The
day after Thanksgiving always amazes me. All day long I hear how people are already feeling guilty and ashamed about how they treated their
bodies the night before. Many talk about going for a long run to help burn off
their Thanksgiving indulgence. While a long run will successfully help you burn
off those extra calories, it unfortunately will not help repair the damage that
a traditional Standard American Diet Thanksgiving meal can cause.
lots of colors for vegan thanksgiving
Just
one benefit of a whole-food, vegan thanksgiving dinner is you can eat as much
as you want without feeling any remorse the next morning (more importantly, in
my mind, is that no animals have to suffer). A plant-based thanksgiving meal
also doesn’t cause that all-too-familiar fatigue that sets in after a large meal
of animal protein, grease and fat. If we step back for just one minute, it
becomes very obvious that if the food you eat makes you tired, you probably
should not consume that food. (And don’t go blaming the tryptophan, quinoa and
oats both have tryptophan in it, and they are energy-boosting foods!)
So
why don’t more people incorporate healthy, hearty, plant-strong vegan meals
into their holiday routine? I believe part of the reason is because it can be
emotionally difficult to give up some of your favorite traditional foods. However,
this does not always have to be the case. As a result, BYOL will be posting great seasonal
and festive recipes over the next month to help everyone enjoy their holiday
without the side of remorse that typically accompanies them.
Black Friday’s Powerful Raw Cranberry Sauce: Cranberry sauce is a holiday classic. While
cranberries are excellent sources of magnesium, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and
Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) the stuff that comes in a can is about as far
removed from its original goodness as can be. Even as a junk-food-loving kid,
that stuff always freaked me out. It is loaded with sugars, preservatives,
colors and “natural flavors.” It also undergoes an intense level of processing
which leaves the gelatinous can-shaped blob while striping the cranberries of
much of their original nutritional value. Instead, substitute the canned sugar sauce
with this simple to make, truly delicious, and extremely healthy version of the
holiday classic dish.
the
goods
The
recipe originally comes from the dietitians and MDs at PCRM, however I’ve tweaked it slightly to help
give it an extra boost of goodness. A high-powered blender works best for this
recipe, however a food processor also does the job ably.
To
make, simply toss all of the ingredients into the blender or food processor and
process until smooth. (start with half an orange and add more if desired)
12-16 oz of fresh cranberries
½-1 navel orange
3 dates (or date sugar)
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp Navitas Naturals Pomegranate powder
(optional)
The
result will be a vibrant and scrumptious cranberry sauce that will impress all
at the table. The antioxidant count in a small serving of this side dish alone will trump the entire meal in the Standard American Diet and it pairs perfectly with mashed sweet potato. It is sure to become a new fall family favorite!
I
hope you all had an enjoyable holiday, and sorry for the sporadic posting as of
late. Life has been crazy as I just started a new job, moved, and ran my first marathon.... 3:17:53....
PLANTSTRONG