Plant-Based Diet

How to make the BEST roasted Brussels sprouts (AD)

Without a doubt, Brussels sprouts are my favourite vegetable. Like, it’s no contest. I could eat a whole pound of these roasted Brussels sprouts to myself!

These tiny “little cabbages” are deeply flavourful and loaded with nutrition: as a member of the cruciferous veg family just like kale and broccoli, they’re packed with anti-inflammatory sulfur-based phytochemicals called glucosinolates. What’s more, they’re also high in fibre; one cup of cooked sprouts contains 6 grams!

So, I’m partnering with @halfyourplatecanada to help you make perfect Brussels every single time! In my opinion, it’s the best way to cook Brussels to bring out the natural sweetness and tone down any sulfur-notes that might have you cringing about all the mushy Brussels you ate as a kid.

How to perfectly roast Brussels sprouts in 4 EASY steps:

🔥 Use a higher heat: crank that oven to 425.

🌱 Trim + halve 2 lbs (900g) of sprouts and toss with 3 tbsp avocado oil, plus ½ tsp each of salt and garlic powder, and some pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. You need more oil than you think to get the browning and crispness you’re looking for.

👩🏻‍🍳 Flip them cut side down. Roast for 20-30 minutes, checking after 20 minutes, and every 3-4 minutes after. Smaller sprouts will likely be done in 20!

💥 Taste and adjust any little flavour boosters you like. I like a pinch of chile flakes. And to round out any bitterness you taste, a little drizzle of maple syrup will make it disappear! But you could also add a bit of lemon zest, or extra flaky salt, or even some almond parmesan!

Shopping tip: Look for sprouts that are bright green with firm, tight leaves. When roasting, choose sprouts that are about the same size so they cook evenly, without the too small ones getting burnt.

For the full recipe, with the almond parmesan, head to the link in my bio!

#halfyourplate #eatyourveggies #cookingtips #plantbasedcooking #eatplants #eatmoreplants #plantbased #cookinglesson #brusselssprouts #roastedveggies ...

This peppermint bark is so yummy and soooo easy, it makes a great holiday hosting gift! (AD)

I really love gifting homemade goodies around the holidays, so whenever I can, I am mindful to make allergen-friendly treats so that everyone can enjoy them, like this peppermint chocolate bark made with @enjoylifefoods new Chocolateriz - Ricemilk baking morsels and white baking mini chips!

It’s fun to make with the kiddos, plus, it’s a school-safe treat for end-of-year celebrations!

Did you know that 1 in 2 Canadian households is impacted by food allergy?

Enjoy Life is made in North America’s largest dedicated nut- and gluten-free facility, and all of their products are free of the top 14 common food allergens, like wheat, egg and dairy (so yes, they’re vegan!) and perfect for those with intolerances, too.

Peppermint Holiday Bark

255 gram bag of Enjoy Life Chocolateriz - Ricemilk Morsels
255 gram bag of Enjoy Life White Baking Mini Chips
½ cup (125 mL) mini candy canes
¼ teaspoon (1.25 mL) peppermint extract

Method is in the comments!!

Visit enjoylifefoods.ca to learn more about the new products 🍫

#enjoylifefoods #allergyfriendlyfoods #holidayrecipes #chocolatebark #DIYgifts #peppermintbark #easyveganrecipes ...

Confused about what serving sizes on the nutrition facts actually mean? (AD)

You know that I’m not a big numbers person: nutrition should be simple! Eat mostly whole and lightly processed plants like vegetables, canned beans and sprouted grain bread and don’t sweat the rest of it.

But what if you want to check in on your fibre intake? Or see how you’re doing with protein?

That’s when understanding the nutrition facts panel matters. So let’s talk serving sizes…which don’t really tell you how much you SHOULD eat. Instead, they make it easier to COMPARE different products by telling you how much nutrition is in a reference serving.

And this year, the reference serving for bread in Canada changed to help make the labels more consistent. Soon, if you haven’t already, you’ll see that the serving size for breads is now 2 slices because, based on stakeholder feedback, that’s the most commonly eaten serving.

When the serving sizes are the same, it is easier to compare things like fibre, protein and minerals between breads.

So next time you pick up @silverhillsbakery Sprouted Grain Breads take a peek! You’ll notice that 2 slices of most varieties contains 10 grams of fibre, more than 10 grams of protein and higher levels of some minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium and selenium than many other whole wheat breads.

But that doesn’t mean YOU need to eat 2 slices. We all have different body sizes, activity levels and appetites. You might only need 1 slice…or you might need 3! If that’s the case, remember to do the math on the label,cutting values in half to see the amount in one slice.

Have a question about label reading, sprouted grains or fiber? Drop it in the comments!

#silverhillsbakery #sproutedgrains #wholegrains #plantbasednutrition #vegannutrition
#nutritiontip #nutritionfacts #nutritioneducation ...

Vegan Trader Joe’s Haul: mostly snacks!

