I like to pride myself on being somewhat of a Healthy B*tch. I’m not perfect, but I try to -as often as possible- exercise the best possible judgment when choosing content, origin and benefit of what I put in my body (outside of happy hour, of course).
Healthy B*tch Daily (pardon my French) serves up some great summer and animal-friendly recipes from dietician Ashley Koff in the article Girl on Grill, including:
Good advice #1: skip the bun for spinach
Using a spinach or chard leaf to wrap your burger packs it in a nice snug little hug of nutrient love—instead of the empty carbs of a bun. It’s a nice alternative for all of our gluten-free family, too.
Good advice #2: Prepare for mixed-meal politics
Savvy Vegetarians’ website offers some great tips for veggies and vegans to survive meat-laden summer BBQs, including ideas for dishes you should bring on your own, and ways to avoid the issue of your food’s cross-contamination with others’ meat.
Good advice #3: Know your options
If you’re a vegan on vacation, a travelin’ man with tempeh in your hand, then Happy Herbivore and One Green Planet are great resources, and The Global Vegan will offer you a plethora of recipes you could recreate anywhere in the world. Stuck at home? Try the Post Punk Kitchen for new recipes, or shell out for the awesome hard-copy versions of Robin Robertson’s books.
No matter what your diet is comprised or not comprised of, the risk of foodborne illness is higher for everyone in the summer months.
Frying up grub in campsites and on public BBQs, serving it up on picnic tables—as fun as it all is, brings additional risks to your loved ones in terms of contamination. Luckily, there are simple guidelines to follow when the weather’s warm and cooking conditions are shady, so if you’re not sure, Google how to care for and store whatever you’re eating.
image from OneGreenPlanet.orgReason #500million why summer is awesome is the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that are available. We are lucky in B.C. to have a copious veggie seasonality and with a little digging into the farms and markets around your area, you might be surprised at what is available from right under your nose and feet. GetLocalBC.org and Farm Folk, City Folk are favourites of mine for keeping up on what’s in stock.
