Are you like me and need higher fat and protein than carbs? Are you vegan but interested in Paleo? Are you looking to go vegan but want healthier, lower-carb options?
Most people are under the impression that foods that are vegan are going to be healthy. It is extremely important to realize this is not fact. Another impression people have about vegan foods are that they are expensive. The expensive part about any diet is what items you are purchasing.
When practicing paleo-vegan eating, I make exceptions here and there for quinoa, granola, and potatoes. I decided to periodically include these foods because vegan and paleo can both be challenging to meet all when combined. Here are the guidelines of a combined paleo and vegan diet WITHOUT my little “exceptions”:
optional – a very small handful of spinach (Recommended if you have difficulty getting your veggies in. This will change the color of your smoothie bowl, but shouldn’t affect the taste too much. You may also be interested in a powdered greens supplement.)
Toppings:
1 banana, sliced
1/3 cup of your favorite berries
1 Tbsp flax seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, or oats
Directions:
Blend together the frozen fruit, non-dairy milk, protein, seeds, and spinach until smooth.
Won the “Most Creative” category at a Chili Cook-Off!
Remember: you can alter this to your preferences! I left out the kale last time I made it because I didn’t have any and it was still great. I added carrots instead and threw them in about 20 min after the sweet potatoes
Ingredients:
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1/2 inch cubes)
1 (28 oz) can of ground, crushed, or peeled tomatoes (get crushed if you don’t like stewed, cooked tomatoes; no need to drain)
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional for spice lovers)
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp of cayenne (optional for spice lovers)
1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans, drained
1 bunch of kale, stems removed
Directions:
Place olive oil, garlic and diced onion on low in a crockpot.
Cut up the sweet potatoes.
Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, quinoa, water, jalapeno pepper (if desired), and all the spices to the crockpot.
Rip or cut kale leaves to bite sized pieces.
Stir occasionally.
Once the quinoa grains have opened, add kidney beans and kale.
Stir occasionally.
Ready to serve when the sweet potatoes are soft (approx. 8 hours).
Serve warm and enjoy!
This recipe is a good one to meal prep! Cooled chili can be separated into freezable Tupperware containers and kept frozen until they are ready to be eaten.
For this, and almost all recipes, I recommend leaving the peel on and just washing all veggies well. The peel contains a lot of the nutrients, and we wouldn’t want to waste all that goodness by throwing it out!
I also usually add stems, but didn’t include them in this recipe because some don’t like the texture. If you’re like me, I recommend cutting into 1/2 inch pieces.