Suppose that you are vegan and you live in a house with non-vegans. And suppose that these omnivores are your family, your children and/or spouse.
Oftentimes families have mixed dietary preferences and approaches. But families still want to eat together—eating together as a family provides communication, an opportunity to listen, eye contact, and of course, time to remember gratitude. It’s good and it feels good to herd everyone together for meals.
My “2/7 Guideline” is only a suggestion for how you can eat with your family together. If you think of your meals this way, there are only a couple of things (2) that you’re eating differently—the rest of the meal can still be shared together. Also, planning and preparing foods with the 2/7 Guideline is easier for the chef, which I’m assuming is you 🙂
Plates will be full, you can serve steamy soups and colorful salads in side dish bowls, and everyone will be happy! Bring on the bounty!
All suggestions are non-processed, organic of course:
1. Protein (you can always do vegan protein here): You can dress up your lentils with lasagna! Click HERE for a vegan, gluten-free lentil lasagne with cashew cream sauce recipe.
2. Grains: Preferably non gluten grains, which can be seeds, such as quinoa or amaranth or wild rice.
3. Healthy Raw Organic Vegan Fat (condiment amount): Let’s say guacamole…or click HERE for a Sexy Salad Dressing recipe.
4. Green Veggies: Steamed/sautéed/salad. Click HERE for an easy spicy heirloom tomato string bean sauce recipe.
Tortilla Soup
5. Other Green Veggies: Maybe a vegan soup? Click HERE for a tortilla soup recipe.
6. Other Veggies Maybe a starchy veggie like potatoes (wow, you can put your guacamole on this!)
7. Other: This can be dairy, bread or dessert. You could even add vegan cheese here. I would omit Other (7), or do fruit if you’re trying to lose weight. Click HERE for a great raw, vegan chocolate covered coconut bar recipe.
*If you wanted to do fruit as dessert, the food-combining police would recommend that fruit is its own meal. Please just wait awhile and enjoy your fruit separately.
So the point is, the “everything” eaters in the house can eat number 1 and 7 with dairy or whatever, but you’re keeping the core of the meal organic, healthy and non-processed (and accidentally plant-based/vegan, which keeps the kitchen cleaner). You’ve kept a colorful variety of organic plant foods on everyone’s plate and you (or they) have to prepare only 1-2 “different” items.
The alternative, trying to prepare everyone their own custom meal, is like running a special order restaurant and it’s really exhausting day to day.
The benefits of including a variety of organic plant foods for everyone can be miraculous. Maybe symptoms will reverse, maybe tastes will change. You never know when someone will start requesting more plant foods. Also consider the wonderful benefits of serving more colorful alkaline foods.
Consider health and hearth. If you’re reading this, you’re probably the keystone of your family. The health of your family is your priority. The hearth of the family is warm togetherness of sitting with each other as a family to share and listen. It’s important, and it’s absolutely easy to attain. With my Mixed 2/7 Guideline you can have your vegan cake (your vegan food) and eat it too (keep everyone together at the table)!
My Mixed 2/7 Guideline is just a suggestion for family mealtime happiness while increasing the intake of antioxidant rich plant foods. I’m not a dietician or an RDA, but I am an expert on parties, gatherings, eating and cooking for large groups and including and introducing kids (and everyone) to healthy foods. Like sharing stories around the campfire, breaking bread, passing condiments and dishing out food together is a relaxing way to engage and connect with the entire family. Bon Appetit!
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