Whether you’re rooting for your favorite professional team, or your favorite pee-wee player, chances are you’ll find yourself at a tailgate party this fall.   You don’t have to sacrifice your health goals to have a great time.  Here are a few simple ideas to keep the party goind AND keep your energy levels high.  Please log onto the message boards and add your own ideas!

- Order a veggie sub with oil and vinegar.  Cutting out the meat and the mayo will cut calories and  help with food combining.

- Read the package before you buy chips.  Many corn chips are made without artificial ingredients.  Pair them with homemade salsa instead of cheesy dip.

- Veggie platters have as much crunch as chips and also contain nutritional value.

- Vegan chili is as warm and hearty as it’s meaty counterpart but won’t weigh you down. 

- Toss a veggie burger or portobella mushroom on the grill.  Think chicken or veggies when skewering on the grill.

- If you’re eating animal protein bring along some hummus or bean dip to help digest a miscombined meal.

- Keep in mind that even “lite” beer will contain 60 to 100 calories and has dehydrating effects so be sure to have two glasses of water for every alcoholic beverage.  Consider showing your team spirit with a big water bottle with your team logo.

We all know that having the courage of your convictions is a lot easier when you’re surrounded by others with the same convictions.  That’s how and why supportive communities like Marilu.com spring up.  Like minded people not only share ideas but cheer one another on towards our goals.

That’s a lot easier for adults than it is for kids.  If you have a school aged child who is vegetarian or vegan search out activities and organizations that will help appeal to them and show them that they are leading a pretty popular lifestyle.  VegNews has some interesting sites, blogs and newsletters that can help you find animal friendly activities in your area.

http://www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=3630&catId=7

Doesn’t everyone deserve some great peer support?

Summer may be coming to a close but there’s no need to move indoors just yet.  Check out these outdoor festivals with great music (FleetFoxes, Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie and more) and healthy vegetarian and vegan options on hand.   If you don’t happen to live near one of these events, create your own! 

http://www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=3596&catId=4

THE CHALLENGE: This September 17, you’re invited to take back the ‘value meal’ by getting together with family, friends and neighbors for a slow food meal that costs no more than $5 per person. Cook a meal with family and friends, have a potluck, or find a local event.

WHY: Because slow food shouldn’t have to cost more than fast food. If you know how to cook, then teach others. If you want to learn, this is your chance. Together, we’re sending a message to our nation’s leaders that too many people live in communities where it’s harder to buy fruit than Froot Loops. Everybody should be able to eat fresh, healthy food every day.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED: Sign up for the challenge! You can cook a meal with friends and family, find a local event, or host your own event. When you sign up, Slow Food USA will send you $5 cooking tips.

The challenge pledge is as follows:

“On Sept. 17, I pledge to share a fresh, healthy meal that costs less than $5 — because slow food shouldn’t have to cost more than fast food.”

From Slow Food USA

So you’d love to have family meals, but you don’t know where you’d get the time?

• Be fast and easy * Make dishes that have a short list of ingredients and a quick cooking time.
• Keep it simple, sister! * Simple side dishes, like a tossed salad and steamed or grilled vegetables take little time and can be made while the main dish is cooking.
• Be supplied * Keep your kitchen well-stocked with staples, and buy produce regularly. Prepare double quantities of cooked grains, soups, and one-dish meals and freeze the extra portions for busy days.
• Now you’re cooking * Use quick cooking methods, like steaming, grilling, broiling, and sauteing. Use a slow-cooker for foods that take longer to cook. Look for meals that “recycle” the planned leftovers into another meal.
• Be the prep cook * Do some of the preparation ahead of time. Chop some veggies or mix up the dry and wet ingredients separately for corn bread or muffins in the morning or the night before.
• Be the boss * Invite family members to help. Setting the table is pretty obvious, as is pouring the water. Young children can tear lettuce for a salad or put pre-cut raw veggies in a bowl for the table. Older children can stir a soup or sauce, wash and cut veggies, make a vinaigrette, or mix up a quick bread. Teens can cook (yes, they can, and it’s good for them to learn life skills!).

If you’re running out of ideas for ways to enjoy the summer, try some of these. Make a “bucket list” for the next six weeks and see what you can accomplish. And don’t forget your sunscreen.

Go to a water park.
Watch a movie under the stars.
Explore a cave.
Visit a brewery.
Learn to sail.
Take a hot-air balloon ride.
Tour a winery.
Take a dinner cruise on a riverboat.
Play bocce.
Have supper at a farm.
Tube down a river.
Attend a polo match.
Sleep in a train.
Catch a water-ski show.
Learn to golf.
Explore the Milky Way.
Rent a boat.
Go geo-caching.
Go fishing.
Have a mini-golf-a-thon.
Enter a triathlon.
Learn to water-ski.
Visit a sculpture garden.
Take a road trip to a weekend festival.
Learn to wake-board.
Attend a concert in a park.
Explore a scenic waterway.
Watch a baseball game.
Take a river rafting trip.
Go to a flea market.
Hit the beach.
Visit an art fair.
Watch a regatta.
Camp in the backyard.

