As I have been sharing my journey to wellness, I wrote about my switch from a meat and potatoes diet to just potatoes… and nuts, and fruit, and many other vegetables .

When people ask about my diet and I tell them I’m plant-based, no meat, there are two typical responses. One is something along the lines of not getting enough protein. The other is usually a comment about how they tried it once and had troubles with finding things to eat. I am a classic picky eater and I switched to a plant-based life in Yellowknife, NT – Canada’s frozen north. If I had no issues having a healthy balanced diet, no one should. Does that sound judgmental? #sorrynotsorry

As far as protein is concerned, if a person is eating a balanced diet and not starving themselves, a plant-based diet provides enough protein. In fact, the real concern is meat eaters get too much protein and don’t get enough fibre – a double whammy.

I will admit that when I first made the switch, I used various plant-based powders mixed into smoothies. I was figuring out what to do but now I don’t buy that stuff. The only supplements I take are B12, just in case, and D.

So what do I eat now? I have a fairly simple diet and I’m still a picky eater but here are some standards:

Oatmeal with raisins, chia, flax, and hemp. Just add hot water but sometimes I get a green tea from Starbucks and use that with a little coconut sugar or maple syrup.

Smoothie with banana, avocado, spinach, kale, broccoli and carrot, mixed berries, chia, flax, hemp, ginger. I make a white, hibiscus, and red tea mix with lemon that I use for the liquid part of the smoothie.

Bean burrito that I copied from Taco Time. I even buy their little containers of hot sauce. Lately, I have been sprinkling chia and flax on the beans. It’s pretty good.

Indian food like chana masala, vegetarian samosa, rice, dahl (or dal?).

Some salads as long as they don’t have weird things in them, like bell peppers.

Apples, oranges, dried fruit.

Nuts and seeds – brazil, pistachio, almond, sunflower, pumpkin (plus the chia and flax noted above).

Something we call chipotle dinner that we ripped off from Chipotle. Black beans, cilantro lime rice, and safritas (sp?) which is a tofu tomato sauce mix. Mouth watering. Some people add gaucamole, salsa and lettuce but why ruin a good thing?

Avocado (sushi) roll with ginger and wasabi (this is totally new to me).

There is a local vegetarian Vietnamese place called The Veggie Garden that makes “beef” and broccoli that is incredible. They also make a lemon “chicken” that’s so good I could eat the whole thing. That place is dangerous to my waistline…

Spaghetti with a homemade sauce and sometimes meatless meatballs* that are really good. Otherwise it’s just pasta and sauce.

Baked/roasted potatoes. Of course. I also have a weakness for french fries especially those from Red Robin.

*I try not to eat too many of the meat substitute products as I’m trying to keep the processed food to a minimum.