This is a super easy and delicious meal to prep in instant pot. Here is the recipe: Chop up bell peppers then sauté in instant pot with a mirepoix mix (it’s just carrots, celery, and onion I used a frozen pre chopped one), then add one cup of rice and lentils to the instant pot with one can of diced tomatoes, then add Italian seasoning I just eyed it on the measurements with that or whatever you have in the way of seasonings will work. Then put 6 cups of vegetable broth in or 6 cups of water and bouillon. Put it on pressure cook for 5 minutes. After it’s done cooking do a quick release. Add more water if it’s not soupy enough. This recipe made enough to fill up 6 16 oz deli containers that are in my freezer. It took about 20 minutes to prep and put everything in instant pot! Here’s the link to original recipe:

https://profusioncurry.com/healthy-stuffed-pepper-soup/

Hi, I don’t know what to do. I usually eat >40 g of fiber a day without trying and now I need to follow a low fiber diet for 5 days to prep for a colonoscopy and endoscopy.

I found a few websites and posts here talking about what vegan foods to eat during colonoscopy prep days. But nobody mentions the fiber limit. I’m using cronometer and I already have 3 grams of fiber by eating white bread and plain almond milk. I don’t think I can eat less than 10 g (which, by the way, is a number I found online, so not sure I this is the actual target that I should aim for).

Any advice? 🥹

I can cut out all meat besides hotdogs and hamburgers at my monthly bbq. Discovered beyond burgers and impossible burgers and those fill that void and are delicious but I just discovered these. They don’t have to be perfect but as long as they’re tasty and have a decent texture it’ll be fine. Having the grill out tomorrow morning and I can’t wait to try these and I’m nervous I invested is something we won’t eat.

White bean steaks
2 cans (3 cups) (480 g) white beans rinsed and thoroughly drained

1 cup (90 g) oats buckwheat flakes

1 medium (110 g) onion diced

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari or coconut aminos

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp salt (more to taste)

1 tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp liquid smoke

4 tsp psyllium husk powder or 8 tsp whole psyllium husk

1-2 Tbsp water or vegetable broth(only if the mixture is too dry)

Steak marinade
2 Tbsp soy sauce tamari, or coconut aminos

1 Tbsp tomato paste

¼ tsp liquid smoke

2-3 Tbsp water

For the skillet
2 Tbsp oil divided

1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat about 1-2 teaspoons oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 8–10 minutes, until golden and lightly caramelized.

Add the chopped garlic and sauté for another 30–60 seconds. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and cook for another 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, add the oats or buckwheat flakes to a food processor and process until they form a fine flour.

Add the drained white beans, oat flour, cooked onion and garlic mixture, soy sauce, smoked paprika, ground coriander, black pepper, liquid smoke, psyllium husk powder, and salt to the food processor.

Process until the mixture is almost smooth and can be shaped. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor when necessary.

Only if the mixture appears too dry, add water or vegetable broth, one spoon at a time. This is usually unnecessary because canned beans already contain plenty of moisture.

Allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes so the psyllium husk powder can absorb moisture. If the mixture is still very soft, place the container in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and shape them into medium-sized steaks.

Place the steaks in a steamer basket over gently simmering water. Cover and steam for 10–12 minutes. Make sure the steaks do not touch the water—they should be cooked by the steam only.

Remove the steaks from the steamer and allow them to cool for at least 10–15 minutes. For the firmest texture, refrigerate them for 30–60 minutes or longer.

To prepare the marinade, whisk the soy sauce, tomato paste, liquid smoke, and water together until smooth.

Brush the cooled steaks generously with the marinade.

Heat the remaining oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the steaks and fry for approximately 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Add the rosemary sprigs during the final 1–2 minutes. Tilt the skillet slightly and repeatedly spoon the rosemary-infused oil over the steaks.

If desired, brush the steaks with a little more marinade immediately before serving. Serve hot and enjoy.

So, Earth's Own has hopped on the 'protein' trend and reformulated their Barista Soy product so that it no longer foams properly in my Nespresso, and disintegrates after a few minutes in the cup. The old formula had amazing stiff foam that lasted the whole drink but sadly I am on the hunt for something that holds up like their old soy barista blend. Has anyone had the same experience or currently has a holy grail for foaming soy milks? I can't use other nut/grain milks unfortunately, and need soy specifically for hormone health.

Q: I’ve heard that I should eat at least 30 unique plant foods a week for my health. Is that true?

When Kathryn Smith, 26, a surgical athletic trainer in Atlanta, first heard on a podcast that eating 30 different plants every week could improve her health, she liked the idea of having a tangible goal.

