Varda Main
Are you a whole-food, plant-based eater? Interested in incorporating more plant-based foods in your diet? Interested in learning about a plant-based diet and its benefits? Or just interested in trying out different plant-based dishes and learning the recipes? Then the Plant-Based Nutrition Group (PBNG) is the SB club for you! PBNG brings together SaddleBrooke residents with an interest in whole foods, plant-based nutrition.
Throughout the year, the club holds potluck dinners. It’s a great way to taste many new dishes. There are often short talks or group discussions on topics of interest. Recent topics included the best plant-based restaurants in the area, cookbook recommendations for someone starting to eat plant-based, great recipes for entertaining that will satisfy plant-based and non-plant-based guests, and sharing people’s routes to becoming whole-food, plant-based eaters and the positive effects on their health and general well-being.
The PBNG website at www.sbplantbased.com is a great resource for all things plant based. You can read about upcoming events and register to attend. All recipes from the potluck dinners are posted, as are reviews of local restaurants. There is information on starting a plant-based diet and many other resources (videos, documentaries, articles, and Internet links).
Ordering whole-food, plant-based items at restaurants can be a challenge. Luckily, more restaurants are recognizing the growing customer base for these foods. This includes the restaurants at SaddleBrooke One, SaddleBrooke TWO, and the Ranch. PBNG is working with SaddleBrooke One and SaddleBrooke TWO to ensure there are options for whole-food, plant-based diners. Often, one can substitute or add tofu, beans, and/or non-dairy cheese to a dish. If you don’t see what you want on the menu, just ask your server. They are happy to help diners find options that meet their dietary needs.
Plants and Proteins: Fact or Fiction
Many people think that a healthy plate of food is made up of one-third meat or fish, one-third vegetables, and one-third potato or pasta. They look at the plate of someone on a plant-based diet, don’t see any meat or fish, and assume there’s no protein on that plate. They think plants having protein is an oxymoron. Wrong! Plant-based foods, just like meat and fish, contain protein. In fact, some contain quite a lot of protein. Soybeans contain the most protein by weight of all plant-based foods, followed by other types of beans. Green vegetables, for example, have less protein than beans, but even smaller amounts of protein from multiple food items adds up. All sources of protein contribute to your daily total consumption. Just like eating a mixture of meat/fish, vegetables, and carbohydrates is necessary for a balanced diet, so is eating a mixture of legumes, grains, and leafy and root vegetables necessary for a balanced whole-food, plant-based diet. Bottom line—all proteins come from plants. Some just take a detour through animals as a middle man!
For more information on PBNG, visit our website at www.sbplantbased.com, our brand-new Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/sbplantbased, or within Facebook go to “Groups” and then search for and click on “SaddleBrooke Plant-Based,” or email [email protected].