If you have a story you’d like to share with us, please send it to: engine2family@gmail.com

Please leave some plant-strong love in the comments for Cliff and Lynn!

This is a perfect follow up to our challenge last week!

Thinking outside the salad bowl:  Q & A with Lani Muelrath

If you’ve jumped into a plant-based food plan with both feet, you already get it that it’s all about the food. All about the plants. The place from which all phytonutrition and color come to build that healthy, beautiful body.

Yet there’s usually some point of pause when it comes to salads, now that you are not only plant-based but aso of a healthy, whole-foods and low-fat frame of mind. Now you’ve not only jumped in with both feet, we’re talking both hands too. Those days when ‘salad’ meant raw veggies tossed with oil and grated cheese are fading into the fatter-days past.

Perhaps Mary Jo’s letter has a familiar ring:

Mary Jo Leach asks:

Hi Lani,

I am rather new at all this and I accidentally ran across your blog. Sounds like something that will help me along. I have many questions. My first question would be, “How do I make a salad dressing that me and my husband would like?” Sadly I am used to sweet, french style dressings, and my husband likes ranch or blue cheese. Neither of us like vinegar taste. We are trying to keep it plant based, dairy free, salt free, sugar free and fat free. You can see we do not have many choices. Can you help us?

Lani’s reply: Hey Mary Jo, thanks for bringing this up as it is not an uncommon question – how to get creative with salads now that you are going to be ditching the old toppings that can create a salad that actually ends up being an unhealthy affair. At the highest calorie dense edible around, vegetable oil weighs in at 4,000 calories a lb – that’s over 100 for every tablespoon with essentially nothing to show for itself but a load of fuel that is easily destined for storage. Remember, the fat you eat is the fat you’ll wear.

I’m not going to kid you,when we’re used to those creamy dressings let’s face it, there’s going to be some re-alimentation to do. That means a changing of your tastes. Trust me, a little time spent on this shift and before long heavy dressings and oily toppings just seem like – well, heavy oil additions. The trick is finding transitions while at the same time having a pro-active mindset about creating lighter tastes. Previously, your admitted preferences were for a serving of rich dressing that created a tasty backdrop for your salad veggies. With a little creativity and patience, this will change.

It helps to keep in mind that a salad without all the oil and extra fat of creamy dressings will make a huge difference in your health and body-shaping plans. And before long the old heavy dressings such as ranch and French will lose their pull and your salads will leave you feeling a whole-lot better. Going into it with the intention of healthy purpose will help.

1) Add more flavorful crunch: If your salads have been largely greens with other vegetables tossed in, rethink the base to something more colorful. Shredded green and purple cabbage, carrots, chopped colorful sweet peppers, and jicama make great salad bases.

This is actually my new favorite go-to salad and you can see a picture of a recent salad lunch at my house here:  Today’s lunch, color and crunch. I use a food processor to grate the veggies which allows you to make a pile of crunchy salad in a snap. Add in finely chopped parsley, cilantro, spinach, or even kale – just make it tiny enough to mix in as some great color. Sometimes I’ll add sprouted sunflower seeds too. Toss in some garbanzo beans. And here’s the honest truth: A salad like this only needs a squirt of lime juice to make it absolutely divine. And if you are including a few nuts or seeds in your diet, sprinkling on even a teaspoon of raw or roasted sunflower seends creates amazing flavor.

2) Investigate simple ‘dressing’ solutions: There are some great low-fat, no oil dressings out there yet to be honest, I never seem to like to make the time to prepare these in advance. Admittedly my own shortcoming. Yet if you’re like me and want great flavor without a big time investment, and you find that just lime juice is not sweet enough for you, here are some other great ideas:

• Soak some dates overnight and mash them into lime juice to make a creamy, sweet dressing. When ‘sweet’ sounds best I’ll do that for the salad I described above. This may be all you need to offset the ‘vinegar taste’ that you refer to.
• Balsamic or brown rice vinegar can be sweetened in the same fashion. Sometimes it comes flavored distinctly sweet. A few weeks ago we were visiting a winery and they had balsamic vinegar sweetened with fig juice concentrate. This goes perfectly on greens.
• Greens tossed in a flavored vinegar and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast to boost a savory flavor.

These are quick, easy, and fat-free.

