Chef Wendell: Plant-based vegetarian diet
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Many beautiful souls told me their New Year resolution was to begin eating a plant based diet: to eat closer to earth and create health by becoming a vegetarian or flexitarian. There are mountains of scientific research cautioning that a meat centric diet causes cancer and other diseases and that a plant based diet can lengthen your life.
1st segment: We are the architects of our health. The benefits of eating closer to earth and less meat. Vitamins from plant foods are so very crucial. What is a Flexitarian? Discuss nutrition in baked stuffed peppers ingredients.
2nd segment: Finishing off the entrée and how plant foods can lengthen your life and prevent disease.
Tips:
· Don’t jump in head first without knowledge and a plan.
· It’s a marathon, not a sprint: be patient with yourself.
· Your body and mind need to adjust
· You are re-programing lifelong behavior.
· Not easy to do. (Like changing your religion)
· Do it with a friend or family member for support.Why plant based:
· It can lengthen your life, according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine that tracked more than 70K people.
· A strong body of research reports: “a plant-based diet can boost your health, decreasing heart disease risk, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, and helping you stay at a healthy weight.”
Because:
· Plant-based foods are packed with the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats that most Americans don’t get nearly enough of.
· Plant-based diets are full of phytochemicals that help keep many of your body’s systems running smoothly. (Environmental Nutrition)
Flexitarians: a person who has a primarily vegetarian diet but occasionally eats meat or fish:
· Becoming a flexitarian means you can eat small quantities of clean and lean meat and still get the health rewards of a vegetarian lifestyle
· Make plant foods the star of your diet, with meat, fish, dairy, and eggs.
· Flexitarians are healthier than frequent meat eaters in categories such as colon cancer and heart-disease risk, and overall mortality.Suggestions:
· Pile veggies on homemade pizza. Line a pan with pizza dough or premade shell, and top with a roasted vegetable mixture of your liking. Top with marinara sauce and part-skim mozzarella cheese. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles.
· Try fake-meat crumbles or tempeh in place of meat with rice and veggies inside a stuffed roasted pepper.
· Sandwich: Grill your favorite veggies to add and top with cheese on a substantial bread that’s sure to fill you up. Ezekiel bread is excellent.What you’ll need for baked stuffed peppers:
- 2 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa
- 2 small tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 onion, chopped
- Chia or ground flax seed
- ¾ cups grated low fat mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup chopped green olives
- 1 cup of black beans drained
- 4 fresh basil leaves or 1 tbsp. dry
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. Himalayan salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 6 Large peppers (Red, green or yellow)
- 1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce
- ½ cup water
- 4 tbsp. grated Parmesan
Remember to:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place first 12 ingredients into a large mixing bowl and combine.
- Wash and then cut the tops of the peppers; remove seeds. (Chop up the tops and add to the filling.)
- If necessary, cut thin slice from bottom of each pepper so they stand up straight.
- Fill peppers with mixture.
- Mix water and spaghetti sauce together and pour half the mixture into a Dutch Oven or lidded casserole dish.
- Add the filled peppers, top with remain sauce and top with the Parmesan cheese.
- Cover and cook for about 1 hour or until interior is hot.
- Dust with more Parmesan and serve.