4. FACING THE WORLD VEGAN
Becoming part of the plant-food world was so exciting to me that I had not thought about meeting the disapproval of my meat-eating family and friends. Many were certain that I would suffer malnutrition. Often I was asked, “Where are you going to get your protein?”
I remembered my own worry over my daughter, Lori, who had refused to eat animal products, and I humbly answered, “Meat, milk, cheese and eggs are high in protein, which makes a concern in many minds that a lack of those foods would bring about a shortage of protein; but if we get enough to eat, there is almost never a shortage of protein.”
Let me digress from the subject to make it clear that my statement was true. The daily requirement for protein in women is 44 grams and in men it is 56 grams.
Note the grams of protein in a serving of these common foods:
Legumes: (1 cup) lentils 16, great northern 14, limas 16.
Vegetables: (1 cup) potato 3, broccoli 4, corn 2, peas 8.
Fruits: cantaloupe 2, orange 2, avocado 5, banana 1.
Grains: (1 cup) oatmeal 5, cornmeal 11, whole wheat 16.
Nuts: (1/3 cup) almonds 8, sunflower seeds 9, pecans 4, walnuts 9.
If we were to eat a dinner of lentils, baked potato, broccoli and a vegetable salad with avocado, we would have 28 grams of protein. That is half of a man’s requirement and more than half of a woman’s requirement, plus there are two more meals to be eaten.
To get back to the subject, I can tell you that after the initial confrontation, I felt amazingly well accepted. I always made it clear that nothing special had to be prepared for me because I could eat potatoes and vegetables. As the days passed, my family and friends became used to my eating only plant-food portions of the meals served and that ended the controversy.
I became vegan over thirty years ago. Today I am amazed when I mention that I eat only plant food to hear many people say, “I don’t eat very much meat.” “I could easily be a vegan, because meat isn’t important to me.”
Vegetarianism is a growing trend in our society. There are about 7.3 million vegetarians in the U.S. There are about one million who are vegan. In a study done by Vegetarian Times, the editor-in-chief made this statement: “The vegetarian sector is one of the fastest growing categories in food publishing.”
BE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF DIET—EAT PLANT FOOD!
BULGAR BURGER
Place 2 c bulgar wheat in a saucepan.
Blend:
2 c water
1 c walnuts
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
1 t chicken seasoning
1/2 t salt
Pour blended mixture over the bulgar wheat. Cook
over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Let stand 20 minutes. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet
and bake at 250 for about 1 hour or until mostly dry.
Freeze ahead to make taco filling, enchiladas, soups,
pizza, etc. Yields about 6 cups.
TACO FILLING
1 recipe bulgar burger
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1 T water
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 c cooked or fresh chopped tomatoes
1 t paprika
1/2 t cumin
Cover bulgar burger with water to soften. Simmer onion,
bell pepper and garlic in water until tender. Add remaining
ingredients including drained bulgar burger and heat
thoroughly. Serve in soft or crispy warmed corn tortillas,
stuffed with salad greens and salsa.