Meat eating, bread and butter loving all American guy visting a Vegan's house, what's for supper?

Flip side of forum discussion of what do you serve a vegan coming to dinner.  Especially after a hard day of physical labor building fence and needs a lot of calories to replenish and go forward.

I think I'd sit you down with a big glass of iced beer and a hunk of freshy baked bread, olive oil and olives to start you off while I get busy in the kitchen.  Or would you prefer wine?

Definitely beer...ask Tim Barker or anyone from the PDC/AT class...Why is it I like olive oil but really don't care for olives?  But I will work for food...

OK, I've taken the olives away and put a big pot of pumpkin and lentil soup on the table for you.  Help yourself - it's good with more of that bread dunked in it.

Anyone got any suggestions for the main course?  I have some dried figs for afters, and a bottle of firewater that you can dunk them in to soften them, but I'm still trying to figure out the main.  

Depends on where in the world you are. Here tortillas and masa (the dough that becomes tortillas) readily available and easy to fill with all sorts of tasty ingredients. I'm visualizing dumplings or taquitos filled with savory vegetables.

Think: onion  winter squash, potatoes with peppers and celery, heavily seasoned beans with a touch of cocoa; seal them in a rolled tortilla or a ball of corn dough and then deep fry them. Serve them on a bed of rice simmered in green chilies and tomatoes. If you went the taquito route, add guacamole and salsa on the side.

I feel like I'm still missing something for a complete dinner, but it's a start.


Even as I close this message other vegetable fillings continue to suggest themselves.

Fat,smoke and umami.
Say mushrooms and onions drizzled with smoked paprika infused palm kernel oil and grilled over charcoal or wood.
Salt, garlic,something hot and something sweet ,all these will further delight and divert a meat lover like myself.
Or just give me an grilled avocado on that fresh bread....

When I eat food prepared by a particular family member, the first thing I do is dish out my food, and then top it off with a couple tablespoons of coconut oil, or more...

Ice cold beer after long hard day of working in the sun is just about perfect.

plate of veggies:

Cornbread
Beans
greens
Squash
Fried green tomatoes

I don't know guys, I am not feeling full yet....To work hard and long I need protein and fat...just ask Josh the Ant how much energy you feel when you are fat deprived...What do you have that will keep me sustained and working hard.   I think that was part of my problem of not feeling full strength at the Lab as I was not getting enough calories.   And two beers a night only carries you so far....

So why wouldn't a vegan serve meat to an omnivore that had been invited over for supper? When I feed someone's dog, I don't offer it a green salad. I toss the dog a piece of meat.

I grow wheat for my community, even though I think that it is poisonous to humans... I even keep bread in the house for guests. I figure that my community, family, and guests are going to poison themselves anyway. I might as well poison them with the safest, cleanest, least poisonous varieties of wheat/bread. If I were a vegan feeding an omnivore, I would make sure to feed them organic pastured meat that was raised without antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, grains, or soybeans. Might as well show them what healthy eating is all about.

One time after I invited a friend over for lunch he said, "You programmed that meal to heal me, didn't you?" My reply was, "Of course I did! I've been programming those vegetables for 8 growing seasons already. It's what I do as a plant breeder."

Option 1:-tacos with black beans, lime/cilantro rice, fajita veggies, and guac
Option 2: Teriyaki bowls-rice, lentil, sweet potato, broccoli, and carrots
Option 3: Bean Burgers with avocado, greens, and fresh sauerkraut

Kombucha is always excellent pairing

Andrew Brock wrote:Option 1:-tacos with black beans, lime/cilantro rice, fajita veggies, and guac
Option 2: Teriyaki bowls-rice, lentil, sweet potato, broccoli, and carrots
Option 3: Bean Burgers with avocado, greens, and fresh sauerkraut

Kombucha is always excellent pairing

Vegans by definition try to eliminate the use of animal products as much as necessary. I've divested from purchasing animal products, therefore I wouldn't have them on hand or prepare them for anybody else, because I'm ethically opposed to their use.

I would add homemade tempeh to any of the dishes mentioned to satisfy the need for meat. We are neither vegan nor vegetarian, although many of our meals are.  Homemade tempeh (not tofu), not store bought, is what, I think, fills in that protein gap in a meal without meat, cheese or eggs.

Oh! If so that went right over my head...
Unless someone is exclusive about their food intake,I don't see a reason to serve something one normally would not.
If I don't eat dairy,no one would expect me to serve it to someone just because they do,unless that is ALL they eat.
If someone actively refuses to eat any vegetables for any reason, that might be different.

