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Crazy delicious lentil tacos for a better (and faster!) Taco Tuesday

I love tacos so much.

How much?

When I was looking for a home, one of the things that made me fall in love with this neighbourhood was its proximity to both Tacofino Commissary and La Mezcaleria (home to epic tacos in Vancouver, FYI!).

Don’t judge me 🙂

So on this very special day…Taco Tuesday…I wanted to share a crazy delicious recipe for lentil tacos from my friends at Que Pasa. These beauties are faster than take out – so you can make them happen for dinner tonight without too much planning.

Why lentils? Lentils make an awesome plant-based filling because their texture and size means that your tacos are just the right amount of messy…but you won’t have to deal with beans rolling out of your dinner onto your lap.

If you’ve got a little extra time, prepping your own lentils and making some fresh salsa would take these to the next level.

Hungry? Grab the recipe on the Que Pasa website.

And…to celebrate Taco Tuesday in grand style, I have a giveaway!!

Que Pasa Foods will provide one lucky winner with enough vouchers to keep you stocked up on yummy organic salsas and tortillas for an army of Taco Tuesdays, worth $50 (US and Canada only!)

To enter, hop on over to my Facebook page and let me know what your favourite taco combo is! Winner will be selected Friday 9AM PST.

Photo Credit: Melissa Quantz

(Psst…I am a spokesperson for Nature’s Path Organic Foods, parent company to Que Pasa. And I love their tortillas intensely.)

posted by Desiree Nielsen on May 9, 2016 (last updated Feb 21, 2023)

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desireenielsenrd

Mar 15

Get this silky parsnip soup into your rotation while it’s still soup season 🥣

Yes, I said parsnips. Keep an open mind: it’s time to give carrot’s awkward cousin another look. 😜

We may have spring on our mind but we are a loooooong way from spring harvests here in Canada so we have to use a little ingenuity to turn the contents of our root cellar into something that is spring in spirit.

You know how some blended vegetable soups are kind of heavy? This one isn’t because the parsnips blended with hemp hearts to make the dreamiest, cloud-like cream soup. ☁️

Did I mention it’s low FODMAP? Because #IBSawareness month is just around the corner…or maybe 2023 is finally kicking into high gear and your (my!) gut isn’t happy about it, ahem, it will be happy about this soup.

I’ve tucked a few other gut-friendly ingredients in here, like prokinetic ginger and fermented miso (which we add at the end to keep all the goodies vital!)

You just chop, roast and blend and in 30 minutes (with plenty of downtime to scroll ha!) you’ll have a delicious, nourishing soup that’s even cute enough to serve guests.

Recipe at desireerd.com/recipes or via the link in my bio. 👋 If you make this, please take a minute to leave a comment and star rating on my blog post! It helps SO much and costs you free.99 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#easyveganrecipes #veganrecipes #plantbasedrecipes #vegansoups #eatplants #eatmoreplants #rootveggies #soupseason #lowfodmaprecipes #lowfodmapvegan #goodforyourgut #gutfriendly #guthealing #lowfodmapsoup

Get this silky parsnip soup into your rotation while it’s still soup season 🥣

Yes, I said parsnips. Keep an open mind: it’s time to give carrot’s awkward cousin another look. 😜

We may have spring on our mind but we are a loooooong way from spring harvests here in Canada so we have to use a little ingenuity to turn the contents of our root cellar into something that is spring in spirit.

You know how some blended vegetable soups are kind of heavy? This one isn’t because the parsnips blended with hemp hearts to make the dreamiest, cloud-like cream soup. ☁️

Did I mention it’s low FODMAP? Because #IBSawareness month is just around the corner…or maybe 2023 is finally kicking into high gear and your (my!) gut isn’t happy about it, ahem, it will be happy about this soup.

I’ve tucked a few other gut-friendly ingredients in here, like prokinetic ginger and fermented miso (which we add at the end to keep all the goodies vital!)

You just chop, roast and blend and in 30 minutes (with plenty of downtime to scroll ha!) you’ll have a delicious, nourishing soup that’s even cute enough to serve guests.

