This article is written by my friend Natalie Pape, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist based in Ithaca, New York. Her food tips reflect her belief in the power of a plant-based diet for a happy, healthy life. This advice is especially timely given that the meat supply chain is in peril: several major meatpacking plants have temporarily closed following COVID-19 outbreaks among workers, leading to meat shortages in supermarkets.
Don’t be intimidated if veganism isn’t your thing. Natalie knows that it can seem impossible at first. “I totally get it because I grew up on New York pizza—like the really good stuff that people travel around the world for—and my Nana’s brisket,” she says. “But after almost a decade of eating only plants, I wouldn’t go back. The key is to focus on what you can eat rather than what isn’t on your plate anymore. The variety in my diet exploded after going vegan and is still always growing.”
Step One, The Shopping Guide:
Get That Pantry Poppin’ With Shelf-Stable Goodness
Your pantry holds the foundation for many dishes. Some of my staples include dried and canned beans, lentils, nut butters, sauces, soups, broths, cereals, flours, rice, quinoa, rolled oats, and barley. I am also a big fan of pasta made from beans, which taste similar to traditional pasta but has a high protein content. And keep in mind that no one said social distancing had to be flavorless, so make sure you have plenty of long-lasting condiments and spices.
Frozen in Time Like the Rest of Us
Frozen fruits and vegetables have the same nutritional profile as their fresh counterparts, given that they are flash frozen directly after harvesting, so you’re not losing out on any of the important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. So stock up your freezer with healthy produce. If you are not sure where to start, most grocery stores have awesome fruit and vegetable mixes that you can easily add into quick dishes like oatmeal or stir fry.
Keep It Cool in the Fridge
Pantry items and frozen foods will stay good for months, so focus on enjoying your fresh produce within the first week or two after a shopping trip. If you are looking for fresh fruits and vegetables that will keep for a while, consider getting apples, oranges, carrots, Brussels sprouts, beets, broccoli, asparagus, and cabbage.
I stock up on tofu, which usually stays good for a month or so, as well as tempeh and mock meat sandwich slices, hummus, and vegan cheese spreads. Nuts and seeds are also good to store in the fridge to keep them from turning rancid due to their high fat content. No one likes a smelly nut.
Step Two, The Meals:
Let’s Make Some Snacks!
Hummus is super versatile. If you don’t have store-bought hummus, you can easily make your own by blending chickpeas in a food processor with oil, lemon juice, tahini, and salt. White beans work well for this, too.
For a ridiculously easy snack, you can’t go wrong with hummus and veggies. I have never met a veggie that I didn’t like while covered in hummus. Carrots last just about forever in the fridge, so that is usually my go-to hummus partner, but bell pepper, celery, and cucumber work if you have more fresh stuff around. If you have a pizza crust or dough available, throw some hummus on it with canned olive slices, garlic, sauteed spinach from the freezer, and jarred roasted red pepper for a Mediterranean-style flat bread.
Another favorite snack is the old standby of sliced apple and peanut butter. I mean, is there really a better combo than that? For a variation of this, I replace the nut butter with tahini. . .don’t knock it ‘til you try it.
Lunch Time is Sandwich Time
One of my favorite things in the world is sandwiches. Whatever my day may look like, I can almost guarantee you that a sandwich is in it. When I first went vegan, I would often make Tofurky sandwiches to replace my favorite deli turkey sandwich. This remains a regular in my lunch rotation almost a decade later. One of the benefits to replacing meat with a plant-based alternative is that you don’t have to worry about spoilage, and mock meats and seitan should last weeks in the fridge.
Tuna salad was an absolute a staple on Long Island, New York, where I grew up. I mean, it got so intense that we’d put the stuff on mac and cheese. Luckily, chickpeas make a surprisingly awesome alternative to tuna. Canned chickpeas are always in my pantry and tofu is always in my fridge, so I often whip up my chickpea tu”no” recipe for lunch. To the chickpeas, I add silken tofu, horseradish in beet juice, and capers, plus onion and garlic powder and salt and pepper for seasoning. I often add celery and scallions, too. And the special ingredient that adds the oomph of the ocean is crushed up nori sheets. You can always use a vegan mayo if you don’t have tofu laying around and make it the same way as the classic, just omitting the fish.
Roasted Veggies Are Your Dinner Friend
The next time you venture out to shop, do yourself a favor and load up that cart with roasting veggies. Root and other hardy veggies–like potatoes, yams, Brussels sprouts, carrots, beets, onions, and asparagus–last for a while and have become a staple on our dinner table when we don’t have as many fresh items left.
It’s easy to prepare a mini-Thanksgiving-inspired meal using long-lasting root vegetables and freezer and pantry items. My family uses a frozen meatless roast in place of a traditional holiday protein. We are flush with potatoes right now, so we like to make a big batch of mashed potatoes for the side and add mushroom gravy on top.
