…changes everything.
Wholesome and filling – African Peanut Stew and mashed potato
Our food choice has perhaps the biggest impact on almost everything we do,… yet we hardly take notice.
Only when we choose to change do we really become aware of the influence our choices make.
Hannah had been trying to eat mostly plant. It took her years to change, but when she finally did …
Hannah from New Zealand
” I’d been trying to be vegetarian and vegan on and off my whole life but never had the knowledge to sustain it.
I became vegan about 2 and a half years ago.
I went vegan after starting my job at a vegan health store/cafe where I learnt everything I now know – nutritional information and cooking!
My biggest reason was for animals as I’m such a huge animal lover.
Another reason was because I have chronic illness issues and it’s helped a lot with that!”
Hannah
We have different reasons for eating mostly plants
We have different reasons to make the change to a plant-based diet.
For some it is health, for some the environment is an important factor and for others it is because of the animals.
The wonderful thing is that when a change is made, all benefit.
But yet, it is not easy.
There are family pressures, traditions and customs, the society at large makes it difficult to change and up until very recently one might be considered a bit of a heretic.
Sometimes, the biggest challenge is ourselves, our own habits. Habits can be so hard to change. I wanted to give up dairy and eggs for a long time, but somehow I found reasons to delay.
I tried to push the thought out of my head, and even when I had given up milk and eggs, there was still cheese… cheese just won’t let you go!
But today there are many cheeses made with plant protein and fats… this helps when you want that salty fatty taste … Those grilled cheese sambos …click for the recipe, there are wonderful and tasty vegan grilled cheese!
Are the cheeses the same? No, but they are tasting better and better. Try some in a sandwich and you may not even know the difference. You can even make your own…take a look at TheHiddenVeggies.
But the shops have all kinds, cream cheeses, cheddars and some even with mould like Camembert and Roquefort.
But when we finally make the change…
Perhaps the most common statement from people who have made the change is echoed by the closing words of Felicitas,
… ” As with many other vegans, I have only one regret: not having become vegan earlier. “
I felt exactly the same way.
Read her amazing story, A change for Life, in Le Journal, of August 30th, 2020. Click here to read it.
Why is that?
We need to rethink what to eat, we need to take responsibility for what we eat. Up until that time that responsibility was left to food manufacturers and governments. Now I choose, and that is a very empowering moment.
Taking responsibility for what we eat,
Easy? No
We learn to cook better… more beans, more greens, more whole grain. Food starts to have more taste ( and yes, you find eating out more and more difficult, not just because vegan options are few … but food at home tastes so much better!
Then you think … why did I not do this so much sooner?!
Something to think about:
” I think that the lack of critical engagement with the food that we eat demonstrates the extent to which the commodity form has become the primary way in which we perceive the world”. Angela Davis
From Plant Based News feed on Instagram, a very interesting site.
Hannah, who shared her journey to a plant-based / vegan diet and lifestyle told me that one her favourite dishes is African Peanut Stew.
I think anything to do with peanuts is great. And peanut stew is one my favourites … so after reading all that above, here is a recipe, Click here RECIPE: African Peanut Stew