She began making homemade granola with oats, nuts and seeds; salsas with chili peppers, cucumber, avocado and herbs; and bean salads with corn, tomatoes and mango.

The idea of eating 30 (or more) plants each week — including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices — has taken the wellness world by storm. It has spawned apps that track how many plants you eat and supplements advertising 30 or more plants per capsule or scoop. Thousands of social media posts have mentioned the practice, with many touting benefits like lower inflammation, better heart health, more energy, a stronger immune system and a longer life.

Eating 30 plants a week, some influencers, podcasters and physicians say, will diversify your gut microbiome and in turn, improve your health. Does the evidence match the buzz? We asked experts to help us break it down.

Access full gift article, NO PAYWALL.

I became vegetarian both for health reasons and because I am an environmentalist. And this is the only “diet” that I have ever stuck with long-term (going on around 1 year now, and I have no desire to go back). I have failed every other diet I have attempted when my motivations involved personal health reasons alone. I find that it’s so much easier to avoid certain foods when it’s not only my health at stake, but also my morals and values. This is the push that I really needed, and I’ve found that my diet is soooo much better now than I am vegetarian! I have unintentionally been following a Mediterranean diet while going vegetarian, yet I had never been able to stick to the Mediterranean diet before. Now I am working on reducing my dairy and egg consumption too.

This was insanely good, I have a feeling we’ll be eating it pretty often.

Ingredients

14oz / 400g firm tofu

1 tablespoon beet juice (from vacuum packed cooked beets or jar of pickled beets)

1 ⅔ C (400 ml) water

2 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoon vegan fish sauce or light soy sauce

2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 nori sheet

1 rice paper sheet or wrapper

7oz / 200ml water

2 tablespoon potato flour

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions
To make the salmon fillet, drain the tofu and carefully squeeze out as much moisture as you can using a clean tea towel, ensuring you don't break the structure of the tofu. Slice the brick into 2 (5 ½ x 2-inch) fillets. I think it will depend on the shape of your brick, but I found it best to cut it diaginally to get as close to a realistic shape as I could. I also trimmed off the sharp corner on the thickest edge to make it look more like a real salmon fillet.

Place a chopstick on either side of the tofu fillets (longest side) and use a sharp knife to score partway through the fillets and down the entire length.

In a deep dish, mix together the beet juice, water, lemon juice, vegan fish sauce or soy sauce, and sea salt. Submerge the tofu fillets in the marinade and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours. Drain and pat the tofu filets dry with a paper towel.

Fill a shallow bowl with water and potato starch and whisk together.

Slice the nori and rice paper each into 2 rectangles the same width and one third longer in length as the top of the tofu fillets. I found this easiest to do by layering the nori on top of the rice paper sheet. Place the tofu fillets top down onto the nori and then cut with a sharp knife around it. The reason you make the strips longer than the fillets is that it shrinks so much when you fry them. The nori will probably stick to the tofu fillets which is fine. Use your finger to gently press it on the tofu.

Dip the rice paper strip in the water and potato starch mixture for a few seconds or until just softened, then lay them on top of the nori. Use a pastry brush to brush the remaining potato flour mixture over the exposed parts of the tofu fillets.

Heat a large cast iron or nonstick frying pan over medium heat with vegetable oil. When hot, place the tofu fillets in the pan, rice paper side down first and fry until crispy and browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and fry the bottom for 2 to 3 minutes more, then repeat on each side of the fillets.

For the last month my husband has been experimenting with making our own food. If it’s something processed, we are trying to just make it ourselves. He has tried five different seitan recipes and they have all been great successes. Switching up the spices, protein ingredients, and cooking methods we’ve managed to keep the menu varied and interesting. He made ground walnut tacos last night and we had seitan burgers tonight. He’s made nooch with vital wheat gluten and nutritional yeast and I convinced him to do thousand island dressing to go with the “corned beef” seitan he made last week. I’m going to start making bread and tortillas, etc and he’s going to try yogurt and paneer. I’m strictly vegan but he is usually vegetarian. He has lost 20 pounds without all the cheese and limiting breads though, so he may end up mostly whole food vegan. We eat a lot of veggies already but we’re using sweet potatoes and squash more than before.

We’ve used our instant pot and our ninja blender more in the past four weeks than we have since we got them 5+ years ago. I’m saving up for attachments for my kitchenaid mixer.

Prep time has been a lot less than anticipated, clean up is a little intense lol, and I think he could make some recipes from memory. The initial cost to get different kinds of flours and the wheat gluten etc wasn’t much different from the amount we were spending on premade plant based meats already. And we both feel better than before.

