At Home Chef: Bean and Sprouts Bowl

This is one of my staple meals that I find myself eating several times a week. I make a large pot of black beans and purchase all of my veggies on Sunday. Creating this meal takes very little time. I have included the ingredients below.

Ingredients:
1 bunch Kale
Red pepper
4 cups cooked Black beans (with onion, garlic, vegetable broth)
Broccoli sprouts 

First I soak the beans overnight to release the enzyme inhibitors. Next, in a big pot I combine the black beans, vegetable broth, onions, and garlic into a crock pot (slow cooker) to cook overnight. Once the beans are done I get a bowl fill it with shredded kale, chopped red peppers, cooked black beans, and finally I cover it with broccoli sprouts. I also like to add shredded carrots, radish, and spinach.

Sound Familiar?

My Vegan Meal Plan

Vegan Food Pyramid

I’d like to think I’m a fairly organized person- I organize my days, my to-do list, sometimes my house- but always my meals. Meal planning keeps my lifestyle stress free as I balance work, exercise, and a social life. When I plan my meals out I am rarely hungry, meals are simple and easier to prepare, and it leaves less room to eat foods I do not consider desirable. 

There are a few steps I follow to keep meal planning and preparing simple. First, I create a weekly meal plan every Sunday next, I create a grocery list, then I purchase my groceries, and finally I prepare and store my meals for the week.

I do not shop without my list and I try not to deviate from it. I do allow myself one extra thing not on the list for fun this structure supports my finances and my diet. I strive to purchase only whole foods, unproccessed, unpackaged, and  uncanned. Although, sometimes I do buy frozen berries for smoothies. When I create my meal plans I always  take into account my activity level. I run between 25-35 miles a week in addition to 3-4 weight training sessions a week. With that in mind I need enough oxygen giving foods from green leafy vegetables, protein from nuts, seeds, beans, and quinoa, healthy fats from avocado and coconut oil and lots of water from fruits, veggies, and by the glass of course.

In a nutshell:

1. Create a meal plan on Sunday
2. Make grocery list
3. Purchase groceries
4. Prepare meals for the week
5. Store them in glass containers or plastic bags in fridge

My Sweet tooth is slowly fading away!

A sample meal plan for me looks like this:
Days 1,3,5 (Very active days)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday total: 1,823 Calories

	Meal 1	Meal 2	Meal 3	Meal 4	Meal 5	Meal 6
Hot water w/ lemon + Glutamine, Probitotic	Green Smoothie: Spinach, strawberries, blueberries, banana, coconut water, aloe vera juice, maca powder, chia seeds + Multivitamin 300 calories	4 Collards Wraps w/ hummus, sprouts, celery, cucumber, tomato, red pepper + Digestive Enzyme 275 calories	Big Fat Salad: Kale, spinach, tomato, sprouts, cucumber, avocado, red pepper, seeds, tahini dressing 260 calories	Peanut Butter and Banana 305 calories	Kale, quinoa, black beans, sweet potato + all supplements 470 calories	Banana, almond milk Vega Protein powder smoothie 213 calories

You notice there aren’t any sweets on this meal plan aside from fruit. My sweet tooth is slowly fading away. I used to crave cookies, pies, and ice cream. Now, I reach for a banana, a handful of grapes, or a few dates. AND when these aren’t enough (which sometimes they’re not during certain times of the month) I reach for 80% dark chocolate or raw coconut ice cream.

Vegan Kitchen Staples

The Silent Intimacy of Farmers Markets

Fresh Basil and My Mom

Greens  Galore

So many Options

The big hole we left after our purchase 

Fresh Garlic Yumm!!!

At the Downtown Farmers Market with my mom. Oh! how I love greens...I was practicing how I'd walk down the aisle with them. Here comes the bride....; )

 There is a silent intimacy about farmers markets, for they allow us to connect with our food in a way that this modern 21st Century society is slowly taking away from us with the various options of convenience.

 Farmer markets as many know, is a great way to support local organic farmers and as consumners we are able to see where and from whom our food comes from. They aid in building community with both farmers and folks in our neighborhood. They also help unveil the true nature of food which is often lost in processing, packaging, canning, and freezing.

Visiting farmers markets is a very humanizing and personal experience for me. Here, I am able to meet the person handling my food, I know the farm it came from, I meet wonderful people there, and I go home with fresh organic produce that sustains me.

Farmers Markets = Great deals.Great people. Great food.