Eat Your Veggies

You may know that I have done the Whole30 before. I wrote a little about the tears and blessing that it was on a separate blog, that honestly didn't get too many posts but you can read the about it here: Whole30 Journey

While that taught me a TON about clean eating and making simple swaps that stuck for my family, I am a little older, a little thicker (hello quarantine furlough from my job which happens to be the gym) and I have a little more time on my hands since my kids can now both wipe their own butts & make their own lunch. And they even usually wash their hands between the two without being reminded. So, this translates to WHY DON'T WE GO PLANT BASED FOR A SHORT PERIOD AND SEE WHAT THAT DOES. There is always subtext.

I admittedly have a bit of an obsession with produce. I love all the colors and choices and I find the process of washing, cutting & packing up everything to be very relaxing. I missed my calling as a prep cook in Hell's Kitchen. Gimme a knife and some fresh fruits & veggies and let me at it. Now, don't take that to mean that I do food prepping for the week or anything. I just like to chop things up and they all look so pretty organized in my fridge. And, of course, it makes it so much easier to use those & eat them when they're ready to go.

My biggest challenge with going into a plant based diet, aside from the 3 cavemen I live with who haven't had a meal without meat like EVER, is the protein side of things. I was really surprised by the amount of protein in some plants! The top 10 highest protein packed vegetarian options are:

1. Edamame
2. Lentils
3. Pinto Beans
4. Chickpeas
5. Mung Beans
6. Fava Beans
7. Lima Beans
8. Green Peas
9. Quinoa
10. Wild Rice

So, most of this list is either a legume, or a grain. I have a problem with quinoa where I eat it until I hate myself, because I love it in place of rice (which we did for dinner tonight with our chili and rice that Gage requested) and well, the high protein and fiber content usually make me wish I had shown more restraint.

If these are a little outside your usual eating habits, broccoli & spinach are two common green veggies that you probably eat more often, and you can rest assured you're getting a good dose of vitamins & protein in 100g servings of those.

I am taking my supplements to ensure the gaps in our daily nutrition is covered for the days I choose cupcakes as a treat, and I also have a vegan protein shake option for breakfast or lunches if I need the simplest meal that I can trust helps me stay within my guidelines. But, eating whole foods, mostly vegetables is honestly going to make just about everyone feel good.

No one ever felt worse after veggies, though there may have been emotional trauma - hello to my crying children when we made them eat a cherry tomato earlier this year. These kids GAGGED like I gave them dirt to eat. It was bizarre and I honestly couldn't help but laugh because it was so crazy to me to see them react like that. They are usually super good about eating vegetables on their plates, even if begrudgingly. They also cried when we had sauteed zucchini last week, but whatever. Once a week or so I make this giant pot of veggie & chicken soup and they eat that just fine.

So, starting Sunday, we are accepting the 10 day plant based eating challenge at our house. I will likely give the guys some meat options every other day, because getting your loved ones on board can certainly be a challenge. But, since I am the one who cooks the meals, they're basically at my mercy.

**I feel like it is important to note that I am not being flippant by posting about a plant based diet challenge while the world seems to be literally burning. I believe change MUST happen. Hatred and racism MUST stop. My heart hurts for the black people in our nation who are mourning the loss of another man, on top of the daily challenges they face because of racism. I stand with my brothers and sisters and speak against racism on every level - whether its a casual "joke" or outright racist comments, or the systemic racism that oppresses them. As a Christ follower, I am called to stand with the marginalized and speak up when their voices fall on deaf ears. And, this small platform is a place I can say: THIS CANNOT GO ON.

My Heart Hurts

Like much of Dallas, I am heart broken for the police officers who lives were lost last week at the peaceful protest in downtown Dallas. A protest by people who were protesting because THEIR hearts hurt for the black men's lives lost the previous week.

Here I am. Just a 30-something middle class white lady. I know I will never be profiled at the airport or at a traffic stop. It doesn't mean that my heart doesn't hurt when it happens to other people.

My heart hurts every time I see another civilian killed by law enforcement. It hurts when I think of the officers killed in retaliation. It hurts when I think of how my 6 year old has wanted to be a police officer since he could declare a future occupation and now that scares me. It hurts when I admit that I was a little scared thinking about heading downtown to teach Tuesday. My heart hurts for the friend I saw on Facebook posting about how she will have to prep her black son for when he's 16, driving and eventually gets pulled over by a cop.

I feel like I haven't put much into words about the deaths of black men by police officers, because what can I say that doesn't sound like a clueless 30-something white girl? What do I know of racism? What do I know of being treated differently? No, I cannot empathize with the black community, but my heart hurts for you.

I am not married to a civil servant. Sure, my husband can get hurt at work, but the worst he's had has been a broken leg. I never have to worry about him being shot on the job. I cannot empathize with the families of the police officers killed, but my heart hurts for them.

I just ache for the hatred to stop. I want so badly for everyone to love and be loved. And, I realize we live in a fallen world. That won't ever really happen. But, at least we can hope for changes and pray for peace.