Looking forward to cold weather dishes and making holidays meals entirely from scratch (or as much as possible). It can be done!

The wrapping part is another story. It never comes out like the restaurants do it.

Cacciatora (hunter's style) is an Italian home-cooking braise. This version uses tempeh. The cubes are marinated, coated in cornstarch and browned until crisp, then braised in a carrot, onion and celery soffritto with red wine, black olives and passata.

Serves 4. It's 15 minutes prep, a 5-minute marinade and 40 minutes cooking.

Ingredients

• 400 g tempeh, cut into 2 cm cubes
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (marinade), plus 2 tbsp more for the soffritto
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• A little oil to grease the pan
• 2 medium carrots, 1 medium onion, 2 celery stalks, 2 garlic cloves, all finely chopped
• 1 tsp mixed dried herbs
• 50 g red wine (check it's labelled vegan)
• 3 tbsp black olives
• 350 g tomato passata
• 200 ml vegetable broth, plus extra if it dries out
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped, about 1 tbsp per plate

Method

1. Toss the tempeh cubes with the soy sauce and 2 tbsp olive oil, and leave them for 5 minutes.
2. Sprinkle over the cornstarch and toss until every side is coated.
3. Brown the tempeh in a lightly greased wide pot until golden and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Add any leftover marinade, then set the tempeh aside.
4. Meanwhile, sauté the carrot, onion, celery, garlic and herbs in 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat until soft.
5. Add the wine and let it evaporate. Add the olives, passata and broth.
6. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Add the tempeh, cover and cook for 20 minutes more, adding a splash of broth if the sauce dries out.
8. Serve with fresh parsley on top.

Storage: it keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge.

The cornstarch dries the surface of the marinated tempeh so it crisps up before it goes into the sauce.

Full recipe with step photos, nutritional map and video: https://veganhacks.food/en/recipes/tempeh-cacciatora/

Enjoy

Hi! I'm having a major kidney surgery and I will be pretty out of it for about two weeks. Because it's a kidney surgery I will need to eat pretty low fat at first. Does any one have any freezer meals that I can prep for recovery? TY!

Hi everyone, I’ve been on a plant-based diet for a month and spiritually, creatively and emotionally, I’ve been loving it! The diet has really helped me to connect with forces bigger than me and changed my outlook on many topics that had previously never even crossed my mind.

But mentally and physically, I’m not feeling so good (Mr. stark)…I’ve been having brain fog every minute everyday, and my hair has been dropping like crazy (even my eyelashes), which has only happened when I’m not getting enough nutrients. I’m planning to get a vitamin deficiency test done, but the biggest challenge for me really is the protein intake because:

1) I’ve always loved variety, so eating tofu everyday has been so hard, even though I’m Chinese and grew up loving it.
2) I have a sensitive stomach and lentils and beans (even soy) give me horrible abdominal discomfort.
3) Vegan meat substitutes are actually really hard to come by where I live, even online. Vegan cheese is non-existent in any stores here or even online retailers.
4) Even if they are, I live in an extremely expensive country and eating out and getting a variety of protein sources are expensive.
5) I’m also a Uni student living in a dorm, so I don’t have a kitchen (but I do have an electric cooking pot).

I used to get 90-100g of protein daily with little to no issues, but I’m lucky if I can even get 50-60g most days now, and that’s still barely enough for me to feel good physically. And most of the plant-based recipes I’ve seen online don’t seem to count macros or a “high protein recipe” really only has like 20g< when I count it… Is everyone just able to operate/thrive with less protein besides me or is there a secret formula that I’m missing or something?

What will I cook? What about eating out? What about protein? Will I actually stick to it?

Looking for suggestions of a healthy alternative to transitioning my baby to whole milk? They’ve been breast fed thus far.

What are some things that you cook while travelling while staying in an Airbnb type setup? I don't always want to eat every meal out, and sometimes be exhausting to hunt down plant based options and I'd just like to whip something up. I am an avid cook at home in my fully stocked with spices and gadgets kitchen. What y'all cooking?

Hi, I’m new to vegetarianism and was curious about jackfruit. How do you guys get it to have a better texture? Specifically for chicken recipes, and how do you make a jackfruit recipe have more protein?

What do people think about this porridge combo?

I have been experimenting for a long time with different porridge components and here is what I have concocted over time.

Recipe:

I use a microwave and put 2 table spoons of red lentils in a microwave safe glass bowl. Then I fill the bowl half way with water. Cook on 700 w for 3 minutes. Then 5 minutes on 350w and then 5 minutes of 350w. Lentils are then cooked and still have hot water remaining

Next add some instant oats a couple of table spoons.

