In a meat and potatoes world, group focuses on plants and whole foods
Plant-Based Pittsburgh South focuses on plants, whole foods
Maybe Mom was on to something when she said to eat your vegetables.
Plant-Based Pittsburgh South offers information and support for people looking to incorporate whole foods, vegetables and grains into their diet and avoid animal proteins.
A whole-food, plant-based diet refers to whole foods that are minimally processed including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans, peas and lentils), nuts and seeds.
Co-leaders Terri West and Naomi Herman host monthly meetings open to anyone, from those who are curious about eating more plants to those who are following a plant-based diet.
People choose a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle for different reasons including health, weight loss, environmental concerns and animal ethical issues.
无毛视频淎 lot of times, those of us who came across health issues, in researching how we can best take care of ourselves, discovered the plant-based way of eating. There无毛视频檚 a lot of information out there about it now, but it requires support because it无毛视频檚 not the common way of living anymore in our society,无毛视频� West said.
无毛视频淚t requires a different way of living besides going to a fast-food place or making food last in your life 无毛视频� we are offering ways in which you can make it a part of your lifestyle including where to shop, how to prep, and things that you can cook, everything from entrees through desserts,无毛视频� West said.
West and Herman embraced a plant-based diet after walking through their own health concerns. For West, 61, following a high-risk breast cancer diagnosis with precancerous cells, online research led her to a meet-up group led by Herman some seven years ago.
Herman, 81, met Dr. Sally Lipsky, founder of Plant-Based Pittsburgh, about eight years ago. Lipsky founded Plant-Based Pittsburgh in 2008 following her treatment for late-stage breast cancer. At the time, Herman was leading her own meet-up group for people interested in eating whole-food, plant-based and eventually became the leader of the Plant-Based Pittsburgh South and pulled West in as the co-leader.
Herman came across plant-based eating when she was interested in losing a few pounds. 无毛视频淚 started looking at various posts and websites, and it just made sense to me. As I started reading everything, just intuitively, it made sense.无毛视频�
Both West and Herman have their T. Colin Campbell Certificate through eCornell for plant-based nutrition, and West serves on the board of directors for Plant-Based Pittsburgh.
The meetings include speakers, cooking demonstrations and even potluck meals.
Bill Singer and his wife, Carmella, try not to miss a meeting.
As Bill tells it, his son came home in 2012 and said, 无毛视频淢om, I无毛视频檓 going vegan. And she said, 无毛视频榃hat the hell is that, and what am I supposed to make for you?'无毛视频� Their son also urged them to take better care of themselves. The couple went from vegetarian to pescatarian to vegan and transitioned to a whole-food, plant-based diet six years ago.
无毛视频淢y PCP would say, it无毛视频檚 not if you get diabetes, it无毛视频檚 when you get diabetes. So it was for health reasons in the beginning,无毛视频� Bill said.
He无毛视频檚 now 73 and believes, 无毛视频淚 probably wouldn无毛视频檛 be sitting here talking to you if I wouldn无毛视频檛 have changed my diet because my dad had several heart attacks. And I got off every single medication I was on. I lost 65 pounds.无毛视频� Bill became certified to teach nutrition classes.
Hank Mader, 89, started with physician Dean Ornish无毛视频檚 low-fat, vegetarian diet program to reduce heart disease in 2004 after undergoing quadruple bypass surgery in 2002. He无毛视频檚 still following a whole-food, plant-based diet.
无毛视频淚 have a reason for following the whole-food, plant-based diet. It无毛视频檚 called survival. I无毛视频檓 convinced it无毛视频檚 a much healthier way of eating,无毛视频� said Mader. 无毛视频淚 think I probably wouldn无毛视频檛 be here if I was trying to eat a standard diet.无毛视频�
Spinach and mushroom lasagna is his favorite meal.
West and Herman acknowledge the importance of protein. 无毛视频淵ou still have to be mindful of that,无毛视频� West said, 无毛视频渏ust as you would have to be mindful about, am I going to eat a hamburger, or chicken, or pork? We teach how to do that. Instead of the meat, we无毛视频檙e thinking about whole grains, tofu, tempeh, and lentils, those types of things, so you still get enough protein.无毛视频�
People vary in their degree of adherence.
无毛视频淲e aren无毛视频檛 the food police,无毛视频� said Herman. Their aim is to support people who want to make changes.
West said they are also not anti-modern medicine. 无毛视频淲e are looking to just also take care of ourselves properly,无毛视频� said West.
That means staying as close as possible to the whole food to retain the nutrition and trying to eat as highly nutrient-dense as possible. 无毛视频淪o it would be akin to, if you think about taking care of your flowers and your trees, you wouldn无毛视频檛 pour Diet Coke on it and expect it to grow,无毛视频� said West.
For the Singers, a whole-food, plant diet based means no sugar, oil, or salt. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e probably 95% whole food, plant-based. At home, it无毛视频檚 100%,无毛视频� Bill said.
无毛视频淣ot everybody无毛视频檚 vegan, not everybody无毛视频檚 whole-food, plant-based. Some come out of curiosity. A lot of people are, you know, there to try to improve their health,无毛视频� said Singer.
Angela Cheng, 49, of Brookline, was trying to regain her health after a diagnosis of stage three melanoma. She combined conventional medicine and integrative medicine which included juicing, whole-food, plant-based and raw eating as part of her healing journey.
