Tagged with 'vegetarian-diet'

Following a vegan diet is beneficial in so many ways! According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, people who eat a vegan diet have lower rates of cancer, lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels and fewer instances of obesity.

The health benefits of eating vegan are wonderful, amazing and fantastic! BUT, in all reality, planning meals for a long vegan camping trip may have its challenges. If you have access to a grill or fire pit, you can make pretty much anything you would at home on a stove. If all you have is a cooler, your options will need to require minimal refrigeration.

First, food safety and avoiding food poisoning is top priority! If you don't have refrigeration, definitely pack enough ice to keep perishable foods cold. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes! This is called the "danger zone," so keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot.

Second, you need enough energy to get you through the camping trip, and possibly a hike or two and some swimming. In fact, these Post-Workout Vegan Foods will improve muscle recovery to ensure a good camping vacation. 

Here are some tips to keep your camping trip energized and plant-strong!

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

• Pack some of your favorite fresh fruits and veggies that tend to travel well and do OK at room temperatures, like apples, oranges, pears, bell peppers, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, asparagus, corn, onion, and avocados. Room temp foods will save space in your cooler for other meals where refrigeration is a must. Also, pack some fresh veggies for the grill.
• Dried fruit, either store-bought or homemade, is another great option since it’s energy dense.
• Potatoes (white or sweet) for breakfast hash browns or diced pots for lunch or dinner.

• Quinoa
• Prepare little baggies of pre-portioned vegan overnight oats (chia seeds, oats, dried fruit, cinnamon, a bit of granulated sweetener) and mix them up just before breakfast. It wouldn’t be cold necessarily, but it works in a pinch. Or you could simply serve granola with dairy-free milk!
• A variety of wraps, breads, and buns.
• Granola or muesli — either store-bought (which likely has a lesser need to be refrigerated) or homemade recipes.
• Homemade bars and muffins travel beautifully.

• Canned or boxed organic beans (just don’t forget the can opener).
• Chickpeas for salad
• Nuts and trail mix
• Nut butter (make some PB & J’s for hikes)
• Hummus or tahini with crackers and veggies to dip
• Black Bean burger (dry ingredients are non-perishable)
• Tofu for a yummy breakfast tofu scramble.

• Avocado
• Oil for cooking
• Butter stick
• Ghee

• Ketchup, mustard, vegan mayo
• Pack single-serve, non-refrigerated plant-based milks available at some grocery stores.

I recommend eating the most perishable items first.

I hope this helps get the wheels turning, and you have a fantastic camping trip!

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

There’s a lot of research to back the idea that vegetarians generally have a lower body weight compared to those who eat meat. However, weight changes that occur when a meat eater is prescribed a vegetarian diet has not been looked at thoroughly.

Vegetarian Diet and Weight Loss

A team of researchers from the Physicians Committee reviewed 15 studies from 6 countries—the United States, Spain, Finland, Poland, Sweden, and Norway. These studies had a total of 755 participants, and the length of each study varied between 1 month and 2 years. Though the quality of the studies varied, the overall message was clear. Vegetarian diets can improve weight loss efforts, even in the absence of exercise or calorie counting.

In fact, people lost an average of 7½ to 10 pounds when they stuck to a vegetarian or vegan diet for at least a month.

The review found people who were heavier to start with lost more weight when they chose a vegetarian diet, and great weight loss is reported among men and older participants.

Why Is This Important?

These findings are important because if you’re overweight, losing just 5 to 10% of your body weight can slash the risk of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. As the weight comes off, you’ll start to see blood pressure, blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol fall right along with the weight.

Switching to a vegetarian diet can make it easier to lose weight, which in turn can help people reduce their risk of chronic disease.

Cheers to good health!

Reference: Barnard ND et al. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Changes in Body Weight in Clinical Trials of Vegetarian Diets. J Acad Nutr Diet. Published online on 2015 Jan 17.