The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization declared 2023 the International Year of Millets (following in the footsteps of quinoa, which received the honor in 2012). In this guide to millet, we’ll break down why the small but mighty grain should be in every whole-food, plant-based kitchen and give you cooking tips and recipes to try.
What Is Millet?
Actually, the question should be “What are millets?” Millets are a family of seed-producing grasses that hail from sub-Saharan Africa and have been cultivated as food for over 10,000 years. Round, yellow hulled millet has become increasingly popular in Western cuisines and is the type you’ll most likely find at the supermarket, along with fonio, which is a West African millet variety, and sorghum.
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The UN’s decision to spotlight millet in 2023 stems from its potential to promote food security worldwide. Millet grows in just about any climate; varieties are cultivated from the chilly plains of Canada to the hot arid regions of Africa. Millet is also a nutritional powerhouse. It’s classified as a “nutri-cereal,” a food grain that’s especially high in essential nutrients.
Is Millet Gluten-Free?
Millet is gluten-free, which is one reason for the perfectly round seeds’ growing popularity. Millet flour is a light, slightly sweet option for gluten-free baking. As with oats, cross-contamination between millet and gluten-containing cereals is possible, so cooks who are especially sensitive to gluten should opt for certified gluten-free millet and millet products.
8 Reasons to Cook with Millet
We’re big millet fans here at Forks Over Knives. Here’s why.
1. Millet is delicious… and versatile.
Millet has a mild, grassy, corn-like flavor that pairs well with both sweet and savory ingredients. It’s delicious served on its own and can be used anywhere a recipe calls for couscous, bulgur, quinoa, or even brown rice.
2. It cooks in just 12 minutes.
Twelve minutes is all it takes to cook a pot of millet to creamy perfection on the stovetop. See the “How Do You Cook Millet?” section below for specifics that include converting cooking times to an Instant Pot/multicooker or rice cooker.
3. It’s reasonably priced.
Hulled millet costs under half the price of quinoa, a similarly sized gluten-free whole grain.
4. Millet makes a great hot breakfast cereal.
Cooking millet in lots of liquid turns it into a luscious, soft porridge that can be served for breakfast or used like polenta in savory dishes. To make millet porridge, simmer 1 cup millet in 4 cups liquid (water, plant-based milk, or a combination) for 30 minutes, or until very soft.
5. Millet adds crunch to baked goods.
Raw millet seeds make a tasty, crunchy addition to breads and other baked goods. You can also toast the seeds 3 to 4 minutes in a dry skillet, then sprinkle over salads and grain bowls. It’s also great in granola.
6. You can sprout and pop millet.
Raw millet seeds can also be sprouted like mung beans and popped like popcorn (in a dry skillet over high heat) for crunchy additions to salads and sandwiches.
7. It’s a nutritional powerhouse.
One cup of cooked millet clocks in at about 200 calories with 6 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber. It’s also a good source of essential vitamins and minerals including magnesium and folate, and the finger (or ragi) variety of millet is high in calcium.
8. Millet is an ancient grain for the future.
Millet is a sustainable, drought-resistant crop that thrives in poor soil and feeds millions each year. Learn more on the UN International Year of Millets page.
Pre-Cooking Prep Steps
The following prep steps aren’t necessary for cooking millet, but can enhance the cooked grains’ flavor and texture.
Rinsing
It’s always a good idea to rinse whole grains before cooking, even if the package states they have been pre-washed. Rinsing millet removes any dust or debris and can reduce the risk of accidental gluten contamination. It’ll also help keep theRinsing also helps keep the cooked grains separate even as they cook.
Soaking
Many cooks like to soak millet before cooking. Soak millet anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight to make it more tender and digestible.
Toasting
Toasting millet in a dry pan 3 to 4 minutes before cooking it in water adds a nutty element to its flavor profile.
How to Cook Millet
Millet is as easy to prepare as a batch of rice, and 1 cup of raw millet will yield about 3 cups of cooked grains. Here’s a quick rundown of all the ways to prepare it.
Stovetop
Cooking millet on the stovetop lets you control the final consistency.
Instructions: Combine 1 cup millet with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Cover, and bring to a boil, then simmer the grains 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Drain off any excess liquid.
Pasta-Style
When you cook millet like pasta in a large pot of boiling water, the grains remain distinct and fluffy like couscous.
Instructions: Simply bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and stir in the millet. Boil 10 to 12 minutes, or until just tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water, if desired.
Instant Pot (Multicooker)
Because Instant Pots and other multicookers lock in moisture and cook foods at a higher temperature, a little less water is needed to cook millet and other grains.
Instructions: Place 1 cup millet and 1¾ cups water in the Instant Pot or multicooker. Seal. Cook on high power for 8 minutes. Let the steam naturally release to ensure the grains are fully cooked.
Rice Cooker
The regulated heat of rice cookers is perfect for cooking millet and yields distinct, fluffy grains without clumps.
Instructions: Place 1 cup millet and 2 cups water in the rice cooker. Use the setting for white rice (10 to 12 minutes) to cook the millet.
How to Make Millet Flour
If a recipe calls for millet flour but you only have whole grain millet, make your own: Place dry, uncooked whole grains in a blender. Cover. Blend 30 to 40 seconds or until ground into flour. Use as directed in recipes.
Our Favorite Millet Recipes
Want more inspiration? Look no further than these deliciously easy recipes.
Looking for more healthy-cooking inspiration? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path. To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer.
Multigrain aloo paratha , an Indian flatbread stuffed with spiced potatoes! This addictive whole wheat and multigrain flatbread is a Punjabi breakfast staple. Step by step pictures. Soyfree Nutfree
Table of Contents
Making aloo paratha from scratch can be a bit tricky, but I’ve got photos and video to guide you through the process. Make sure you check out the tips and notes on this page to help you make these successfully!
Paratha is an Indian flatbread, and in this dish it is stuffed with aloo (potatoes). In this version, I add some hemp and chia seeds to the potatoes to amp up the protein, along with spices and salt to make them super flavorful.
You will want chapati flour for the best results when making this aloo paratha recipe. Chapati flour is a little bit different from conventional wheat flour. It’s actually made from a different type of wheat, so it absorbs less water.
This whole grain version adds whole oats and buckwheat groats to give the dough an amazing texture and light, nutty flavor. This addition also makes the dough easier to knead. You don’t need to knead for long as the dough will not be very smooth( the added grain interfere with gluten formation). But that works in our favor as it is easier to roll the dough out.
I use spices in my potato filling. You can use spices and herbs of choice. Don’t want to use Indian spices, use an Italian blend and add some vegan cheese to make cheesy potato flatbread!
Multigrain Aloo Paratha (Potato-Stuffed Indian Flatbread)
Multigrain Aloo Paratha – an Indian flatbread stuffed with spiced potatoes! This addictive whole wheat flatbread is a Punjabi breakfast staple.
Prep Time40mins
Cook Time40mins
Total Time1hr20mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: aloo paratha
Servings: 10
Calories: 172kcal
Author: Vegan Richa
Ingredients
For the dough:
2.5cupswhole wheat chapati flourThis is different from whole wheat flour, see the recipe notes.
1/3cupold-fashioned oatsor quick-cooking oats
1/2teaspoonsalt
1/2teaspooncarom seeds (ajwain) or cumin seeds
1/4 – 1/3cupbuckwheat groats
1 3/4cupswaterdivided
1tablespoonoil or more as needed
For the filling:
4medium potatoes, yukon gold preferred
3tablespoonsor more hempseeds
1-2tablespoonschia seeds
1/2teaspoonturmeric
1/2teaspoonsalt
1teaspoonother spices of choice, I usually add mix of a few of ground coriander, cumin, garam masala or chaat masala or amchoor(dry mango powder), cayenne,
Optional:
Some or all of – a few tablespoons of finely chopped onion, 1 green chili finely chopped, 1 teaspoon minced ginger, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 2-3 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
Make the dough:
To a bowl add the flour, oats, salt, and spices and mix well.
Heat one cup of water, until almost boiling, and add the buckwheat. Let it sit for 2 minutes to cook and rehydrate and add the buckwheat to the flour mixture.
Add 2 teaspoons of oil and another 1/4 cup of water. Press and mix. Depending on your flour you might need some more water. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water at a time until the mixture will get slightly sticky.
Use your oiled hands and not a spatula to bring the dough together. Add a couple more tablespoons of water if needed. This will take no more than 2 minutes to press and bring everything together.
Once the dough comes together, knead for a couple more seconds. Brush one teaspoon of oil on the dough and cover it with a napkin or a plate and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Make the filling:
In the meantime prepare the filling. Cook your potatoes if you haven’t already either in the pressure cooker or in a pot. To cook them in the instant pot just add the whole potatoes and cover them with water and pressure cook for 10 minutes for medium-sized potatoes. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes then quick release. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl to cool for a little bit then peel and mash them.
To cook them in a saucepan, peel the potatoes, cube them and add them to a saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and boil over medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes depending on their size. Check the potatoes if they are cooked. Drain, add to a bowl, and mash.
