By Rhonda Jones
So, here it comes—the hardest time of the year for those of us who are determined to eat plants to stay healthy. We now face Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. No wonder the gyms are full come January with patrons who have gained tons of weight and are now trying to lose it and get healthy again.
It is so easy to indulge in the rich food full of sugar, fat, and salt. We seem to be surrounded by it at every turn. Halloween brings tons of candy. Then we go on to Thanksgiving, which has become merely a day to celebrate the demise of an unsuspecting animal. The true meaning of Thanksgiving has been totally lost to give way to turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin pie, and mounds of whipped cream. Of course, a second round of all of the above must be eaten during the football game, then Tums afterward.
Follow that up with a month of cookies, hot chocolate, fruitcake, casseroles, appetizers, and much more as we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza. Champagne, chips, and cheeseballs round out the season on New Year’s Eve. So, with this huge barrage of food and merriment, what is a plant-based person going to do?
Don’t beat yourself up if you make a slip. After 16 years, I know it is hard to be around all this food and not at least take a taste. But keep the big picture in mind: your overall health. You started this journey for a reason. Maybe you just wanted to shed a few pounds, or maybe you are diabetic or have heart issues and want to get those illnesses under control and even reverse them. If that is the case, you must stay the course. How can you do that?
First, it is important to keep your fridge stocked with compliant food and eat before you attend a dinner or a social function. As long as you have food ready to eat (by batch cooking, for example), it is easy to grab some good food and have a quick meal. This is a great time of year to make some stews or soups and freeze them. It is easy to grab a meal out of the freezer and heat it up. Having salad chopped and ready to go is also a great option. Remember to include some fat-free dressings that you have made or even some store-bought dressings. Just watch the sodium in those. Keep fruit on hand for snacks.
Taking a dish with you is always a good choice when going to a friend or relative’s house for a meal. At least there will be one dish that you can enjoy. And, if your host knows you are plant-based, he or she might be willing to have some vegetable options for you.
One of my favorite cookbooks is “Plant Pure Comfort Food” by Kim Campbell. The cookbook is full of favorite comfort food recipes that are tasty and also low in sugar, oil, and salt. Kim has made great versions of green bean casserole, cornbread dressing, sugar cookies, pumpkin pie, and many more. All are totally compliant with the plant-based eating plan and are really tasty. Since I love Reese’s peanut butter cups, I make the Peanut Butter Cup Bars often. So good!
Just know you can enjoy the holidays and still stick to your eating plan. If you do slip, get back on the plan immediately. The most important thing is to enjoy your friends and family, but don’t lose sight of why you are plant-based.
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