One Step At a Time...
You Can Go Meatless
One Day For All Three Meals
For centuries, Mardi Gras – otherwise known as Fat Tuesday, or
Carnival has celebrated the last day of indulgence before the start of the
Lenten season. The word Carnival itself stems from the Latin carne vale, or
“farewell to flesh.” Millions of households participate each year, cutting back
on meat and other rich foods during this period of purification.
Today, there
are more reasons than ever to take the occasional break from meat. Cutting back
not only reduces our risk for disease and helps the environment; it can also be
a fun way to try new foods and flavors. Meatless Monday expert, columnist and
cookbook author Kim O’Donnel recommends taking advantage of ingredients that
have umami to enjoy
a healthy, satisfying meal with no meat required:
“Roughly translated from Japanese as ‘savoriness,’ umami
refers to the lingering finish and coating of the mouth that makes us want to
smack our lips and say ‘that’s delicious.’ What I discovered is that there are
lots of ingredients from the plant world that have major umami potential –
mushrooms, soy sauce, smoked paprika, roasted vegetables, tahini, to name just
a few. Developing recipes that are umami dense is one of my ways of showing the
meat-eating majority that vegetarian isn’t rabbit food.”
On Mondays, most Americans move from weekend
freedom to work or school structure. Eating meatless may reduce the
risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It
helps to reduce our carbon footprint and save resources like fresh
water and fossil fuels. People who eat less meat also tend to have a
lower body weight.
Healthy
Meatless Recipe:
Black Bean
Quinoa Veggie Burgers
(Adapted from Fit Foodie
Finds)
Ingredients
1 can
black bean, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup
aged balsamic vinegar
1 large
egg
1/4 -
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour (or any kind of flour)
2 cups
cooked quinoa
1/2
large onion, finely chopped
1
zucchini, finely chopped
1 bell
pepper, finely chopped
2t cumin
1/2t
chili powder
1/4t
salt
1/4 t
pepper
Directions
1. Begin
by pureeing black beans and balsamic vinegar in a small food processor, set
aside.
2. Next, finely chop your vegetables and mix together in
a large bowl. Add in cooked quinoa, pureed black beans, and spices.
3. Then,
depending on how soft your batter is, gradually add in garbanzo bean flour. I
started with 1/4 cup and then added more because it was still too soft.
4.
Next, refrigerate mixture for ~30 minutes or over night, to harden it
up a little bit.
5. At
this point you should be able to form them into patties. Mine were around 1
inch thick. I individually wrapped my in plastic wrap so I could make them
throughout the week, so this step is optional.
6. To
cook your patty, coat a medium-sized pan with EVOO and heat on LOW/MEDIUM heat
and cover. You'll want to let each side cook for about 3-4 minutes. Be careful
when you flip, they are fragile little things!
7. Serve
over a bed of spinach or mixed greens or, if you like, on a whole-wheat
hamburger bun. Add your favorite toppings such as avocado, salsa, tomato
slices, and feta cheese.
Enjoy and Bon Appetit!
Healthy
Weekly Motivator:
Stress Less
For A Healthy Heart
When your body is stressed, it releases the hormone
adrenaline, which increases your heart, breathing, and blood pressure rates. A
faster heart rate and higher blood pressure make your heart work harder and can
weaken artery walls if these symptoms persist over time. In this way, chronic
stress may increase your risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death in
America.
This
week, investigate your stress levels and heart disease risk factors. If you
often exhibit Type A behaviors (feeling rushed, impatient, irritated, angry or
hostile), focus on reducing the frequency of these behaviors to stay heart healthy!
Have a great week everyone and remember a better tomorrow starts
with what you eat today!
Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share
with us? Send it my way!
Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,
Lisa
LQ WELLNESS
Professional Wellness Coach
973-383-0955
Interested in Optimal Wellness? Take a look at products
available here!
Make sure to follow me on Twitter @lq_wellness
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“Time And health are two precious assets that we don't
recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.”
~Denis Waitley~
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