Rediscovering Food
By Julia Barlow
A year ago I graduated college. Like many people my age struggling through art school, I gained a few bad habits. (Maybe more than a few, but who’s keeping track?) Unfortunately, my body bore the brunt of my bad decision-making. Have you heard of the “freshman 15?” Well I did that one better: let’s just call it the “senior 30.” On the bright side, the local pizza parlor down the street from my apartment appreciated my frequent patronage. My stress-induced greasy cheesy eating was their gain. In my final year of college, my daily consumption schedule was as follows: sausage, egg and cheese on a croissant for breakfast; for lunch an oversized chicken burrito that with all the fixings; and at the end of the day multiple slices of pizza and whatever else happened to be within a 10 foot radius of my mouth.
Soon after graduating, I had an enlightening moment in which I recognized the importance of health and treating the single body I was given with respect and kindness. I immediately became a vegetarian and soon after that transitioned to a completely vegan lifestyle. The number of reasons that I am in love with this way of eating is infinite. I’ll explain the few that mean most to me.
Firstly and most importantly, everything I eat now is immensely more deliciously, finger-lickingly GOOD! I have uncovered flavors and tastes I didn’t even know were possible before I became vegan. Oh gosh, and the tons of fruit and vegetables I eat! When I was ten-years-old, I would not eat an apple unless I were absolutely forced to. Now, I’m almost certain that apples are causing my bank account financial strain (I may have just solved my economic woes with that realization).
Natural foods with higher level of nutrients such as fruits, vegetables and grains helped shave off that “senior 30” I mentioned earlier. Barley, quinoa, bananas, broccoli – all of these and more fulfill my hunger more efficiently than a hot dog and potato chips. It has been approximately 6 months since I began eating vegan. I hereby name this chapter of my life “The Post Grad’ Negative 40.”
Another favorable outcome of my transition to veganism is that is has driven me to learn different styles of preparing food. Previously, I barely knew how to boil pasta, grill burgers, and microwave a meal that needed to be defrosted. Almost every night since modifying my eating habits, I’ve been sauteing up a storm on my stove top! Each evening my kitchen is a different restaurant. When I enter the kitchen and take out my knives and spices, the Barlow house transforms. Tonight the air will be filled with the fragrance of a Hibachi grill. Tomorrow might be deli style dinner with freshly sliced veggies between two pieces of whole grain bread. The notion that vegans don’t have much to eat or variety in their diet is deeply flawed. My problem is that I have too many ideas and my taste buds have more of a yearning for flavor than my stomach has room for!
I prepare delectable meals. I eat more healthily than I have in my entire life. I know every single ingredient that I put in my mouth. I am vegan, and it feels and tastes great!
A Popular Recipe of Mine – Western Style Tofu Scramble
1 package of extra firm tofu drained and crumbled
1/4 of a red pepper, diced
1/2 of a Vidalia onion, diced
a couple handfuls of spinach
a dash or 2 of cumin
a dash or 2 of tumeric
a few spoonfuls of your favorite salsa
shredded vegan cheese or nutritional yeast (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Spray a pan with olive oil cooking spray and heat to medium. Add the onion and pepper. Keep heat on medium for 5 minutes and stir periodically. Toss in the spices and mix it up. Add the tofu and stir for another couple minutes. Lastly stir in the spinach and cover.
After the spinach is completely steamed and integrated into the recipe, mix in the salsa and turn heat to low. Once it’s all toasty and warm, you can add 1/3 cup of shredded vegan cheese or 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (whichever you prefer).
My mouth is watering just writing this! Kindly revamp this recipe however you please!
Photos show other ingredients such as scallions and olives
(click photo to view)
great recipe! can hardly wait to give it a try!
c’mon down to florida and try your nutritious recipies on grandma
marilyn and grandpa joe…..we love all kinds of food, so we’re ready.
great photos of the recipel….wonder who took them?………………
love & hugs!……grandma m and grandpa j
c’mon down to florida and try your nutritious recipies on grandma
marilyn and grandpa joe…..we love all kinds of food, so we’re ready.
great photos of the recipel….wonder who took them?………………
love & hugs!……grandma m and grandpa j
This is a fantastic point of view–I agree with the abundance of eating vegan, my son is vegan and we are having a fine time exploring some of the tastes Julia is suggesting. Thanks for a terrific article!
Fabulous and so true! Your body has thanked you by shedding the extra weight and will continue to thank you by maintaining better health! Can’t wait to read the next entry!