Over the past few days I have been experimenting with cooking without substitutions. I made a Spanish rice that I would make when preparing Mexican food for myself or family. The main difference is the rice (well, and lack of fat) - I used a brown basmati rice for this recipe but it overwhelms the dish. The taste is there so I need to find a less nutty rice - perhaps a regular long grain brown rice. I don't mind researching these topics but I'm finding that there isn't too much information about specifics such as this. I know that my palate will continue to change over to non-fat/whole grain/plant-based tastes more over time so I'm not going to sweat it.
I also made a tomato/garlic/cilantro/onion hummus the other day. I couldn't get my new food processor to work so I had to use my blender - it worked somewhat but it didn't get fine enough. I used the oven roasted tomatoes I cooked with raw onion, garlic and cilantro - the flavor is great. I think I will add a little bit of cumin, sea salt, cracked pepper and tomato paste to the next batch to make a little more concentrated flavor.
Today I went to Sprouts in San Marcos - I've been there before but didn't actually buy. This time I went through all of their aisles to see what fat free items they sold. I was happy to find that they sold other Ezekiel products including tortillas - I actually teared up (not kidding) because I really want to make burritos. They also make a raisin cinnamon cereal that can be eaten as a snack.
The produce at Sprouts looked really good though most of it isn't organic. The prices are more reasonable than Jimbo's but Jimbo's has all organic produce so it's not a fair comparison. I've been wanting to go to People's market down in Ocean Beach but it's a long drive and I'll wait until my brother is going back there so I can go with him the first time.
I've been looking for locally grown microgreens but haven't had any luck. There is a nice sized microgreens farm in Bonsall but they only sell to distributors. I was told that People's may sell some so I'll look for them when I go there. Sprouts sells 4-5 different types of sprouts other than the traditional bean or radish sprouts we've seen for years now. I bought spicy blend and onion to try in my salad tonight - I'm looking forward to that!
Shopping has been very educational for me this past week. I'm reading every label to make sure there's no fat. I've found that some healthier brands state 'no fat added' rather than 'fat free' especially when sesame seeds are included. I probably need to learn more about why they do that rather than take it at face value.
Two days ago I came across a website, veganwolf.com, that lists all of the ingredients vegan's don't eat and the list is LONG! I also read a lot of information on another website that talks about avoiding non-vegan foods and beverages because animal products and by-products are used in the most basic areas of manufacturing such as processed blood lining wine and beer bottles - yuck! I do need to learn a lot more about this as I evolve toward veganism not just for health but as a way of living. I already love animals but this goes well beyond my knowledge up to now. I'll be talking more about this process as time goes on.
On Saturday I realized I had lost some weight/inches when I tried on a top that I didn't wear before because it was a little too form fitting. It fit perfectly and I was able to wear it. Since I usually lose weight a little all over it's hard to tell if I've lost weight. I could just weigh myself but after my bulimic episode in college where I nearly died of dehydration, I learned to avoid obsession by not weighing myself. It's just nice to know and feel that the new nutrition benefits me in more than one way.
I'm finding that my routine is falling into place with this new way of eating. I eat when I'm hungry and in the back of my mind is the basic nutritional goals so I meet them every day. For example, I know I need to have at least 64 ounces of water every day in order for digestion and elimination processes to run smoothly. I also need to be sure I'm eating a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables including spinach or other very dark green vegetables. Another thing I try to do is balance out the grains/oats with vegies and fruit. If I eat a small meal of fruit, the next small meal will be a mix of oat/grain munchies.
So, today was a good day. I like how my life is changing for the positive - I enjoy the new focus of health. It's been a long time since I've cared enough about myself to make effort to save my life by eating fat free vegan.
What I ate today:
- Grapefruit
- Banana
- Ezekiel raisin bread w/tart cherry jam
- Rice crackers
- Steamed spinach w/garlic & balsamic vinegar
- Mixed oat/grain snack mix
- Hummus (oven roasted tomatoes)
- Pickle/Sauerkraut/Radish/Jalapeno Mustard plate
- Refried bean/Spanish rice/lettuce/tomato/onion burrito
- Nectarine
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