COM Outlook Spring 2019

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 27 continued on page 28 Plant-Based Healthcare members pose with Fort Lauderdale Food Not Bombs representatives after serving homemade vegan food to homeless men and women. students. Meal prepping is a practical solution for anyone with a busy schedule looking to consolidate time in the kitchen. Investing a few hours one day a week in meal prepping makes clean eating much more manageable and consistent, which is key in adopting a plant-based diet. I like to prepare a week’s worth of salads alongside my cooked entrées. Making an easy salad dressing ensures the salads taste great, while avoiding the hid- den sugars and excessive oils found in many store- bought brands. Having an array of chopped vegetables on hand makes it easy to add variety to your meals throughout the week. Stewed lentils and quinoa become even more satisfying with a handful of chopped kale, tomatoes, red peppers, and parsley. Sometimes, when I am pressed for time, a reward- ing default is to roast almost any vegetable I have on hand. Toss the caramelized gems atop quinoa or rice, along with chickpeas sautéed in a tomato and oregano sauce, and you have a satisfying, nutritious, and inexpensive meal. Of course, it is all about the toppings. A simple way to take your plant-based meals to the next level is by adding various seeds. Ground flax seeds—which have a nutty taste similar to graham crackers—and chia seeds are filled with protein, fiber, and healthy fats, making them great additions to any smoothie. Hemp seeds, which contain the optimal ratio of omega fatty acids, are a nice option for salads and savory dishes. I have gained a new perspective by adopting a plant- based lifestyle. In losing excess weight and experiencing boosts in energy and cognition, I realized how detri- mental a meat-based diet had been. After just a few months, my body made huge adjustments. For example, eliminating animal foods has truly made the taste of fruits and vegetables better. What was once only an apple is now an abundantly sweet midday snack to power me through studying, while cucumbers, which I once found as flavorful as a glass of water, now have become a welcome snack with subtle complexity. I initially felt restricted in what I could eat, but have since discovered an array of foods I may never have appreciated. I have always loved cooking, but going plant-based actually sharpened my culinary skills and creativity. Food has become more than just fuel to get me through the day. It has become an active investment in being the healthiest, happiest version of myself. Jonathon Fox is a first-year student. Second-year student Zachary Burns contributed to the information provided in this article.