@riverflows suggested that I participate so I thought why not share mine and my partner's journey to a plant based diet. We love it by the way and wouldn't consider for any reason in the world to turn back.
My partner Marc and I used to work in a Steakhouse. During the five years that we were line cooks there we did not consume meat. We went back and forth between vegetarian vegan pescatarian etc. until we quit that job in 2015. Marc and I both went totally plant based at the end of that. We both have the same diets and eating habits. What is not the same is our ages. He is fifteen years younger than me.
This is a photo we took of ourselves the first week of quitting the steakhouse and switched to plant based for life. We took the entire summer off before we got another job.
We both stopped eating meat around 17 years ago when Marc gave a kidney to his father. All Marc ate before the surgery was fruit. Three days after being sliced open and having an organ pulled out, he walked home from the hospital. He ate nothing but fruit for a couple of weeks. We both were consuming a plant based diet at this time but shortly after that we caved in to social pressures and ate seafood dairy and eggs during visits with his parents or at a restaurant.
Two weeks after Marc had the surgery he went back to work with me at the construction site where we were laborers. They said he could be on light duties but Marc insisted on doing the heavy work that he had always done.
Acapulco 2017
When it was time to get his stitches out he went to the doctor. That was the last time he ever set foot into a doctor's office. We are talking 17 years ago.
I too have only been once to a doctor to have stitches for a small cut, after my boss insisted that I go there.
The two of us have had colds but that was during our bouts of indulging in cheese, fried foods and sugary foods. In all of those years we have had a cold around five times and only once mildly in the last five years of only plant based eating.
When people tell us we are making a mistake, that we should be careful on a plant based diet, I have to chuckle to myself a little.
How do I possibly get through days of laborious work without collapsing if I don't eat animal products?
Marc took this photo of me 8 years ago on my 50th birthday so I could have on record the half century me. Seems vain I know but I wanted to show off my arms that lifted pots and pans and heavy stacks of plates each day as a line cook. We ate mostly plant based that time, except on occasion which is why we didn't refer to ourselves as vegans at the time. I have softened a bit with not having so many hours of work, but aside from being eight years older I am not that much worse.
By the way there was a lot of humor threaded through this photo so it was not to be taken too seriously
A coworker at the steakhouse told me she cut out animal products but she became anemic. This same person asked for her staff meal which was a bacon burger and fries without the bread. She said she was not eating bread because she was on a cleanse.
We have been on a plant based diet for five straight years. Not always super healthy like @plantstoplanks the plant based super hero of Hive but we try to limit things to moderation.
We have never taken supplements and we can run circles around the co workers in their twenties and thirties. I just don't see why we need to be careful not consuming animal products. We feel better than when we did. People also say they have to eat so much on a plant based diet to feel nourished. It's funny to me because all the people I know that eat meat, eat way more than Marc and I.
Just to be clear I am not suggesting that what we do will suit everybody. Nor am I suggesting that the folks that are not as strong with as much endurance as us are that way because they eat meat. It's just that we are the ones constantly being judged about our diet, by friends and family. We have nothing to complain about health wise plus we feel more nourished now than our early years when we ate animal products.
On that note I would like to serve a plant based burger that is perfect for someone who needs manly man plant based food.....if I may enter the man cave.
It's a homemade plant based burger.
I often do veggie burgers but they vary each time depending on what I have in the kitchen.
Today it is a combination of 1 cup lentil meal, 1 cup mung bean meal, 1 cup chickpea flour, 1 cup vital wheat gluten, 1 cup roasted walnuts ground up, 2 cups roasted mixed mushrooms chopped, 1 cup ground dried shitake, veggie soup broth, a few drops of liquid smoke, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, sauteed garlic and onion, 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 tablespoon of shawarma spice mix.
If you want it gluten free just omit the vital wheat gluten.
Shawarma spice mix
3 tablespoons salt, 1tablespoon dried oregano, 1tablespoon dried parsley, 1 tablespoon paprika, 2 teaspoon garlic powder,1teaspoon white pepper,1teaspoon black pepper, 1/8teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 pinch ground nutmeg, pinch ground allspice 1pinch ground fennel seed 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seed.
Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients than mix together. Add veggie soup broth little by little until you have a soft dough.
Form into patties and brown in a pan. Put in the oven 350f with water on the bottom. Leave them in the oven until the water evaporates. You can reverse this procedure by browning them after. I added them to a pan again after.
I chose the toppings from what I had in the fridge. These are our favorites.
I made a quick jalapeno aioli which was vegan mayo mixed with a roasted jalapeno onion puree and chopped dill pickles. We also added the traditional ketchup and mustard.
I put it on a kumut bun which is from my favorite company.
Burgers are often and usually eaten with fries but we rarely eat fries so we had a salad on the side with vegan Caesar dressing. The dressing was made from soaked cashews, olive oil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic cloves salt and pepper. Put in a blender until smooth.
People always say that if you stop eating animal products there will be nothing left to eat. I discovered that there are so many edible plants in the world that I wouldn't be able to discover them or try them in my lifetime. In fact I look at things all the time and wonder what they are and what to do with them. It's a hell of a lot of fun to experiment.
But you can always stick to the basics like the veggie burger.
@tipu curate :)
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 12/48) Liquid rewards.
Dang girl, what an awesome photo! Love reading about your journey. I'm not perfect either, but try to do my best to represent how awesome a plant-based diet can be! These burgers sound so yummy. I have some romaine lettuce from the farmers market, too, so might just have to make some vegan caesars salad here myself!
Posted using Dapplr
Thanks @plantstoplanks! You will always be someone who I look to for nutritional inspiration, perfect or not.
Wow these burgers looks delicious and beautiful post!!!
Thank you my friend I appreciate that!
