As part of our commitment to sustainability here at SLO Veg, we’re always encouraging a primarily plant-based lifestyle! Not only is a diet full of fruit and veg healthy for our bodies, it’s also healthy for the Earth. With Earth Day right around the corner (April 14th, mark your calendars) we’re trying to up our game, as always, to go green in our sustainability efforts and our plates.
The meat and dairy industry alone are huge contributors to land degradation, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions which are all contributing to the warming trends of our planet, and acidification of our oceans. To offer a visual comparison, it takes 39 gallons of water to make 1 pound of vegetables, whereas beef requires 1,847 gallons. Other animal products such as cheese and additional meats are big water guzzlers as well. Just as a disclaimer, we’re not trying to push a diet that you don’t want to subscribe to; plenty of us here at SLO Veg are meat eaters, avid barbeque-ers, and cheese fanatics, we just want to discuss all the benefits of eating the produce that we offer, and highlight ways to amplify deliciousness in our meals while being environmentally conscious.
Meredith from our team shares some of her favorite ways to sneak veggies into our favorite recipes. These ideas are also super helpful if any of you have some picky eaters at home!
‘Bean Up’ Your Brownies
I know, bold move for me to start us off with such a bizarre recipe. And believe me, I did my time turning up my nose to the thought of mixing beans with chocolate and calling it dessert. It wasn’t until a friend of mine had me try the smallest crumb of one of these bad boys when I understood the hype. I went home and made them myself and my older brother mockingly called me “bean girl” for months before he tried them and proceeded to eat the whole pan.
These are seriously so delicious and easy to make, all you do is throw the ingredients into a blender (make sure to blend thoroughly though), transfer to a pan and then bake! The last batch I made, I threw in some overripe bananas and cut way back on the sugar and they came out fantastic. I’ve also had a lot of fun adding in different nuts and toppings to this recipe. Walnuts are super good as well as any of the Mama Ganache chocolate barks that we offer. These brownies are low in refined sugar, full of fiber, protein, and healthy fats!
Recipe: New & Improved Healthy Avocado Black Bean Brownies
Stretch Your Burgers with Legumes
One easy way to cut back on meat is to “stretch” it by adding additional legumes, veggies, or grains to your recipes. For instance, the next time you make burgers, try supplementing a quarter of the meat required with cooked lentils. All other components of the recipe such as seasonings and what not stay the same, you’re just slightly changing the composition of your patty. For extra flavor and nutrients, try adding different herbs, peppers, or even some caramelized onions as well!
Bulk Up Your Morning Smoothie
Our English peas are full of protein and high in Vitamins A and C. The best part, they blend beautifully into smoothies! You hardly taste them and you don’t get a weird texture post blend. I’ve also added veggies like plain cooked cauliflower and frozen edamame into my smoothies, as well as avocado which helps me to feel nourished and fuller longer while not breaking the bank on various protein and health promoting powders.
The Beautiful Neutrality of Spinach
Spinach is a total rockstar of a green in its nutrient composition. It’s packed full of iron and B vitamins which are important for the health of our blood and our brains. One thing that I love about spinach is that it’s so tame in terms of its flavor profiles which means that you can blend it into pretty much anything and it will take on the flavor of whatever it’s cooked in. I’ve added spinach to pesto along with other sauces, pancakes, and smoothies before and have gotten rave reviews. There’s a ton of fun sauces that you can make with veggies and greens such as spinach that can be swapped for sauces high in meat, creams, or cheeses. Check these one’s out!
Take Your Breakfast Routine to the Next Level
When I make breakfast before heading to work, my main agenda is to make something delicious, as well as something that will keep me full until my lunch break. So far the leading winner for keeping me full has been a big bowl of oatmeal…the problem?? Boring! Yawn! Snooze! Oats beg to be dressed up with fruits and other toppings such as granola, nut butters, and sometimes…chocolate. I’ve been on the hunt for the best toppings and mix-ins to make my oats as exciting as possible.
The other day, I was reminiscing on my Aunt’s Zucchini bread that she often makes over the Holidays which led me to question “would zucchini make oatmeal fun??” The answer is yes, grated zucchini cooked into my oats has been a total game changer, this extra bit of fiber helps me feel full and fueled while warding off the midday stomach grumbles. I’ve since added zucchini into my pancake and waffle mixes, I love doing this because I can go either a sweet or savory route with toppings, I’m a girl that loves options and this breakfast is a total win.
Recipe: Zucchini Bread Oatmeal
When in Doubt, Make A Fritter
The other day I came home from a workout and was experiencing a level of hunger that erred on the side of dangerous. I needed food immediately but when I opened the fridge, I was presented with devastating little morsels of leftover veggies, a carton with maybe two tablespoons of oat milk in it, and a single egg. I then checked my pantry and found a lone can of chickpeas. Making do with what I had, I chopped all my veggies, used up my egg and milk, smashed my chickpeas into a “rustic” paste, and mixed everything into a bowl with some eyeballed seasonings. I then transferred this mixture to a pan with some heated oil in it and fried it on both sides. I piled this veggie concoction with some arugula, microgreens, and capers and called it lunch. To my surprise, this meal was amazing, and I’ve made similar variations since, it’s a super easy way to use up leftovers, cheap to make, and will satisfy even the most ravenous appetites.
Plant-Based ‘Charcuterie’ Boards
I’m sure we’ve all seen pictures circulating the internet of beautifully crafted platters equipped with fig jams, creamy cheeses, fruits, olives, and thinly sliced meats. Charcuterie boards could be one of my favorite things to prepare, and eat. That said, the contents of these appetizers are decadent, and once sodium is in the mix, all bets of intuitive eating are off for me. Last summer, I started to make platters using fresh fruits and veggies that were just as fun to prepare, and super delicious. My favorite “unexpected” things to add to these boards are raw cabbage leaves, these are so crunchy and are strong enough to pile high with fun dips. Strawberries with a balsamic reduction drizzle are always a crowd pleaser, and edible flowers are a surprising way to add some extra color and va-va-voom to the platter.
Cauliflower: The Everything Veg
Similar to spinach, cauliflower is so neutral in taste that it is a great additive to stretch decadent sauces. I’ve made vegan Mac and Cheese sauces by blending roasted cauliflower with oil, nutritional yeast, and other seasonings. Sometimes I’ll even add white beans to a sauce to thicken it up and add some density to the meal. For those with kids at home that claim their respective allergy to vegetables/anything green, these may be some good recipes to try!
Cauliflower-Based Sauce Recipes
Dairy-Free Roasted Cauliflower ‘Cheese’ Sauce
Leave A Comment