Add the hempseeds, chia seeds, turmeric, salt, and spices, annd the optional onion, chili, cilantro if using,and mix well. Add the chia seeds to the hot potatoes so that the chia seeds will absorb the moisture. If the potatoes are already cold, the chia seeds won’t really absorb much moisture. Mix and mash really well and set aside for a few minutes.
Make the aloo paratha
Oil your hands really well and knead the dough for a few seconds. Divide the dough into 10 equal size balls. Cover them again with the napkin. For each dough ball, roll it between your hands, use a little bit of flour to dust the surface, and roll it with a rolling pin.
When rolling, you want to keep the edges of the dough thinner and the center thicker (see pictures and video).
Take about 2-3 tablespoons of the potato filling and place it in the middle of the flatbread. Fold the flatbread as you like. I usually make squares by folding one and then the other side then pressing it so that the sides stick. Then fold the top and the bottom and press again so it sticks.
Then using some more flour, dust both sides. To roll it out you need to press it down a little bit first then roll it out with the rolling pin. Roll it gently on the side that doesn’t have the folding. And again roll lightly without applying too much pressure on the side with the folding.
Once the square is about 6-7 inches set it aside.
Repeat for all the flatbreads. I usually roll out 3 or 4 and then start cooking them on the skillet. If this is your first time making them, it’s better to first roll them all out and then cook them.
If you have any extra filling you can just form it into patties or if you don’t have enough filling for the last one or two, you can just eat them plain without any filling.
Then heat your skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, place the flatbread onto the skillet and cook for 30 seconds or until golden brown. Drizzle a few drops of oil and flip it to cook on the other side for 30 seconds or so (depending on your skillet, the heat and how much heat is getting transferred to the flatbread) by pressing it a little bit. Repeat with the rest of the flatbreads until both sides are golden brown. Set aside on a plate or storage container.
Serve hot topped with vegan butter with some cumin spiced non dairy yogurt with shredded cucumber( raita) or chutneys like my tomato chutney, mango chutney, or Indian pickles(achar) or curries. Making aloo parathas can be tricky so definitely check out the recipe tips to make them.
Notes
Oats Substitute: omit them and add a few tablespoons more flour
Buckwheat substitute: omit and add a few tablespoons oats or more flour
Hemp seeds substitute: omit or use sesame seeds
Chia seed substitute : omit or use more hemp seeds
No Onion Garlic: don’t use the chopped onion and garlic powder
Try to use Indian chapati whole wheat flour.
You can also fold the rolled out flatbread into a triangle or a circle by bringing all the sides in the middle. I find the square to be the best for rolling even if the dough isn’t kneaded enough. To make the parathas gluten-free, you will have to use my cauliflower flatbread ormy gluten-free chia flatbread from my first book.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Multigrain Aloo Paratha (Potato-Stuffed Indian Flatbread)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 172Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 0.3g2%
Sodium 250mg11%
Potassium 76mg2%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 0.2g0%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 25IU1%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 40mg4%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Ingredients and Substitutions
whole wheat chapati flour – Do not use regular whole wheat flour in this recipe! It will be much harder to work with. Whole wheat chapati flour is made from a different kind of wheat and behaves differently. You can find it online or at Indian markets. If you can’t find chapati flour, use whole wheat pastry flour and use at least a third of the amount of all-purpose flour.
whole grains – Oats and buckwheat groats add texture, protein, and fiber to this multigrain paratha.
potatoes – Aloo (potatoes) are the base for the filling in this recipe.
hemp and chia seeds – The seeds add some texture and protein to the potato filling.
spices – Turmeric and salt are a must for seasoning the potatoes, and from there you can have some fun! I like to use some ground coriander, cumin, or garam masala to spice my potatoes.
onion, chili, and garlic – These are optional mix-ins, if you want your potato mixture to have even more flavor!
Tips
Always use the Indian chapati whole wheat flour because the whole wheat flour you get in stores uses a different type of wheat and it’s also coarsely ground and absorbs more liquid while kneading it. It’s also much harder to knead and roll out, it makes thicker parathas and it also dries up faster. So all in all I don’t like the whole wheat flour you get in regular stores. If you can’t find Indian whole wheat flour anywhere, you can use whole wheat pastry flour and use at least a third of the amount of all-purpose flour to make the dough so that it gets lighter and stays moist.
Ideally, when you make stuffed parathas, you knead the dough for a while, so it becomes really smooth and elastic & it’s easier to roll out. But because we are adding other grains to it, the dough is not going to become smooth, so you don’t have to knead it that long!. Just knead a little bit to bring the dough together, let it sit, and then knead 4-5 times, then divide into balls.
When you roll it out, use a little bit of flour so it doesn’t stick but doesn’t use too much flour as that will cause the paratha to dry out
You don’t want the filling to be too soft or too moist otherwise it will moisten the dough while you are rolling it out and the moist dough has a tendency to break open and the filling will spill. It doesn’t really matter as eventually you will eat it but you have to handle it delicately .
You can use a different filling to stuff the parathas. Cooking some other vegetables like carrots or/and cauliflower. You can also add more seeds to the filling to increase the protein. Or you can add some crumbled tofu to up the protein
How to Make Multigrain Aloo Paratha
Start by making the paratha dough. To a bowl, add the flour, oats, salt, and spices and mix well.
Heat one cup of water until almost boiling, and add the buckwheat. Let it sit for two minutes to cook and rehydrate and add the buckwheat to the flour mixture.
Add two teaspoons of oil and another quarter cup of water. Press and mix. Depending on your flour you might need some more water. Add one to two tablespoons of water at a time until the mixture gets slightly sticky.
Use your oiled hands and not a spatula to bring the dough together. Add a couple more tablespoons of water, if needed. This should take no more than two minutes to press and bring everything together.
Once the dough comes together, knead for a couple more seconds. Brush one teaspoon of oil on the dough and cover it with a napkin or a plate and let it sit for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the filling. Cook your potatoes if you haven’t already either in the pressure cooker or in a pot.
To cook them in the Instant Pot just add the whole potatoes and cover them with water and pressure cook for 10 minutes for medium-sized potatoes. Let the pressure release naturally for five minutes, then quick release. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl to cool for a little bit then peel and mash them.
If you’re cooking them in a saucepan, peel the potatoes, cube them and add them to a saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and boil over medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes, depending on their size. Check that the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain, add to a bowl, and mash.
Add the hempseeds, chia seeds, turmeric, salt, and spices, and mix well. You need to add the chia seeds to the hot potatoes so that the chia seeds will absorb the moisture. If the potatoes are already cold, the chia seeds won’t really absorb much moisture.
Mix and mash really well and set aside for a few minutes.
Oil your hands really well and knead the dough for a few seconds. Divide the dough into 10 equal size balls. Cover them again with the napkin.
For each dough ball, roll it between your hands, use a little bit of flour to dust the surface, and roll it with a rolling pin.
When rolling, you want to keep the edges of the dough thinner and the center thicker.
Take about two to three tablespoons of the potato filling and place it in the middle of the flatbread.
Fold the flatbread as you like. I usually make squares by folding one and then the other side then pressing it so that the sides stick. Then fold the top and the bottom and press again so it sticks.
Then, using some more flour, dust both sides. To roll it out you need to press it down a little bit first, then roll it out with the rolling pin. Roll it gently on the side that doesn’t have the folding. And again roll lightly without applying too much pressure on the side with the folding to keep the filling from squishing out.
Once the square is about six to seven inches wide, set it aside.
Repeat for all the flatbreads. I usually roll out three or four and then start cooking them on the skillet. If this is your first time making them, it’s better to first roll them all out and then cook them.
If you have any extra filling, you can just form it into patties or if you don’t have enough filling for the last one or two parathas, you can cook them as plain flatbreads without any filling.
Now, heat your skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, place the flatbread onto the skillet and cook for 30 seconds or until golden brown. Drizzle a few drops of oil and flip it to cook on the other side for 30 seconds or so (depending on your skillet, the heat and how much heat is getting transferred to the flatbread) by pressing it a little bit.
Repeat the cooking process with the rest of the flatbreads until both sides are golden brown. Set aside on a plate or storage container. Serve hot topped with vegan butter with some non dairy yogurt or chutneys or Indian pickles(achar) or curries.
Making aloo parathas can be tricky so definitely check out the recipe tips above to make them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is paratha?
Paratha is an Indian flatbread. It can be made on its own or stuffed with fillings, like spiced potato, cauliflower, radish, cheese etc.
Can this recipe be made gluten free?
Yes! Use my cauliflower flatbread or the gluten-free chia flatbread from my Indian kitchen book.
Is this recipe soy-free? Nut-free?
Aloo paratha is naturally soy-free and nut-free.
What to serve with Aloo paratha?
Serve hot topped with vegan butter with some cumin spiced non dairy yogurt with shredded cucumber( raita) or chutneys like my tomato chutney, mango chutney, or Indian pickles(achar) or curries.
Brianne Dressen volunteered and contracted with a drug company to be a guinea pig, Jessica Sutta did not. Out of a noble desire to help in a crises situation Brianne put herself on the front line to save
herself and mankind from a frightening plague that was threatening the world. Jessica just wanted to be a good citizen and help stop the spread of the plague with a guaranteed safe and effective remedy. Both are heroes, but both were severely injured.