The importance of family dinner is often overlooked. Researchers have proven that sitting around the table and sharing a meal has long-term value for our families and even our society.

• Teens from households where family dinner is common are more apt to be well-adjusted and more motivated in school (Columbia University, 2007). They also relate better to their peers, and are less likely to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or try marijuana.
• Kids aged 9-14 who typically eat dinner with their families consume more fruits and vegetables, drink less soda, and eat less fried food (Harvard Medical School Obesity Prevention Program).
• Regular mealtimes with parents and children increases each child’s sense of belonging and stability, and boosts the family’s feeling of group connection (American Academy of Pediatrics).

That doesn’t even cover the fact that kids learn practical things too, like table manners and how to participate in adult conversations.

In honor of today being the last mountain stage in this year’s Tour de France (and the 100th anniversary of the Tour being in the Alps), why not get on your bicycle today? Create your own “Tour” and identify trails that you can make into different stages. Over the course of the next couple of months, you can see your region from the seat of a bicycle!

The links below have different kinds of trails listed for all of North America. Check here for information about some major European trails.

• Mountain biking * thousands of jeep and forest roads, singletrack and double-track trails, gravel rail-trails, technical hillclimbs and steep descents, easy cruisers and epic rides– something for mountain bike riders of all abilities and experience levels
• Rails-to-Trails * former railway lines that have been converted to multi-use trails for public access and enjoyment. The nationwide rails-to-trails effort has yielded great trails and paths around the country for walking and running, road and mountain biking, in-line skating, and horseback riding for equestrians
• Road biking * everything from easy road biking routes and rambles to moderately strenuous cruises and extended epic century bike rides – on thousands of back roads, country roads, cycling routes, and paved rail-trails

Here’s an easy lunch or light dinner that’s pretty easy to put together (and very flexible).

The cookbook – The 30 Minute Vegan by Mark Reinfeld & Jennifer Murray – is one of Viva La Vegan coach Kyra’s favorites.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Mediterranean Hummus Wrap
from The 30 Minute Vegan by Mark Reinfeld & Jennifer Murray
Green * Serves 4

4 whole-grain flour tortillas
1 recipe Traditional Hummus (recipe follows)
8 leaves romaine lettuce, chopped
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 cucumber, cut into half moons
1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 cup grated carrot (optional)

Prepare the hummus according to the directions in the following recipe.

Lay out the tortillas, spread with your desired quantity of hummus, and top with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, olives and carrot. Fold in the sides toward the center, roll it up, and enjoy!

Traditional Hummus
from The 30 Minute Vegan by Mark Reinfeld & Jennifer Murray
Blue * Makes 1-1/2 cups

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans*
2 Tablespoons tahini (sesame butter)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tablespoon water*
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons soy sauce (to make it gluten free, use wheat-free tamari)

Process all the ingredients in a food processor (or Vitamix!) until well combined.

*We like to drain the beans, but reserve the liquid and add it back into the hummus as it’s blending. Sometimes we use all the liquid, sometimes we don’t. And sometimes we add extra water.

You may wish to add more water, for a thinner consistency. Start with 1 Tablespoon at a time.

It is possible to mash up the garbanzo beans with a fork if you do not have a food processor, then add all the other ingredients for a much chunkier hummus.

In a world where meat and cheese and sugar dominate the snack food world (and that’s if we leave out the chemicals, additives and preservatives), it can be a challenge to think about vegan snacks.

Jan and Kyra, our coaches for the Viva La Vegan class starting July 11, offer these suggestions.

• Fresh fruit in season, including oranges, mangoes, kiwis, apples, ruby red grapefruit (Texas grapefruits are the sweetest), strawberries, grapes, etc.
• Unsalted raw nuts or seeds, such as almonds, cashews, or peanuts – or try Brazil nuts, walnuts, pepitas, or sunflower seeds
• Crackers – just check that they’re dairy-free and sugar-free, and avoid excess salt, as well – try Newman’s Own Unsalted Pretzel Rounds
• Dried fruit – try mango, blueberries, bananas, peaches, etc. as well as raisins, apricots, and apples
• Dry cereal (no sugar)
• Trail mix without added sugars – try Bear Naked trail mixes or make your own
• Whole grain toast with peanut butter or other nut or seed butter (no salt, no sugar, freshly ground)
• Raw veggies, like carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, jicama, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and bell pepper strips
• Hummus makes a great dip, as does guacamole (make sure it has no sour cream, if you purchase it premade), but plain veggies are just as good

The Viva La Vegan class starts next Monday, July 11.
Members are automatically enrolled in the class. Just check your inbox for the class email on Monday.
Not a member? Join now and you’ll be ready for class!

Find out how to win a $500 Vitamix!