Welcome to our third week of “Veggie Month with Oria”!!!
Vegetarians?
When you say I am a vegetarian, it can mean a lot of things. So, here are some very basic and easy differences:
- Ovo-lacto vegetarianism : no meat, but eggs and dairy
- Lacto vegetarianism : no meat, no eggs, but dairy
- Ovo vegetarianism : no meat, no dairy, but eggs
- Vegan diet : no meat, no eggs, no dairy
What about fish? Can a vegetarian eat fish? The common definition of vegetarianism is “someone who doesn’t eat anything from a killed animal”. So technically, if you eat fish you are not a vegetarian. But in my opinion, not eating meat but still eating fish is a good start. If everybody does it, it will still have a positive impact on our way of life.
It’s nice not eating meat, so then what do we eat? To answer this question, here’s a short list of ingredients that I always have in my cupboards:
- Beans: lentils, chickpea. (It is very easy to cook- you can make some on the weekend, keep it in your fridge, and eat it for lunch or supper if you don’t have time to cook during the week.)
- Grains: quinoa, bulgur. A good alternative to pasta or rice. Most of all, one packet can be kept at least two years.
- Nuts: almonds, mostly chopped or whole. are delicious toppings for your salad, or to eat as a snack.
- Vegetables: always nice to have some (of any kind) that you can cook with your grains and beans. You can put them in your freezer to keep them fresh.
- Cereals: oatmeal. I often make some for breakfast, but you can also bake cake with it, or even hot meals.
- Seeds: pumpkin, sesame.
Statistic of the Week
850,000 people consider themselves vegan in Canada, which represents 2.3 per cent of the population.
Recipe of the Week
For this week, I am going to change it up a little and introduce to you a breakfast recipe!! It’s something I really enjoy eating when I wake up. It’s fresh, light and consistent…perfect to start a long day!
To do it, you need:
- Frozen fruit ( raspberry or blueberry for instance) – around 1 cup
Banana (cut into pieces) – usually 3/4 - Cottage cheese (or natural yogurt) – 3 tablespoons
- Oatmeal – 3 tablespoons
- Toppings (almonds, raisins, coconut flakes, seeds (pumpkin, hemp, chia, etc.), oatmeal, fruit)
- For the quantities of fruit, use however much you like. It also depends on how big you want your smoothie bowl to be.
In a blender, put in the fruits, bananas, and yogurt. Blend everything until the mix comes smooth. Then, add some oatmeal and blend with a spoon. Pour the mix in your bowl and add toppings, whichever you want (like seeds, fruits, muesli). It is up to you, your imagination and your tastes!!!
Challenge of the Week
This week, I am challenging you to go shopping with a vegetarian list. This means going to your regular grocery/ food store, or a specialized vegetarian food store, and buying only vegetarian food to eat during the week!
