A whole food plant based diet has been growing in popularity these days. You may have heard about this diet on a morning TV show, on social media, or even on the radio. What is a plant based diet you ask? Is it just eating lettuce all day long? Well a plant based diet is centered on whole, unrefined plants – vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and fruits with no animal products. As to why you might want to change to a plant based diet, the medical evidence is very compelling, and can help in preventing and even reversing a variety of diseases.
Another reason to consider a plant based diet is the economic advantage. The cost of a plant based diet is less expensive and can even save you money by possibly staying out of the hospital. Finally you would also be contributing to favorable environmental outcomes such as lower greenhouse emissions and more favorable land, water, and energy use by quitting eating meat as well as diary. I always recommend people start to slowly incorporate more plant based meals into their diet.
I have the perfect easy vegetable soup recipe that has whole grains, legumes, and vegetables perfect for these winter months. By having a few easy delicious recipes that you enjoy will make the transition to being plant based easier and allow you to stick with it in the long run.
Ingredients:
10 cups vegetable broth
1 cup red lentils
1 cup green lentils
2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup Israeli couscous
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. poultry seasoning
1 cup kale (or 2 if you love kale like us!)
1 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
Direction:
- Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a big soup pot.
- Add in lentils (green and red) and carrots and cook for about 20 minutes on medium heat
- Stir in Israeli couscous and seasonings – cook for about 10 minutes
- Wilt in kale on low heat and add the nutritional yeast.