It is amazing to me that so many people who are not on a plant-based diet caution you about following one, as if they are experts in the field. As long as you have a basic knowledge of nutrition and which plants to consume to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs, there should be no questioning your way of life by anyone else. 🙄
Every time I read a post about vegan food, I am astounded by ingredients mentioned of which I've never heard. In this post, for instance, "kumut" was new to me and I had to look it up, online. Garam Masala, besan, chapati flour, asafoetida, shishito peppers, amaranth... my mind is boggled at all these exotic ingredients and far-too-much research is required to keep up with all this new stuff that, I suppose, is second-nature to vegans or food-service workers. 😳
Veggie burgers are yummy! I've never actually made my own, I buy them ready-made in the grocery store. I'm not vegetarian nor vegan, but I still enjoy them sometimes as a lower-fat and healthier alternative. The one you've pictured here looks mouth-wateringly delicious! Mushrooms, alone, make anything tasty! 😋
Thank you @thekitty girl. I have recently purchased spices and items that I had never had before. fortunately we live in a very big multicultural city so the demand for exotic items is higher.
This homemade plant based burger recipe looks very rich and nutritious. This year I was motivated to explore this type of recipe because I wanted to reduce my meat consumption.
My problem is that I don't have much creativity in cooking vegetables, so I loved this recipe to make the hamburger, until now I had only tried it with lentils.
Thank you very much for sharing it 😊
Thanks so much. I do think lentils or lentil flour make a good veggie burger. But I like to switch it up a bit.
I hear ya and you both look great. Congrats on keeping eating a vegan diet when working in a steakhouse. I can imagine you both are happy to not have to go there anymore. We always get funny looks too when we say we don't eat meat. My husband hasn't had a single MS flare-up and hasn't taken any medication to control it since he went mainly plant-based (2014). He still has his occasional cheat moments though but that's fine. Burger looking great too. I will have to make it when the hubby is not at home. He hates mushrooms for some odd reason!
Thanks so much @amy-goodrich! I am happy to hear about your husbands well being. I have met other mushroom haters but I just don't get it haha.
Wow! Very impressive recipe and a very nice story of your journey.
Have a nice day!
Thank you @kaminchan and have a great day to you!
A very beautiful journey! Thanks for sharing with us :)
Thank you for reading. Much appreciated!
I love how you relate the way you and your partner eat, it's great that they had enough will and courage not to give in to social pressure. I really liked the recipe you gave, I will save it to see if in the future, if the situation in my country improves or if I get to emigrate one day, I can prepare it, since for now it is very difficult to do it due to the lack of inputs. Greetings and blessings.
Me encanta como relatas la forma en que se alimentan tú y tu compañero, es genial que hayan tenido la suficiente voluntad y entereza para no ceder ante la presión social. Me gustó mucho la receta que diste, la guardaré para ver si en un futuro, si la situación de mi país mejora o si llego a emigrar algún día, pueda prepararla, ya que por ahora es bien difícil hacerla por la carencia de insumos. Saludos y bendiciones.
I appreciate and thank you for reading and hopefully you'll find a way to have more supplies.
That burger sure look good.
Thank you @kidsisters!!!!
You're most welcome.
Burgers are sooo many. Bookmarking this one!! I think I should make a heap to freeze for easy after work rissoles and salad.
You guys.. so cute!!!! You are a shining example of how nourished one can be from eating a healthy diet - even if you DID eat occasional meat, low sugar and other inflammatory foods make such a difference!! I wonder what you boss WASN'T eating to become anaemic!!! This is the problem when people just cut food out and don't eat balanced diets.
Great post.
Sorry it took so long to get to it!!
Thanks so much @riverflows! I know I am far from perfect but I certainly don't have aches and pains to complain about. I know I am not the best I can be but I can only blame myself for that.
You look very well. Congrats for your way to eat.
I am vegetarian for too many years, and is a great way to live.
If I may suggets something,the only thing we have to be carefull is about B12 vitamine. For the other things, wecan eat so well that is not a problem at all.
Thanks for sharing that great recipe, I will cook that burger and I let you know.
Thanks!
Thank you @karmadorje! The funny thing is I have only met one person with a B12 deficiency and they eat only meat and dairy.
We probably don't know any more people with the deficiency, because not everyone takes the test that determines B12 status. I just started taking it this year (I've had 10 years of not eating animals). But there are studies about it. Studies done by vegetarians and vegans.
There can also be a B12 deficiency in people who eat meat, especially those over 50-60 years old.
I follow you, I liked your Hive.
A hug.
Curated for #naturalmedicine by @justinparke.
Good looking couple, good looking burger, and a mighty fine story. A++ on this one. I honestly didn't expect a recipe in this post, but this an example where you can have your cake and eat it too. Veggie burgers are one of those things that can prepared in many different ways from a variety of ingredients, so I always love to see how each and every person does it differently.
Thanks @carolynstahl for sharing this with us.
Your post is featured in our latest #plantbased curation post, Avocados & Hash, Roasted Cauliflower Bowls, Veggie Burgers, Persian Salads, And More!!.
We encourage content about health & wellness - body, mind, soul and earth. We are an inclusive community with two basic rules: Proof of Heart (kindness prevails) & Proof of Brain (original content). Read more here.
Did you know that you can earn a badge from @hivebuzz for posting about #mentalhealthawareness? Read more details here!
Our website also rewards with its own Lotus token & we'd love you to join our community in Discord. Delegate to @naturalmedicine & be supported with upvotes, reblog, tips, writing inspiration challenges for a chance to win HIVE and more. Click here to join the #naturalmedicine curation trail!
We also encourage you to follow our sister accounts, @lotusshares and @uplotus for announcements and reblogs.