I haven’t been to a Trader Joe’s in YEARS…so I went this weekend in Seattle and thought I’d share my vegan snack haul with you.

Some reviews of what I’ve tried so far:

🌱 those jalepeno puffs are SO addictive…LOVE

🌱 the chocolate is super creamy but like many vegan “milk” chocolates it’s a bit too sugar-forward

🌱 I didn’t realize their dried fruit is sweetened so that was a bit of a fail

🌱 The Buffalo style dip is sooo good, I think I’d better make a dupe 🤔

I’ve already got my own recipe for everything bagel seasoning but I bought one for the container.

And I don’t buy the trail mix as I already have a recipe dupe for their Omega Trek mix (click the green link for recipe!)

What should I buy on my next trip??

#veganhaul #traderjoeshaul #traderjoesreviews #vegansnacks #plantbased #groceryhaul ...

Sometimes, fibre ISN’T the answer 🤔

If you’re occasionally constipated, adding more fibre to your diet is often a good choice.

But not always: if you’ve been backed up for a loooong time, adding a bunch of fibre that’s just going to sit there will leave you painfully bloated 🤢

What can you try?

🌱 10 prunes a day
🌱 2 kiwis a day
💧 lots of water
🚶‍♀️ walking + yoga

And sometimes, you just need to go to the doc, take the laxative to clear it out while you focus on building a more gut-friendly diet.

#guthealth #guthealthmatters #constipation #constipationrelief #guthealthnutrition #guthealthdiet #prunes #kiwifruit ...

Consider this flaky pear dessert tart your new weekend plans 👩🏻‍🍳

As much as I bake, I do not consider myself a capital B baker. Pie? Never made one. Croissants? Um, no.

So when I find a pastry so easy that I cannot mess it up, even when attempting to prepare it around a cell phone tripod? SIGN ME UP

✨ Less than 10 ingredients
✨ Less than 15 minutes of hands on time
✨ Dough comes together in the food processor

I adapted this pear tart recipe from @inagarten French Fig Tart that I found on the internet this summer when I had a bunch of figs to use up.

It’s so good, and so simple. It just needed a vegan butter swap to make it fully vegan! Heads up: I’ve tried all the substitutes and @earthbalance baking sticks are really tops for baking performance.

It works so beautifully with most fruits, so here I added pears…which don’t get nearly enough love!!

I swapped in @flourist rye flour for half the all purpose, brown sugar for cane sugar and added cinnamon for more flavour.

Enjoy this as a breakfast or coffee time pastry or dress it up with a scoop of vegan vanilla or caramel ice cream for company.

Try it with apples + persimmons throughout the winter or stone fruit in the summer months. This one’s a keeper!

Head to www.desireerd.com for the recipe or click the link in my bio ✨

#easyveganrecipes #veganbaking #plantbasedrecipes #pears #pearrecipes #easybaking ...

Think you can’t tolerate plants? Let’s talk 🌱

Eating higher fibre plant foods with an irritated or inflamed gut can lead to pain, bloating or diarrhea.

But does that mean you don’t tolerate them?
Not exactly 🤔

Instead, consider your gut in need of some rehab, the same way that you’d rehab your body in order to get back to full activity post-injury.

The reason why plant fibres feel irritating - but also why they’re so good for you - is that by definition they are hard to break down and not 100% absorbed.

So the undigested or unabsorbed plant matter travels through the gut where it may feel irritating, gets fermented by gut bacteria leading to pain or bloating, or drawing water into the gut leading to loose 💩

But you CAN increase tolerance.

I did it in practice for years: increasing intake of plants AND improving gas, bloating and 💩 at the same time.

It’s best done one-on-one but I know that not everyone has access to a dietitian so consider these tips with your doc:

1. Choose a low fermentation, soluble fibre like psyllium or partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG). These are less irritating and don’t cause as much gas as other fibres.

Start with 1 tsp (5 mL) a day. Drink at least 1 extra glass of water a day. Take separately from supplements + medications as it can bind them up. Wait until you feel no symptoms before you increase dose.

2. What about food? juiced or blended is your friend. Can’t eat chickpeas? Try 1 tbsp hummus. Can’t do greens? Try green juice. Veggies tough? Try making a roasted vegetable soup.

Cooking veg, and blending, makes veg easier to digest. A tiny bit is better than nothing!

3. Go slow and be consistent. It’s better to drink 1/2 cup of green smoothie every single day than to try a stir fry once a week. Your gut - and gut microbiome - need time to adjust. And it will!!

Hope these tips are helpful! Looking for more?

I’m doing a mini-deep dive on FODMAPS in my Nutrition with Desiree community Friday (it’s free!) or grab a copy of my book Good For Your Gut. The Soothe recipes are designed for compromised guts.

#guthealth #guthealing #guthealthmatters #guthealthdiet #eatplants #plantbasednutrition #vegannutrition ...