This month I’m focusing on plant forward meals. Why? Well…it’s been in my face a lot this month so that means I must share with you. You’ll see why below.

Being a Vegetarian I want you to know that I’m not projecting my values on to you, I’m simply providing evidence-based, current nutrition information that may speak to what’s inside of you. Take or leave it folks.

Here’s a recent article that came out highlighting a new Plant-Based Physician’s Guide that was just developed. The take-away is physicians are now given a resource involving plant-forward eating that they can recommend and prescribe to their patients to help prevent and/or manage chronic disease and cancer. Here’s the gist:

New Plant-Based Physician’s Guide

A new guide, published in The Permanente Journal, explains the benefits of plant-based diets and best practices for doctors. The guide outlines how this diet more effectively prevents and treats disease by lowering intakes of carcinogens, contaminants, saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and other hazardous components found in animal products, as well as increasing antioxidants, phytochemicals, and other protective nutrients that lower disease risk. Step-by-step advice helps clinicians establish a dialogue about nutrition with their patients and gives them the information they need to help patients transition to a vegan diet.

Hever J. Plant-based diets: a physician’s guide. Perm J. 2016;20:15-082.

Now I want to share with you about a conference I just went to (Nacufs) where “Menu’s of Change” Initiative from Harvard University and The Culinary Institute of America educated us about their enlightening program.

THE MENUS OF CHANGE INITIATIVE:

What if leaders in the culinary arts, business, public health, and environmental sciences all worked together to develop business-friendly solutions to today’s most pressing social and environmental concerns? Among others, concerns such as:

• Obesity, diabetes, and healthcare costs
• The sourcing and production of our food
• The challenge of feeding an additional two billion people by 2050, as global resources decline

Menus of Change: The Business of Healthy, Sustainable, Delicious Food Choices is a ground-breaking initiative from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health that examines these key issues. Launched in 2012, the initiative aims to create a world-class network of collaboration among America’s most talented chefs, nutrition and environmental scientists, farm and fisheries experts, foodservice executives, and policy makers.

Here is this initiative’s principles in an infographic format:

It struck a chord in me, and hopefully it will in you too.

Plant-Centric meals don’t ever have to be dull…

Here are some recipe resources for you if you wish to go more plant-centric:

1. http://www.forksoverknives.com/the-fok-diet/
2. http://www.plantbasedcooking.com/recipes.html
3. 3. http://www.thugkitchen.com/recipes
4. 4. http://blog.nativefoods.com/nativefoods/vegan-recipes/
5. http://www.rd.com/health/healthy-eating/true-food-kitchen-recipes/

Thinking of meat as being reformatted into a condiment versus main dish. It’s taking a back seat the veggies. It’s where we are all headed so you might want to try this on for size. It’s where we need to be both physically and globally.

But you do you.

Toodles!
MJ