Recipe at desireerd.com/recipes or via the link in my bio. 👋 If you make this, please take a minute to leave a comment and star rating on my blog post! It helps SO much and costs you free.99 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#easyveganrecipes #veganrecipes #plantbasedrecipes #vegansoups #eatplants #eatmoreplants #rootveggies #soupseason #lowfodmaprecipes #lowfodmapvegan #goodforyourgut #gutfriendly #guthealing #lowfodmapsoup ...

desireenielsenrd

Mar 13

Whole grains are awesome. But what if white rice is your ride-or-die?

Here’s the thing: many dietitians – myself included – were taught to counsel folks to swap brown rice for white rice because white rice “isn’t healthy”…even though white rice is a staple food for many cultures.

🍚 I really like brown rice…but white rice doesn’t deserve its bad rap…because A) rice isn’t a super high fibre food even in its whole form and B) unless we are eating rice all by itself, what we pair with rice will add nutrition and alter our blood sugar response to it.

When it comes to blood sugars, we need to consider a few things:

1️⃣ how much of the carbohydrate-containing food we are eating. Is it 2 cups? Or a ½ cup?

2️⃣ the ability of that carbohydrate to raise blood sugars, it’s glycemic index

3️⃣ factors that moderate blood sugar rise, AKA fat, fibre, protein and acid

4️⃣ factors that moderate our blood sugar response, AKA stress, lack of sleep, disease state

If you love white rice and have no issues with your blood sugars, or you generally get enough fibre, this convo is over. Enjoy your rice!

But, if you have a low fibre diet, don’t eat a lot of whole foods or your blood sugars aren’t where they should be, you can still enjoy white rice if you don’t like brown rice.

You might eat a smaller portion. Or ensure that you eat rice alongside high fibre, high protein foods like a lentil dal or tofu and greens.

Wellness has a weird obsession with hating on simple foods like rice, tofu or tomatoes. Don’t buy into it!

(For all my nutrition nerds, my GI data came straight from the U Sydney GI database and the rice nutritionals are Canadian Nutrient Data File Food Codes 4523 + 4497)

#plantbasednutrition #vegannutrition #wholegrains #rice #eatplants #eatmoreplants #highfiberfoods #bloodsugars #glycemicindex

Whole grains are awesome. But what if white rice is your ride-or-die?

Here’s the thing: many dietitians – myself included – were taught to counsel folks to swap brown rice for white rice because white rice “isn’t healthy”…even though white rice is a staple food for many cultures.

🍚 I really like brown rice…but white rice doesn’t deserve its bad rap…because A) rice isn’t a super high fibre food even in its whole form and B) unless we are eating rice all by itself, what we pair with rice will add nutrition and alter our blood sugar response to it.

When it comes to blood sugars, we need to consider a few things:

1️⃣ how much of the carbohydrate-containing food we are eating. Is it 2 cups? Or a ½ cup?

2️⃣ the ability of that carbohydrate to raise blood sugars, it’s glycemic index

3️⃣ factors that moderate blood sugar rise, AKA fat, fibre, protein and acid

4️⃣ factors that moderate our blood sugar response, AKA stress, lack of sleep, disease state

If you love white rice and have no issues with your blood sugars, or you generally get enough fibre, this convo is over. Enjoy your rice!

But, if you have a low fibre diet, don’t eat a lot of whole foods or your blood sugars aren’t where they should be, you can still enjoy white rice if you don’t like brown rice.

You might eat a smaller portion. Or ensure that you eat rice alongside high fibre, high protein foods like a lentil dal or tofu and greens.

Wellness has a weird obsession with hating on simple foods like rice, tofu or tomatoes. Don’t buy into it!

(For all my nutrition nerds, my GI data came straight from the U Sydney GI database and the rice nutritionals are Canadian Nutrient Data File Food Codes 4523 + 4497)

#plantbasednutrition #vegannutrition #wholegrains #rice #eatplants #eatmoreplants #highfiberfoods #bloodsugars #glycemicindex ...

desireenielsenrd

Mar 10

What is the best breakfast…and why is it tiramisu overnight oats? ☕️

Tiramisu means ‘lift me up’ in Italian and that’s 100% how these tiramisu overnight oats will make you feel. I mean, caffeine will do that ha ha.