3) Take a look at Healthy Girl’s article right here on Engine 2 with a whole garden full of simple salad ideas: How Healthy Girl Makes a Salad and Makes Salad Making Easier.

Thinking outside the salad bowl.

Literally. Often while prepping the lunch soup, sandwich, wrap or veggie burger, I’ll yank some veggies out of the fridge. By the time everything is officially ready to serve for lunch, I’ll have noshed on at least 2 big carrots, 1/4 of a head of cabbage, and few chunks of sweet bell pepper or sugar snap peas. There’s a salad. It just didn’t look like one. Salad doesn’t have to mean all prepped up and pretty in a bowl.

Thanks Lani! Do you have a question for Lani? Please leave a comment below.

Thanks again Lani!

If you’d like to see some of Lani’s work and check out her great fitness programs, check out her website: http://lanimuelrath.com/

Lani Muelrath is a plant-strong fitness expert! Lani is the creator of The Body Transformation Formula and Fit Quickies™ 5 Minute Workouts. She has a Master’s Degree in Physical Education and over 30 years of experience as a teacher, coach, and trainer. She has received awards for her instruction, created and starred in her own CBS TV Show, and her expertise in the area of health and fitness is called upon by examiner.com, as Fitness Expert for Dr. John McDougall’s Health and Medical Center, coach, Dr. Neal Barnard’s 21-Day Kickstart program, and Health and Fitness Lifestyle Expert for Vegan Mainstream.com. She is Certified in Plant-Based Nutrition through Cornell University.

(a photo of Jerome, AZ: population 400 and one of my favorite places to live)

The following post was written by E2 team member, Natala.

We get a lot of questions from people who live in small towns asking if they can be plant-strong even if they don’t live near a Whole Foods. You will be glad to know that going plant-strong can be done by anyone, anywhere. In fact right now we have a few people doing 28 day challenges on oil rigs, a few deployed in Afghanistan, a couple living in a very remote part of Asia, a family of 14 living on a very tight budget in a small town and all of those folks are thriving on a plant-strong diet.

My husband and I have been traveling full time for the past three years now. We have lived in small cities of less than 400 people and big cities as well (right now we are in San Francisco).

Every thing we own fits in our car. This means we do not have much kitchen equipment - a knife, a cutting board, a stove top pan and a small pot. That is all.

In every place we have lived we have had absolutely no problem being plant-strong, in fact I’d even say that living in a small city we tend to eat a lot more healthier, simply because there are not some of the speciality products (vegan junk food) around us that are available in some stores. Living in a small city is a wonderful time to really make things simple, and making things simple also means you end up saving a lot of money.

So let’s talk logistics:

1. Make a list of the things your local store does well.

For instance, most stores have a pretty good frozen vegetable section and frozen fruit. Believe it or not frozen can be even fresher than ‘fresh produce’! It is flash frozen in the field and so a lot more is perserved. So if there is a frozen vegetable/fruit section you are in luck! Even if you can’t get fresh produce, more than likely you are better off with the frozen for most of the year anyway.

*On that note- look around for some CSA’s, many small towns have a local CSA in which you can get a big box of produce, generally for a great price.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are also found in most stores. Potatoes are GREAT and an inexpensive base to any meal.

Brown rice – whole grain brown rice is another great one – the Uncle Ben’s quick boil or success rice are whole grain rices that are pretty inexpensive and found almost anywhere.

Beans – most stores stock low sodium canned beans. However you can also buy them dry and cook them in a slow cooker or pressure cooker. Beans are a great thing to have on hand. You can even freeze them and use them later!

Corn tortillas – these are a great inexpensive thing to have on hand. You can make lots of things with them – from chips for nachos to wraps to tacos! I’ve even made “tortilla” pie – which is a lot of fun.

Whole grain pasta: Most stores have their own brand of whole grain pasta, generally another inexpensive thing.

Lentils – I love lentils, they are inexpensive, and SO versatile! And they take no time to cook.

Canned tomatoes (low sodium) – another great thing to have on hand.

Oats! Oats are great – and you can make so much with them.

Salt free spices/herbs.

Parchment paper – so you don’t have to buy cooking spray!

*If there is something that they don’t carry – ASK! We have done this in a few cities and have had a lot of luck. We were living in a very remote part of North Carolina and the local store did not carry quinoa, so we asked, and a week later they had quinoa. If they know there is someone who will buy it, they are more likely to stock it.

