by Faith Escher
One of the wonderful things about planning, shopping for and preparing our food at home is that we get to make choices about how to love ourselves and the people that we are cooking for with each step of the process. Options that were not widely available or affordable before are becoming more and more accessible. This allows us to shop, cook and eat with intention.
One powerful way that we can fuel our bodies with intention and love is by using positive language when we talk about ourselves and our food. In a time where we are bombarded with negative messages about our bodies, it may be difficult to remember that we are also in a time where there is so much information and so many options that empower us to take good care of our bodies, especially when it comes to nutrition. At times we work so hard to be “sugar free,” “gluten free” and “dairy free,” but forget to live free.
The language that we use greatly affects what believe about ourselves. What we believe about ourselves will power our perceptions and determine how we fuel our bodies. The relationship we have with food is extremely important, and we have to remember to acknowledge our agency in the process of providing our bodies with nutrients that they need to be efficient and strong.
Lately I have been challenging myself to turn some of my negative statements about food into more positive statements. Here are a few examples of ways that we can adjust our language to rewire our minds and empower ourselves.
While we may need to use a phrase like, “I can’t eat animal products,” or “please make sure this dish doesn’t contain gluten” when we are ordering at a restaurant, there are still many opportunities in a day where we can describe or think about our food intake as an empowering choice rather than a restriction.
This week I have chosen some of my favorite recipes. As you shop, cook and eat, I hope that you will enjoy fueling your body, knowing that you can enjoy each and every bite and be loved.
Be Loved
Total Budget: $100 or less
All recipes serve 4
NOTE: Garlic (2) = how many recipes the ingredient garlic is used in. For example, “Garlic (2)” means we will be using garlic in two of our recipes for this week.
The Shopping List For All 5 Dinners
$80.00 – $95.00 *Prices may fluctuate depending on tax, store, sale and season. I paid $91.67 this week.
If you followed us last week you already have the following; however, if this is your first week you will need to make these additional purchases (appx $13.97) or substitute with ingredients you have in your cupboard.
Recipe No. 1
Vegan Pad Thai | Cook Time: 35 Minutes
Source: Simple Vegan Blog | Link to instructions
Note: If you don’t own a spiralizer, you can still make this dish! To make this recipe without a veggie spiralizer, you can cut the veggies as fine as possible, or you can even grate or shred them. *Note this recipe serves two, but the shopping list can accommodate doubling the recipe.
Recipe No. 2
Mushroom and Leek Risotto | Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Source: The Minimalist Baker | Link to instructions
Note: You can buy purchase vegan parmesan cheese at most vegan friendly stores like whole foods, but I recommend using the recipe from Minimalist Baker here for a delicious and easy homemade version that uses ingredients from our shopping list.
Recipe No. 3
Panang Curry | Cook Time: Under 45 Minutes
Source: Chef Chloe | Link to instructions
Note: Since rice is already on the shopping list, I went ahead and made some rice to put the panang over! Also I used olive oil instead of canola oil.
Recipe No. 4
Classic Ratatouille | Cook Time: 1 Hour and 15 Minutes
Source: Jamie Oliver | Link to Instructions
Note: I love ratatouille! It’s one of my all time favorite dishes. I usually just eat it as an entree by itself, but you can put it on rice or over a loaf of bread as well.
Recipe No. 5
Portobello and Pineapple Teriyaki Veggie Burgers | Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Source: Whole Foods Market | Link to instructions
References
Coscarelli, C. (N.D.). Penang Curry. Retrieved August 4, 2017, from www.chefchloe.com
website: http://chefchloe.com/recipes/entrees/panang-curry.html
Iosune and Alberto. (N.D.). Vegan Pad Thai. Retrieved August 4, 2017, from
http://simpleveganblog.com/ website: http://simpleveganblog.com/vegan-pad-thai/
The Minimalist Baker. (N.D.). Mushroom and Leek Risotto. Retrieved August 4, 2017, from
https://minimalistbaker.com website: https://minimalistbaker.com/mushroom-and-leek-risotto/
Oliver, J. (N.D.). Classic Ratatouille. Retrieved August 4, 2017, from www.jamieoliver.com
website: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/classic-ratatouille/
Whole Foods Market. (N.D.). Portobello and Pineapple Teriyaki Veggie Burgers. Retrieved
August 4, 2017, from www.wholefoodsmarket.com website:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/portobello-and-pineapple-teriyaki-veggie-burgers
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