无毛视频淎 couple of different people said to me, as part of your healing from cancer, look at reducing your inflammation and reducing sugar intake. And that led me on a rabbit trail to transitioning to whole-food, plant-based,无毛视频� Cheng explained.
Cheng said she will be in remission for five years this fall. Being part of a group has given her extra support.
无毛视频淲henever I无毛视频檓 at the Plant-Based Pittsburgh community meetings, it无毛视频檚 a great wealth of new recipes, new websites. It无毛视频檚 free, and it无毛视频檚 a way to get to know new people,无毛视频� Cheng said of the multi-generational group.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 just a beautiful blend of people that you normally wouldn无毛视频檛 bump into. And there无毛视频檚 no judgment for where you are in your food journey,无毛视频� said Cheng.
Plant-Based Pittsburgh South meets every third Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Sunnyhill Unitarian Church in Mt. Lebanon. For more information, visit the Plant-Based Pittsburgh South Facebook page, or PlantBasedPittsburgh.com for more meeting information.
Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes provided by Terri West, Plantfully Pittsburgh, Mentoring and Hospitality Consulting.
Veggie Chili
Serves 6
Ingredients:
4 multi-colored bell peppers, medium-size dice
1 large onion, medium-size dice (any large variety of choice)
1-2 bunches green onions, sliced from whites to greens, optional
陆 bag frozen corn kernels, or equivalent
*Optional, can also add other veggies, see note below
3-4 cans beans, drained and rinsed (typically combination of black and red kidney)
1 small can chopped chilis
2 cans stewed tomatoes (fire-roasted adds heat!), chopped with scissors in pot
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup jarred, low-salt, thicker salsa (Love Paul Newman无毛视频檚 black bean/corn variety for this)
1.5 to 2 cups low-salt vegetable broth and/or beer of choice
1-2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander, optional
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 to 2 bay leaves (remove before serving)
Salt: only added to individual servings, if desired
Directions: Add and mix ingredients together in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or lower setting for 6 hours depending on the temperature of your appliance. Can also make in an InstaPot.
* Note for precooked optional additional veggies: They should be medium-size diced/cubed, seeds removed. Adding any of the below raw would add a good amount of cooking time and/or water down the final product and become mushy. Can par-cook.
Add additional veggies of choice, if desired. Starchy vegetables add bulk and contribute to satiety.
Non-Starchy: Zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms
Starchy: White/gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash
Note for variety:
For pumpkin chili, sub a half-can pure pumpkin puree for the tomato paste and add 1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon and maybe 1 teaspoon nutmeg. Especially good when adding butternut squash and/or sweet potatoes. Try topping any variety with blueberries for a fun flavor contrast.
Cowboy Caviar
Add amounts suitable to your taste; amounts shown are suggested. Great as a meal or to have on hand for snacking 无毛视频� quite craveable!
Ingredients:
3 Bell Peppers (can sub or include chopped roasted peppers), small-diced
2 cups baby tomatoes, diced
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed (can substitute any bean you prefer or combination)
1 bag organic or nonGMO edamame
1/2 bag frozen corn, thawed
1/4 onion, finely diced or sliced, preferably red or sweet Vidalia
Mango, fresh or frozen, diced
1 avocado, diced (reduce or omit to lower calorie density)
Fresh cilantro, chopped, if desired
3 limes
Directions: Combine all the ingredients, except limes, into a large bowl.
Juice the limes over the mixture and stir through. Best to consume after it sits a few hours for flavors to meld but can eat immediately.
To add more protein and satiety, add quinoa and/or rice (black or purple rice is especially colorful) to either main bowl or to individual servings. Can eat in a bowl as a meal/snack or as a dip with crackers.
When serving, you can add additional lime juice to freshen, pinch of salt if tolerated, and flavored thickened vinegar for additional flavor. Otherwise, it is excellent serving as it is.
Pumpkin muffins
Makes 12 muffins without add-ins; up to 18 with add-ins
Dry ingredients
2 cups oat flour
3 tablespoons powdered peanut or cashew
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup ground flax seed
Wet ingredients
1/4 cup unsweetened plant milk plus 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (mix and rest 5 minutes before adding) 无毛视频� do first
2 bananas, mashed and fork whipped
1 cup pure pumpkin, canned
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons date or maple syrup
Directions: Combine wet and dry ingredients. Do not overstir so batter does not become pasty.
Fold in add-ins of choice, but not necessary: diced apple, berries, nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit.
Rest batter 10 minutes and then give a quick stir.
Pour batter into parchment-lined muffin tin. Alternately, dollop onto parchment-lined cookie sheet for muffin tops and follow baking instructions below.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Tofu Scramble
(Inspired by NoraCooks)
Ingredients
1 medium onion, small-dice
1 to 2 cups other vegetables, small-dice: choose from peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, artichokes, greens
1 16-ounce package organic super firm tofu, crumbled directly into the pan
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed, optional
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Kala Namak (black salt), to taste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, if desired for cheesiness
2 tablespoons plant milk, unsweetened and unflavored or water
Instructions: Water-saut茅 the onion and other Vegetables in pan of choice until softened to your liking. Crumble the tofu directly into the pan with your hands. Saut茅 by stirring frequently (3 to 4 minutes) until the water from the tofu is mostly evaporated.
Add the seasonings, and nutritional Yeast if using. Saut茅 and stir constantly for another 5 minutes. Stir in the black beans, if using. Mix in the plant milk for creaminess. Serve when mixture is evenly warm.
Can serve on its own or as a burrito.