The most recent question posed to me on the “Ask Margaret” feature at Spud! was about safely transitioning to a more plant-based diet. Here’s the question and my response.
“I’m trying to eat less meat and would like to know how I could transition without losing any nutrients that are vital for a healthy diet. What should I be eating in place of meat?”
When transitioning to a diet with less meat, here are a few things you want to be sure to do:

Make sure you’re eating loads of vegetables and fruits, …

Soy is certainly not as healthy as has been promoted. Originally soy wasn’t intended for human consumption – it was used in crop rotations in Asia for its nitrogen-fixing properties. Soy is incredibly difficult to digest because it has powerful enzyme inhibitors that essentially prevent its own digestion. It is really only fully digestible when it has been fermented…

Here are some of my favorite grab-and-go breakfasts:

1-2 hardboiled eggs and some fresh fruit – you can boil eggs at the beginning of the week so you have them when you need them.

Pre-soaked oatmeal – this does require some cooking, but it’s minimal and really fast. The key is the preparation the night before.

Grass-fed beef is certainly nutritionally superior to corn-fed beef for the simple reason that in their natural environment cows eat grass, not corn (when was the last time you drove by a corn field and saw cows gnawing at the corn?) When eating what they are biologically designed to eat, the cows themselves are healthier, and thus the quality of the meat and dairy they produce is significantly higher.

Will it surprise you if I shared that Americans eat more packaged food than their counterparts in almost every other country? A recent New York Times article shared that we eat 31% more non-naked foods (pre-prepared, refined, packaged food, made with the goals of speed and convenience trumping nutrition and health) than fresh food. Refined, packaged, non-naked foods have been shown to lead to higher rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

One more reason among many to Eat Naked!

Love couscous but have a gluten sensitivity? Or want to stay away from too many refined carbs? Or want to increase the nutritional density of your side dishes but keep some of that comfort flavor? Well, do I have a trick for you.
Here’s a salad that mimics your basic couscous Greek-style salad, but instead of using actual couscous, or any other grain substitute for that matter (I often substitute quinoa for the couscous to avoid the gluten), this version uses a secret trick I learned from my friend, wellness coach …

From the original naked foodie himself, this is one of the best calls for eating naked I’ve seen in a while. Jamie Oliver, the Naked Chef, speaks on Ted Talks about the food crisis in America with special focus on its impact on children. Passionate, brilliant, direct, compelling. Worth the 20 minutes of your time to watch it. Enjoy!

Welcome to Eat Naked. I’m so excited to share my new website with you. It’s full of recipes, fun and easy food preparation tips, and all sorts of resources on how to eat without the extras so you look and feel great.
Take a look around, have fun exploring, and add your thoughts to the mix. I’d love to hear from you!
Margaret