2. Use online sources.

When we’re in really remote places we use Amazon for a lot! We have an Amazon prime membership which costs 79 dollars a year, and we split that with 5 people because you can have 5 people on the account! This means we get free 2 day shipping on groceries. We order things like dry beans, POMI tomatoes, whole grain cereal, non-dairy milk, flax seed, nuts, brown rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta. Pretty much anything dry you can think of can be found online. And it is usually a much better price than what you can find in the stores.

3. Check out Jeff Novick’s Fast Food DVD:

We love Jeff’s approach to healthy eating and cooking, and his DVD is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to make simple meals with ingredients you can find anywhere for about 5 dollars a day. Jeff also has a fabulous collection of recipes online found here: http://t.co/wrryqMsb these are all made with ingredients found in any store – cost about 2-3 dollars per meal (makes A LOT) and only require a can opener,  scissors and a pot! Jeff is a great resource if you are online as well.

4. Keep things simple.

One of the best things you can do – is to simplify your food life a little. There are 100′s of fabulous taste combinations made with simple ingredients like:

▪ Sweet potato, kale, white beans, brown rice.
▪ White potato, black beans, tomatoes, corn, spinach.
▪ Quinoa, mixed greens, red beans, cauliflower
▪ Brown rice, chickpeas, peas, zucchini,  curry powder, turmeric
▪ White beans, fingerling potatoes, brussel sprouts, garlic, kale.
▪ Whole grain pasta, zucchini,  brocoli, peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes
▪ Lentils, collard greens, brown rice, artichoke
▪ Potatoes, portobello mushrooms, green beans,  spinach, black beans
▪ Whole grain  pasta, lentils, strained tomatoes (or tomato puree), garlic, brocoli
▪ Whole grain bread with portobello mushrooms, grilled zucchini and oil free hummus.
▪ Wild rice, onion, red lentils, greens
▪ Brown rice, salsa, frozen southwestern veggie mix, black beans
▪ Sweet potato, topped with black beans
▪ Brown rice, black pepper, asian style veggie mix.
▪ Cauliflower soup – cook cauliflower, blend add chickpeas.
▪ Whole grain pasta cooked and chilled, cucumber, tomato, beans, balsamic vinegar
▪ Mashed chickpeas, onion, garlic, chopped celery, cucumber served on whole grain bread ▪ Lentils, chopped tomato, lettuce, spinach, salsa, served on lettuce or served in corn tortillas
▪ Roasted vegetable mix & quinoa
▪ Beans & brown rice ▪ Spinach salad: strawberries, raisins, balsamic
▪ Chop salad: chopped cucumber, celery, carrots, zucchini, tossed with quinoa.
▪ Big salad: Whatever fresh vegetables you have on top of greens. (the whatever salad!)
▪ *Salad is always a good option if you have fresh vegetables/greens laying around. You can use balsamic vinegar for a dressing, salsa or even just lemon.
▪ Huge plate of steamed vegetables with spices.
▪ Breakfast: oatmeal or quinoa with fruit and ground flaxseed
▪ Breakfast: Rip’s big bowl (of course!)
▪ Looking for an easy dressing? We use low sodium salsa, oil free hummus or balsamic vinegar.

5. Make a list.

We have found that when we make a list we spend far less on groceries, than when we go into a store unprepared. When we go into a store unprepared it feels a little bit like going into battle, we start going up and down aisles and just throwing stuff in the cart because we just want to get out of the store. We have become very systematic about our lists. We put things in categories so that we can only head to the aisles we absolutely need to go to. So our shopping list will start off with “Produce Section” and we put every thing we need to get in the produce section, and then the “Beans/grains Section”.

Living in a small town can present a few challenges, but it definitely can be done! We hope that this helps you a little in your plant-strong journey. Even if you don’t live in a small town, the above tips will help you to save money on your next shopping trip.

Do you live in a small town? What are some of your tips for other people in your situation?

(did you know that Einstein was plant-strong?)

Simplicity: Making the Plant-Strong Lifestyle Work

So you’ve read “The Engine 2 Diet”, seen “Forks Over Knives” and maybe even taken the 28 Day Challenge at your local Whole Foods Market.  How can you make a Plant-Strong lifestyle work day to day? How can you always have delicious, nutrient packed, satisfying meals prepared to meet the demands of a busy lifestyle?