Brianne willingly submitted to Astra Zeneca’s vaccine trial not knowing that animal trials were not successful, which put her in danger and resulted in permanent disability. Her first symptoms occurred within minutes of receiving the vaccine: paresthesia (prickly, burning or numbing sensations) of her arms, followed by paresthesia of her legs and then the entire body. She then developed severe tinnitus (ringing to roaring sounds in ears),
and then a sensitivity to light, sound, and touch so severe that windows needed blocking, touching stopped, and all sounds had to be muted. Her legs gave out resulting in a crippling physical disability and she also developed incontinence. With all these symptoms she was diagnosed with anxiety; the doctors said it was all in her head. The contracted drug companies, who were obligated to pay medical expenses, wouldn’t fulfill their responsibilities, and refused to even communicate, so she took
her complaints to the National Institute of Health (NIH), who noted the condition and reported it to the World Health Organization (WHO). European scientists matched her symptoms to a similar case and the vaccine was pulled within 10 days. She has since encountered many fellow guinea pigs with similar injuries. NIH treated her, which helped, so she started referring hundreds of people damaged from Moderna vaccines, but these referrals were blocked from obtaining help. These cases were also never
revealed to future recipients of the vaccines. The required, informed consent did not happen, resulting in thousands of injuries and death.
Without this pertinent information Jessica Sutta’s general
practitioner suggested she get vaxed for covid, even though she was pregnant. Fortunately, her inner voice said no, and she rejected the vaccine. Unfortunately, after delivery she accepted the “safe and effective” Moderna covid vaccine. After receiving the second dose she experienced muscle spasms, tremors, jerks, and small fire neuropathy. Her general practitioner said she had MS like symptoms, and they should pass in a few months. Her life was unbearable, and Jessica insisted on a referral to
a neurologist. The general practitioner finally relented and gave her a referral. The neurologist asked her when she had been vaccinated and told her she may be experiencing an adverse vaccine reaction. This enlightenment helped her emotional struggles, assuring her that she was not crazy and was not simply imagining her poor health. It was hard for her to come to grips with the fact that her misery resulted from being a good citizen and getting vaxed. Jessica doesn’t want retribution; she only
wants to warn others of the possible vaccine dangers.
Sometimes it is easier to focus on individual cases rather than statistics to comprehend the severity of the problem. I have presented you with
two cases that should at least tweak your curiosity. I hope you listen to their full stories in interviews with Jan Jekielek, journalist from the Epoch times. Brianne Dressen: March 12, 2023, and Jessica Sutta: March 16, 2023. Links are included below. I doubt that anyone knew of Brianne Dressen before her injuries, but millions are familiar with Jessica Sutta.
If you are still confused with the title of this newsletter: Jessica, an original member of the performing group Pussycat Dolls, was turned into a guinea pig by the system. May we all learn from their life experiences.
David Christopher is a Master Herbalist, director of The School of Natural Healing, and son of our beloved Dr. John R.
Christopher. He is continually helping others improve their health and that of their family members. The School loves having him as the director.
Oxidized cholesterol, which is concentrated in products containing eggs, processed meat, and parmesan cheese, has cancer-fueling estrogenic effects on human breast cancer.
In 1908, the presence of cholesterol crystals was noted “in the proliferating areas of cancers,” suggesting that cholesterol “may, in some way or other, be associated with the regulation of proliferation.” A century later, we now recognize that the “accumulation of cholesterol is a general feature of cancer tissue, and recent evidence suggests that cholesterol plays critical roles in the progression of cancers, including breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers.” I discuss this in my video Oxidized Cholesterol 27HC May Explain Three Breast Cancer Mysteries.
Might this explain why egg consumption is associated with increased risk of breast cancer? Indeed, a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence “suggest that dietary cholesterol intake increases risk of breast cancer,” and the more cholesterol you eat, the higher the risk appears to rise, as you can see in the graph below and at 0:52 in my video. Why is that?
One thought is the “prolonged ingestion of a cholesterol-enriched diet induces chronic, auto-inflammatory responses resulting in significant health problems including colorectal cancer,” and we know that “chronic nonresolving inflammation leads to the initiation, promotion, and progression of tumor development.” As you can see in the graph below and at 1:12 in my video, sprinkling some cholesterol on white blood cells in a test tube can trigger the release of inflammatory compounds, and LDL cholesterol can induce breast cancer proliferation and invasion, but that’s in vitro. In a petri dish, you can show that breast cancer cells can migrate nearly twice as far within a day in the presence of LDL cholesterol, but what happens in people?
The level of LDL cholesterol in the blood of women diagnosed with breast cancer does appear to be a predictive factor of tumor progression. About two years after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, not a single one of the women in the lowest third of LDL cholesterol levels had a cancer recurrence. The same could not be said for women with higher cholesterol. We know cholesterol can cause inflammation in our artery walls. Might it also have an effect on breast cancer initiation and progression? Researchers speculate that high cholesterol levels may have a “cancer-fuelling effect,” and, indeed, women with breast cancer who happen to be taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs appear to live about 40 percent longer before the cancer comes back. The data aren’t good enough to ensure the drug benefits outweigh their risks, though. Lowering cholesterol with diet may be able to give us the best of both worlds.
Animal studies show that if you feed cholesterol to mice, you can accelerate their cancers, “but extrapolation to humans is difficult as dietary cholesterol has limited effect on blood cholesterol levels in humans.” Thus, dietary cholesterol might just be “indicative of a lifestyle prone to health-related problems, including cancer”—that is, maybe people are just more likely to have an after-meal cigarette if that meal is bacon and eggs compared to oatmeal. It was difficult to imagine how dietary cholesterol alone could promote cancer development, but that changed recently with the discovery that 27-hydroxycholesterol, “27HC, a metabolite of cholesterol, can function as an estrogen and increase the proliferation of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells.”
So, it’s not the cholesterol itself, but what the cholesterol turns into inside our body. “Scientists have long struggled to understand why women with heart disease risk factors are more likely to develop breast cancer.” Now, perhaps, we know. “The discovery that the most abundant cholesterol oxidized metabolite in the plasma,” in our bloodstream, can have estrogenic effects may explain the link between high cholesterol and the development and progression of breast cancer and prostate cancer. And, 27-hydroxycholesterol also stimulates the proliferation of prostate cancer cells, boosting growth by about 50 percent, as you can see in the graph below and at 3:58 in my video.
I’ve previously explored the “role for oxysterols in mediating pro-oxidative and pro-inflammatory processes in age-related degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and atherosclerosis,” heart disease, but it now looks like oxidized cholesterol can play a role in all three stages of tumor development, as well: initiation, promotion, and then the progression of the cancer, as you can see below and at 4:14 in my video. It doesn’t just promote the growth of breast cancer cells, but also “induces invasion and migration of breast cancer cells,” potentially facilitating breast cancer metastasis through suppressing anti-cancer immunity and then inducing angiogenesis, helping breast tumors hook up their blood supply.
“Several lines of evidence support a pathologic role” for this cholesterol metabolite. We know that when you feed cholesterol to mice, their oxysterol levels go up and their tumors accelerate, but it “also appears to dramatically hasten the spread, or metastasis, of breast tumors to other organs.” But, when researchers “turned to human breast tissue samples, they found that more aggressive tumors had higher levels of an enzyme…which converts cholesterol into 27HC.” In breast cancer patients with estrogen receptor-positive tumors, the 27-hydroxycholesterol content in their breast tissue is increased overall and especially within the tumor itself—so much so that circulating oxysterol levels in the blood may one day be used as a prognostic factor. And “breast cancer patients with low tumor levels of…[the] enzyme that breaks down 27HC…did not live as long as women with the highest levels” who can detoxify it better. “The bottom line…is that some estrogen-driven breast tumors may rely on 27HC to grow when estrogen isn’t available.” And that may explain a second breast cancer mystery.
More than 80 percent of breast cancers start out responding to estrogen, so we use hormone blockers—either aromatase inhibitors to stop the formation of estrogen in the first place or the drug tamoxifen to block its action. Despite the efficacy of these drugs, many patients relapse with resistant tumors, and that’s where oxidized cholesterol can come in. 27HC can fuel breast cancer growth without estrogen, which could explain why these estrogen blockers sometimes don’t work.
And, finally, 27HC may explain why breast cancer patients with higher vitamin D levels appear to live longer. Vitamin D supplementation decreases 27HC levels in the blood.
The best way to reduce our risk of getting breast cancer—and surviving it if we do get the diagnosis—may be to just lower our overall cholesterol. If you lower your cholesterol, you lower your oxidized cholesterol. So, discovering this role of cholesterol is actually really good news, since “cholesterol is a highly amenable risk factor, either by lifestyle, dietary, or pharmacologic interventions.” One of the implications of these findings, according to the principal investigator, is that “lowering cholesterol with dietary changes or statins [drugs] could reduce a women’s breast cancer risk or slow tumor growth.”
Since vitamin D supplementation decreases 27-HC levels in the blood, you may be interested in the best way get Vitamin D. See my videos The Best Way to Get Vitamin D: Sun, Supplements, or Salons? and The Risks and Benefits of Sensible Sun Exposure.
