If you are what you eat, how would you define yourself?
Most people know the common terms of omnivore, vegetarian, and vegan. But, that is only the tip of the ice burg! Let’s take a moment to talk about the “Vegetarian Varieties”.
- Vegan- total vegetarians who eat only plant-based foods. NO- meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, cheese, or honey.
- Lacto-ovo Vegetarian- avoid meat, poultry, fish and eggs but eat dairy products
- Lacto-vegetarian- avoid meat, poultry, fish, and dairy but do eat eggs
- Ovo-vegetarian- avoid meat, poultry, fish, and dairy but do eat eggs
- Pesco-vegetarian- avoid meat and poultry but do eat fish
- Pollo-vegetarian- avoid meat and fish but do eat poultry
Then there are Raw Foodists, Flexitarians, Fruitarians, Macrobiotic Foodists….. the list goes on and on!
For the sake of our sanity, we are going to focus on just one label, Vegetarian.
“Although the word ‘vegetarian’ implies an emphasis on vegetables in the diet, in practice it has traditionally been interpreted to mean an absence of meat…. It unfortunately allows the possibility of grouping together subjects under one label who may eat in quite different ways,” writes Gary E. Fraser, MD PhD, of Loma Linda University Medical Center in California.
Think about that for a moment. An emphasis on the absence of meat versus the abundance of vegetables in a diet could lead to carbohydrate and starch heavy eating patterns instead of a beneficial vegetable and fruit packed diet.
According to the ADA (American Dietetic Association), “appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”
Note the phrase “appropriately planned”. While a healthful lifestyle, a vegetarian or vegan diet may require additional nutrient supplementation in the form of vitamin supplements, especially vitamins D and K, needed for bone health.
Dark, leafy green vegetables, like Kale will provide you with an excellent source of Calcium, also necessary for strong bones. Bone-up with this crunchy snack!
Curry Kale Chips
(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan)
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch Organic, Curly Kale
- Spectrum Organic Grapeseed Spray Oil
- 1-2 tsp Frontier Organic Curry Powder
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly spray 2 baking sheets with Grapeseed Spray Oil
- Tear washed and dried Kale into “chip-size” pieces.
- Place Kale onto prepared baking sheets and lightly mist with Grapeseed Spray Oil.
- Sprinkle Kale with Curry Powder and gently toss until evenly coated.
- Place baking sheets in the oven and roast kale about 10 minutes.
- Kale Chips are done when the edges are crispy.
- Store in an air-tight container.
