Independence Day: A Diet Diary

Yesterday, like many Americans, I celebrated the Fourth of July with my family by cooking and sitting down to a summer feast. I figured that with so much good food around, it was a perfect opportunity to post about what we were up to and how I build a healthy meal at a summer cookout. Telling you is helpful, but showing you is so much more fun!

The first thing I made was a cold grain and vegetable salad called tabouleh. I got this particular recipe from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. It consists of bulgur wheat, tomatoes, cucumber, mint, and red onion, with parsley in the starring role (the recipe calls for 2 cups). These are all mixed together and then dressed with a mixture of extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and pepper. This is a popular recipe at my house, especially with my 15-year-old brother. In fact, it's his favorite thing that I make! Sometimes, we add chicken to make it a little more filling as a main dish, but, this time, we kept it as a side. There was one minor "learning opportunity." I was a little naughty and didn't wash the parsley off before chopping it. Needless to say it was full of grit and we got a little bit every few bites. I like to think it added some more minerals. Lesson learned: always wash your produce!

I also made a salad from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors. This is a recent find that has been showing up often at the dinner table lately. Romaine is tossed with bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and avocado. Then, a dressing is added made with extra-virgin olive oil, lime juice, mint, cilantro, marjoram, jalapeno, and salt. It can then be topped with sliced olives and crumbled feta, if you so desire.

To round out the meal, I made a burger with grass-fed beef, Worcestershire, and soy sauce and enjoyed it on a Food For Life sprouted wheat bun. The result was delicious and definitely worthy of being one of the few burgers I eat each year.

Mom made a cheesecake for dessert and I enjoyed a small slice to finish the meal off. I was completely satisfied and didn't feel awful the next day. When eating at a cook out or celebration it's important to eat what you love, but also not totally blow your healthy lifestyle out of the water. By filling your plate your veggies and whole grains you can get full on healthy fare and still enjoy dessert.

What did you do to celebrate Independence Day? What is your favorite recipe to bring to a cookout? Answer in the comments below. : )

How To Build a Vegetarian Meal

While I myself am not vegetarian, I am picky about where my meat comes from and I eat vegetarian meals more often than not. With this said, as I see more people switch over to a meat-free lifestyle (whatever their reasons may be), many do not know how to build a meal on this new eating plan. Most often, I see people continue to plan meals that are centered around meat, even though that is exactly what they are giving up. For example, they may eat frozen "chicken" nuggets that are made from plant-based proteins or subsist solely on frozen veggie burgers. These foods are highly processed, often unappetizing, and expensive. I saw this very sort of thing promoted on a recent show on the Cooking Channel. The episode was all about cooking using the Morning Star veggie burgers and the hosts kept talking about getting healthy with a vegetarian diet. I think they were doing exactly the opposite. The key to being meat-free is to think of food in a new way, and get the focus off of meat. The first step is to think of all the foods you are eating, rather than the few that you aren't. Vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, dairy products, and eggs are all fair game for vegetarians and can be combined in many different ways to create a delicious meal. Make spiced black beans served over brown rice with grilled veggies and a fruit salsa on the side. Another option is to roast your favorite vegetables in the oven and make them the star. Then  serve with quinoa or over whole wheat pasta with a tomato sauce. Think outside of your normal confines and get a little creative. A good place to start is with a vegetarian cookbook. Make sure it's one based on whole real foods and not the franken-foods I mentioned above. Deborah Madison is a great cookbook author as well as Heidi Swanson. Start with their titles, and use them as a jumping off point for your own creativity.

Whether you are vegetarian or not, meatless meals can be a delicious and filling option. Learning to cook this way may take a little practice, but, once you drop the fake meat and embrace the yummy plant foods at your finger tips, you'll see that vegetarian does not have to mean cardboard.

How do you feel about vegetarian cuisine? Like it or hate it, I'm all ears!

Do you have a favorite vegetarian cookbook author?

Let me know in the comments below! : )