One huge key to success is to be prepared.

Health Starts Here

Go shopping and stock up on all of the foods that will keep you going Plant-Strong. Always keep lots of fruits and vegetables on hand for snacking and recipes, but in addition, keep your kitchen loaded with non-perishable ingredients to keep you prepared.

A basic pantry list would look something like this:

-Frozen Vegetables- your favorites!

-Frozen Fruits -

-Canned Beans- No Salt!

-Canned Tomatoes- No Salt!

-Whole Grains (quinoa, barley, oats, buckwheat, etc.)

-Brown Rice

-Whole Wheat Pasta (or Brown Rice Pasta)

-Dried Fruit- No sugar or oil added!

-Nuts- No salt!

-No salt added Spice Mixes- All of your favorites

-Low sodium vegetable broth

-Alternative milk- Unsweetened!

These items also happen to be some of the least expensive foods in the store so not only will you stay on track, but you will save a ton of money. If you want to take the savings to another level, buy dried beans from the bulk section instead of canned. Find a great versatile recipe that is quick, delicious, and satisfying.

The key to long term success living a whole foods, plant based lifestyle is to make it work day to day. By staying prepared, keeping meal preparation simple, and developing a healthy routine, living a healthy lifestyle is a breeze.

Be Well and Stay Plant-Strong,

Curtis Whitwam

Healthy Eating Specialist

Whole Foods Market, Tampa

Curtis.whitwam@wholefoods.com

Curtis Whitwam is the Healthy Eating Specialist at Whole Foods Market, Tampa, Fl. Whole Foods Tampa regularly holds Engine 2 28 Day Challenges. For more information about Healthy Eating Classes and support please visit your local Whole Foods Market.

I am a 40 year old, mother of 2 sweet little girls.  I have always been on the healthy side of eating, or so I thought!  I watched the Forks Over Knives movie and it changed me in an instant.  I have shopped at Whole Foods for several years, so I thought I was eating healthy with chicken, fish and dairy.  I then had my check up and routine blood work at my Md’s office.  I was shocked when received the results.  My triglycerides were off the chart at 427, cholesterol was 175 and my cardiac risk was a 6 (which is knocking at the door for heart disease and hypertension).  My bone density was a level 26 (knocking on the door of osteoporosis) and my blood pressure was 130/85.  I had been walking 2-3 miles a day, but still kept gaining weight.  So, I decided that if I wanted to be around to meet my grandchildren, I had better make some drastic changes.

I jumped in feet first and eliminated ALL dairy, eggs and meat.  I spent hours over at Whole Foods talking to the Vegan folks!  They were so very helpful by giving me tips and suggestions.  They had recommended to start with being vegetarian.  I am the type of person that when I do something, I am all in.  I decided this was the lifestyle that was right for me.

I had my last bite of meat, dairy and eggs on September 23, 2011.  I went back to the MD for a repeat blood panel.  My physician, Colleen Walker, said she had never seen anything so dramatic!   My triglycerides were 171, cholesterol was 131, blood pressure was 110/76, and my bone density went up to 37!!!!! And my my cardiac risk went down to a 4 (very low risk).  Oh, and I lost 18 pounds!  I felt like a little child at Christmas when I left her office!  This was all in a period of less than 4 months!

I have to say this probably the easiest change that I have ever made.  I have people ask me where do I get my protein, what about calcium, etc.  I recite my blood results and share with them what I eat.  I am not sure that everyone believes me!  I am so excited about my future and to hopefully spread the word to whoever will listen!  The folks at Engine 2, Whole Foods, The Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, and many others have saved my life!!  I am perfectly happy with eating an ALL plant based diet.  I do not miss the other choices.  My eyes are WIDE OPEN now, and I think I like it!!!

-Michele

We are so glad your eyes are wide open Michele! Not just for you, but for your beautiful daughters!

Do you have a story you’d like to share with us? Send us an e-mail: engine2family@gmail.com

** Note! We have a winner! Kelly J was picked from a random number generator! Congratulations to Kelly!

Nachos, chili, chips, deep fried animal bits – all foods associated with Super Bowl parties. But no more. We have put together the ultimate recipe guide for hosting a plant-strong Super Bowl party that you will never forget. Your friends will pay no attention the the game, they will all be asking you how you created such an amazing spread of food! No one will pay any attention to those commercials, because they will be mesmerized by your fantastic plant-strong chili! If there are any wardrobe malfunctions, no one will care, because they were busy planning how they will go plant-strong after going to your party.

