I would like to share a little about what is happening in our nutrition classes. This is the second week and we have three levels of classes currently in session. Today, in the Level 2 class we did some menu sharing as well as sharing positive and negatives that happened last week in our plant based journeys. As my Dad always said, “not every day is a good day”. Often we stumble when things are not perfect and give up our goals. Many members are at different stages of their transition to plant strong eating and I would like to celebrate the learning that comes from not only what goes right but also what is often perceived as a failure. In fact the best learning often comes when things don’t go just as planned.
Menus that student shared:
Potato soup
Pasta fagioli
Fifteen bean soup
Sweet potato with oatmeal, walnuts, maple syrup and ground flaxseed
Corn chowder
Homemade Pizza
Broccoli soup
Vegetable marinara sauce
Kale-Quinoa soup
Today we made a kale salad with yellow sweet potatoes, raisins, quinoa, avocado, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. The spices were ginger, cardamom , and cumin.
Some things that went great:
A whole week of whole food plant based eating: no oil
Three days in a row eating plant based
Increased vegetables on the plate and tried new ones
A new marinara sauce with vegetables that was enjoyed by everyone
Going out with family to an Amish restaurant and ordering salad bar even though there was a vegan menu.
Having a morning blood glucose reading of 98 for the first time in many years
Giving up eggs and being encouraged that their BP has dropped 30 points
Going to a birthday party and saying no to cake when sugary snacks used to be the basis of her diet
Eating more salads even though eating out
Having a friend visit and eating plant based all weekend and loosing weight when it used to be a weight gain weekend
Using a regular cart versus an electric cart while grocery shopping because arthritis so much better
Spouse being supportive because the food actually tastes good
Bringing fresh greens to class to share
Daughter worked hard to make favorite soup; corn chowder
Some things not so good:
Corn chowder didn’t taste like it used to but it got better on day 3
Still eating meat but less
Still craving sweets
Had trouble with the pizza stone: left plastic on and had to start again
We all learned and enjoyed each other’s comments and suggestions. Most importantly, we had fun becoming healthier together.
