- IDEAS FOR MEALS
For breakfast try:
Smoothie/health shake (per person: blend ripe, non-tropical fruit and/or milk* and/or yogurt* and/or water to equal 2 cups, then add any or all of the following: a few kale leaves, 1000 mg. vitamin C, ½ or 1 serving protein powder, 1-3 tsp. chia or sesame seeds or ground flax or hempseeds, ½ -1 serving of a powdered “green drink”, maca, kelp, medicinal mushrooms such as chaga and/or nutritional yeast and stevia and/or coconut sugar to taste. Whir briefly.
Multigrain or gluten-free bread or bagel or rice cake with fried egg, egg-salad, nut butter and jam, cheese*, leftover meat or fish, vegetarian or no additive meat sausages or humus.
Pancakes or muffins made with any or all of the following added to the batter: garbanzo or amaranth flour, protein powder, ground flaxseeds or hempseeds, cooked leftover oatmeal or lentils, grated carrots, zucchini or apples and/or cooked squash. Try wrapping a pancake around a cooked turkey or veggie sausage for a meal on the run.
Yogurt* or cottage cheese with fresh, frozen or dried fruit and nuts, sunflower, pumpkin, chia, and/or hemp seeds.
Eggs and/or tofu scrambled with onions, peppers, fresh parsley and kale, chopped finely and cheese* or no-additive turkey or vegetarian sausages
Cooked cereal using oats, quinoa and amaranth with raisins or other dried fruit, seeds, nuts, milk* and honey.
Granola cold cereals made with lots of seeds and nuts and very little sweetener and using no hydrogenated fats, additives or colourings with milk* or yogurt*
For lunch try:
Sandwiches of tuna or egg salad, cheese*, leftover meat or fish, nut butters, or no additive or vegetarian burgers, luncheon meats or hot dogs on multigrain or gluten-free bread, bagels or rice cakes
Rice crackers or carrot, pepper and celery sticks with nut butters, sardines, cheese*, humus or other spread
Boxed, canned or leftover soups (such as minestrone, lentil, pea or bean) or chili
Frozen non-industrial meat or vegetarian pot pies, lasagnas, eggrolls etc.
Bean and/or chicken burritos with salad greens, shredded carrots, avocado and sprouts
Wraps using leftover or fresh meat or fish, falafel, cheese*, veggie burgers, tofu or tempeh in pita bread or tortillas with salad greens, sprouts, tomatoes, onions, sauerkraut and tzatziki, (mayonnaise or yogurt seasoned with dill seed)
Pasta (hot or cold, with or without sauce) with lots of steamed vegetables (try bean or garbanzo sprouts) and one or more of the following: left over or fresh meat, vegetarian burgers or sausage, fish (fresh or canned), cooked garbanzo or white beans, tofu or tempeh, grated parmesan or crumbled feta cheese*.
Pizza made with small amounts of cheese* and lots of added fresh vegetables such as peppers, chopped spinach and kale, grated carrots and zucchini (can be mixed with the grated cheese), mushrooms, onions, etc..
For supper try:
Any of the foods listed under “breakfast” or “lunch”
Curried or ginger stir-fried seasonal vegetables and meat, fish, nuts, cooked beans and/or tofu over brown rice.
Salad with any or all of the following added to a bed of red and dark green lettuce: large and small sprouts, sunflower and/ pumpkin seeds, parsley, grated carrots and beets, mushrooms, avocado, fresh peas, leftover or canned fish, leftover meat, grated cheese, sauerkraut, lightly steamed then cooled broccoli, green beans, cauliflower or flavoured tempeh and/or cooked garbanzo beans.
Slow-cooked stews, soups or beans with lots of veggies. Make extra for lunches or to freeze
Try substituting cooked beans or lentils and lots of fresh, local in-season vegetables for all or part of the meat in any conventional recipe such as chicken pot pie, chilies rellenos, enchiladas, lasagna, stuffed cannelloni, casseroles, shepherd’s pie, pasta sauces, etc.
For snacks try:
Any of the foods listed under “breakfast”, “lunch” or “supper”
Air-popped popcorn sprinkled with nutritional yeast (available in health food stores), a bit of olive oil and
seasoning of choice such as garlic, chili, parmesan cheese, or no-additive prepared popcorn seasoning
Raw (unroasted) nuts and seeds mixed with dried fruit and healthy pretzels
Fresh or frozen fruit or unsweetened fruit leather
Fresh vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, beans, zucchini, celery or mushrooms and a yogurt dip, or try steaming a small yam in the microwave or in a steamer for 10 minutes.
Bean chips (much more fibre and protein than corn chips) and guacamole or salsa.
Cookies or bars made with butter or coconut, avocado or grapseed oils, minimal amount of sweetener and lots of added nuts, seeds, coconut, dried or fresh fruit, bean or almond flours, blackstrap molasses, chia or hemp seeds.
Pies and crumbles made from fresh fruit, good fats (see “cookies”) and minimal unrefined sweetener.
A small serving of a “fruit only” sherbet or low fat and sugar (avoid artificial sweeteners, “modified milk ingredients” and long lists of additives) ice cream made from dairy or coconut milk.
* No reprinting without permission * Jo Phillips * Registered Nutritional Consultant * jo.p@shaw.ca * 2016 *
*the word “milk” means any type: cow, goat, seed, nut, coconut and “cheese” includes vegetarian, sheep, etc.