Many of our readers have seen the research and the science that is clear at this point: a plant-based diet is not only better for the environment and contributes to reduced cruelty in the world overall, but it’s also better for you. It’s the official position of the American Medical Association, the American Heart Association, along with many others that this diet is ideally suited for humans. Not only are you able to obtain all of your nutritional requirements – it also alleviates and in some cases reverses many chronic conditions. Among them: cancer (breast, prostate, lung, etc), heart disease, and diabetes. These are the most well known, but as time goes on and more research is done, the benefits become crystal clear.
However, many of the people who would benefit the most have qualms with it. For instance, those could be that they’ve never cooked a day in their life, and they’re not about to start now. They could be a single mom with multiple kids to feed a wholesome meal every day and lunch to take to school. How can they easily prepare fast nutritious meals that they can fit into their schedule? Or what about older adults, particularly men, who never learned to cook for themselves but want to try this healthier method of eating.
That is the idea behind this video: super fast 10-15 minute meals with no pre prep required that anyone can make with easily obtainable ingredients. As we discuss with Xavier (and in much greater detail with Noah – watch out for that in the next few weeks), these meals will nourish you and make you feel full, all the while providing the nutrients your body needs and has likely never gotten (particularly for those of you who grew up on the Standard American Diet – which is not very high in nutrition).
PCRM helped the American Medical Association to craft their policy around plant-based diets, which reads: “Our American Medical Association supports efforts to educate the public about the benefits of lifestyle changes that may reduce breast cancer risk, including regular physical activity, maintenance of a healthy body weight, a healthy plant-based diet, and limiting alcohol intake. Our American Medical Association encourages physicians to regularly discuss with their individual patients the benefits of lifestyle changes that may reduce cancer risk.”
Interested readers can learn about the first ever citywide Plant-Based cookoff celebrating cooking innovation by older adults and presented by the NYC Dept for the Aging.
Here are the links to the recipes Xavier prepared in the cooking demonstration, along with several additional links he provided that will be helpful for those pursuing this dietary change:
High-Protein Spinach Pasta: https://www.wearesovegan.com/high-protein-spinach-pasta/
-
I decided to omit the oil in my version, but you can include it as optional in the sauce if you’d like!
“No-Tuna” Chickpea Salad: https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-burgers-wraps/vegan-no-tuna-salad-sandwich/
-
I omitted the celery in my version (since I don’t like it), but you can also include that as optional as well!
Easy Vegan Burrito Bowl: https://nosweatvegan.com/easy-vegan-burrito-bowl-recipe/
-
I skipped the fajitta veggies in the interest of time
When I was discussing the burrito bowl, I mentioned how people could choose to include plant-based taco meat or TVP. Here are a couple of recipes:
TVP Taco Meat: https://shaneandsimple.com/tvp-taco-meat-recipe/
Beyond that, here’s are some helpful links for people to take advanage of based on what I mentioned in the cooking demonstration:
The Power Plate: https://p.widencdn.net/ktho8u/Power-Plate-Brochure
Recipes: https://www.pcrm.org/recipes
Information on How A Plant-Based Diet Can Help With Different Conditions: https://www.pcrm.org/health-topics
Information on Plant-Based Nutrition in General: https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition
Banner Image: Power of food graphic. Image Credit – PCRM
Staten Islander News Service Staff Writer
This byline indicates that this article was penned by a member/members of the Staten Islander News Organization office team. Our staff writers are the backbone of our newspaper, performing all sorts of important tasks like conducting interviews, investigating leads, besides writing the news stories you see.