Lindsay Nixon - The Happy Herbivore Guide to Plant-Based Living

Other books in Lindsay S. Nixons

Happy Herbivore Series

The Happy Herbivore Cookbook

Everyday Happy Herbivore

Happy Herbivore Abroad

Happy Herbivore Light & Lean

Coming Soon:

Happy Herbivore Holidays & Gatherings

This book is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional medical advice. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of any information contained in this book. A health care professional should be consulted regarding your specific medical situation.

Copyright 2014 by Lindsay S. Nixon

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

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First e-book edition: May 2014

eISBN: 978-1-940363-38-7

Editing and copyediting by Shannon Kelly

Cover design by Ty Nowicki

Text design and composition by John Reinhardt Book Design

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Tel: (800) 343-4499

Fax: (800) 351-5073

To my parents, Richard and Lenore Shay, I love you.

After writing five cookbooks, I looked around to see what Id left uncovered. Id tackled comfort foods with The Happy Herbivore Cookbook, fast weeknight recipes with Everyday Happy Herbivore, internationally inspired recipes with Happy Herbivore Abroad, low-calorie recipes (complete with workout plans) in Happy Herbivore Light & Lean, and recipes for holidays and every occasion in Happy Herbivore Holidays and Gatherings (November 2014). What was left? Id covered it all, hadnt I?

The answer finally came to me and it couldnt have been more obvious: Day in and day out my fans (called Herbies) were sending me dozens of questions via e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, etc. I also kept hearing the same questions over and over, and couldnt figure out why. Then it hit me. My cookbooks werent answering the most basic question: how to live the happy herbivore lifestyle I was encouraging.

Sure, Id created recipes for how to cook and eat healthy at home, but this isnt a diet, its a lifestyle, and it extends far beyond what youre cooking next.

What do you do in social situations outside of the home, for example? At restaurants? Potlucks? Weddings? When youre camping? What about traveling and vacation? How do you deal with negativity and naysayers? When and how do you talk to your family and friends about your new way of life? And what dishes can you make that even your most skeptical and carnivorous friends will enjoy?

I realized I had taught you how to cook but not how to live.

So with this book I decided to tackle these topics and create a Herbie handbook, a practical guide to transforming your life through plant-based eating. Youve got questions and Im going to answer them! Viva herbivore!

We must get away from the diet mentality that promotes heroic and unsustainable spurts of healthy eating. Instead of dieting we must change our lifestyle to include a diet that promotes health.

Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study

Dont go on a diet. Change your diet. From my own personal experience, as well as my experience working with hundreds of clients, I can attest that there has to be a serious commitment to see real, lasting results. Make a lifelong commitment to thriving. Choose yourself. Choose yourself over convenience. Choose yourself over peer pressure. Choose yourself over the ease, familiarity, and comfort of deep-rooted, bad habits. Choose to believe that you are not a helpless victim. Appreciate and understand that you can vote for health with every bite (that fork is mighty powerful!) and that this year can be your best yet!

By the end of this book youll be well on your wayoff on your own marvelous plant-based journey. Because it is a journey. (More on that soon!)

Nike got it right: Just do it. Dont overthink it. Just do it! Make the next thing you eat, whether its a snack or a meal, a plant food. Dont wait for the perfect moment or a surge of inspirationjust do it! You dont need to get your ducks in a row. You dont need to finish eating whats in the freezer (throw it away or gift it to a friendyour health is a greater investment). You dont need to do anything else. You just need to start eating plants. Today is your day! With each baby step you build momentum! Fuel that healthy fire!

brown rice

couscous

lentils

quinoa

red lentils

yellow split peas

black beans

chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

coconut milk (lite)

green chilies (4 oz)

kidney beans

pineapple (crushed, diced)

pumpkin (pure, not pumpkin pie filling)

refried beans (vegetarian)

tomato paste

tomato sauce

tomatoes (diced)

white beans (e.g., navy beans, cannellini beans, butter beans)

apple cider vinegar

balsamic vinaigrette (fat-free; optional)

barbecue sauce

Dijon mustard

hot sauce (e.g., Cholula, Tabasco)

hot sauce (Asian; e.g., Sriracha)

hummus (optional)

ketchup

miso (yellow or white, not brown)

pineapple salsa

salsa (regular)

soy sauce (low sodium)

sweet red chili sauce

Worcestershire sauce (vegan; optional)

yellow mustard

nondairy milk (e.g., soy, rice, almond)

tempeh

tofu (firm and extra-firm)

yogurt (vegan; plain and flavored)

apples

avocado (optional)

baby spinach

bananas

basil

bell peppers

blueberries (or frozen)

broccoli (or frozen)

cabbage

carrots

celery

cilantro (optional)

cucumber

garlic cloves

ginger root

grapes

green onions

greens (e.g., kale, collard greens, spinach)

jalapeo

kale

lemons

lettuce

limes

mango

mint

mushrooms

onions (red and yellow)

oranges

oregano

potatoes

spaghetti squash

strawberries (or frozen)

sweet potatoes

thyme

tomatoes

zucchini

corn

edamame

fruit (e.g., blueberries)

greens (e.g., spinach)

mixed vegetables

peas

pineapple chunks

stir-fry vegetables

almond extract

apple cider vinegar

applesauce (unsweetened)

artichoke hearts

balsamic vinegar

black olives

brown rice vinegar

dates

green olives

kalmata olives

liquid smoke

macaroni

noodles (whole-grain; e.g., buckwheat)

nuts (optional)

oats (instant and rolled)

pizza sauce or marinara sauce (optional)

pure maple syrup