 hours (or overnight), rinse them, and then cook in a fresh batch of water over low-medium heat for 1-2 hours. Cooking time varies from bean to bean!
For your parts
Brown rice fights colon cancer in more ways than one! It is a concentrated form of fiber AND has a trace mineral in it called selenium, which is known to substantially reduce the risk of colon cancer.
For more delish dishes, visit SporkFoods.com
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