I take it from your post you have an interest to accommodate your guests eating preference, I think that is really kind of you. Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes...I'm a vegetarian (I waffle back and forth with veganism) and after a hard day working, I crave potatoes. Baked, mashed,  casserole you name it. Or lasagna, (vegan version of course) I can provide recipes if needed. Alternately, many main dishes that a meat-eater would crave can easily be veganised, in part or in whole. Example, any dish can be made with a substitute of mushroom or tofu for the "meat." If the meat eaters attending do not want the substituted version, you can make the dish without the "protein" portion and at the end separate the dish and add in real meat to one, and the alternate to the other. There are tons of curries that I make that I use with chickpeas and veg, (coconut milk is a great way to get the fat you want added) that I use in a separate pan for my hubby's meat and veg version. That way I'm not fully cooking 2 separate mains, they both start with the same base, I just finish in 2 pots.

Most of the title just seems a bit irrelevant if all he wants to know is what vegans serve for supper.  Then people make suggestions, but it's not enough protein or calories.  If the concern is that you'll show up to a vegan's house and not get the nutrition you need, bring along what you feel you'll be missing.  I'm pretty sure Clif Builder bars are vegan, just grab a box of those for 7.50 or whatever and you've got 6 days worth of supplementary protein.  I'm lacto/ovo vegetarian so it's not as strict as veganism, but I still have a backup plan for if I visit someone's house or get invited out to dinner somewhere.  My diet throughout the day varies based on how it starts.  I try to vary the amino acids I get, and if I am lacking them early in the day then I eat them before bed.

Edamame noodles coated with hemp seeds, sesame oil, and soy sauce
Grilled or broiled portobello mushroom, marinated in soy sauce and peanut protein(PB2),  with sundried tomatoes and greens on sourdough
Beans and rice on corn tortillas
Lentil curry and quinoa/brown rice mix

If it's not enough, combine any of the combos and/or sides like soup, bread, or salad.  But like I said before, a big part of a vegan or vegetarian diet likely spreads out its nutritional needs over the day, not in one meal.

I went to a week long conference one time. The conference said beforehand that they would provide all meals. The meals were vegan, AND nearly every dish served was wheat based. Eating wheat makes me ill. Even mowing the grass makes me sick. The conference was way out in the middle of nowhere. So I ended up mostly fasting for the week. No big deal, week long fasts are a normal part of my lifestyle.

I think chili is a really good bet for this situation.  I make (what I think is) a 100% satisfying all-bean chili, but you could throw in some TVP crumbles for added meaty texture.  I temporarily horrified a vegan friend with a bite of my chili with TVP because she was certain she was chewing ground beef.

I also make some really tasty vegan sausages.  Dirty rice with the bratwurst style sausage and some diced up baked seitan would probably be a winner.

Ooh - black bean cashews are delicious and filling.  I fry the cashews in a cornstarch batter and then sauce them with a combination of honey and black bean sauce.  You'd need to sub agave nectar to be properly vegan.

Cashews are an amazing plant I need to do more with.  Did you know that most of the best Space Program used epoxy resins are made from the cashew plant?   I like this discussion as I was hoping I would get some good ideas and recipes so it would not make me think I was eating the "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Feast"....

I see someone took down some of the "hater" replies but I went looking for the Vegan weightlifter diet to see what it contained.  A lot of those big calorie diets athletes like Michael Phelps are on don't really sound that appetizing.  I could not find the one noted, but I did find this site which went through a meal plan that had a lot of interesting things to try:  http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/sample-meal-plans-for-the-female-vegan-athlete/

I am interested in veggie fats that can be realistically raised on a homestead in zone 5-7.    Any ideas?

I am interested in veggie fats that can be realistically raised on a homestead in zone 5-7.

I think tree nuts or sunflower kernels are going to be your best bets.  Pretty sure walnuts would ultimately be the big winner for labor and space inputs relative to volume of oil, but sunflowers have the advantage of producing every year from the start, where you've got a very long ramp up time to a full wlanut harvest.

Thomas Griffin wrote:
I am interested in veggie fats that can be realistically raised on a homestead in zone 5-7.    Any ideas?

Chia, Hemp, hazelnut, almonds

Potatoes, mushrooms, and grains. With a side of fruit. Mushrooms would probably be the best given that they are the closest began thing to actual meat.

I am celiac as well as medical vegan. I live with an omnivore that can eat anything and we have segregated cooking utensils and pantry.

I would definitely offer you some home brew beer; then start you with the nice vegan thai macNcheese I have posted elsewhere... no dairy and no wheat but plenty of carbs and reads well as a comfort food. Winter squash fried in coconut oil, will give you some fats. A vegan mushroom burger (I also posted it elsewhere here) made with diced portabella mushrooms and served on a gluten free bun can also give fats. A salad including chickpeas (fiber and protein) and a cashew based dressing. With the meal probably a hot cashew milk with carob and maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Also adding chia seeds and pureed pumpkin seeds to bring up the nutrients as well. My offerings should give you 30-40 grams of net protein, or more than a hamburger; so that should satisfy the protein need. Carbs offered for the feeling of fullness. And lots of good other things in everything.

