A big part of my weight loss journey was figuring out food. Not just calories and portion sizes, but putting it all together in a way that would satisfy my appetite and my calorie deficit. This took some time. Year One as a vegan and basically all I did was remove all animal products from my kitchen and my plate. Same portion sizes, same oil consumption just no dairy and no animal flesh. I still lost a lot of weight but it was slow going.
The more I learned about eating healthy and combining foods, the more I stopped looking at salad as something to dread. Or endure. In fact, I actually started to like them.
But I mean real salad, not just a few lettuce leaves with a slice of cucumber and a tomato wedge. No, thank you.
I’m talking loads of fresh veggies combined with plenty of other delicious stuff, like this crunchy Asian salad.
This “kitchen sink” salad came out exactly how you might imagine. I had a bunch of leftover bits of ingredients that included red cabbage, green cabbage, edamame, carrots, scallions and daikon radish. Add a handful of ramen noodles to the mix, whip up a sauce and you’ve got an easy, low calorie vegan lunch that won’t zap your energy or your time.
I sliced, grated or julienned every thing and tossed it into a big bowl. The sauce had a rice vinegar base, along with mustard, Korean chili flakes, curry powder, salt, pepper, ginger and garlic. Fresh, dried or in a jar, make it how you like it.
If you believe the hype and you’re concerned about your protein intake (imagine my eye roll right here) then sprinkle a few grams of toasted sesame seeds on top. Your taste buds and muscles will appreciate it.
If you find that your sauce is a little too spicy, cool it down with lemon juice. And don’t be afraid to garnish with soy sauce, or if you’re not keeping a healthy distance from oil like I am, add some sesame oil.
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