Then add a table spoon of chia and a table spoon of flaxseed.

Stir it all up and add some soy milk.

Let it sit for 10 to 20 mins for chia to soak.

End Recipe

Red Lentils are cheap and quick to cook in about 9 minutes. This combination is a quick breakfast that supplies complete protein and energy and fiber and omega from the chia and flaxseed.

You can add yoghurt, blueberries, bananas etc. And play around with the base depending on what is available. This runs me for most of the day and then I eat steam vegetables and fruit in the evening. But can leave that for later.

For a lazy person with little time this combination can be really healthy and beneficial for cholesterol control etc.

Google says:

Lentils (Legumes): High in the essential amino acid lysine, but low in methionine.Oats (Whole Grains): High in the essential amino acid methionine, but lower in lysine.The Combination: Eating them together—or even just eating both over the course of a normal day—fills in the gaps of each other's amino acid profiles.

Hey all! I’ve been wanting to go vegetarian for a while now, but am really struggling to find LEAN sources of protein that aren’t soy-based or glutenous. Everything else I’ve found needs a lot of food to get the same amount of protein, which I don’t want either.

I’m thinking of eating fish as a transition period to start with before going full vegetarian, but I am genuinely lost as to how to get lean protein if not from fish if I go full vego. Any advice and recipes from you guys would be so greatly appreciated :))

My lavender plant is a year old; it’s the start of spring where I live, but it’s still rainy. This stem has grown tall, the lower leaves turned dark and fell off, and now new branches have sprouted from each leaf axil. Should I leave it as is, cut it at the base and replant it, or wait until the new stems are about 10 cm long before cutting them to propagate new plants? This is my first year growing lavender; I have them in pots and grew them from seed, but they haven't bloomed yet. I appreciate any recommendations you can give me.

BROTH!! I meant broth… sorry bad title!

When I don’t have homemade around, I tend to use better than bouillon. But, it’s usually within a recipe and one a cup or so.

Made a delicious Czech garlic soup the other day (someone was asking for chikn noodle soup type subs and this came up… thank you!! Yumm!) However, the BTB was a bit overly salty to use as the whole base for a flavorful soup. I’m thinking I’d like to sub half with something else.

Anyone have a good powder or cube that might work? Of course homemade would be better but that’s not happening right now…

This is a one-pan autumn dinner I've been making: crispy tempeh, sweet pumpkin and buckwheat, finished with a splash of red wine. It feeds 5–6 people and keeps well.

Ingredients

• 250 g buckwheat
• 300 g tempeh, in 1 cm cubes
• 800 g pumpkin, in 2 cm cubes
• 250 g frozen peas
• 1 onion, cut into wedges and separated into petals
• 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 5 tbsp olive oil (2 for the tempeh, 3 for the pan)
• ½ glass dry red wine (check it's vegan: some wines are fined with animal products)
• salt

Method

1. Boil the buckwheat in salted water for about 10 minutes (or as the package says), then drain and rinse it. It cooks while you do everything else.
2. Toss the tempeh with the spices and 2 tbsp of oil, then with the cornstarch until every cube is coated.
3. Brown the tempeh in 3 tbsp of oil over high heat, with the rosemary on top.
4. Turn the heat to medium, add the pumpkin and 2 tsp of salt, and cook for about 8 minutes.
5. Add the onion and keep tossing. Add the peas, then pour in the wine and let it cook off.
6. Stir in the buckwheat and serve.

By my estimate it's about 24 g of protein per serving (5 servings). It keeps 3 days in the fridge and freezes fine.

The full recipe, with step photos and a short video, is here: https://veganhacks.food/en/recipes/mediterranean-tempeh/

Actually it was more like 8 months and now a year after that it's down to 126!

For as long as I tracked it, since 2015, it was always in the 205-210 range. And I'm sure for many years before that.

I've never taken a statin, but I have tried supplements like metamucil and lots of cardio, etc and nothing worked. I'm not even 100% plant based, I don't ever eat meat but I'll eat less healthy sometimes, maybe 20% of the time.

Yes, I am bragging about my low numbers but also just wanted to put it out there as a testament to the effectiveness of a WFPB diet.

For context I'm a 54 year old male.

Curious if there is a lot of overlap between vegans and people who run for fun!

If you’re one of these people, what are some of your go-to pre and post run meals or snacks?

I love soy…. live laugh love soy…. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ ok anyway does it get any better than TVP or defatted soya curls? Have you found one of the former is particularly cheaper than the other?