Thanksgiving begins the season when many of us give ourselves permission to pig out. We ditch healthier eating for heaping helpings of turkey (or ham) with all the trimmings, plus dessert. So choosing this time to mention that November is World Vegan Month may seem galling, even blasphemous, to some. But hear me out.
Go ahead—stuff yourselves on Turkey Day, if you must. But during the remaining days of November, consider easing your Tryptophan hangover with a tasty vegan dish.
Enter Daemon Jones, ND, author of Eat More Plants: Where Science, Flavor and Health Meet Deliciousness! I first learned about Jones — a naturopathic doctor affectionately called Dr. Dae — last fall. A friend decided to take “Dr. Dae’s Eat More Plants 7 Day Challenge” on Facebook, and encouraged others to join her. I’m a sometime-carnivore, however, my husband and son are vegetarians. By default, I cook mostly vegetarian meals. I joined the challenge to add to my repertoire of vegetable dishes with the support of like-minded people.
“Most people are pleasantly surprised that they can fit more veggies than they thought into one day and feel more energetic,” Daemon Jones, ND, says.
But what I found most appealing was Jones’ all-inclusive approach. She didn’t design the challenge for vegetarians or vegans only. Meat-eaters were welcome too. The only criterion was that participants spend seven, consecutive days incorporating more veggies into their diets.
“More and more research confirms that eating more plants reduces all chronic illnesses,” Jones says. “Diabetes, prediabetes, cancer and heart disease can be reduced, halted or reversed when people use food as a medicine.”
“Most people are pleasantly surprised that they can fit more veggies than they thought into one day and feel more energetic,” she continues. “It sets the stage for more success and sustained success in the future.”
So why not take my challenge? Make a pot of Curry Pumpkin Soup from Jones’ Eat More Plants. (See recipe, below.) According to Jones, the recipe’s “coconut milk and curry are both supportive to the digestive tract and can reduce digestive issues.”
Sounds like the perfect meal after a Thanksgiving binge.
Nicole Crawford-Tichawonna is web producer/associate editor for FierceforBlackWomen.com
Curry Pumpkin Soup
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
1 tablespoon of olive oil
½ cup of yellow onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
½ teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of curry powder
½ teaspoon of cumin
1 ½ tablespoon of ginger, grated
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, ground
2 cups of pureed pumpkin or tightly packed pumpkin
¾ cup of coconut milk
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup of water
In a soup pot, add oil, onion, garlic, salt, curry powder, cumin, ginger and nutmeg.
Sauté on medium heat for 4 minutes or until onions are translucent.
Stir in pumpkin, coconut milk, vegetable broth and water.
Reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Place in a blender and puree for 1 minute.
Serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 81 calories; 7 g fat (4 g saturated); 0 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 203 mg sodium; 1 g sugar.
