Wellness Blog Kick off!

Maybe you've recently watched What the Health, or you just want to incorporate more plant based meals into your life. You've made an amazing life changing choice, but where to start? What to expect? How can you make it a lasting change?

I thought I would kick off my wellness blog with some of my top simple tips I like to give when someone tells me they want to go vegan or vegetarian. 

 Ten Tips 

for a successful and lasting transition to vegan and vegetarian diet.

1. Rage clean your fridge, freezer and pantry- really clean it to to bottom. Purge animal based products, the fresh space will feel and look so great you'll be inspired to eat clean and healthy.

2. Buy pre- chopped or frozen veggies or plan on more prep time - a food processor, quality knives and cutting boards a must!

3. Find recreations and plant based substitutes of what used to be your favorite meat centered dish- for example - sub tempeh for chicken,  use lentils in lieu of ground beef for tacos, and try tofu in a stir fry. A million recipes abound online, start as simple or go as gourmet as your cooking skills allow

4. Plan for a digestion adjustment period. Fiber is our friend but at first the extra fiber might make you a bit gassy and bloated. You might find relief with digestive enzymes and plenty of water.

5. Plan several meals out for the week, make double batches when time and storage space allows. You'll have ready to go lunches and easy leftover meals. Bean chilis, stews, & veggie burgers, are some of the easiest veggie meals to double.

6. When dining out, look at the side dish options. Many times we can make a meal out of sides when a dedicated vegan or vegetarian entree is not available. International fare is going to almost always offer many veg options- be adventurous.

7. Pack you own stash of energy food- mixed nuts and seeds, transportable fruit, energy bars- my favorite is a peanut butter chocolate chop Lara bar, my husband loves the almond & coconut kind bars.

8. Commit to trying a different bean, grains and greens combo each week. Some examples include; black bean rice and spinach, and chickpeas and cous cous  with massaged kale.
Experiment with sauces, dressings  and seasonings.

9.  Introduce power house nutrients like hemp seeds, broccoli sprouts to your meals which are easy to sprinkle on a salad or wrap.

10. Add avocados and nuts to as many dishes as you can think of, or just serve on the side with dinner,  you'll get a healthy, tasty & easy source of added fat to fill you up.


My goal is to expand on many of these tips and to add more info on vegan living. I am excited to share both my passion and experience that I have gained over the past 7 years.

So please follow me for more tips, recipes, product and cook book reviews and tales from the trenches of the family kitchen.