My "Plant-Based Diet" Experiment

Last week on Friday, I started a no-animal products diet. (For those who know me, I know what you're thinking. I'm sure my family and friends are raising their eyebrows at the suggestion of a Filipino vegan. I guess this is the type of influence San Francisco has on its residents.)

Rather than an all-out change in nutrition, I'm viewing this as a healthy challenge that could distract me from the craziness of calorie counting that I've been putting myself through. As I mentioned in a previous post, I don't want to get stuck in the short-term perspective of weight loss  - I'd really like to aim for long term health. So, I  decided yesterday that it could be fun to document this mini journey for myself.

There are a couple of specific reasons I wanted to take on this challenge:

1. I have always been intrigued if not ambivalent about a plant-based diet and after years of taking incremental steps I wanted to take the plunge and finally educate / experience it first-hand. When Fast Food Nation was first published, I read the book for a class and became aware of the ugly big-business aspects of our food system. The abuse endured by individuals in the meat packing industry as well as the animals themselves was eye-opening. The less than sanitary and unregulated aspect of that industry was equally eye-opening if not appalling - I can't trust organic or 'grass-fed' only labels?! Still, the main action I had taken at that time was to avoid fast food altogether (we never do McDonald's, Burger King and the like). Back then, organic, local foods I would have to cook myself(!) was truly out of my price range and thought process. 

Years later working in the cleantech industry gave me first-hand insight into the environmental impact of our increased global demand for meat. Specifically, its strain on water resources and negative environmental impact (think animal waste and germs that contaminate other aspects of our food and water supply - yuck). At this time I became more conscious about purchasing organic, local, and avoiding the big-business overly processed products. Still, there was a part of me that rebelled against the stereotypical rich, liberal and righteous San Francisco attitude towards local and organic. I still hadn't found my point of view on food - and as I'm learning, it's a very personal one. 

2. I'd like to change my relationship with food from 'emotional crutch' to something that nourishes and fuels me and my family. A plant-based diet isn't a silver bullet to emotional eating but it can be a distraction! Growing up, food was probably the most stable and comforting thing in my life. Like a lot of Asian families, I grew up in a family culture where emotions were not aired or dealt with openly so I used food as an emotional management tool. Of course, delicious Filipino cuisine was the centerpiece of family time - both for the nuclear and extended family - so food had that warm positive association as well. 

For some reason, the plant-based recipes are inspiring me to cook and so far, it's been a wonderful creative outlet. More importantly, it's amazing that I'm cooking and spending as much time as I am planning meals. Anna and I are having fun with our grocery shopping and cooking adventures!

So there you have it, a few reasons why I'm starting this little journey. As I mentioned earlier, I'm on my seventh day of my experiment and I really feel great. I have a lot of energy and all systems are regular if you know what I mean. I went grocery shopping last night with Anna so I'm on my way to having all my dairy and egg replacements - it's been a real learning process! I used whey protein and yogurt in my favorite morning smoothie, completely forgetting that they're both animal based. I'm looking forward to trying the soy yogurt below as a suggestion from my buddy, Kate as well as a plant-based protein supplement.

In terms of the grocery list I put together, I try to get enough items for 3-4 meals. As you can see in the picture of my menu/ shopping list below, I list recipe sources as a reminder of both where I can find the recipe and what my menu options are for the next few days. Recipe sources to date include: The Happy Herbivore Cookbook, which I haven't tried yet, Cate's World Kitchen blog and vegetarian tweaks to some of my favorite stir-fry recipes that I used from Rocco Dispirito.

When I sometimes shudder at the grocery bill, I remind myself how much money and health costs I'm saving by not eating out and instead eating quality whole foods. 

For the past seven days, my daily diet more or less looks something like this:

• Breakfast: Multi-grain oatmeal with flaxseed or my favorite berry smoothie (1/2c frozen mixed berries, 1 banana, 1 scoop of whey protein peatein, 2 tbls of non-fat greek yogurt soy yogurt and water to thin).
• Lunch: Whole wheat pita and hummus or dinner leftovers, 1c of vegetables like carrots, 1c of fruits like strawberries and blueberries, 1/4c of almonds
• Dinner: Some vegetable stir-fry with mushrooms or tofu. Moving forward, I'll start posting my adventures trying recipes. To start, I've included a few photos below from a recipe I got from Cate's World Kitchen - Sesame Eggplant Stir Fry over brown rice. 

I couldn't quite get my tofu to 'brown' - next time I'll nix the oil and try increasing the heat?

Sauteing the vegetables. My favorite thing to do with some garlic and in my new matching red Le Creuset soup bowl that works perfectly as a wok!

Mixing in the sauce, tofu and baked eggplant.

My imperfectly plated final dish over brown rice. It was delicious!

Sesame Eggplant Stir Fry (source: catesworldkitchen.com)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp regular soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Shao Xing rice wine
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• 1 eggplant, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 16 ounces tofu, pressed, drained and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
• 4 broccoli stalks, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 8 ounces egg noodles
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Stir the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine together and set aside.
3. Toss the eggplant cubes with 1 tbsp of oil and spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for about half an hour, or until the cubes are browned and very soft.
4. While the eggplant is roasting, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet and add the tofu. Cook, flipping occasionally, until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
5. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and toss with a little oil.
6. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until very fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
7. Add the broccoli and bell pepper and stir fry for a few minutes, until crisp-tender.
8. Add the tofu, eggplant, and soy sauce mixture and continue cooking for another few minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, then serve over the noodles

There you go, my first installment of Mia's Plant-Based Diet Journey!