A recent blood test showed that both my glucose and LDL Cholesterol (the bad one) levels were high. My mom has high cholesterol even though she has always eaten very healthy, so genetics may also be playing a factor. Since I turned 40, I’ve definitely noticed a decline in my overall health, and it’s time to get serious about my health and fitness in this new decade! I haven’t worked out since having kids 10 years ago, I’ve gained weight over the past couple of months eating all that delicious American food, and I’m worried about long term health issues like high cholesterol and diabetes. I want to set a good example for my kids by making healthy food choices. I also want to lessen the impact we have on Mother Earth by eating more vegan/vegetarian, because it takes many more resources to raise animals for meat than it does to grow produce. All this is to say that I want to reduce our meat intake, and incorporate more vegan meals into our lives. I have several friends that are vegans — one is even a chef that runs a vegan retreat here– and I have had some truly fantastic vegan dishes made by them.
Because I’ve been a lifelong meat-eater, incorporating vegan meals means a lifestyle shift, learning new recipes, and thinking about food in a different way — for instance I currently incorporate meat into almost every meal. The easiest ingredient for me to start with is tofu since it’s a hearty meat substitute that’s already part of our diet — miso soup and fried tofu is on our regular meal plan. Here are some vegan dishes for kids that are easy to make, because we can’t source specialty ingredients like vegan cheese on our island!
smoothie bowl – Charlie and Olive always order smoothie bowls at the two vegan restaurants we frequent. I love that they’re topped with superfoods like chia, hemp seed, goji berries, coconut shavings, etc.!
Japanese curry – this is already a staple in our house. I can omit the chicken I usually use and add more potatoes instead.
Tomato soup – My kids love tomato soup with crostini on the side.
Do you have any yummy vegan recipes to share?
guest
These are my favorites! Very family friendly and easy!
https://thehappypear.ie/recipes/quesadillas/
https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-sloppy-joes/
https://pinchofyum.com/vegan-crunchwrap
https://minimalistbaker.com/chipotle-black-bean-tortilla-soup/
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/02/quick-and-easy-dairy-and-fat-free-colombian-vegetable-soup-recipe-vegan.html
https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-grillable-veggie-burgers/
https://minimalistbaker.com/quinoa-taco-meat/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnbSqHvpksc
cantaloupe / 6086 posts
I have to try some of these! We don’t eat a lot of meat and I was dairy free while nursing so sort of inadvertently ate more vegan. My youngest is allergic to milk and eggs so I definitely want to try that tofu scramble – eggs are such an easy go-to food.
I love this “creamy” tomato soup created with puréed white beans: https://www.budgetbytes.com/secret-ingredient-tomato-soup/
Also this simple recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/sesame-tempeh-bowls/
And this times a million – the sauce is good on anything so I always double it and you can change the vegetables as you like. I usually add TJ’s baked sriracha tofu.
https://www.budgetbytes.com/cold-peanut-noodle-salad/
guest
cashews (and most nuts) are a super easy substitute for that cheesy taste! soak them and then grind to make a paste.
guest
nutritional yeast is also a great “cheesy” substitute – not sure if you have it locally, but if you find it in a big city, would last you quite a while!