Meal Planning Checklist

The requirements:

1.  The whole grain is the center of the meal.  Choose from whole wheat in the form of bread, noodles, couscous, or bulgur, or try brown rice, millet, quinoa, or barley.

2. Choose at least one vegetable.  Lettuce, radishes, mustard greens, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, parsnips, and bok choy are among your many choices.

The options:

3. Add a second or third vegetable.  

4. Include a bean dish in at least one meal per day.  From tofu and tempeh to pintos and lentils, you have a big choice here.

5. Soup is a satisfying option.

6. Try to have cooked or raw fruit at least once per day.

7. Include nuts, seeds, and nut butters.

8.  Desserts are okay, too.  Just don't go overboard with the sweetener.

Shopping

So where do I buy these whole grains and beans?  The best selection of organic whole grains and beans is the Whole Foods Market bulk area.  

Nutrition

A complete source of nutritional information for vegans is Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant–Based Diet by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina, Summertown, TN: Book Publishing Co, 2000.  Also check out The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide to a Healthy Vegetarian Diet by the same authors.

Course web page:  http://www.veggie-cooking.com/presentations/basic-grains-and-beans