Veggie- and flavor-packed, savory baked oats are a perfect, healthy, make-ahead breakfast! The whole dish comes together in one pan and one bake.
Most everyone in my family prefers savory breakfast and snacks. I make my baked savory oats more than sweet versions. This is another delicious savory option for you which uses just 1 pan and makes a great snack for breakfast.
This is a super quick savory baked oatmeal casserole, just like my other baked oatmeal recipes; I use similar ingredients like oats and non-dairy milk. Then I add lots of vegetables and some spices.
The result is a moist oat bar that is filled with veggies. Think of ban oat “fritter,” but baked instead of fried, and in a bar form. You can also waffle the mix. Add a bit more flour and make waffles!
1/3cup(41.67g)all-purpose flouror other flour of choice or gluten-free blend
1teaspoonbaking powder
1/2teaspoonsalt
1/4teaspoongarlic powder
1teaspoongaram masala or sambar powder,I prefer sambar powder, or use Berbere or taco spice or Cajun for variation
For the veggies:
1cup(149g)chopped bell peppersuse a mix of red or green or just red bell peppers
1/2cupchopped carrotssmall chopped
1/4cup(40g)chopped onion
1/2cup(74.5g)chopped tomatoes
1/4cupchopped cilantro
For the wet ingredients:
1tablespoonoil, omit for oilfree, add 1 tbsp tahini or non dairy yogurt
1cup(236.59ml)hot non-dairy milk or water or broth
Instructions
In an 8×10-inch or similar size baking dish (or a 9×9-inch baking dish) add the oats, flour, baking powder, chia seeds, salt, and spices and mix really well. Add all the vegetables and toss well.
Then add the oil and warmed milk and mix really well. Using a spatula even the mixture out. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes while the oven is preheating.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) then bake the oats for 35-40 minutes or until the top is set and the edges are slightly golden.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the baked oats cool completely before slicing. You can serve it warm or cold with ketchup or chutney or a squeeze of lemon juice or other dressings or as it is.
Slice and store refrigerated in a closed container for upto 4 days, or freeze for upto 2 months. Reheat in the oven or air fryer. For 5 mins.
Notes
Variations: To make these heartier, you can add 1/4 cup of almond flour or chopped nuts to the dry mixture. You can also add in 1 cup edamame or cooked beans to make a protein-rich breakfast.Waffle it: Add 1/3 cup more flour. Let the mixture sit for 10 mins then spread dollops of it in waffle iron and waffle it.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Veggie Baked Oats (Savory Baked Oatmeal) Vegan
Amount Per Serving
Calories 311Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 450mg20%
Potassium 643mg18%
Carbohydrates 47g16%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 5727IU115%
Vitamin C 75mg91%
Calcium 228mg23%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Old fashioned or thickoats and flour – This is the base for your dough. You can use gluten-free or other flours, if needed.
baking powder, salt, and spices – Baking powder results in a fluffier casserole, while the salt and spices add lots of flavor!
veggies – Bell peppers, carrots, onion, tomato, and cilantro add flavor, texture, and nutrients.
wet ingredients – Non-dairy milk and oil add moisture to the oats mixture.
Tips
If you want even heartier vegan baked oats, add a quarter cup of nuts or almond flour to the pan before baking.
For more protein, add a cup or so of cooked beans or edamame.
Make sure to use warm non dairy milk and stir really well, so you have a nice, even mixture. Adding the ingredients in stages, as directed, helps you get a cohesive mixture that will bake up to the best texture.
How to Make Savory Veggie Baked Oatmeal
In an 8×10-inch or similar size baking dish, add the oats, flour, baking powder, chia seeds, salt, and spices and mix really well.
Then, add all the vegetables and toss well.
When those are well-combined, add the oil and warmed milk and mix really well.
Use a spatula even the mixture out, then let the mixture sit for five to 10 minutes while the oven is preheating.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) then bake the oats for 35-40 minutes or until the top is set and the edges are slightly golden.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the baked oats cool completely before slicing.
You can serve savory baked oats warm or cold. They are delicious with ketchup or chutney or a squeeze of lemon juice or dished up as-is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my baked oatmeal mushy?
If you have mushy baked oats, you just need to bake them for a little bit longer, so they can firm up all the way through the middle.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
You can make this gluten-free by using gluten-free flour and making sure your oats are certified gluten-free.
Is this recipe soy-free?
As long as your non-dairy milk isn’t soy milk, this recipe is naturally soy-free.
Can this be made nut-free?
Yes! Just make sure your non-dairy milk isn’t made from nuts.
Easter is coming so I figured a Spring inspired dessert would probably be timely. I’ve pondered making an impressive chocolate tart (like this) or a lemon flavoured tart perhaps, but I figured what is missing from my blog is a large vegan custard tart so that’s what I settled on, I hope the recipe will come in handy.
This adult size vegan custard tart is based on these individual vegan custard tarts I made a while ago so if a large tart feels like too much but you are down with the general theme, you may want to check them out instead.
I teamed a dairy-free and eggless version of this classic dessert with my favourite fruit of the season – forced rhubarb, which I roasted in the oven. It’s amazing pink colour is simply irresistible and its tangy flavour offsets the sweetness of this tart so nicely. I do realise that pink rhubarb isn’t available everywhere so you can simply serve this tart naked with just a sprinkling of nutmeg or cinnamon or team it up with any tangy fruit or fruit compote of choice. Raspberries were my second go-to in case I could not find rhubarb locally.
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
Although it may seem counterintuitive – as this traditional dessert relies heavily on eggs – my vegan version does not require many or any niche vegan ingredients. It’s all very simple and available in a larger supermarket.
AP FLOUR: the pastry is made with all purpose (also known as plain) white flour. If you would like to make these gluten-free, use a well balanced gluten-free flour mix and some xanthan gum to help the pastry stay together.
VEGAN BUTTER: vegan butter, also known as vegan block, makes the best pastry. I typically use the Danish brand Naturli and the Greek one called Violife, which are available in most UK supermarkets. Naturli is unsalted so if you were to use vegan butter than contains salt you may want to add less salt to the pastry. If vegan butter is out of your reach, use coconut oil instead. My recommendation is use refined version like this so that the final product does not taste of coconut and when you take the pastry out of the fridge it will be rock hard – allow it to acclimatise before attempting to roll out.
OAT MILK: I used Oatly barista, a rich oat milk, to make the custard filling. Any rich (thick, not watered down) plan milk will give you a rich plant-based custard. I also tested this recipe with high percentage (8%) soy milk and it came out equally delicious. Any rich (i.e. not watered down) plant milk with neutral taste will work well. After oat and soy milk, cashew or almond would be my recommendation.
CASTER SUGAR: A small amount of sugar is used to sweeten the pastry and quite a lot more to sweeten the custard. I used caster sugar, which is superfine white sugar in both instances. If that’s unavailable, use icing / confectioner’s sugar in the pastry and any sugar you like in the custard, just make sure it dissolves fully before adding cornstarch.
CORNFLOUR / CORNSTARCH: cornflour (known as cornstarch in the US) is what is used to thicken the custard in the place of eggs. Cornstarch is typically used in a traditional egg-enriched custard too, but here we are using a bit more to compensate for the fact that there are no eggs in this recipe.
VANILLA: custard and vanilla are an inseparable duo, use the best vanilla you can afford and be generous, vanilla is what gives this custard its moreish flavour.
CARDAMOM: I like to flavour my custard with a small amount of cardamom, but that’s totally optional. Only use if you and your guests like cardamom and don’t go overboard as it’s a potent spice. I used a third of a teaspoon of freshly ground spice – it has much better flavour than ground cardamom from a store. If you decide to use cardamom, you may want to skip the dusting of nutmeg or cinnamon, unless you like that combination of spices.
SALT: a good pinch of salt offers a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of any dessert. I used regular table salt and a pinch of kala namak, commonly known as eggy salt as it tastes like eggs due to its high sulphur content.
TURMERIC: the tiniest pinch of ground turmeric is nice to add for that warm, reminiscent of egg custard, colour, but it’s totally optional.
NUTMEG/CINNAMON: custard is associated with different kind of spices depending on the culture. Here, in the UK, it is quite common to dust custard tarts with nutmeg, in Portugal a sprinkling of cinnamon is frequently used. Pick whatever spice you like or skip completely if neither appeals. If you do decide to use nutmeg, get a whole nutmeg and grate it yourself, it is way more aromatic than ground nutmeg from a store.
I find that the best way to make cut fat into flour – which is the basis of making shortcrust type of pastry – is to use a food processor. Place all of you dry ingredients and cubed fat (vegan butter in this case) in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs – tiny pieces of butter coated in flour. Next, start in adding cold water very gradually, initially by tablespoon then by teaspoon increments – you want to add as little as possible. You only want to add as much as is needed for the flour to clump together in your hand.
Empty the mixture onto the workbench and bring together with your hands gently, press into a disc, cover and rest for at least 30 minutes. Next roll it out so until the pastry is large enough to line the inside of you tart tin and is about 2-3 mm in thickness. Roll it around your rolling pin, place the rolling pin over the tart tin, unfurl the pastry and gently tuck it into the tin, making sure it is relaxed (not stretched) and reaches all the way to the edges.
