Last week’s column looked at what a breakfast might look like with Dr. Neal Barnard’s power foods, which he describes in his recently published book “The Power Foods Diet.” These are foods that cause the loss of unwanted weight by suppressing appetite, storing calories in the gastrointestinal tract and stimulating the metabolism.
Eat the rainbow salad: Previous columns have talked about the importance of eating colorful plant foods for optimal health. One option for a power food lunch is a colorful salad with greens, red cabbage, red or green onions, bell peppers, cauliflower, carrots and tomatoes. Daily legumes are also important for optimal health, so add cooked lentils, beans or chickpeas. Sprinkle on unsalted pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds (available at City Market) for healthy fat and to help absorb fat-soluble vitamins in the greens.
Fat-free salad dressing: One option is balsamic vinegar, but it contains sugar and should be used sparingly. Below is a recipe for Aspen Cinnamon Vinegar Dressing from famous vegan chef Martin Oswald of Pyramid Bistro in Aspen (sadly, chef Oswald has returned to Austria): 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger.
Practical black bean burritos, from “The Power Food Diet”, for 4 people:
Ingredients: 1 can (15.5 ounces) low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans; 1/2 cup store-bought salsa; 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon onion powder; no-salt salt (potassium chloride instead of sodium) to taste, 4 large low-sodium whole-wheat tortillas.
Place black beans and salsa in a saucepan and stir to combine, then heat over medium heat. Continue stirring until it begins to simmer; add cumin, garlic powder and onion powder and stir to combine. Continue cooking until thoroughly heated through. Taste and season with no-salt salt if needed.
To add vegetables to this recipe, sauté vegetables like spinach, mushrooms, peppers and zucchini in a nonstick pan using water instead of oil.
Divide the mixture between 4 tortillas, fold in the sides and roll up into firm burritos.
Fruit: After lunch, eat fresh or frozen fruit, such as berries, cherries, red grapes, plums, peaches or an apple.
More recipes are included in Dr. Barnard’s book “The Power Food Diet.”
When you go… Dr. Greg Feinsinger gives a free Powerpoint presentation on Optimal health for you and the planet through nutrition7pm Wednesday, August 14thThird Street Center in Carbondale”
