08/15

Vegan Snack Swap with Brussels Vegan

Years ago, I met with a nutritionist to analyze my diet because I wanted to be at optimal health to conceive. I found out I was eating way too much protein. It’s because I was so terrified of carbs before, even the good carbs in healthy fruits, brown rice, beans, and veggies. So I ate a lot of meat like turkey and chicken … all the time! While I was on my nutritionist’s program, I did eat lean protein, but cut back on the amount of animal protein (ate smaller portions) and starting adding more vegetarian-sourced protein to my meals. I have learned that eating more plant foods is essential for staying fit and healthy.

The fact is: we do not need meat for every meal, every day. That is the old way of thinking. And to be clear, I’m not a vegetarian or a vegan, but I do work to incorporate plant-based meals into my diet because it’s good for me. It’s good for all of us!

When I first began cooking for more of a plant-based diet, I was stuck. Many of my favorite recipes either had meat in them or some sort of dairy! When vegan (plant-based) blogger, Kim-Julie from Brussels Vegan reached out to me to swap recipes, I knew I was all in!

One of my favorite salads is my Brussels Sprout Salad that I make constantly! It’s seriously delicious but it has blue cheese dressing so definitely not plant-based! I challenged the amazing, Kim-Julie, to create a vegan version while I created her recipe of vegan tacos! For more vegan recipes, visit Kim-Julie at Brussels Vegan or follow her on Instagram at @brusselsvegan. I am so, so, so excited to see how she “veganized” my salad!

Romaine Lettuce “Tacos” (raw vegan, gluten free)

Ingredients:

• 1-2 heads romaine lettuce
• 2 orange bell peppers
• 3 stalks of celery
• 2 cups of kale
• 3 green onions
• 1 container grape tomatoes
• 5 radishes
• 1 orange
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 zucchini
• 1 tsp hemp seeds
• 1 handful fresh cilantro
• juice of 1 lime

Instructions:

• Dice or chop the peppers, celery, kale, green onions, radishes, orang, avocado and zucchini and put them in a bowl.
• Cut the grape tomatoes in halves, add the juice of 1 lime (or more if you want) and cilantro and mix well.
• Sprinkle the hemp seeds on top.
• Wash and separate the romaine lettuce into “tacos”
• Use a spoon to scoop the salsa into the tacos and enjoy!