Trim the pastry with a sharp knife, prick the bottom with a fork and blind bake. Line the pastry with a piece of crumpled baking paper and fill with baking beads (or raw beans or rice).
Once you remove the beads, bake it for a few more minutes until the bottom no longer looks raw – you may need to protect the edges with a strip of baking foil to ensure they are not browning too fast. Fill with custard once ready and bake until set.
While the pastry is baking, prepare the custard on the stove. Heat up plant milk with sugar, thicken with cornstarch slurry, season with vanilla, salt, cardamom (if using) and a pinch of turmeric for colour if liked.
Once the custard has thickened, add vegan butter and allow it to melt in the residual heat. You should end up with silky smooth, thick yet pourable custard. Allow it to cool a little before filling the blind baked pastry cake and bake again until set.
2 pinches of kala namak (eggy salt) or regular salt
70 g / 2.5 oz (about 1/3 cup) vegan butter
a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon, optional
TOPPING (optional)
400 g pink rhubarb
35 g / 3 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
METHOD
PASTRY
Place all pastry ingredients in a food processor – alternatively, you can make the pastry by hand – see photos here.
Pulse the machine until all the butter has been cut small and coated in the flour – the mixture should resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Gradually trickle in ice cold water while pulsing the mixture. Add water in small, 1 tsp increments towards the end and stop as soon as the mixture starts to look like breadcrumbs and clumps together in your hand when squeezed – you want to add as little water as possible.
Empty the food processor on the workbench. Gently press the dough together with your hands and form it into a disc, but do not knead (or else your pastry will be tough).
Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180° C / 355° F 30 minutes before you are ready to take the pastry out.
Remove the dough from the fridge, whack the disc with a rolling pin a few times and then roll it out on a lightly floured surface until the pastry is large enough to line the inside of a tart dish and is about 2-3 mm in thickness.
Roll the pastry sheet round your rolling pin and gently place on top of your baking tin (non-stick, loose bottom tin I what I use, otherwise you may want to grease and line your tin). Unfurl the pastry and line the inside of the tin with it making sure it reaches all the way to the edges.
Cut the excess with a sharp knife and use the excess to patch up any holes or thinner areas. Pierce the bottom of the pastry with a fork all over.
Line the pastry with a piece of crumpled baking paper and fill with baking beads (rice or dry beans).
Bake for 15 minutes with the baking beads, then remove the paper and the beads and bake for further 5-10 minutes just until the bottoms no longer look raw – you may need to protect the edges with strips of foil if they are browning too fast.
CUSTARD FILLING
Place cornstarch in a medium bowl, slowly trickle in 120 ml / ½ cup of oat milk while whisking. Whisk until cornstarch has fully dissolved and no lumps remain.
Measure out sugar and vegan butter.
Place the remaining oat milk in a medium size pot on low heat.
Allow to the milk to nearly come to a simmer before whisking in sugar. Cook on low heat whilst whisking until the sugar has dissolved.
Trickle in cornstarch slurry you created in step 1 while whisking in the whole time, simmer for a few seconds until the mixture has visibly thickened.
Now whisk in salt, vanilla, cardamom (if using) and the tiniest pinch of turmeric if you wish (for colour only). Take off the heat.
Add vegan butter to the hot custard and whisk it in to incorporate it. Your vegan custard should be smooth and glossy at this point.
TOPPING (optional)
Trim your rhubarb, cut into more or less uniform – 3 cm / 1.25 ” – pieces and arrange on the bottom of a baking tray.
Add 15 ml / 1 tbsp of water and sprinkle evenly with sugar.
Bake in a 190° C / 375° F oven for about 15-20 minutes, until tender but not falling apart. Cool completely before decorating the tart.
ASSEMBLY
Fill pre-baked pastry case with the custard mixture, smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle with nutmeg (or cinnamon) if using.
Bake in a 150° C / 300° F oven for approximately 35 minutes until the edges look set but the middle is still wobbly.
Allow to cool down completely, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting for neat looking slices.
Top with cool roasted rhubarb or other tangy fruit or fruit compote if using.
NOTES
*VEGAN BUTTER: use vegan butter that comes in a block (not the spreadable kind). In the UK the most popular brands are Naturli, Violife and Flora. Alternatively you could use coconut oil for both the pastry and filling, but it’s a little harder to work with – it will make your pastry tough straight out of the fridge so rest it at room temperature before attempting to roll out. I also recommend using steamed coconut oil – like this – so that there is no coconut taste.
*PLANT MILK: any rich plant milk will work, I’ve tried rich oat milk (Oatly Barista) and soy milk (8% soy) and they both work well, but I prefer the flavour of oat milk.
Healthy eating might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you consider taking a cruise. But as demand grows for more healthful vegan options, several seafaring companies are getting on board with special menus and themed voyages that celebrate a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle. We’ve rounded up a list of the top cruise lines that cater to WFPB eaters as well as mealtime tips for smooth sailing on any ship.
Cruises That Cater to Vegan and Plant-Based Diets
Master plant-based cooking with Forks
Spring Sale! Up To 40% Off Our Courses Through March 31
Holistic Holiday at Sea
Topping our list is Holistic Holiday at Sea. The 100% plant-based cruise, offered by MSC Cruises, is a seven-day retreat for those looking for delicious food, fun, fitness, and vegan inspiration and insight. HHS offers ample opportunity to rub shoulders and attend presentations from some of the biggest names in the plant-based lifestyle community, including physicians, nutritionists, chefs, and athletes. But there’s also plenty of downtime to relax and enjoy island life, whether that means shopping in Nassau, bicycling and kayaking in St. Maarten, or snorkeling Antigua’s Deep Bay. Meals are prepared from scratch using whole foods, maple and rice syrups replace white sugar and artificial sweeteners, and oil-free and gluten-free options are offered. Menu highlights include sweet rice and millet porridge topped with hazelnuts and watercress; lentil-walnut pâté with Belgian endive; vegetable paella; and chocolate-orange cake with chocolate-orange sauce.
Risotto on board the 100-percent vegan cruise Holistic Holiday at Sea
VeganTravel
The Germany-based VeganTravel offers fully vegan cruises throughout Europe and has slowly expanded their list of destinations around the world. Upcoming voyages include the Danube river, France and Normandy, and India via the Ganges River. Complete with daily yoga classes and an on-deck spa, these cruises are a luxurious way to indulge in the plant-based lifestyle. Vegan meal offerings include a daily breakfast buffet and fine-dining sit-down dinners in the evenings.
Windstar Cruises
This fleet of stunning boutique yachts sail small groups of passengers (less than 350 people per trip) through the most beautiful water passages in the world, including the Caribbean, European rivers, and the coasts of Alaska. In partnership with the National Health Association, Windstar Cruises is launching luxury whole-food, plant-based menus aboard all their ships starting in June 2023. The menus feature dishes without any added salt, oil, or sugar, and they’re also gluten-free to accommodate as many guests as possible. Think: Veggie enchiladas with black bean and cilantro sauce, roasted butternut squash velouté with baked pumpkin seeds, and tahini brownies with fresh strawberries. If you want to travel with other WFPB eaters, the NHA also organizes plant-based group cruises so you can bond with like-minded travelers, embark on incredible on-shore excursions, and experience life at sea like never before.
Oceania Cruises
While it isn’t a strictly vegan cruise, Oceania offers a total of 250 thoughtfully-created vegan dishes aboard all six of its cruise liners. Developed in collaboration with vegan chef Christophe Berg and inspired by Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Mexican cuisines, the offerings have been integrated into menus on the ships’ Grand Dining Rooms and Terrace Cafes. Dishes include green apple müesli with pistachios, pecans, and yellow raisins; penne au pistou with broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes; and green papaya kelp noodle salad. For travelers aspiring to a serious spa experience on the high seas, the plant-based menu is a key feature of the luxe Aquamar culinary and wellness spa programs on Oceania ships.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises, a luxury, all-inclusive cruiseline, offers 200-plus vegan dishes across its four-ship fleet serving more than 450 ports of call. The selections—also developed by vegan chef Christophe Berg—are fully integrated into daily menus. Highlights include chickpea pancakes, chia-cashew yogurt breakfast bowls, falafel fritters, plant-based power and poke bowls, and basil-scented fruit minestrone. Regent Seven Seas tours include excursions to Tasmania, the Arctic, the Mediterranean, Bali, and Cape Horn, among other stunning destinations.
Royal Caribbean Cruises
Windjammer Cafe, a buffet-dining option aboard Royal Caribbean ships, offers plenty of options for plant-based guests. In addition, the Main Dining Room features a nightly vegan menu that provides WFPB guests with several scrumptious options for starters, entrees, and desserts. Highlights include edamame-stuffed portobello mushrooms, vegan spaghetti Bolognese, and toffee “cheesecake” with dark chocolate and a peanut-butter crust. Royal Caribbean Cruise destinations include Bermuda, the Bahamas, Mexico, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Belize, and Cozumel.
