Hello there, what's cooking?

Have you signed up for the Knife Skills Bootcamp yet? It's happening Friday (the day after US Thanksgiving) and it will be hands-on. 100% guaranteed you'll be more confident and perhaps even faster chopping onions, carrots, and sweet potatoes when we're done, as long as you PRACTICE at the same time as me. Let's do this together!

How to enjoy the Holidays as a healthy vegan eater

Though I no longer participate in religion, I was raised a Catholic and the Christmas season still warms my heart. I don't miss the itchy outfits or the aspic of the 1980s, but the joyous chaos at the overcrowded "kids' table" shared with my gaggle of cousins was a lot of fun - at least in hindsight!

Fast forward to 2024, for better and for worse, even after 10 years of eating this way, choosing to be vegan adds a layer of complexity to the Season.

• Our close family is now familiar with our food preferences, but whenever a special guest joins, we find ourselves having to answer some of the same old questions again.
• The turkey is, thankfully, becoming smaller each year as my in-laws embrace more plant-based dishes. Still, seeing a large bird get shredded to pieces saddens me.
• Finding few or no vegan options at the staff party's buffet - in the healthcare sector, too - gets more depressing every year... especially knowing that many of those same people recently attended a live talk by Dr. Greger!

Here's a silver lining:

We know that being seen steadfastly making healthier and more compassionate food choices does have an impact on those around us. It may not be immediately obvious, but by virtue of existing as a healthy vegan, we are showing that another way is possible. Social contagion is a thing, especially among peers. I keep in mind that staying relatable makes a difference if we are hoping that there'll be a new healthy vegan at the table next year.

Change takes time. We can't really afford to be patient but... we have to be.

Here are some tactics to keep in mind to enjoy your next Holiday gathering:

• Bring a nourishing dish! Make it a satisfying salad that anyone can enjoy (even though there's a high chance that you'll be bringing your leftovers back home - lunches for you!). If it's important to you that others taste it and come back for seconds, you may want to use a little more salt and oil than usual, and perhaps a touch of sugar.
• Have compassion: remember that you (probably) weren't vegan all your life, and quite possibly used to think like them.
• If asked anything, use first-person statements to state your reasons to eat this way, if you want to. Preferably don't be a "logic bully" who launches into a 20-minute TED talk on the benefits of plant-based eating. You can also choose to say: "I'd prefer if we both just enjoyed our meals for now, can we talk about this after dessert?" Bonus points if you brought an amazing chocolate-pumpkin pie with coconut whip.
• If a die-hard carnivore engages in ridiculous and/or aggressive arguments, keep in mind that your audience isn't the carnivore, but the other people who may be listening to your conversation. Stay cool and kind, then go get yourself another helping of salad.

Good luck!

Do you need to learn to cook to save your life? I can help.

Here's a hard truth: there's no shortcut that's sustainable in the long run. To be healthy, have energy to show up our best every day, and become or remain free from diet-induced chronic disease over the course of our entire lives, we need to eat wholesome, healthy, home-cooked meals. And lots of beans and greens. There's other factors, in particular regular exercise, but there's no getting around the home cooking part.

If you need to develop the knowledge, skills, and self-confidence that will empower you to cook whole food plant-based meals at home every day, I can help.

I take a very limited number of committed one-on-one clients for private lesson. Those lessons can be one-off cooking clinics or we can set up a set of lessons over several months to grow your abilities. If that sounds like something you need, hit reply and tell me your story. We'll set up a call to see if I'm the right person to help you, or I'll try to point you to a resource that's better suited.

Keep on cooking,

Brigitte

p.s. Haven't planned your meals for the coming week yet? At least cook up a big batch of grains (brown rice is a versatile choice) and start a pot of soup in the slow cooker. You'll be glad you did.

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