A Plant-Based Mum: First Steps

Journal
Written By Miranda Costello
Plant-based Mum First Steps

So now that we’ve decided to the take this path, what’s next? We started by going through our pantry, fridge and freezer and doing a stocktake. We needed to stock up on legumes and spices. We didn’t throw away any food. That was a conscious decision on our part. We actively try to fight the “war on waste”.

Our diet was a combination of mainly organic fresh fruit and vegetables and organic meat but we, normal human beings, are prone to weaknesses too. We love our pork products: bacon, speck and ham. My partner and kids consume dairy products: milk, yoghurt, eggs and cheese. I’m lactose intolerant so milk alternatives have been part of my diet for over 20 years. When I first discovered I was lactose intolerant, I transitioned to soymilk as my dairy substitute. Nowadays, I have swapped soy for oat milk. I really enjoy the flavour of oat milk in my chai tea. Occasionally, I will splurge and eat some cheese and I mitigate the side effects by taking Lacteeze (lactase enzyme supplement). I can’t help it; I love pizza and pasta!

My biggest challenge was/is our youngest who is a self-declared meat lover. She has always been the one that is less adventurous with new foods, spices and flavours. She will turn her nose up first even before she’s tasted the food. As she’s gotten older, her palette has slowly expanded. We’ve deliberately exposed her to many different cuisines: Chinese, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Indian, Mexican, American, Caribbean and English. Our only concern we have to consider when exploring the different cuisines is her peanut allergy. I have often wondered whether it was my fault that she has a peanut allergy. Whilst pregnant with her, I was not as cautious with my diet, I ate peanut butter and medium-rare steaks. Unlike my first pregnancy, I did not have gestational diabetes, so I was a lot more carefree with my pregnancy diet. Did this lead to her dietary allergies and overall food fussiness?

My second biggest challenge is my partner. He is wheat intolerant, so he can eat some types of gluten e.g. oat but not those containing wheat. With a family history of high levels of uric acid, he is highly susceptible to gout and kidney stones. His known triggers are alcohol, processed meats and sugar. Over the last 10 years, he has been hospitalised a couple of times with kidney stones and has a couple of gout flare ups each year. So, I am hoping our move towards a plant-base diet will also be beneficial for him too.

Now, I need to step up my game! Although I love food, I’m not the most adventurous cook. My partner is the better cook but with both of our kids home-learning during the pandemic, I’ve become the main cook in our household.

Variety of dried legumes

After some research on Pinterest, over the past two weeks, we have stocked up on some different legumes: chickpea (dried and canned), dried lentils (red, green and french), canned black beans and dried split peas. We also bought a couple of cans of jackfruit, some firm tofu and some pre-made smoked cauliflower burgers, black bean burgers, jackfruit red curry and Indian dhal. The whole point of buying the pre-made meals was to expose the kids to different flavours before I bought the base ingredients to make the dishes myself.

Variety of canned legumes and jackfruit

First impressions, everyone loved the cauliflower burgers but my youngest was not a huge fan of the black bean burgers because of the flavour of black beans. We tried jackfruit in red curry and found the texture of jackfruit a little strange. The jackfruit looked like shredded meat but doesn’t seem to have a strong flavour on its own. I think I will try using it in a winter stew as a beef replacement or in tacos as the shredded pork replacement. The Indian dhal was quite mild, so it was not an issue for my youngest and was enjoyed by everyone.

To engage my youngest with our plant-based journey, I’ve decided to mix up the cuisines. Her favourite cuisines are Mexican, American and Italian. Her favourite meals are tacos, pastas and burgers. My partner will give most cuisines a go, but I need to come up with wheat free alternatives. So, when I cook burgers, he needs to eat a naked burger (no buns) and when I cook pasta, I normally serve the sauce for him on potatoes.

This journal will document our plant-based journey, all the ups and downs including any learnings. I also plan to share some of our favourite plant-based recipes with you!

Miranda Costello
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A Plant-Based Mum: Starting Point