SeaDream Yacht Club
SeaDream Yacht Club makes a point to pamper discerning and health-conscious travelers with gourmet vegan food that rivals Michelin star restaurants. Whether you’re set to tour the polar regions, island-hop the Caribbean, or sample wines on a Mediterranean voyage, you can expect to find pumpkin and zucchini lasagna, tofu cakes on sautéed zucchini with mint and basil sauce, and pumpkin-carrot mousse with roasted pumpkin seeds as standard fare. A DIY salad area for lunch and a cold-pressed raw and vegan juice smoothie bar offers refreshing beverages.
Costa Cruises
Costa offers special vegetarian and vegan menus upon request and also allows passengers to bring their own food products and have ship chefs prepare meals out of them. The company offers tours of the Caribbean, South America, Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean, among other fantastic destinations.
Tips for Eating Whole-Food, Plant-Based on a Cruise
Booked your cruise with another company?No sweat; there are many ways to “work the system,” says Steve Lawenda, a family physician at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clarita, California. Lawenda recently put his whole-food, plant-based diet to the test on a cruise. Here are his best tips for navigating uncharted waters.
Do Your Homework
Check your cruise line’s website for menu options or give them a call, recommends Lawenda. “Consider a Google search for your cruise line and/or specific ship and include the term ‘vegan’ or ‘plant-based.’ There are many useful third-party sites with tips, some sites of which consist of consumer/traveler reviews that also may be helpful.” Lawenda recommends perusing the message boards on CruiseCritic.com.
Speak Up
Don’t be shy, says Lawenda. “Once you board your ship, it’s most helpful to acquaint yourself with the dining room’s head waiter or maître d’ and explain your specific dietary needs. I have found they will either recommend items on the menu that are already compatible with your needs, or they will ask their chefs to create custom dishes for you.”
Hit the Buffet
Most cruises boast a large all-you-can-eat buffet. Use this to your advantage; it’s a great place to assemble a tasty meal from the vast array of side dishes and salad fixings. “The challenge was sometimes knowing which dishes were vegan, which had oil and/or refined sugar, or other added sweeteners,” says Lawenda. “In my experience, the head chefs will be more than happy to walk the buffet with you, pointing out existing options that fit your criteria, and in many cases, they will also be happy to make something custom for you.”
Remember: You’re the Customer
Cruises want you to enjoy yourself, write rave reviews, and recommend your experience to your friends, says Lawenda. “This typically means they will do whatever they can to not only accommodate your dietary requests [but also] make your food as delicious as possible. There seems to be a decent amount of competition in the cruise industry these days, and customer satisfaction, especially when it comes to the dining and culinary experience, is a top priority.”
Editor’s Note: Megan Edwards contributed to this article.
From conserving water to reducing carbon emissions, the benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet extend beyond your own body to support the health of our planet. Recent research has even shown that a vegan diet is significantly better for the environment than the popular Mediterranean diet. But cutting out animal products doesn’t automatically make your meals eco-friendly: Research has found that, compared with less-healthy eaters, healthy eaters tend to generate more food waste, which is a major culprit behind rising rates of greenhouse gasses. By learning how to reduce food waste at home, you can send less organic matter to landfills and keep more money in your pocket by consciously using every last edible scrap to create something delicious.
Going green can be a bit daunting, so we talked to several plant-based experts about their favorite strategies for reducing food waste at home. Discover how to meal plan more efficiently, transform commonly wasted food into yummy recipes, and organize your pantry to be eco-friendly. Reducing food waste is easier (and tastier) than you might think!
The Spring 2023 Issue is here!
Our gorgeous “bookazine” features expert tips, inspiration, and 70 fresh and delicious recipes for Spring.
How Much Food Is Wasted in the United States?
According to Feeding America, 119 billion pounds of food are wasted in the United States every year. That equates to 130 billion meals and nearly 40% of all food in the country. Organic waste is also the single largest category of material that goes into municipal landfills, which generate 15% of all U.S. methane emissions (a hazardous air pollutant and greenhouse gas).
While plant-based diets are significantly better for the environment than diets rich in animal products, a 2018 study published in PLOS ONE discovered the biggest creators of food waste are households that consume a healthy, plant-forward diet. The study authors found that fruits and vegetables are more often thrown out than animal products or shelf-stable foods (such as grains or legumes), which means vegans can often be the worst offenders of sending organic matter to landfills.
The good news? Reducing your food waste at home can significantly cut down on the amount of trash you toss each week, which ultimately helps decrease methane emissions. Being cognizant of the waste your produce in the kitchen—especially as a plant-based eater—is a great way to make your daily habits a little greener.
20 Food Waste Solutions
When it comes to reducing food waste, small changes add up to make a big difference. Pick a few tips from the list below to incorporate into your weekly routine and see how much more food goes into your stomach instead of the garbage can.
1. Keep Track of What’s in Your Fridge
“I have a magnetic dry-erase board on my refrigerator where I keep a list of things that need to be eaten first,” says Toni Okamoto, founder of the Plant Based on a Budget website and author of Plant-Based on a Budget. “It helps me know what I have in the fridge and use up the older items sooner than what I’ve just bought. Leftovers also go on the list so that they don’t get pushed to the back and forgotten.” If lists stress you out, you can also designate an “Eat This First” shelf in your fridge and pantry where you store ingredients or leftovers that need to be consumed before you move on to new items.
2. Focus on Familiar Favorites, and Plan Ahead
Seizan Dreux Ellis, executive chef of the vegan restaurant chain Cafe Gratitude, says his biggest meal prep tip is to start with your favorite meals and plan new recipes around those. “Keep it simple. I think people, particularly when they’re coming to a vegan diet or meal planning at home, get too complicated with it,” says Ellis. “I would just say to choose five simple dishes that you really enjoy and focus on those. If you love pasta, you know that will be one of your meals, and you can make two different kinds of sauces to go with it. If you love rice, then you can use it a couple times over the week and add a vegetable saute one night and a bean component the next night.” Planning out all your meals for the week ahead, as opposed to deciding the day-of what you’re having for dinner, helps keep ingredient waste to a minimum by ensuring you have everything you need. Check out our Cook Twice, Eat 6 Times meal prep guide for a week’s worth of tasty recipes.
3. Add Leftovers to “Catchall” Recipes
Snap up those straggler ingredients or small portion leftovers by incorporating them into forgiving dishes. “Curries and chilis are all easy, inexpensive dishes that can be adapted to whatever you have on hand,” says Okamoto. “You can throw so many things into them, then the slow cooking allows all the flavors to meld. I’ve come up with some interesting dishes by just making curries and chilis with what I have. … One time, I even threw a banana into a chili with sweet potatoes, quinoa, and cinnamon. I also do a lot of stir-fries and bowls. Bowls are especially easy to build with what you have, because you just start with a grain, add beans or tofu, use whatever vegetables you have, then pull it all together with some type of sauce.” For more inspiration, take a look at our article on creative ways to transform leftovers into a delicious new dish.
4. Welcome Worms Into Your Home
It’s inevitable that you’ll have food scraps that can’t be upcycled. Instead of tossing them in the garbage, turn them into nutrient-dense fertilizer with the help of a worm compost bin. The wriggly pink critters feast on your leftovers and naturally turn the waste into rich compost that can be returned to the soil, all without emitting any CO2. While electric countertop composters have become popular in recent years, experts note they don’t produce high-quality fertilizer, and the dirt-like substance they do make can emit greenhouse gasses when wet. Worm bins can be set up outside or inside, and the Essential Living Composter is an affordable, stylish option for indoor setups. While it may take a little work to get started, this is a truly eco-friendly compost technique that can also turn into a fun hobby. For those who aren’t so keen on inviting worms into their home, you can start a traditional compost bin outside or drop off your food scraps at your city’s public collection site. Check your city’s website for more information.
5. Make Broth with Vegetable Scraps
As a plant-based eater, you’re bound to end up with piles of carrot tops, potato peels, and onion skins that typically get thrown in the trash. Okamoto recommends saving these odd bits of produce to make a flavorful broth. “I like to cut up any produce that might have gotten left in the fridge, put it in a freezer box, and then use it to make a rich homemade vegetable broth when the box is full,” she says. “Vegetable broth only takes minutes to prepare in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, and you can use it all week long in other recipes.” If you’re new to making your own broth from scratch, follow our step-by-step guide on how to make homemade veggie broth.
6. Give Old Bread New Life
“When bread goes hard it’s perfectly consumable, but it’s not going to be nice to eat as toast,” says Carleigh Bodrug, founder of the PlantYou website and bestselling author of Plant You: 140+ Ridiculously Easy, Amazingly Delicious Plant-Based Oil-Free Recipes. “So one thing I love to do with it is add it to a casserole dish with almond milk, cinnamon, and a little maple syrup to make a great baked French toast.” If you don’t have the ingredients on hand to turn old bread into a full meal, you can cut it into cubes and toast it into the oven for croutons or crumble it into breadcrumbs to use as a crispy coating.
7. Freeze Big-Flavor Ingredients
Recipes that call for tomato paste or chipotle chiles in adobo sauce often don’t use the whole can. Instead of discarding the extras, freeze them in 1-tablespoon dollops on a parchment-lined baking sheet overnight; then transfer them to a labeled freezer bag or container for future use. Next time a recipe calls for a small portion of that ingredient you’ll already have the perfect amount measured out! You can also freeze fresh herbs, onions, and citrus for later use. This is a great trick to make seasonal ingredients last longer so you can cook with them year-round. Most frozen items keep well for three to six months when stored in an airtight container.