(what is really happening on the side-lines)

We have put together a recipe guide for your plant-strong parties. Our recipe guide is complete with some of our favorite dishes to serve at parties, as well as a special recipe from Happy Herbivore!

If that wasn’t enough, we link to a few of our favorite recipes from around the web that make great party food.

And if that STILL wasn’t enough, we are doing a BIG Super Bowl sized giveaway!

Don’t you wish we could all just live in the same town? Imagine the plant-strong parties we could have!

On to the recipes! We have put together an easy-to-print Super Bowl recipe guide with 11 amazing plant-strong party recipes!

Looking for even more great party recipes?
Potato Pizza’s
Dublin Coddle with Vegan Irish Sausage
Baked Vegan Corndogs
Breaded zucchini sticks
Easy Vegan Chili and Pumpkin Spiced Cornbread Muffins
Cheezy Macaroni Bake with Butternut Squash and Greens
Jodi’s black bean dip
Simple Green Pea Miso Dip
Tamale Bites
Wings! If you add some hot sauce or bbq sauce, these are great to serve just like hot wings!
and you can even serve them with ranch dressing!
Earlier this week, we posted a guide to plant-strong burgers, which are great for any party!  You can even make a burger bar with different kinds of burgers and all your favorite toppings.

Want to make a really healthy (and fun) dessert? Why not make fruit kabobs?

Hopefully we have inspired you to host a fabulous plant-strong Super Bowl party!

The Super Bowl sized giveaway!

In the comments tell us what you plan to make for your plant-strong party.

On Monday we will pick one lucky winner who will receive an Engine 2 Super Bowl party prize pack! One lucky winner will get 15 Engine 2 tote bags and 15 wrist bands to give away as party favors. PLUS one signed copy of Engine 2 and one copy of Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue! Your Super Bowl party could be a great time to start a 28 day challenge with your family and friends!

So let’s here it! What are you planning for your plant-strong Super Bowl party?

We have been focusing on simplicity this month, and we asked Lindsay Nixon from “Happy Herbivore” if she would share her thoughts on simplicity. Lindsay’s cookbooks, Happy Herbivore and Every Day Happy Herbivore are two of our favorite cookbooks in part because of how simple they are to use, so we thought she’d be the perfect person to ask about simplicity!

Part 1 Simplify Your Surroundings

I had this beta fish in college and one day I moved him from my desk to my dresser. He was all a flutter during the 3 foot move, but I figured he’d quiet down by nighttime. He didn’t. He was swimming about frantically, all puffed out like he was going to war, and generally, a stressed out fish. I couldn’t figure out WHY he was so upset, surely the view from my dresser couldn’t be that much different from the view from my desk? Why were his new surroundings stressing him out so much.

That’s when my roommate pointed out he could see himself in my mirror, only he didn’t recognize it as himself, but a rival, and hence why he was all stirred up.

It was a lesson to me that surroundings can affect our stress levels. In a lot of ways, I’m like that fish. I find if the area around me is too cluttered, if breeds a feeling of chaos, and I get all stressed out.

About six months ago I decided to remove everything out of sight to the extent possible. Everything on my kitchen counter went into the cupboards or pantry. All my bath products in the bathroom found their way into a single container that I kept under the sink.

I was going for the minimalist look and realized, less is more.

Think back to the last time you cleaned up and tidied your desk – didn’t you feel more zen? And like you had accomplished something?

If you feel stressed or frazzled, try simplifying your surroundings. Tucking away anything possible. The less that is out is better… it’ll help, promise!

We are now in day 3 of our “Great Salad Challenge” on facebook! Over 600 people have joined so far, there are lots of great salad ideas if you are interested, please join in. We think a salad can be a meal all by itself, but if you prefer something to go with your salad, why not try a fabulous plant-strong burger?

The veggie burger. It has been made fun of, mocked and has been the joke of many menu’s. A frozen patty of something that you are unsure of, and if you used just enough mustard and ketchup it might be tasty.

