28 Day Diet Challenge - Day 12

(Sponsored by Whole Foods Market)

At this point, you are eating your vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds and we have begun thinking about the issues around a diet rich in animal products.
Now, we want to put it together so it’s intuitive and you feel empowered to eat a high-nutrient diet every day. Here are some tips and tricks on how to approach your meals:

• Breakfast
• Combine fresh fruit in season or even frozen fruit with raw nuts and seeds, or have a hot cereal, such as oatmeal (not instant), with cut up fruit on top.
• Other recommended cereals are Muesli (no added sugar), Wheatena, Ralston High Fiber, Roman Meal Multi-grain.
• You could also make a quick smoothie with fruit and flax seeds, or have a hearty, whole-grain bread, like Alvarado Street, Manna Bread or Ezekiel brands, with trans-fat free spread or raw almond or cashew butter.

• Lunch and Dinner
• Your basic lunch should be a salad with a healthy dressing and a bowl of vegetable or bean soup that you made on the weekend.
• Make a quick salad from pre-mixed and pre-washed greens. Add chopped nuts, cut up fresh fruit or low-salt canned beans and use a low-fat and low-salt dressing/dip, fresh lemon, or balsamic or flavored vinegar.
• You can also eat raw vegetables and avocado with a low-salt salsa or hummus dip or store-bought dressing.
• Having some defrosted frozen vegetables, or fresh or frozen fruit is a good way to round out a meal, salad or leftover dish.
• Try steaming some fresh broccoli, spinach or another green vegetable and adding a no-salt herb seasoning.
• Baked potato, baked sweet potato, and corn on the cob with a trans-fat free spread or vegetable seasoning are great, easy options that are often also loved by children.
• Another easy meal option is to stuff whole-wheat pita bread or a whole wheat wrap with shredded romaine or other greens, tomato, sun dried tomatoes (pre-soaked in water), cucumber, bean sprouts, broccoli slaw, or cole slaw mix. You can add hummus, avocado, salsa, tahini, or nut butter.
• Some families enjoy whole grain lentil pasta with lots of vegetables and a good low-salt tomato sauce.

Your Action Plan: Eating right does not have to be hard or time-consuming. Just plan out what you need with the shopping list we provided you when you first started the program. The key is to make this way of eating work for your lifestyle – whether you love to cook or barely have any time, a Nutritarian Lifestyle can be for everyone.

Breakfast

• Blueberry Orange Smoothie

Blueberry Orange Smoothie

 Serves: 2 — Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Ingredients

• 3 dates, pitted
• 2 oranges, peeled
• 1 banana
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

Directions

Blend all ingredients together in a high powered blender until smooth and creamy.

Lunch

• Tossed Green Salad
• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Portobello Red Pepper Sandwich
• Plums

Balsamic Vinaigrette

 Serves: 5 — Prep Time: 8 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tablespoons roasted garlic rice vinegar
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or less)
• 4 tablespoons 100% grape fruit spread or raisins
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions 

Blend all ingredients together in a high powered blender.
Yields: 1 1/3 cups

Portobello Sandwich 

 Serves: 4 — Prep Time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients - Sandwich

• 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 large Portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• 4 (4 inch) whole wheat pitas
• 2 cups large arugula leaves
• 1 medium red bell peppers, roasted and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Ingredients - Tahini Spread

• 3/4 cup raw tahini (pureed sesame seeds)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash
• 1 large pitted date
• 1 small clove garlic, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Arrange mushrooms and onions on baking sheet and roast until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make tahini spread by blending all spread ingredients together.
4. When mushrooms/onions are done, split pitas in half horizontally and warm slightly. Spread generous amount of tahini spread on top half of split pita. Place 1/2 cup arugula on bottom half and then, 1 mushroom cap (pat dry with paper towels to absorb liquid), sliced onion and roasted red pepper.

Dinner

• Green Velvet Vegetable Salad
• Hearty Ginger Lentil Soup* (Save leftover for Day Thirteen lunch.)
• Fruit Plate

Notes: Soak oats for Pomegranate Muesli for breakfast on Day Thirteen. Freeze bananas for Banana Walnut Ice Cream for dinner on Day Thirteen.

Green Velvet Vegetable Salad

 Serves: 2 — Prep Time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients - Green Velvet Dressing

• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup raw tahini (pureed sesame seeds)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 4 tablespoons raw cashews
• 2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash or other no-salt seasoning
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

Dressing yields four servings. leftover dressing may be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. 

Ingredients - Salad

• 10 ounces (about 10 cups) mixed salad greens
• 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1 cup sprouts (assorted varieties)

Directions

1. Blend all dressing ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth.
2. Toss salad ingredients with dressing and top with sprouts.

Ginger Lentil Soup

 Serves: 7 — Prep Time: 35 minutes
(Save the leftover for Day 13 lunch - You know the routine)

Ingredients

• 8 cups carrot juice
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup dried lentils (do not soak)
• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
• 2 zucchini, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
• 3 tablespoons Mrs. Dash or other no-salt seasoning
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
• 2 bunches Swiss chard leaves and stems, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Place all ingredients, except for the sweet potatoes, swiss chard and parsley, in a soup pot. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chard and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve topped with chopped parsley.

*Carrot juice may be made in a juice extractor. Fresh or bottled carrot juice is also sold in many health food stores.