Appetite for Reduction (2 page)

My decision really was a personal one. My knees were achy, my periods were irregular, and my energy levels were low. I needed to change what I was eating—less fat, less sugar—and I needed to get more active. Would that lead to weight loss? I really wasn’t sure! There are hundreds of books dedicated to the subject of long term weight loss, and if those tomes don’t produce many conclusive answers, I am definitely not about to attempt to do so. What I can tell you is that when I eat low-fat, plant-based meals I feel better, weight does come off, and, unless I skip breakfast or something, I never feel hungry. It’s become a sustainable way of life for me! I still enjoy a cupcake now and then, and I still cook and eat more decadently a few times a week. Although I’m sure there are ways to make myself lose weight faster, I am also sure that it would come right back on. Call it a “diet,” call it a “lifestyle change,” whatever! The most important thing is enjoying food, enjoying life, and doing what makes you feel good, and not just for the moment. (Ice cream is so love-‘em-and-leave-’em; I’m looking for something more stable.)

So, yes, I wrote this book for me—but of course I hope that it rocks your stove top, too. Low-fat cookbooks can be a war zone for women. I wanted to create something fun and positive, something that would empower you in the produce aisle and give you a reason to sport that cute vintage apron. I want you to love your kitchen, love yourself, and, yeah, maybe to love tofu just a little bit, too.

 

With love and raised spatulas
,

Metric Conversions

◆ The recipes in this book have not been tested with metric measurements, so some variations might occur.

◆ Remember that the weight of dry ingredients varies according to the volume or density factor: 1 cup of flour weighs far less than 1 cup of sugar, and 1 tablespoon doesn’t necessarily hold 3 teaspoons.

GENERAL FORMULA FOR METRIC CONVERSION

LINEAR MEASUREMENTS

VOLUME (DRY) MEASUREMENTS

VOLUME (LIQUID) MEASUREMENTS

OVEN TEMPERATURE EQUIVALENTS, FAHRENHEIT (F) AND CELSIUS
(C)

WEIGHT (MASS) MEASUREMENTS

Mission: Nutrition

BY MATT RUSCIGNO, MPH, RD

 

 

 

A
LL OF ISA’S RECIPES IN THIS BOOK ARE PLANT-BASED, LOW-FAT, satisfying, and nutrient-dense: lots of nutrients with fewer calories. We’ve included the nutrition info so you can see the amount of protein, fiber, iron, calcium, and other key nutrients for each serving. But the beauty is you can follow these recipes and not have to obsess over calories to maintain your weight.

Studies show that vegetarians have lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure and lower rates of type-2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer—the leading causes of death in United States. The reason? A diet low in animal products and higher in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and soy products.

Vegan nutrition is different from the standard Western diet whose nutrients tend to come from one major source, such as iron from meat or calcium from dairy. As a vegan, you’ll get your nutrition from a bunch of different foods—and this is to your advantage! When smaller amounts of nutrients are eaten at a time, their absorption is actually better. And you are not dependent on just one food. You can get your iron from beans or from whole grains. Avoiding wheat? Eat leafy greens. In fact, variety is crucial when planning your meals, to get all of the nutrients you need. And as mentioned above, fruits and veggies are also nutrient-dense, packing a whole lot of benefits for a very small amount of calories. The same is true for whole grains and beans. A win-win scenario!

But good nutrition is also about much more than just, well, nutrients. Back in the day, the experts in the field were chiefly concerned with preventing deficiencies: consuming enough vitamin C so people didn’t
die of scurvy; getting enough iron to prevent anemia. This is still important, but eventually, some smart folks realized that when you eat a whole food, you’re getting even more health benefits beyond the recommended daily allowance of this or that mineral. What researchers have found is that almost all of the foods with these extra benefits come from plants.

For example, only plantfoods contain thousands of phytochemicals—such as lycopene in tomatoes, isoflavones in soybeans, flavonoids in tea, and allicin in garlic—which are linked to disease prevention. Plant foods also contain antioxidants, which can help combat cell damage (associated with age-related diseases, cellular diseases such as cancer, and chronic diseases such as heart disease). Good sources are berries, apples, and other fruits; vegetables; chocolate; coffee; and wine. There is no daily recommendation for antioxidants and the best way to get them is directly through whole foods.

Now let’s take a look at basic nutrient requirements. These are the ones that are most often asked about in vegan nutrition and we want to be sure you know what you are getting.

 

“But where do you get your _____from?”
Anyone reducing meat and dairy consumption has heard this question. A plant-based diet not only has the bases covered, you are also getting more of this good stuff with less fat and cholesterol than you would on an animal product-based diet. Here’s a quick rundown.

 

Protein.
Protein is a combination of amino acids, nine of which are essential to human life. Luckily, plants have all of the amino acids you need!

High-protein foods include beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains such as wheat, quinoa, and millet. In general, aim for 10 to 15 percent of your calories to come from protein. In grams it looks like this: 37 to 56 grams per day on a 1,500-calorie diet; 50 to 75 grams per day on a 2,000-calorie diet. Many of the whole-grain and bean recipes in this book have 10 to 15 percent or more calories from protein per serving.

Proteins (such as those from grains and beans) don’t even need to be combined during a meal for you to consume the right amount of amino acids, as it was once believed. You just need to eat enough protein from different foods each day and you’ll get your amino acids without problem. It’s also important to remember that even vegetables have protein; for example, kale is 45 percent protein and zucchini is 28 percent protein. You don’t need to look any further than the nutrition info provided in these recipes to see where you’ll get your protein!

 

Iron.
You need iron every day for your red blood cells to carry oxygen and nutrients to your cells. The well-known deficiency, anemia, has side effects that include fatigue and malaise. No one is happy when he or she is not getting enough iron. Fortunately, iron is found in abundance in plants. Good sources include lentils, soybeans, chickpeas, black beans, collard greens, oatmeal, whole grains, and enriched grains. Plant-based diets tend to be very high in iron and some research
¹
shows
that vegans have better iron levels than vegetarians do. Dairy contains zero iron but most plant foods contain at least some.