Well, as I promised earlier in the week, here are the interview questions that I asked Lindsay and her replies. . . I hope you find something interesting and helpful to you! Also, just to tempt your taste-buds just a little bit, I have been given permission to post for you one of Lindsay's new recipes that appears in "Happy Herbivore Light & Lean." I was actually given a short list of recipes that I could choose from--but I could only chose ONE to share with you here. SO, if you like this one, you just may have to go order yourself a copy of the whole book! :) As I looked over the title of my recipe options, I decided to choose the "Meatloaf Bites," because--well--because Meatloaf seems the craziest thing to make WITHOUT MEAT, know what I mean??? Anyway, I haven't made this recipe myself yet, but I am planning on it! And if it is anything like the recipes in the past three Happy Herbivore books, I know I will LOVE it! :) And now, onto the interview!
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Susan: I have heard that apples are a food that you should buy organic since the chemicals they are sprayed with accumulate in the peeling. If a person cannot afford to buy organic produce, is it better for them to just not eat the peel? The peeling has a lot of nutrition, but would it be more hazardous than helpful in this case?
Lindsay: I'm not a scientist, nutritionist or other expert so I can't really say much except I think it's far better to eat a conventional apple than an organic potato chip. Don't get me wrong, I think organic is great, but if you don't have access to organics, or you can't afford them, that's okay. Just focus on eating plant foods. That's more important. Do the best you can.
Lindsay: I'm not a scientist, nutritionist or other expert so I can't really say much except I think it's far better to eat a conventional apple than an organic potato chip. Don't get me wrong, I think organic is great, but if you don't have access to organics, or you can't afford them, that's okay. Just focus on eating plant foods. That's more important. Do the best you can.
Susan: My daughter and I fell in love with the Banana Ice Cream Breakfast from the menu plan, and sometimes she asks for it every single day. I am happy to make it for her, but sometimes I worry that maybe we are over doing it with eating so many bananas (the two of us end up eating around five frozen bananas when I make this, so 2 1/2 each). Sometimes after we have eaten the Banana Ice Cream for breakfast, she will also ask for a banana based smoothie for desert at lunch time. Should the daily/weekly number of fruits be limited to avoid raising your triglycerides?
Lindsay: I'm thrilled to hear the meal plans are a hit with your daughter! Woot! That said, I'm not a nutritionist, or a doctor, so I can't say much. However, in my personal opinion, I think it's far better she's addicted to bananas than PopTarts. Variety is great, but I wouldn't obsess over it. Most kids are picky and go through phases with foods. They'll eat blueberry muffins nonstop and then never eat them again. It's just kids being kids ;) If you can get in some more variety, great, but unless your doctor is worried, I wouldn't be worried that a child loves a fruit :)
Lindsay: I'm thrilled to hear the meal plans are a hit with your daughter! Woot! That said, I'm not a nutritionist, or a doctor, so I can't say much. However, in my personal opinion, I think it's far better she's addicted to bananas than PopTarts. Variety is great, but I wouldn't obsess over it. Most kids are picky and go through phases with foods. They'll eat blueberry muffins nonstop and then never eat them again. It's just kids being kids ;) If you can get in some more variety, great, but unless your doctor is worried, I wouldn't be worried that a child loves a fruit :)
Susan: Sometimes my husband who is a teacher has literally 15 minutes to eat lunch between one class ending and the next beginning.
He does not have time to eat a "real" meal, but could eat a small snack type food. We want to avoid the typical potato chip route, but need something already prepared that is just as quick to grab--any suggestions?
Lindsay: Sandwiches, muffins, precut vegetables, fruit, beans and rice, soup in a thermos, any of the lunches on the meal plan (getmealplans.com) since they're all made ahead and ready-to-eat.
Lindsay: Sandwiches, muffins, precut vegetables, fruit, beans and rice, soup in a thermos, any of the lunches on the meal plan (getmealplans.com) since they're all made ahead and ready-to-eat.
Susan: I make my own bread with 100% whole wheat and leave out all oil, but I have heard that even bread made this way is not really a "whole food." I have wondered why, since all the fiber from the grain is still remaining. Any thoughts on bread/pancakes/crackers/etc.? If they are whole grain and oil free, are they something we can eat a lot of or should we still be limiting them a bit?
Lindsay: I look at things on a sliding scale. Yes, there is no such thing as a whole-wheat bread tree. Whole-wheat bread is not a whole food in the sense that broccoli is a whole food. Whole-wheat bread, or more specifically, the whole wheat flour used to make the bread, is a broken down grain. It's a very concentrated source of calories. Yes, homemade, 100% whole-wheat bread made without oil is light years healthier than the junky white bread at the store with a million ingredients you can't pronounce, but it's still not as whole as, say, an apple, or brown rice.
I tell my clients to eat as many whole, unprocessed plant foods as possible. Really stick to whole grains like brown rice, beans, lentils, fruits and vegetables. Broken grains like whole-wheat bread or even whole-wheat pasta are fine as long as they accent the diet, but they should not be a staple, and they should be a small serving with a big serving of other whole foods. For example with the pasta, have a little bit of pasta mixed with a ton of vegetables, not just a big bowl of pasta.
Lindsay: I look at things on a sliding scale. Yes, there is no such thing as a whole-wheat bread tree. Whole-wheat bread is not a whole food in the sense that broccoli is a whole food. Whole-wheat bread, or more specifically, the whole wheat flour used to make the bread, is a broken down grain. It's a very concentrated source of calories. Yes, homemade, 100% whole-wheat bread made without oil is light years healthier than the junky white bread at the store with a million ingredients you can't pronounce, but it's still not as whole as, say, an apple, or brown rice.
I tell my clients to eat as many whole, unprocessed plant foods as possible. Really stick to whole grains like brown rice, beans, lentils, fruits and vegetables. Broken grains like whole-wheat bread or even whole-wheat pasta are fine as long as they accent the diet, but they should not be a staple, and they should be a small serving with a big serving of other whole foods. For example with the pasta, have a little bit of pasta mixed with a ton of vegetables, not just a big bowl of pasta.
Meatloaf Bites from "Happy Herbivore Light & Lean"
by Lindsay Nixon
by Lindsay Nixon
Makes 8
Gluten-free, Quick, Budget
One afternoon I grabbed what I thought was corn from the freezer but later realized it was mixed vegetables. Once they thawed on the counter I knew they weren’t going back in, so I looked for a new, inventive way to use them. A can of kidney beans started calling, and before I knew it I had a vegetable-filled meatloaf in the oven. Since this meatloaf is baked in a muffin tin (great for serving sizes and portion control), I call it meatloaf “bites” and, yes, leftovers are great as a burger!
1 15-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp chili powder (add another 1 tsp if you like it spicy)
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (recipe in full cookbook)
1 c frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
6 tbsp instant oats
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or use nonstick. Mash beans in a bowl with
fork or potato masher until well mashed. Add remaining ingredients, except oats, and stir to combine.
Stir in oats. Spoon into muffin tin and pack down. Bake for 20 minutes until crisp on the outside and
fairly firm to the touch (firms a bit as it cools). Serve with ketchup, Quick Gravy (pg. 188), etc.
Per Bite
Calories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Fat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7g
Carbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.9g
Fiber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.5g
Sugars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3g
Protein. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.8g
WW Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
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Hope you all have enjoyed this little interview and the new recipe! Truly Lindsay's recipes have been such a blessing in my own life--I hope they are a help to you as well!
~Susan
