Back when my husband and I first started our journey to cleaner eating, we had no idea were to start! Initially, we started by thumbing through some Abs Diet books he had sitting on the bookshelf. (Of note: neither of had or currently has abs!) This was a decent warmup as we learned about superfoods, protein sources, and alternatives to sweeteners. Eat This Not That was my personal favorite because if you're still going to binge on ice cream from time to time, knowledge is power! Knowing what brands did the least amount of damage to our bodies when we succumbed to the siren call of junk food was supremely helpful!
But we still had a long way to go.
The abs diet incorporated a large amount of meat in its repertoire. And, though we gradually toned down our meat consumption as a natural result of boosting the amount of produce and plant-based foods we were eating, we were still frequently enjoying red meat, sausage, etc. Then the study came out from the World Heath Organization which concluded what we were already beginning to suspect - that processed meat (sausage, bacon, lunchmeat..) is carcinogenic to humans and that red meat is a probable carcinogen as well. That was the kick in the pants we needed to truly start delving into some vegan and vegetarian recipes that were nutrient dense and caloric enough to support our active family lifestyle.
Enter Angela Liddon's easy to follow and simple ingredient recipes on her blog Oh She Glows! (And, no, I'm not paid to promote her! We just love her food!) My husband actually found her site while researching one night. Unlike many other vegan bloggers, her recipes are high in fat and very filling - a must when you're also feeding tiny people with monstrous toddler metabolisms!
While we still eat fish and organic, free-range chicken once a week, many of the dishes we rotate through our monthly meal plans are vegan and come from her blog. Below is the link to my absolute favorite soup of hers, rich with Indian flavors!
Glowing Spiced Lentil Soup
I make this with her Cilantro Speckled Basmati (substituting brown rice for the basmati) and I add 1/2 a cup of carrots to round out the soup!
NOTE: If our toddlers aren't eating with us, by chance, I will also substitute 1 can of rotel for the can of tomatoes to bring on heat I associate with curry!
