28 Days Crave Veggies (Day 15)
08 April 2014
Time for a Food Change
For the past two weeks I have been on a vegetarian diet (no meat and fish) to help myself become a healthier and ‘feel better’ me – I’ve called this my 28 Days Crave Veggies Challenge. Before the challenge, I had been feeling sluggish and thought this challenge would be just the boost my body needed, I was also concerned that too many of my meals, whether it was eating out or at home, revolved around meat and I wanted to find out was meat really necessary? This challenge (so far) has been a fantastic food experience of discovering new satisfying (new) meals packed with vegetables, whole grains and more. I’ve kicked the ‘habit’ of eating meat and giving the veggies a chance to take centre stage for a whole month!
Breakfast
Porridge served with blueberries and natural honey.
Lunch
A huge ‘create your own’ quinoa salad with feta cheese, carrots, broccoli, fine green beans and sweetcorn served with a chilli and ginger dressing. YUM!
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) – is high in protein, gluten-free and has a mild, slightly vegetal flavor and cooks up fluffy, like couscous, but is still slightly crunchy. Quinoa, if you’ve not tried it before, can have a bitter residue on it, and like pasta, you can boil quinoa in a lot of water, then drain it. (You know it’s done when the little tails are visible.) Or, combine 1 part/cup quinoa with 2 part/cups water and bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, over low heat until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. If you’ve got a rice cooker (like I do) try making it in that (super easy and convenient).
I like to use quinoa in a recipe for rice, couscous, potatoes, beans, or any other grain.
It’s not so much about the label ‘vegetarian’ as it is about challenging myself to be more conscious of what I eat and how it impacts me physically. I’ll keep you updated daily on this blog and twitter on what I’m eating and how I’m progressing by adopting a meat-free diet. Bring on Day 16! – thanks for reading :) – Cindz
Missie Cindz
