Monday, August 3, 2009

Dinner Tonight - 08.03.09



I am posting tonight’s dinner so that you can see the thickness of the salad dressing and to discuss a few items that I think are worth sharing.

For dinner this evening we had a mushroom and white bean burger, with turnips braised in sherry vinegar and a salad with red and green tomatoes, purple Italian bell pepper, broccoli sprouts, cashew and chia seed dressing and a few vegan bacon bits. The turnips and broccoli sprouts were included because they are part of the cruciferous vegetable family. On Sunday we found green tomatoes grown by one of the organic farmers. The variety was called Granny Smith, and the name does a good job describing both the color and crispness of the tomato. I purchased them because of the article that discussed the cancer fighting potential of green tomatoes. I added the purple Italian bell pepper because I like to have a vegetable from each color in our meals if possible. The burgers contained fiber, phytosterols, protein, and healthy fat. They also added cancer fighting mushrooms and wheat germ. In the end this meal was very filling (almost too filling) and packed with nutrition.

The entire meal came in (for my portion) at 528 calories, with 24 grams of fiber, 32 grams of protein and 18% calories from fat. Additionally, there was 2800 mg of potassium, 5400 IU of vitamin A, and 250 mcg of folate to identify a few items. I am pointing out the numbers because I have had so many people ask me how vegans get all the nutrition that they need. My husband and I don’t have any difficulty getting our nutrition. The most common question I get is about protein. Since this dinner contained 32 grams of protein, that is half of what I need for the day in one meal. When you look at the specifics it is clear that a vegan diet can be extremely healthy. It does take a little planning, and knowledge of nutrition, but very little of either is actually required.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts with Thumbnails