My Plant Based Diet

I started a plant-based diet a few weeks ago. I’m eating this way for health reasons. I began a Mediterranean diet around Christmas in order to live a healthier lifestyle. I ate chicken and fish, fresh vegetables and fruits, eggs, a limited amount of bread, and several dairy products. You know, all sorts of cheeses. I had no fun stuff like ice cream, cakes and cookies. A plant-based diet is a step further down the path of healthy.

If you’re not familiar with the term, think herbivore. Here’s what the internet says about herbivores.

• Herbivores and Plants: Herbivores consume plants, playing a critical role in controlling plant populations and influencing the structure of vegetation. Their grazing and browsing shapes the landscape, affecting which plant species thrive. This interaction also leads to coevolution, where plants develop defenses like thorns, and herbivores evolve ways of overcoming these defenses.

I’m not eating any plants with thorns or poison berries. Most of what I eat you can find in the produce department of your favorite grocery store. I haven’t resorted to gathering things from the side of the road unless you count the asparagus I picked up the other day at a local open-air market. That’s the first time I bought asparagus. I’ve eaten it several times over the years, but I never intentionally purchased it until last Friday.

Another thing I never thought I’d buy is hummus. Hummus is ground up chickpeas. After they grind them up, they add exotic flavors to trick you into making the purchase. If you’re not sure about chickpeas, they’re the little light brown acorn looking things on a fancy salad bar. You probably never took them on purpose, but they add a bit of blandness to your salad. I’m told they’re packed with protein, and since becoming a plant eater, I’ve eaten more beans because of the protein.

The trouble with consuming too many beans is they cause gas. You know, the kind of gas your body produces. There are only two exits for such gas, so I’ve burped and farted a bit more over the past few weeks. You shouldn’t try to hold the gas in because it’s bad for digestion. You want clean pipes from stem to stern so you gotta let it go whenever it appears.

I don’t eat much bread, but when I do, I make sure that it’s organic whole wheat. Organic whole wheat is made from organic wheat and something wet. I’m not sure what the wet part is but you have to have wet so the wheat can be poured into a loaf pan for baking. Otherwise, it would just be a pile of wheat, very dry with no substance.

Prior to coming to Michigan from Florida, I joined a plant eaters’ group. Apparently, a lot of older people are eating more and more plants. They held a luncheon that I attended. The veteran members brought homemade concoctions to share with their fellow herbivores. Some of it looked like real food. Some of it looked like I should pass on the opportunity, so I did.

A couple of new friends presented a plant-based recipe for hot dogs. They shared the recipe prior to the luncheon. It called for carrots as the base. I couldn’t see eating a carrot based hot dog, so I took a private vow to avoid the temptation. When I arrived at the luncheon, I found myself sitting with my two new friends. We started talking and I learned that Sue had brought carrot dogs for the assembled multitude.

I’m sure you’ve been to places when you didn’t care to eat what was served, but I didn’t want to offend my new friends, so I took the smallest carrot dog. It was about two bites worth. I added some sauerkraut, pickle relish and mustard, and shock of shocks, it tasted like a hot dog. No kiddin. I went so far as to get the recipe.

Carrot Dogs

Boil carrots until fork just goes thru but not totally soft,10 -15 minutes. Pierce gently so marinade penetrates the carrot.

Marinade:

• 1 t smoked paprika
• 1 t liquid smoke
• 2 t of onion powder or garlic powder
• 1 t stone ground or Dijon mustard
• A plant sweetener such 2 dates or 1T pure maple syrup

Blend the marinade in a Nutri bullet. Pour over the carrots, flip them a couple of times to make sure they are covered and refrigerate overnight.

Cook in an air fryer, microwave or in a nonstick pan. Garnish as you would a hot dog.

Next time you visit me, I may whip up a batch. I’ll serve them with whole wheat buns and all the fixins. I’ll need a day’s notice because they need to marinate overnight.

For dessert we’ll have no-bake fudgy brownies. They’re made with pulverized dates, walnuts, almond butter, and coco. You mix it up, press it into a nine-by-nine pan, push pecans on top, refrigerate for an hour and you’re good to go.

You’re going to love them.