But, if you’ve been paying attention, veggie burgers are making a come back. They are being taken seriously, and for good reason – they are easy to make and really tasty. There are also tons of ways of making them. And we’re going to tell you how to make a lot of different veggie burgers, once you get the hang of it, you will be having veggie burgers every day, for lunch, for dinner, sometimes for breakfast JUST because you can! You will bring them to the office, pack them in your kids lunch boxes and people from all over will want to know what your secret is to looking so healthy, and you will tell them – it’s the plant-strong burger.

(we might have over-exaggerated)

Back to the plant-strong burger. We’re going to break this down, and hopefully it will make sense. If it comes out a disaster it is not a plant-strong  burger, it is great ‘meat’ crumble for a plant-strong burrito! You just can’t go wrong.

1 Pick your bean/lentil/peas (you will need 2 cups COOKED)

Black Beans

White beans

Kidney beans

Chickpeas

Lentils (any color)

Split Peas

(we’re sure any kind of bean you can dream up would work just fine)

2. Pick your starch (1 cup)

Dry Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs or whole grain gluten free bread crumbs

Uncooked Quick Oatmeal

Cooked Quinoa

Cooked Millet

Cooked Amaranth

Cooked Buckwheat

Cooked brown rice. (you can also use a wild rice if you like)

3. Pick a vegetable (or a few vegetables) : dice them! If you pick more than one vegetable, you will want to decrease the amount you use, probably by at least half. So if you use carrots and celery – use 1 rib of celery and 1 carrot stick.

Celery (about 2 ribs)

Carrot (about 2 sticks)

Onion (about 1 small onion)

Mushrooms (about 1 cup)

Jalapeno (1 or 2 depending on how spicy you like things)

4. SPICE! Go to town with spices. Our general rule is just to evenly coat whatever we are making with the spice, or if using fresh herbs/spices start with 1/4 of a teaspoon and go from there. Because we’re not using any ingredients that can kill you like raw eggs or meat, go ahead and taste as you go!

Garlic

Basil

Oregano

Cayenne

Thyme

Cumin

Rosemary

Nutritional Yeast (which will give it a more cheese like flavor)

Black pepper

Curry powder (works well with chickpea burgers)

Turmeric (use a very small amount – a few dashes will do) works great with chickpea burgers.

We know that we did not list every spice (our apologies to the fans of certain spices left out) but really any spice you like will do just fine – get creative! Italian burgers? Mexican burgers? Jamaican-jerk burgers? Whatever you can dream up!

5. Liquid: 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup start with a 1/4 and add as needed.

Low Sodium Vegetable broth

Liquid from cooked beans.

Non dairy unsweetened milk

For a different taste you can try 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree, mashed sweet potato or butternut squash puree. If you opt to add a puree you may need to use less liquid overall.

6. Flax

Ground flax seed – combine 2 tbs of ground flax seed with 3tbs of warm water. Set aside and let it gel a little.

Now to make your burgers.

Pre-heat oven to 350

Have a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper ready to go.

1. Put cooked beans in a big mixing bowl. Mash them up – however you get the job done is the right way, personally we just use our hands.

2. Add your starch. You will want to mix the starch and the bean really well – we also use our hands for this.

3. Add your vegetables (you can cook them first if you like, dice them first and then put them in a pan with a little water or low sodium vegetable broth and cook them till the are done, no need to add any oil)

4. Add spices

5. Add liquid

6. Add flax. (be sure to follow instructions).

7. Mix every thing – you can use a spoon, but we just use our hands, because it’s just easier that way.

8. Form patties (see you were going to have to use your hands anyway).

9. Put patties on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

10. Stick in oven for 15-20  minutes or until they are looking slightly crispy on the top. We generally like flipping them half way through.

11. Do a happy dance around your house while you are waiting for plant-strong burgers to cook. This step is absolutely necessary.

12. Take out, bask in your greatness for a minute.

13. Serve on a nice whole grain bun with all of your favorite burger accessories, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, tomato,hummus, ketchup, mustard, really just go wild. You can also serve it on a nice bed of leafy greens. Also, serve with baked sweet potato fries, it will make for an even happier experience.

This should make 4-5 decent sized burgers or 8-10 smaller burgers. You can freeze them as well.

*Tips: Too crumbly? Add more liquid. Too watery? Add more starch.

Want an exact recipe? Check out our lentil burger recipe.

Eat, enjoy, dream of the next combination you will make!

Lani is a regular guest contributor to the Engine 2 blog, and has helped a lot of you! If you have a question you’d like Lani to tackle, just leave it in the comments!

