You're on Week 3 of a WFPB Diet, You've Got This!

I hope that in the midst of this pandemic you are able to find some calm. Right now, more than ever, we need to support each other and we need to be in good health. Now is not the time for a medical emergency. Keep following the plan, you’re doing great! I’d love to hear about the results you are seeing.

If you are spending more time at home whether it is because you can’t go to work or you just can’t go out in general, it is a great time to watch another documentary and do some batch cooking. One item that I always batch cook and have on hand are my Chickpea Meatballs (recipe on the website). Last night I made two lasagnas so that I could freeze one. I’m actually contemplating freezing half of the second one because Chris was finally able to find lots of fresh veggies and I have lots of cooking to do!

It is also a great time to organize your recipes. I started out with a folder for my recipes that I quickly outgrew. Now I have a large 3 ring binder that I would love to say is organized with tabs and sheet protectors, but a girl can dream. Everything is in the binder, but the organization is yet to come. Maybe if I end up being stuck at home I will get to it. But I do prefer to print my recipes rather than keep them on the phone or computer. That way when I tweak things I can write them down on the page and keep notes like “try less garlic”. (I would rarely write such a thing!) And call me weird, but I kind of like when I can tell which recipes are the best simply by the evidence of which pages have been used the most.

Speaking of recipes, if you have been mostly eating the same things, now would be a good time to try something new! Think of one of your favorite meals that you used to enjoy and try to “veganize” it.

Snacking

When you are stuck at home, snacking is going to be difficult to avoid. You know that I’m going to mention air-popped popcorn because I always do!! Take some time to cut up fresh vegetables (if you can find them) so that when you go looking in the fridge there will be something available. You can easily make some hummus (without the tahini) out of a can of chickpeas and some seasonings. You can also make hummus out of edamame beans or peas. There are so many recipes out there!

Buffalo Cauliflower or tempeh is always good. Have you tried making your own tortilla chips yet? Take corn tortillas (find one with the least amount of ingredients and no oil such as Ezekiel) and cut them into triangles. I like to spray some Liquid Aminos on them. Place them on a baking sheet and bake at about 375 for about ten minutes. They are great for dipping in the Queso Sauce recipe!

Other options include pickles (low sodium, of course), apples or bananas, or a handful of Kashi cereal.

You can also make some desserts to have on hand like granola bars, brownies and cookies.

Get Some Fresh Air and Get Moving!

Getting outside is good for both your mind and body. Go out for a walk or bike ride. Start getting your yard ready for the spring by raking out some flower beds. Just keep moving. Sitting in front of the tv all day is not going to do you any good (even if you’re watching documentaries!). We just ordered a new “toy” for our outdoor adventures that I can’t wait to share with you when the weather warms up!

Right now there are a lot of companies and people who are streaming free workouts and classes online because their businesses are closed to the public. Fred Astaire Dance Studios, where Chris and I learned our Dirty Dancing routine (spoiler alert - we did not “nail” the lift in this video like I did at rehearsal), is posting free dance classes and daily challenges on their Facebook page (@fredastairemanasquan). They also have private online classes for a fee. Brett Hoebel (creator of RevAbs - my favorite workout video!) has been hosting free live 20 minute yoga-capoeira workouts on facebook which are lots of fun. You can still access them if you don’t join him live (@bretthoebel). And Tony Horton (creator of P90X and others) has free online yoga classes posted on FaceBook (@TonySHorton). My mother has found line dancing lessons and other fun stuff on Facebook as well.

Getting Enough Vegetables

Don’t worry if you can’t find fresh produce in the markets right now. Make due with what you can find and use frozen or even canned. Do your best to keep on track and don’t allow the lack of available fresh food deter you. Just see it as a challenge. Besides, using frozen veggies will mean less cutting and prep work for you!

Add vegetables to every dish that you can. I always keep a big bag of frozen chopped kale/spinach from BJ’s in the freezer. I add it to everything from soups to spaghetti sauce. And that doesn’t mean that we skip the salad or some other vegetable as a side dish, we have that too!

The Bright Side

I always say that there is a bright side to everything, but sometimes you have to look really hard for it. With all of the social distancing we are having to practice, you won’t have to worry about what dish to bring to family gatherings and whether they will have food for you. There are no parties at work with tempting cake & goodies put in front of you. Your friends aren’t going to invite you out to a restaurant for dinner. You are only going to be able to eat what is in your house. Hopefully you’ve cleaned out your pantry a bit. If you have family members home who are not following in your footsteps, keep their food in a separate location. Better yet, hand it to them and tell them to hide it from you!

I Know You CAN Do This!!

Why did you start this in the first place? Do you want to be able to play more with your children?, Maybe you want to make sure that you are around to meet your grandchildren? Or are you just tired of feeling sick and tired? Stop reading for a minute and really think about why you started this journey. (STOP & THINK!) Now write it down. Put it on the refrigerator, the pantry door, your nightstand or all three. You started this for a reason, and that reason is still valid.

Have you joined an online support group yet? The people in these groups are amazing and care about your success. Join a FaceBook group and post a comment saying “Hi I’m new.” I guarantee you’ll get 1,000 likes and hundreds of comments. I’ve never met another group of people like the WFPB community that only wants to see everyone succeed, and you will be inspired by their success stories. They are real people posting real photos and they are open about their struggles and how they overcome them.

Here comes the broken record. If you are feeling weak and you are about to cave, look up a video or read up on the benefits of a WFPB diet. I cannot stress this enough, you must keep educating yourself to keep your willpower strong!

I’m here with you and here for you. You can email me any time and I will get back to you with the best response I can.

Be safe, stay healthy, and as always, please feel welcome to comment or send me an email.

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