Saturday, January 12, 2013

Day 43 : What am I eating all day?

I know it can be hard to imagine what someone would actually eat on a raw & vegan diet. Here's an update on what I've been eating on a typical day:

Breakfast:
- Fruit porridge: I put these ingredients (or similar) in a food processor and blend until semi-smooth: Pear, Banana, Orange, 2-3 Tbsp ground Flax seeds, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds (total protein: 12g)
- Piece of toast (sprouted bread) with vegan "butter" spread if I'm still hungry (5g protein)
(I always eat the fruit before any grains) 

Lunch:
- Green smoothie (water, spinach or kale, carrots, frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries, frozen mango, banana, flax seed oil, spirulina, raw organic protein powder) (15g protein)
- Grain of some sort: bagel (9g protein), or sprouted bread sandwich with alfalfa sprouts (home grown), tomato, cucumber, & avocado (about 13g protein)
 (To learn about the nutritional benefits of alfalfa sprouts, click here)

Snack:
Apples & raw almond butter (7g protein)
or
Dried fruit (no preservatives or sugar added) & raw nuts (7g protein)
or
Raw veggies & hummus & whole grain pita chips from Trader Joe's (5g protein)

Dinner:
Big salad- lots of greens, veggies, avocado, seeds, nuts, etc. (about 9g protein)
Cooked grain (quinoa or brown rice) and/or legumes (beans or lentils) (8-18g protein)

Dessert:
Homemade date bar (dates, craisins, finely shredded raw coconut, carob powder, sunflower seeds, etc) (about 4g protein)
or 
Cinnamon sprinkled over pear slices

Snack:
Almond milk & organic cereal (low-sugar, high-protein) (about 6-8g protein)

Total protein:73-91g
(my protein requirement is: 66g)

But just as important as protein is the question:

Am I getting all the other nutrients needed for optimal health? 

You see, everyone always asks about protein, and that's ok, I used to be one of them. But I'm starting to realize that, by no fault of our own, we have been wrongly educated to think that getting enough protein is more important that getting all the amazing vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and enzymes that protect our bodies against cancer and other diseases. The best source of those nutrients are raw vegetables and fruits. 

Protein is important, but so is everything else. 

The question I have for non-vegetarians/vegans who follow the SAD (Standard American Diet) is:

How do you manage to get all the necessary vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and phytonutrients by consuming so much meat and dairy with only a small portion of fruits & vegetables each day?

Yeah...just something to think about... :)

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