8. Understand Those ‘Use-By’ Dates
USDA guidelines state that Use-By/Sell-By dates refer to the timespan when a product is at its best flavor or quality, not when it becomes unsafe to consume. Many people throw out perfectly good food that’s gone past the “use-by” date even though it’s not spoiled or stale. When it comes to whole-food, plant-based items, it’s relatively easy to tell whether or not something is still good: “As long as it doesn’t have mold and doesn’t smell, it’s fine,” says Bodrug. “You could have an apple that’s a little bit bruised or a bell pepper that’s gone a bit wrinkly. It’s still perfectly safe to consume and can just be repurposed in a way that masks the imperfections.”
9. Stay Stocked on Pantry Staples
Okamoto suggests stocking your kitchen with plant-based basics so you can always find an easy way to eat straggler ingredients that might otherwise get thrown out. “I always have pantry staples like canned beans and tomatoes that can be used in lots of different ways to quickly make a meal,” she says. “Condiments are also a big help when throwing together meals. I keep soy sauce, hot sauce, and a salad dressing on hand at all times so I can use them to flavor whatever I’m making.” Take a look at our guide on how to give your kitchen a WFPB makeover so you can always have the essentials on hand.
10. Get a Food-Rescue Subscription Box
You can help reduce food waste outside of your own kitchen by subscribing to a food delivery service that rescues “ugly” produce. Companies such as Hungry Harvest team up with farmers to collect fruits and veggies that aren’t pretty enough to make it to store shelves but are just as tasty and safe to eat. Your carrots might not be perfectly straight nor your apple perfectly round, but using veggies that would normally be thrown away is a huge help in keeping organic waste out of landfills.
11. Hone Your Improv Skills
Making substitutions in recipes based on what you have on hand—and your own personal taste—will teach you how to get creative in the kitchen while reducing your food waste. “One thing I learned while cooking on a budget and one thing I really want for my readers is to feel comfortable making recipes based on what they have in their pantry,” Okamoto says. “For example, when a recipe calls for kale, you should feel empowered to use whatever greens you have instead of making a special trip to the store for kale. Most greens are interchangeable in recipes. Any color of bell pepper is fine [when bell pepper is called for]. Any member of the onion family—onions, leeks, shallots, etc.—will work for another. And so on.” If you’re not sure how to level up your cooking skills, FOK offers plant-based cooking classes that will turn you into a top chef in no time.
12. Regrow Your Scallions
Here’s a kitchen hack you’ll love: The next time you buy scallions (green onions) make sure to save the white bottom ends. Simply stick them in a glass of water and watch them grow back to their original size within a week! This sneaky tip ensures you always have fresh scallions on hand but only have to buy them once. Check out Bodrug’s video on this eco-friendly trick:
13. Don’t Shop Without a Plan or While Hungry
“Don’t be at the mercy of trying to decide what to get when you go to the grocery store,” recommends Ellis. “Because you’ll just end up over-purchasing, which leads to more potential food waste. So plan, even in a really general way, what you’re going to eat that week to make sure you’re purchasing intelligently.” Apart from arriving at the store prepared, shopping on an empty stomach is never a good idea. Those pesky hunger pangs might convince you to impulse-buy unhealthy snacks or ingredients you don’t really need. To help reduce food waste before you even start cooking, make sure you’ve fueled up on a good meal before pursuing the supermarket aisles.
14. Revive Wilting Veggies with Cold Water
Got droopy salad fixings such as greens, carrots, or celery? Give them a quick soak in ice water, pat them dry, and they’ll perk right up. For more produce resuscitation tips, check out Bodrug’s video on how to save wilting lettuce:
15. Learn to Preserve Your Food
Making your own pickles is easier than you might think! Preserving old produce by transforming it into tangy garnishes is a win-win, since you reduce food waste while creating a tasty topping for your meals. Red onions, carrots, and radishes are perfect for pickling, while old berries can easily be turned into jam. You can also dehydrate fruit for snacking or adding to salads, or ferment it to create a sourdough bread starter. If you’re not sure where to begin, Bodrug’s quick and easy recipe for preserved lemons keeps lemon rinds out of the trash and adds a tasty citrus element to chopped salads or Mediterranean pasta dishes:
16. Buy From Local Farmers
Shop at the nearest farmers market whenever possible! Buying fresh produce from local growers supports your community and encourages sustainable food practices that focus on in-season fruits and veggies. While the limitless supply of ingredients at grocery stores is certainly convenient, buying produce when it’s out of season (and not at its tastiest) can easily lead to food waste. If you can’t make it to a farmers market, many small-scale farms also offer community supported agriculture (CSA) boxes that deliver freshly harvested crops to your door on a weekly or biweekly basis.
17. Store Ingredients Correctly
A messy fridge can lead to forgotten ingredients that end up in the trash. Make sure you know how to properly store all your food so it stays fresh for as long as possible and is easy to find when you’re ready to start cooking. We also recommend stocking up on glass storage containers so you can quickly see what ingredients you have on hand. “Proper food storage is going to majorly help people reduce their food waste,” says Bodrug. “If you have potatoes, be mindful to keep them in a cool dry spot so they don’t sprout. For herbs, you can store them like a bouquet in a jar full of water so they stay fresh.” Another quick kitchen trick: Store vegetables like carrots, beets, and celery in jars of water as soon as you get back from the store to preserve their freshness for as long as possible.
18. Grow Your Own Herbs
We’re all guilty of letting our fresh herbs wilt and die before using the whole bundle. Cut back on food waste by planting your own herb garden so you can pluck as many or as few leaves as your recipe requires! The best part about herbs is that they don’t take up much space, so as long as you have a sunny windowsill you can have beautiful aromatics growing all year round. Plus, tending your own garden means the wasteful plastic clamshells that fresh herbs are packaged in will stay off your shopping list and out the landfill.
19. Use Aging Produce to Zhuzh Up Your Hummus
“Wrinkly vegetables are wasted all the time,” says Bodrug. “Recently I had an extra bell pepper lying around and I turned it into a great eggplant roasted red pepper dip. That wrinkly bell pepper probably wouldn’t have been good in something like a stir-fry, but it would add a lot of flavor to a soup, a pasta sauce, or something else that’s puréed.” If you frequently find yourself with a few random bits of produce rolling around, those veggies are prime material for adding pizzazz to homemade hummus. Artichoke hearts, squash, peppers, carrots, and herbs will bring color and flavor to the classic chickpea dip so you can cut food waste and create an exciting snack. Take a look at our guide for simple hummus hacks that will delight your taste buds.
20. Prep High-Maintenance Produce Right Away
Twenty minutes of post-shopping prep pays healthy dividends. If celery, pineapple, radishes, melons—or whatever other fresh produce you love—are cleaned, sliced, and ready to eat right away, they are much more likely to be enjoyed before they go bad. “When I get home, I chop up my celery and I let it sit in water,” Ellis says. “I also make sure that my lettuce is prepped and cleaned and put it in a bag that’s sealed properly so it’ll hold up longer.”
Don’t Waste a Bite: Cooking with Scraps for Beginners
Ready to become a pro at using up all your produce scraps? These four recipes are a great way to try your hand at low-waste cooking.
1. Carleigh Bodrug’s Broccoli Tots: An oil-free and nutrient-dense version of tater tots, these crispy, crunchy snacks are the perfect way to use up a spare head of broccoli. The entire stem is grated and mixed in with the broccoli florets, shredded potato, and savory spices to maximize flavor and minimize food waste.
2.Root-to-Leaf Radish Pasta: This five-ingredient dish is packed with fresh produce and tossed in a creamy sauce that gets a cheesy boost thanks to nutritional yeast. You’ll love how easy and delicious it is to use every last bite of your radishes!
3. Carleigh Bodrugs’s Cabbage Steaks: Using an entire head of cabbage can be tricky, but this clever dish slices it into steaks that are marinated in a tantalizing tahini peanut glaze. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with fresh herbs for a quick meal that uses up pesky produce.
4.Carrot Top Pesto:This simple recipe transforms the leafy green tops of fresh carrots into a satisfying pesto sauce that’s the perfect companion for a whole host of Italian dishes. Use it as a base for homemade pizza, a sauce for pasta, or even as a dip for fresh veggies.
Editor’s Note: Mary Margaret Chappell contributed to this article. Ready to get started? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.
My father ran a slaughterhouse, so my family ate a lot of meat when I was growing up. I couldn’t wait to move out and live on my own so that I could become a vegetarian. When I finally did, though, I started gaining weight. I was surprised. “How could this be?” I thought. “Everyone knows vegetarians are all healthy and slim!” A big part of the problem was cheese. I loved it so much, and living in Wisconsin, “America’s Dairyland,” didn’t help curb my appetite.
I learned about veganism at some point, and I realized that cutting out cheese would probably be a good move not just from an animal rights standpoint but also for my health. So I tried going vegan, many times. I failed. I just wanted cheese, cheese, cheese. I felt like I could never really give it up.
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From Vegetarian to Vegan
In 2011, I watched the Forks Over Knives documentary and decided to finally cut out all animal products, including cheese, for good.
