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| A vegan diet is naturally simple. |
The way most people talk, you'd think
it was a super huge struggle to get everything you need, nutritionally and taste-wise, from a vegan
diet. It's not. The hard part of a vegan diet is getting used to a
whole new way of doing things. Still, even that isn't so hard once
you have a little input from someone who's been there. So, how can
you simplify your vegan diet?
1. Keep it raw or mostly raw.
A raw food diet is very simple to
follow. It keeps the house cool in summer. It makes recipes almost
entirely unnecessary. Just keep a wide variety of veggies, fruits,
nuts and legumes on hand. Mix and match them, balancing your
nutrients as you go. For instance, adding nuts or beans to a salad
gives you protein. Sprinkling nutritional yeast on top gives you
B-12. But what if you don't know your nutrients?
2. Do it by color.
You may have to study up a bit at
first. But honestly, you should do that with any diet plan, even a
conventional one. This trick makes it simpler. Each color of
vegetable represents a different nutritional value. There are
exceptions of course. Some things are higher in nutrition or contain
special nutrients. If you're new to going vegan, familiarize yourself
with these. For the most part, though, if your plate contains a wide
variety of colors, it contains a wide variety of nutrients. Easy
breezy!
3. Simmer some soup.
Beans or bean soup are served one or
two times a week in many vegan households. In the soup, use a bean
base for protein, then add assorted colorful veggies. Soup can be
started in the morning and simmered all day. Eat it that night and
refrigerate any leftovers. It's simple, nutritious and usually counts
for at least two meals to reduce time in the kitchen.
4. Freeze ahead.
Speaking of leftovers, why not make
them on purpose? Soup isn't the only cruelty free meal you can make
ahead. Try making vegan chili, spaghetti sauce and other similar
foods to freeze. That way, if you're sick or just plain don't feel
like cooking, you can check the freezer and heat up a meal. It's like
TV dinners, healthy vegan style.
5. Toss it in a blender/juicer.
Juicing and blending is the easiest
thing in the world. It's also one of the healthiest things you can do
for yourself. You don't need a recipe to juice or blend. Just choose
fruits and veggies you think would go well together and toss them in.
You may get a few weird results as far as taste goes. Still, those
are minimal. Let's face it, even if you mess up, it's still good for
you. Plus, you'll get better as time goes by.