Question of the day:

What’s for breakfast? Q & A with Plant-Based Fitness Expert Lani Muelrath

Seabrook asks:  Lani, what are you doing for breakfast?

Ah, a question with few words yet mighty impact!  Breakfast matters big time.

My go-to breakfast Seabrook is hot wholegrain cereal with fruit and a sprinkle of flax seed.  Sometimes cinnamon.  This is breakfast for me 99% of the time.  On occasion I’ll have waffles or hotcakes, or potatoes in some form.  That doesn’t mean you can’t get uber creative with your first meal of the day.  Just be sure it’s got some of this good stuff goin’ on:

3 elements of the good breakfast, aka a ‘gusto brekkie’

1)  It’s jammed  with whole food fiber.

Satiety is a function of bulk and nutrition. (See The 3 Rules of Satiety:  Becoming Naturally Thin).

• Whole grain cereal, rolled oats, rice cream, quinoa, whole brown rice, 9-grain cereal.  Mix ‘em up.  Let your imagination go wild.  Soak ‘em the night before or cook them up in the a.m.  Eat ‘em cold as leftovers.  Heap fruit on top.  Sprinkle on some flax seed or chopped walnuts on top for an omega 3 hit.

• Breakfast burritos: Whole grain or sprouted tortilla shells or chapati jammed with beans, rice, salsa.

• Soup: vegetable soup with whole grains, pasta, and legumes.  Lentil soup.  Some people just don’t like “breakfast” foods.  Foods don’t inherently have a time of day, it’s just what we’re used to.  This is probably why I love pinto beans and tortillas for breakfast when traveling in Mexico, but just can’t pull it off once I’m back in the mountains in Northern California.  Go figure.

• Wholegrain pancakes, waffles, and good grainy breads.  Operative is whole grain, not partial whole grain or “wheat flour” which can be as processed and refined as they come.   Use a little nut butter and jam.  Have a bowl of fruit.

• Potatoes:  hash browns or any other form you like!

• Some have taken to the habit of a smoothie breakfast that allows them to grab and go.  Smoothies are not advised on a regular basis, though, as blending and whirring does disrupt the fiber in whole foods and has a diminishing effect on satiety.  See To smoothie or not to smoothie? The skinny on blending your fruits and greens.

2)  It’s low in fat

Here’s the thing. All plant foods have fat in them, even though we may not think of it that way.  As a matter of fact, even with NO added expelled oils and high fat foods through the day, we easily consume about 10% fat in our diets.  Add in some high fat foods and that percentage can jump fast. As in all meals throughout the day, to stay slim and energized, we are looking for low calorie density.  That means volumes of fibrous food with low calorie count per pound of same.

3)  It’s got some color

This is a great time of the day for fruit.  The whole kind, avoid juices which bump up the calorie density and have no impact, research shows, on satiety. You can do this with fruit on the top or side of whatever else you are having.

A quality breakfast stabilizes your energy for the entire day, even affecting blood sugar responses after meals that take place hours later.  And an extra word of precaution.  If you aren’t hungry first thing in the morning and end up dashing out the door before you’ve fueled up, take some high quality eats with you!  What you have is what you’ll eat and if you head out into the big beautiful world without being prepared with good fuel to eat, when hunger hits – as it eventually will – what you have is what you’ll eat.  And if you don’t have it with you, well, it’s risky business!

Tell us about YOUR ‘gusto brekkie’ solutions in comments below.

Thanks again Lani! If you’d like to see some of Lani’s work and check out her great fitness programs, check out her website: http://lanimuelrath.com/

Lani Muelrath is a plant-strong fitness expert! Lani is the creator of The Body Transformation Formula and Fit Quickies™ 5 Minute Workouts. She has a Master’s Degree in Physical Education and over 30 years of experience as a teacher, coach, and trainer. She has received awards for her instruction, created and starred in her own CBS TV Show, and her expertise in the area of health and fitness is called upon by examiner.com, as Fitness Expert for Dr. John McDougall’s Health and Medical Center, coach, Dr. Neal Barnard’s 21-Day Kickstart program, and Health and Fitness Lifestyle Expert for Vegan Mainstream.com. She is Certified in Plant-Based Nutrition through Cornell University.

Thanks for sharing Jennifer!

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