But I still couldn’t shake my craving for ultraprocessed foods. I ate a lot of fake meats and oil-laden fake cheeses, and my weight crept up over the years. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I found myself leading a more sedentary lifestyle, and I reached 340 pounds. It was so frustrating!
Looking back, I find it interesting that It was so easy for me to alter my food choices based on what was best for animals, but it was much more difficult to do so for my own health. I knew I needed a mental reset.
From Vegan to Whole-Food, Plant-Based
In February 2021, I revisited Forks Over Knives and read books on whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) nutrition, including How Not to Die by Michael Greger, MD. I also worked through my psychological issues related to food.
Once I began eating whole-food, plant-based, I found that the weight started coming off easily. What surprised me the most about the transition was how easy it was to cook WFPB. It wasn’t as complicated as I’d feared. Another shock was just how quickly I began to feel better. Within two short weeks, my energy level noticeably improved! This helped me to keep on track.
Since making the change, I’ve lost 180 pounds. I have so much more energy now! I’ve had many friends and colleagues approach me with curiosity about eating WFPB. I love sharing recipes with them and bringing WFPB dishes in to potlucks at work.
Finally, for the first time, I feel like I’m setting a good example: living proof that a vegan/WFPB diet doesn’t just help the animals; it can also help you live your best life!
Ready to get started? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path. To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer.
Adulting can often leave us feeling stressed, overwhelmed, sluggish, or emotionally taxed, which is why it is important for everyone to practise active self-care through fitness.
To do so, we must first get comfortable with the notion that self-care is not selfish. One way to do this is to connect some of your self-care activities to your regular fitness routine, habits and behaviours. Doing so will, in a sense, accomplish two goals at once.
READ MORE | 6 Tips From A Self-Care Coach On How To Regain Inner Strength And Live Your Most Remarkable Life
Defining self-care
To understand what is self-care and why it is important, consider the analogy: “you can’t fill from an empty cup”.
That, in essence, is what self-care focuses on. Self-care is the belief that you must fill your cup before you can pour into another.
And through practicing regular self-care and fitness habits, you empower yourself to show up more effectively as your best self, for others.
According to the National Council of Mental Health and Wellbeing, self-care is “any intentional action taken to increase one’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health”.
In this context, self-care is basically time when you place importance on your overall health and balance. This designated time is spent deliberately engaging in activities and behaviours, with intention, to bring more balance to your physical and mental state.
Self-care is important because it represents lifestyle choices that encourage you to regularly block off time to promote your overall health and well-being.
In addition, regular fitness related self-care can help to decrease depression, stress, high-blood pressure, exhaustion, and reduce your risk of strokes.
In fact, a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association in 2017 found that “serious conditions such as heart attack and stroke can be managed or prevented with the adoption of self-care techniques.”
Short-term benefits of practicing self-care include:
Making your health and needs a priority and giving yourself time to rest can significantly reduce stress levels.
The more you take care of yourself, the better you will feel about who you are as a person because you will meet more of your core needs on a regular basis.
The many long-term benefits of self-care include:
Decreased physical and mental ailments.
Increased sense of overall work-life balance.
Decreased cardio vascular and stroke factors.
Increased sense of self-esteem and personal empowerment.
Reduced stress-related physical or mental burnout.
Deeper social connections, friendships relationships, and an improved quality of life.
Identifying self-care roadblocks
Many adults find that it is a challenge to schedule dedicated self-care time. Most adults feel guilty when they schedule time strictly centred around personal care. I regularly heard comments such as;
“I feel like I do not ‘deserve’ or ‘need’ self-care time”
“It makes me feel like I’m being frivolous or over-indulgent.”
“We are a single income family and self-care is expensive.”
“I could be using that time for things like cleaning, meal prep, laundry, or driving the kids to their extra-curricular activities.”
“Ugh, one more thing to schedule, when I just want another hour to sleep.”
We can come up with numerous reasons to avoid blocking out time for ourselves due to the guilt associated doing something personal and allocating time designed to strictly focus on ourselves.
In addition, self-care activities often form part of your individual story, personal background or cultural experiences.
And in today’s hyper-critical, judgmental society, we are conditioned to put everyone else’s needs before our own.
But you can change that by implementing the tips below. They will empower you to schedule in behaviours and activities that are totally centred around you.
READ MORE | Stay On Top Of Mental And Physical Self-Care
Thought work
First, we have to start with changing our thoughts and attitudes around self-care, especially if the thought of it is demotivating, disempowering or simply negative without purpose.
Here are five simple self-care activities you can do for free:
Adapt the 20/20 rule: Basically if you spend 20 minutes of sitting, take 20 seconds to get up and stretch or complete a light exercise. Such as jumping jacks or high knee raises.
Schedule a walking party with some friends. Meet up at different locations each week and walk and chat for 30-60 minutes.
Recognize and count your blessings. This means coaching yourself to see the positives that occur during the day. Then before bedtime, write down six successes that happened each day. They can be large or small. You just need to identify and celebrate them.
Free workouts at the park. Most towns have a park that has “park workout equipment”; such as pull-up bars, elliptical equipment, balance beams and other such equipment’s. Locate your local park and schedule weekly time to go there and use it.
Schedule time with friends/people who inspire, encourage and motive you. And decrease time with those that drain your energy.
Implementing self-care
Start with implementing just one into your regular weekly routine, then reflect and perhaps try another. Aim for consistency. I suggest that you start with committing to practising one fitness-related self-care activity twice a week.
Block it off in your calendar for at least a month and adjust times the following month only if needed.
When it is time to build on your self-care foundation, consider including some of these tried-and-trusted fitness activities to support self-care:
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
Light weight training. Start light and complete several sets.
Dance! It doesn’t matter what type, just keep moving for at least 30 minutes.
Get outside. Go jogging, hiking, biking, swimming, rock climbing. Start with 30 minutes and go from there.
Walk with brisk intention. Download an intriguing audiobook or learn about a new topic while practising self-care and fitness.
READ MORE | 3 Ways To Spice Up Your Cardio Sessions
Gamify self-care
A game I like to play when I need to change things up and keep fitness self-care fun the following equipment-free circuit.
HOW TO PLAY: Make a list of 10-20 different physical activities that you can perform from the comfort of your home. Number them, then write down each number on a piece of paper, cut them out and put them in a jar. Close your eyes and choose a piece of paper. Complete whatever exercise corresponds with the number you selected.
A few exercise examples include:
Jump rope in place (5 minutes)
Jumping jacks (3 minutes)
Lunges (3 sets of 10)
High knees (3 sets of 10)
Donkey kicks (3 sets of 10)
Run in place (3 minutes)
Mountain climbers (3 sets of 10)
Push-ups (3 sets of 10)
Planking (2 x 30 seconds each)
Wall squats (3 sets, 30 seconds each)
Another great way to get more active is to go online and find a new workout video to try every week. This can be a good way to keep the game fun, interesting and different. Plus, it is free!
See how that works? Change up how you view self-care and fitness and it can have a positive impact on how you regularly implement these activities and behaviours!
For busy mommies, I can recommend 3 self-care activities I included in my week when my kids were younger:
Grab the kiddos and learn a new TikTok dance. It is interactive, fun and will keep you popular with the kids and their friends.
Schedule dance party time. For example, on Saturdays while cleaning, I would let the little ones play DJ while we danced around the house. Or get some cleaning sheets, step on them, and skate around the house sweeping or mopping the floor. Tweaks like this allow you to clean while also getting physical activity, which releases endorphins and dopamine for that feel-good feeling we all enjoy!
Weekly nature walks. You can use the walks to look for different things with the kiddos such as flowers, birds, or colours. You can even use the time to play games such as eye-spy. And these walks allow you to connect and spend quality time with your little ones while getting your steps in.
READ MORE | The Rise Of The Online Self-Care Guru
Levelling up
With these tips in mind, you should be ready to level up! Start by defining some self-care behaviours and activities for yourself, then implement them.
Remember, when it comes to self-care, there is no one-size-fits-all approach, so brainstorm activities that you enjoy. And don’t limit or filter your list, just write. You might be surprised by the activities you come up with.
3 steps for fitness self-care success
Decide that self-care is important and commit to it.
Share your plan with a self-care buddy, friend, or family member.
Make it a weekly practice to review and share your progress with your designated self-care support person.
Wrap it up
Ultimately, self-care is very personal and, as adults, we must define self-care plans that promote our individual needs.
This means no one has the right to criticise, judge or shame you about the activities you have on your plan.
Choose fitness activities and behaviours that you can commit to, want to practise and make you feel good! And self-care plans are never set in stone. They can be fluid and evolve regularly based on your life and needs at the time. The goal is to simply ensure that the activities support your physical, mental and emotional balance.
By Gette Moore-Carley
About the author: Gette Moore-Carley is a model and modelling and empowerment coach. For eight years, Gette ran a university campus where she facilitated courses on Work-Life Balance, Professional Development, Executive Leadership and piloted a College Success program. Connect on IG @gette_moore.
https://www.instagram.com/gette_moore/
Author: Pedro van Gaalen
When he’s not writing about sport or health and fitness, Pedro is probably out training for his next marathon or ultra-marathon. He’s worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms expert. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.