These tiramisu overnight oats are inspired by the Italian dessert and have a bold coffee flavour (psst…I used decaf instant coffee!) that’s a really nice change from the usual.

Want to boost the protein and make them more filling? Just add 3 tablespoons of hemp hearts which won’t affect the texture at all and this breakfast has 18 grams of protein per serving.

Full recipe at desireerd.com/recipes or via the link in my bio 👋

#easyveganrecipe #veganrecipe #overnightoats #tiramisuovernightoats #plantbasedrecipes #breakfastrecipes #eatplants #eatmoreplants

What is the best breakfast…and why is it tiramisu overnight oats? ☕️

Tiramisu means ‘lift me up’ in Italian and that’s 100% how these tiramisu overnight oats will make you feel. I mean, caffeine will do that ha ha.

These tiramisu overnight oats are inspired by the Italian dessert and have a bold coffee flavour (psst…I used decaf instant coffee!) that’s a really nice change from the usual.

Want to boost the protein and make them more filling? Just add 3 tablespoons of hemp hearts which won’t affect the texture at all and this breakfast has 18 grams of protein per serving.

Full recipe at desireerd.com/recipes or via the link in my bio 👋

#easyveganrecipe #veganrecipe #overnightoats #tiramisuovernightoats #plantbasedrecipes #breakfastrecipes #eatplants #eatmoreplants ...

desireenielsenrd

Mar 7

Confession: I absolutely love mayo 😋

I was raised to dip French fries in mayo, not ketchup.

And to me, avocado toast is made better – as are most sandwiches – by a little swipe of mayo.

But traditional homemade mayo is takes a bit of technique – and an egg.

So for #eatmoreplantscookbook I created my own mayo out of avocado oil, which is rich in heart healthy monounsaturated fat.

And when I figured it out, I couldn’t believe how easy it was! It feels like kitchen magic, watching it turn all fluffy and creamy in an instant. ☁️

The full recipe is up on desireerd.com/recipes or via the link in my bio. 👋

Tell me, are you team ketchup or team mayo?
#easyveganrecipes #veganrecipes #DIYcondiments #veganmayo #kitchenhacks #aquafaba #budgetfriendly

Confession: I absolutely love mayo 😋

I was raised to dip French fries in mayo, not ketchup.

And to me, avocado toast is made better – as are most sandwiches – by a little swipe of mayo.

But traditional homemade mayo is takes a bit of technique – and an egg.

So for #eatmoreplantscookbook I created my own mayo out of avocado oil, which is rich in heart healthy monounsaturated fat.

And when I figured it out, I couldn’t believe how easy it was! It feels like kitchen magic, watching it turn all fluffy and creamy in an instant. ☁️

The full recipe is up on desireerd.com/recipes or via the link in my bio. 👋

Tell me, are you team ketchup or team mayo?
#easyveganrecipes #veganrecipes #DIYcondiments #veganmayo #kitchenhacks #aquafaba #budgetfriendly ...

desireenielsenrd

Mar 3

Think plant-based eating is expensive?
Try these budget swaps 💵

Groceries aren’t getting any cheaper, and as a dietitian, one of my first budget-friendly nutrition tips is to eat more plants. Plant staples like dried beans and whole grains are much less expensive than meat and dairy…but that doesn’t mean all plant foods are inexpensive.

In fact, some of my most beloved groceries, like cashews and maple syrup, are downright expensive.

So, I wanted to offer a few budget-minded swaps to help you save money as you eat more plants.

Cashews >>> Sunflower seeds: did you know you can make creams with sunflower seeds? Just soak for 12 hours and blend! They need a bit of brightening up so you might adjust the acid, salt or garlic powder in your favourite cashew cream recipes

Beyond meat >>> lentils: yes, I’m going to rep for lentils again. They’re SO delicious and SO versatile and like pennies per serving. Use them in place of veggie ground in most recipes!

Protein powder >>> soy milk and peanut butter: Soy milk has 7-8 grams of protein per cup and peanut butter has 6 grams of protein per 2 tbsp. So use both for your smoothie and you really don’t need a $50 protein powder!

Boxed baby greens >>> frozen spinach: have you ever wilted down spinach? It disappears!! Buying frozen spinach is a STEAL because you’re getting concentrated greens for use in smoothies, sauces and stews. No, you can’t make a salad with it. Buy field greens for that.

