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Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

Dinner

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

Butternut Squash Shells and Cheese

Dinner

Butternut Squash Shells and Cheese

Chickpea and Chard Shakshuka

Dinner

Chickpea and Chard Shakshuka

Campanelle with Spinach Macadamia Pesto

Dinner

Campanelle with Spinach Macadamia Pesto

If you’ve wondered if you can still (easily) mee

If you’ve wondered if you can still (easily) meet your nutritional needs without meat and dairy, the answer is a resounding “YES”!

Human beings don’t need meat from a nutritional or biological perspective. Everything we need to thrive can be found in abundance in the plant kingdom, with the exception of vitamin B12. B12 is an essential nutrient (for maintenance of our nervous system and formation of red blood cells), and is most often found in meat, dairy and eggs. So, wait, is this evidence that maybe we SHOULD be consuming animal products after all?

Definitely not. B12 isn’t produced by the animal itself. It originates in bacteria. So, the B12 found in animal products is there because the animal is living in and around manure (where plenty of bacteria exists), and in some cases, is being fed manure (the FDA has reported that most meat is contaminated with fecal bacteria - bon appetit!). They’re also frequently supplemented with B12.

Plant foods used to be rich in B12, but our current modern hygienic practices sanitize and clean produce effectively enough to wipe out most bacteria. Our soil has also been exposed to increasingly high levels of antibiotics and pesticides, eradicating lots of the healthy bacteria that used to exist in the dirt itself. Some B12 does exist in mushrooms and seaweed, and lots of cereals, plant milks and nutritional yeast are fortified with B12, as well.

Everyone - not just vegans! - should supplement with B12. Optimal daily dosage is 50 mcg daily or 2000 mcg weekly for adults under 65 and breastfeeding women, 25 mcg daily for children ages 4-10, and 5 mcg daily for weaned infants. #b12 #nutrition #healthyvegandiet #behealthy #plantbasedhealth #nutritionfacts #forksoverknives #essentialnutrition

If you want your family to eat more vegetables, se

If you want your family to eat more vegetables, serve more vegetables! Exposure is key when it comes to getting kids (and some adults!) to stop turning their nose up at veggies. Some studies have shown that it might take 20-30 tries before a child willingly eats a certain food. Parents typically offer foods only 3-5 times before giving up.
I am intimately familiar with the frustrations and power struggles that occur when a child won’t eat what you’ve prepared for dinner, especially when you’re concerned about them meeting their nutritional needs. In my experience, the more I’ve loosened my grip on trying to control what they eat, the more peaceful mealtimes have become - and they’re trying more new foods, too!
Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility in Feeding has been an absolute game changer for me. She says that the primary caregiver is responsible for choosing what and when we eat, and the child (or picky adult 😏) decides how much he/she will consume. It was a scary prospect at first, but it’s been so freeing! Dinner has gone from something I dreaded every day (preparing multiple meals to suit everyone’s individual palates, only to have a lot of the food rejected/go uneaten) to an enjoyable, mostly calm experience. Keep trying. Serve vegetables every day. Even if they go untouched, it doesn’t mean it will stay that way forever!
I also find that putting a colorful, fresh dish of cut up raw veggies with a yummy dip (hummus, baba ghanouj, tahini dressing, etc) is appealing to just about everyone as I’m preparing dinner. I find my kids - who normally don’t touch most raw veggies with a ten foot pole - reaching to grab a snap pea or cherry tomato when I set the dish out on the table. If no one eats it, then atleast you’ve done some meal prep and have veggies ready to go for lunch salads 😂😋🥗
#divisionofresponsibilityinfeeding #ellynsatter #feedinglittles #plantpoweredkids #pickyeaters #plantbasedkids #veggietray #eattherainbow

One of my very favorite things to cook and eat are

Do you really need a Dutch oven? Whether you’re $Do you really need a Dutch oven? Whether you’re stocking a kitchen or just looking to up your cooking game, it can be tough to figure out what’s essential vs. just nice to have. Especially when it comes to pricier items, like enameled cast iron Dutch ovens (made by popular brands like @lecreuset and @staub_usa). Are they worth the money? For day to day cooking, Dutch ovens aren’t essential. You can totally and happily get by with standard pots and pans. There’s nothing about a Le Creuset that magically makes your cooking taste better. However, people love them and swear by them, so what’s all the fuss? Well, a few reasons. The first being that, if cared for properly, these are heritage pieces that will last forever. Some people prefer to invest in more expensive equipment that never has to be replaced – when it comes to cookware, you typically get what you pay for. They’re also nonstick, super easy to clean, can safely withstand very high heat (so easily go from stovetop to oven), and hold heat evenly and well. They typically come in a wide range of colors, so they’re customizable to your specific kitchen aesthetic. I have several enameled cast iron pieces and find them to be dependable and durable, and I use my trusty 3.5 qt. Le Creuset multiple times a day, every day. It’s also my preferred vessel for baking sourdough bread (pictured above!). If you have sticker shock any time you enter a Williams Sonoma, I’ve seen discounted name brand Dutch ovens at stores like TJ Maxx and Home Goods, as well as Factory Outlet shopping centers. I’ve also seen some amazing deals on the best brands on Black Friday – I’m talking discounts of several hundred dollars! Of course, thrift stores and garage sales are fantastic places to look for gently used Dutch ovens at a fraction of the retail price. #dutchoven #dutchovencooking #lecreuset #staub #enameledcastiron #stockingakitchen #weddingregistry #potsandpans #myopenkitchen #homecooking #feedfeedvegan #feedfeed$

“Is store bought vegan cheese OK to eat?” 🧀

Happy Earth Day 🌎 You might know that taking me

Happy Easter Weekend! This is a holiday that typic

“Vegan food is boring.” “Vegan food isn’t

“Vegan food is boring.” “Vegan food isn’t satisfying.”
Vegan food is bursting with flavor. Vegan food doesn’t rely on tons of saturated fat, salt, sugar and/or oil to taste good. Fresh equals flavor! It’s complex, it’s satisfying, it’s good to our bodies and the planet. And no one has to die in the process 👏🏻 🎉
#wfpbfood #ramenbowl #furikake #japanesefood #tofu #flavor #veggies #notsaddesklunch #eattolive

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