Are you sick and tied of dieting? I was so sick and tied of diets that promised that they could work wonders, but never changed a thing. I was tired of feeling deprived of the great meals that I was missing, of eating boring, tasteless food that really didn’t satisfy me in any way. I was sick and tired of counting calories and feeling guilty if I ate something “bad”. Life is too short for that.
The great revelation for me was to eat more plant-based foods!
In our family, we have now changed many of our meaty meals to plant-based foods.
Sometimes we do VB6 – Vegan before 6, meaning no animal products until dinner. Then you eat anything you like for dinner. Sounds fabulous? It is! VB6 was invented by NYT food journalist Mark Bittman because his health was suffering (see the link below). But through VB6 he got his health back.
I love this idea, it is something we can all do, quite easily. It is totally doable, not a big change, but it has huge impact on our overall health and well-being. By eating like VB6 or a similar scheme, you can keep your cholesterol down, your blood pressure healthy, your blood sugar good, your weight down and, at the same time, you will feel energized and full of life. We love this way of eating so much that we actually sometimes expand the idea to VUF – Vegan until Friday!
Eating this way is delicious, tasty, satisfying and nourishing and it feeds your entire body and soul. It is the perfect way to stay healthy and loose the extra weight. I never think calories when I eat like this – my weight stays ideal and I feel ideal – there is no going back for me. I love this way of living and eating – I enjoy my meals and I never feel I am missing out because I am not.
Take this burger for instance – a quinoa burger with all the trimmings, guacamole, arugula on a homemade bun. The perfect exchange.
A favorite burger – Quinoa burger made with sweet potatoes and mushrooms.
500g Mushrooms – I use the brown mushrooms or Portobello
3 shallots
2 medium size sweet potatoes
2 cups of cooked quinoa
2 teaspoons of paprika
3 tablespoons of flax-seed meal
2 cloves of garlic
Sea salt and pepper
Flour
Chop the mushrooms, chop the shallots, add some olive oil on to the frying pan and brown the mushrooms,garlic and onions. Add sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Bake the sweet potatoes till they are soft, e.g., for about an hour in the oven. Scoop out the sweet potato from the skin and put it into the blender, add the mushrooms, onions and garlic. Blend into a soft mixture. Put the mixture into a bowl and mix in the flax-seed meal. Mix it well. Let it cool. Make the patties and gently turn them on a plate with a bit of flour/sea salt/pepper on all sides. Fry the quinoa burgers in olive oil till they are golden brown on both sides.
Serve on a warm homemade bun, with slices of red onions, homemade guacamole, slices of tomatoes, and lots of fresh crisp arugula.
Enjoy!
Another delicious veggie burger from Somer at Vedgedout
We went plant-wild for a week, check it out here
Read more about Mark Bittman and VB6
Anne Sture Tucker 
Fabulous post and thoughts on food and diet Anne! I love the look of your burger – between you and Somer I am thinking I need to re-visit this whole thing…delicious and good timing to read just before dinner!
Thank you Shira! The burger was really good – I have been experimenting making veggie burgers for a while, this one is the best 🙂 I think it would be pretty amazing on your delicious bread with caramelized onions 🙂
Yay, Anne!! I think it’s a great way to get more plants in one’s diet! I love not having to worry about calories, too.
Thanks Annie! It is magic isn’t it? – I am so grateful that I was introduced to this world of delicious plan-based foods and got my health back!
A fantastic post with tips and a rewarding recipe – you are so right! And dieting sucks – moderately healthy, exercise and just keep at it no problem 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thank you Uru!! Dieting sucks, life is too short for boring diets and tasteless low fat products – No VB6 and some of your delicious cake for dessert 🙂
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe! Thanks
Lise-Lotte
Thanks Lise-Lotte – I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did 🙂
The recipe looks very promising, Anne! And the ideas behind it are even greater. You have me thinking here…
Thanks Marion! I love to eat like this and it has done wonders for my health 🙂
I’m copying this recipe. Thank you Anne!
Great Amy – I hope you will enjoy it!
Thank you!
I love Mark Bittman and I can’t wait to make this recipe! Of course I have everything I need to make it! Thanks for the linkage!
Yay Somer – there is always space for another veggie burger right 🙂
We are going to try your black bean veggie burger this week!
Oh yay! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! 🙂
that would be perfect for my lunch box.
It is actually perfect for lunch the next day 🙂
Thanks for visiting!
That burger looks incredible! Well, I do VE… vegetarian everyday :P. I really should do vegan days though, I get a bit crazy with cheese!
Oh Cassandra I am with you,me too, I love cheese 🙂
I think it is more about balance than cutting out cheese all together. Having vegan days are a wonderful way to bring balance.
I used to (and still do 😦 love cheese) but it is sooooooo bad for you… for anybody 😦
I adore good cheese! I used to eat it every single day 4 times a day – anything with cheese! After eating more green food and in particular drinking the green smoothies, my taste buds have changed and I no longer crave cheese, like I did. I have it every now and then and love it when I have it.
Can it be VB5? I mean if you go to bed earlier :S
Ha ha ha sure, any vb will be good 🙂
This is promising… the fact that the taste buds can change getting used to green stuff. I did VB5 today, but then I had a portion of meat in a special bread – a kind of our take out :S.
How are you feeling these days Anne?
I have been running too much so I have hurt my hip! But apart from that I am really well. Thank you for asking Paula, you are sweet! Hope you are feeling great too and that the trip did you good 🙂
Yes it is quite amazing that the taste buds change! Very quickly after starting drinking green smoothies I stopped craving the “wrong” things – I think because all of a sudden my body was nourished and satisfied. Then things I normally would eat would taste too salty or way too sweet! Like some cheeses are now too salty and many cakes are just toooo sweet for me to even enjoy any longer.
That bread with meat inside sounds good 🙂
Anne, do you mind if I share a funny quote I found today? I hope you will not take it the wrong way 😉 After all, I love most of plant foods unlike all meat or fish… Here it goes: “If you like animals so much, why do you keep eating their food?” 😉
You crack me up 🙂 that is funny!!!!
Thank you!!!
I will not tempt you to that dear.. if you were here, you would be lost 😉
I am sure of it 🙂
And I am sorry that your hip is sore… I hope it is not anything serious… you are too young to be having hip problems. Do you still get your dizzy spells cause of Menieres?
Thanks Paula!
And no dizzy spells since I changed my way of eating! 2 1/2 years now- It is quite amazing isn’t it?
I’ve read before on your blog that they’ve become extremely rare, but now I am happy to hear that they are gone altogether 🙂 Well done Anne!
Thank you my friend!
So glad you stopped by my blog so I could meet you. I really like the VB6 idea; how easy is that! Just had my first really bad diverticulitis attack and have to increase my fiber. This post comes at a good time for me, thanks!
So happy you stopped by me too – love to have you here 🙂
I am sorry to hear about your diverticulitis attack! It is very painful too, right?
I love the VB6 way of eating and adding the green smoothies – it has changed my life completely. As you say – how easy is that! It is such a great way to get lots of nourishment and fiber in to the body.
I hope you will feel better real soon!