Granola >>> rolled oats: it couldn’t be simpler to make your own granola. And a big bag of oats goes A LOT farther than a bag of granola.

What are your favourite budget friendly swaps??

#eatplants #eatmoreplants #budgetfriendly #nutritiontips #vegangroceryhaul #vegangroceries #dietitianapproved

Think plant-based eating is expensive?
Try these budget swaps 💵

Groceries aren’t getting any cheaper, and as a dietitian, one of my first budget-friendly nutrition tips is to eat more plants. Plant staples like dried beans and whole grains are much less expensive than meat and dairy…but that doesn’t mean all plant foods are inexpensive.

In fact, some of my most beloved groceries, like cashews and maple syrup, are downright expensive.

So, I wanted to offer a few budget-minded swaps to help you save money as you eat more plants.

Cashews >>> Sunflower seeds: did you know you can make creams with sunflower seeds? Just soak for 12 hours and blend! They need a bit of brightening up so you might adjust the acid, salt or garlic powder in your favourite cashew cream recipes

Beyond meat >>> lentils: yes, I’m going to rep for lentils again. They’re SO delicious and SO versatile and like pennies per serving. Use them in place of veggie ground in most recipes!

Protein powder >>> soy milk and peanut butter: Soy milk has 7-8 grams of protein per cup and peanut butter has 6 grams of protein per 2 tbsp. So use both for your smoothie and you really don’t need a $50 protein powder!

Boxed baby greens >>> frozen spinach: have you ever wilted down spinach? It disappears!! Buying frozen spinach is a STEAL because you’re getting concentrated greens for use in smoothies, sauces and stews. No, you can’t make a salad with it. Buy field greens for that.

Granola >>> rolled oats: it couldn’t be simpler to make your own granola. And a big bag of oats goes A LOT farther than a bag of granola.

What are your favourite budget friendly swaps??

#eatplants #eatmoreplants #budgetfriendly #nutritiontips #vegangroceryhaul #vegangroceries #dietitianapproved ...

desireenielsenrd

Feb 27

Homemade peanut butter is ridiculously easy to make. And very, very good. 😋

True story: as a kid, I actually hated peanut butter and jam sandwiches. And yet, by the time I was a teenager, I had fallen hard for peanut butter’s savoury charms…so much so that I used to travel with it.

Peanut butter is a near perfect food in my opinion. It’s delicious. Filling. Works as well in sweets as it does in savouries. I mean, have you ever met a food that wasn’t made better by peanut sauce?

It’s also super nutritious: just two tablespoons of natural-style peanut butter has 7.5g of protein and 2.5g of fiber, along with plenty of iron, zinc and folate.

And you should totally make your own peanut butter. It’s so easy and deeply flavorful. All you need is peanuts and a strong food processor or blender. Use dry roasted, salted peanuts and in about 5 minutes all your peanut butter dreams come true.

What’s your favourite way to use peanut butter?

#easyveganrecipes #peanutbutter #veganrecipes #plantbasednutrition #vegannutrition #plantbasedprotein #lowfodmap

Homemade peanut butter is ridiculously easy to make. And very, very good. 😋

True story: as a kid, I actually hated peanut butter and jam sandwiches. And yet, by the time I was a teenager, I had fallen hard for peanut butter’s savoury charms…so much so that I used to travel with it.

Peanut butter is a near perfect food in my opinion. It’s delicious. Filling. Works as well in sweets as it does in savouries. I mean, have you ever met a food that wasn’t made better by peanut sauce?

It’s also super nutritious: just two tablespoons of natural-style peanut butter has 7.5g of protein and 2.5g of fiber, along with plenty of iron, zinc and folate.

And you should totally make your own peanut butter. It’s so easy and deeply flavorful. All you need is peanuts and a strong food processor or blender. Use dry roasted, salted peanuts and in about 5 minutes all your peanut butter dreams come true.

What’s your favourite way to use peanut butter?

