By now, you’ve probably heard that one of the best things you can personally do to mitigate climate change is eat a plant-based diet. But, for some, this can be a daunting task. It doesn’t have to be. You can lean in, jump in, or dip a toe in. And this spring, I am offering a 30-day challenge through Open Spirit to get your started (or further along your journey) with help and tools along the way.
So, what does this challenge entail? Glad you asked!
For the challenge, we will aim to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, while crowding out animal foods. And it’s not an all or nothing. Do what you can at your own pace. The challenge will last from Sunday, March 10, until Sunday, April 7 (approx. 30 days).
On Sunday, March 10, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. in Edwards Hall, the challenge begins with a screening of the documentary, “A Prayer for Compassion”. After the film, I will give you a short introduction to the challenge with some tips and tricks, and I’ll answer any questions you have to get you started.
Fear not…I will be there to support you throughout the challenge with weekly zoom Q&A sessions. They will be held every Tuesday evening from 7:00-7:40 p.m. (March 12, 19, 26, April 2). You can come to one, several or all (or none…but please come to participate in the community). They are meant to be a time of sharing…celebrations or struggles or both. You can learn a lot from your fellow participants!
We will wrap up our challenge with a potluck on Sunday, April 7, from 3:00-4:30 p.m. in Edwards Hall, where we’ll each bring a vegan dish to share, along with conversation about our successes and challenges.
To get you started, below are some suggestions. (NOTE: I tend to go overboard with information, so I will try to keep this brief, but if you would like more information, please email me (ljbVeganMentor@gmail.com) and I will be happy to have a phone call or a zoom chat to personalize information for you, and send you any recipes you might need.)
First suggestion, don’t try to reinvent the wheel. We all have several meals that we eat repeatedly. The average is 5-9
different meals. Start there. If you typically eat spaghetti with meat sauce, try spaghetti with a meat-free pasta sauce. (Most are vegan, if they don’t contain cheese.) If you’d like the texture to be the same, you could add plant meat crumbles (Impossible, Beyond, Gardein all make them—usually in the freezer section). If you prefer to keep it on the healthier side, crumble a brick of firm tofu into the sauce, while heating it. Or even better, sauté some onions, peppers, and mushrooms, then add the sauce.
Breakfast suggestions: cold cereal with a plant-based milk, oatmeal with bananas & berries, avocado toast, pumpkin pancakes (https://www.fullofbeans.us/gluten-free-oil-free-vegan-pumpkin-pancakes/), chia pudding (https://minimalistbaker.com/overnight-chocolate-chia-seed-pudding/), tofu scramble.
Lunch/Dinner suggestions: lasagna (https://www.fullofbeans.us/vegan-gluten-free-lasagna/), Curry Lentil Soup (https://myquietkitchen.com/instant-pot-lentil-soup/), a huge salad, potato leek soup (https://lovingitvegan.com/vegan-potato-leek-soup/#recipe), a veggie stir-fry served over rice with peanut sauce (email me for my made up recipe).
Dessert: Fruit, Medjool Dates filled with Peanut Butter, Brownies (https://veganmos.com/vegan-brownies/)
Thank you for taking part in our challenge! For more information, and to sign up, please visit: Open Spirit Upcoming Events. Also, I have a substitutions sheet; email me if you would like it.
Environmental Justice Team – Laura Beck