#easyveganrecipes #peanutbutter #veganrecipes #plantbasednutrition #vegannutrition #plantbasedprotein #lowfodmap ...

desireenielsenrd

Feb 24

Your freezer is your ticket to a lower waste life

I don’t have a huge freezer, but punches above its weight class in keeping produce out of the compost.

Like when I forget about the giant container of spinach I bought in a week where I’m cooking other things for work. Or the herbs I bought for a Reel and didn’t finish 😖

So once a week, get into the habit of checking out your produce situation and freezing whatever is near the end of its life:

🥬 Prewashed spinach or baby kale can get transferred to a freezer bag…or if you’re lazy like me, just throw it into the freezer it its original packaging. Use in smoothies, pesto or stews (add at end of cooking).

🌱 Herbs can be turned into pesto, or just pureed with a bit of water and lemon juice and frozen into cubes that make flavour boosters for sauces, soups and stews.

🫘 I also loving cooking beans from scratch but it’s time consuming, so I will make a big batch (enough for a month) on the weekend while I watch a movie or something and freeze them.

First on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. That way, anytime I need beans, I just scoop out what I need because they aren’t all stuck together and give them a quick thaw in hot water before use.

What’s your favourite freezer hack??

#wasteless #lowwasteliving #eatplants #kitchenhack #plantbasednutrition #plantbaseddiet #eatplants #vegannutrition

Your freezer is your ticket to a lower waste life

I don’t have a huge freezer, but punches above its weight class in keeping produce out of the compost.

Like when I forget about the giant container of spinach I bought in a week where I’m cooking other things for work. Or the herbs I bought for a Reel and didn’t finish 😖

So once a week, get into the habit of checking out your produce situation and freezing whatever is near the end of its life:

🥬 Prewashed spinach or baby kale can get transferred to a freezer bag…or if you’re lazy like me, just throw it into the freezer it its original packaging. Use in smoothies, pesto or stews (add at end of cooking).

🌱 Herbs can be turned into pesto, or just pureed with a bit of water and lemon juice and frozen into cubes that make flavour boosters for sauces, soups and stews.

🫘 I also loving cooking beans from scratch but it’s time consuming, so I will make a big batch (enough for a month) on the weekend while I watch a movie or something and freeze them.

First on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. That way, anytime I need beans, I just scoop out what I need because they aren’t all stuck together and give them a quick thaw in hot water before use.

What’s your favourite freezer hack??

#wasteless #lowwasteliving #eatplants #kitchenhack #plantbasednutrition #plantbaseddiet #eatplants #vegannutrition ...

desireenielsenrd

Feb 22

Apparently, it’s still very much soup season 🥶

As much I want to will spring into immediate existence, I am very happy I have this cozy red lentil coconut soup in my life right now.

I’ve been making it for a month straight and I still can’t get enough of this filling and flavourful soup, laced with plenty of curry powder, coriander, cumin and garam masala.

Red lentils are one of my kitchen staples because they cook up quickly, with plenty of protein and fibre to keep me full and happy.

This soup is budget-friendly and perfect for busy weeknights as all you need is a few pantry staples.

Full recipe is at www.desireerd.com/recipes or via the link in my bio 🥣

#easyveganrecipe #plantbasedrecipe #lentilsoup #plantbasedprotein #veganprotein #dairyfree #eatplants #eatmoreplants #vegansoup #goodforyourgut #highfiber #soupseason

Apparently, it’s still very much soup season 🥶

As much I want to will spring into immediate existence, I am very happy I have this cozy red lentil coconut soup in my life right now.

I’ve been making it for a month straight and I still can’t get enough of this filling and flavourful soup, laced with plenty of curry powder, coriander, cumin and garam masala.

Red lentils are one of my kitchen staples because they cook up quickly, with plenty of protein and fibre to keep me full and happy.

This soup is budget-friendly and perfect for busy weeknights as all you need is a few pantry staples.

Full recipe is at www.desireerd.com/recipes or via the link in my bio 🥣

#easyveganrecipe #plantbasedrecipe #lentilsoup #plantbasedprotein #veganprotein #dairyfree #eatplants #eatmoreplants #vegansoup #goodforyourgut #highfiber #soupseason ...

The information on this site is intended as educational only and cannot replace one-on-one consultation with a registered dietitian.
We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Coast Salish peoples–Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation.

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