I am able to get chickpea pasta, and by making my own vegan butter and cheese, can bring up those protein levels. So the pasta used in the macNcheese would probably be the chickpea, and again, I would get you a good solid 40 grams of equivalent protein that should serve your day end need to feed yourself. The soy I use for the cheese base is GMO free and gluten free certified grown on a family farm in Iowa; their rotation crop is corn. If you are not one of the few that are as allergic to corn as celiacs are to wheat, then you should be able to eat at my table, and leave it happy. I make a very good gluten free vegan bread, and you would probably get it fresh from the oven, as that is when it tastes the best. The vegan butter comes out pretty good to the butter taste, just has a sweet note that is different than butter.

I use my suffering better half hubby as a guinea pig for some of these foods and he agrees they are good, what I would be offering. Some meals I share and he eats what I do, and he is a meat and potatoes man (I was that way before...). If your vegan friend leans heavily on the legumes, and makes you a fresh loaf of bread, offers you some carbs, you should feel full and be ready to work after that digests some.

A woman vegan over 50 needs at least 46 grams of protein a day, more if she works hard every day or has celiac, which reduces the ability to take in nutrients. In three meals and three snacks I handily provide myself more than that. I chose the above menu for the heavy protein items I normally eat, that would provide a younger active man an amount of protein he would need as part of his daily intake.

Chickpeas are wonderful things, as is chickpea flour. Another high ranker is raw organic cashews. If you must feed an omnivore, or are an omnivore sitting at a vegan table, look to these two to help bridge the gap.

Portabella or any other mushroom are just little flavor sponges, just like tofu, and can be really versatile. They can also give a mouth feel more like meat, important for the omnivore or the recently converted vegan. Some Bragg's Aminos, or Sanji-Ya gluten free reduced sodium soy sauce, can do a lot to getting a meat flavor into a flavor sponge. Liquid Smoke is also technically gluten free and vegan, and can be used for flavoring.

I could use a nice strapping fellow here for a week, and can feed three meals and three snacks a day, beer, I need to start another batch as soon as the hops vine decides to do it's thing. (Side note, a hops vine is GREAT for covering over eyesores like rotty fences, and can block out your neighbors well). I notice this thread is several months old so hopefully the issue has been resolved.

This was an interesting thread to browse through.  I always find people get more uptight about their diet than they do their religion.  I have done a turn at just about everything, from raw vegan to omnivore... And I don't advocate anything in particular.  Now that I live in the third world, knowing most of my neighbors sleep hungry, I don't have the luxory of being a food nazi.  For myself I have to take care because i am a diabetic and I can't tolerate wheat.

Anyway!  If I were a hungry meat eater going to visit a vegan friend, and I was worried about the food, I would eat first, at own home and to my own satisfaction!  Then I could go to my friend, enjoy their company, politely sample their vegan offerings, but not worry so much about satisfying my hunger... Cuz I didn't come for the food, I came for the friendship!

If I were the vegan entertaining a meat eater, I would just serve them whatever goodness I would normally feed my family.  Its good enough for us, so its good enough for them.  Our present financial and geographic circumstances have pretty much forced my omnivorous family into an almost vegan diet anyway.  I would absolutely NOT try to serve any fake meat or meat substitutes, I think those are pretty big turn-offs to a non-vegan.  There are plenty of vegan options that are familiar and palatable to non-vegans.  Beans.  Baked beans, Chile, beans and rice, Jamaican peas and rice. Rice and vegetable stir fries, potato dishes.  French fries are vegan!  Here in the tropics we make "githeri" which is a big pot of beans and boiled maize, which can be fried up with tomatoes and onions or spiced up with hot peppers and cumin.  We make dishes out of starchy bananas, also good fried with onions.  Pasta is easy and familiar, and can be topped with a mushroom and tomato sauce and served with garlic bread.  The kids and I sometimes make a big pot of vegetable stew with dumplings.   Vegan food doesn't have to be weird.  Nor does it have to be unsatisfying. I would not try to evangelize my visitor to my way of eating, just offer what we have in the spirit of fun, friendship, and hospitality.

I agree Maureen. I wrote my long post indicating if I was the only one in our house, being the vegan, what I would feed the guest. Because I live with an omnivore that can eat anything, I could serve the bacon cheeseburger on a toasted whole wheat bun, including grinding the burger and slicing the bacon to fry up. There are many ways to get an omnivore happy and fed. Especially after a day of hard work I'd feed them high protein dishes and some carbs so they felt full. I believe the gent wanted to know how to deal with eating the diet he is unfamiliar with to get the nutrients that he needs.

Chickpeas, black beans, cashews; are how I can get my protein. I have eaten enough legumes to be 'bean immune' but my innards don't handle bean hulls/skins very well anymore so I have to do things to minimize that. I do eat soy but that is because I have issues with coconut. I at least source a family farm grown non GMO gluten free Soy and mostly use it to make cheese and tofu.

I hope our OP has figured out his dilemma and if he attends another workshop will be able to steer himself to the protein sources. Which is what I think he wanted to do..

Hey Deb,
I am not sure I found my answer or not.  I am a big guy 6' 4" 240 lbs and full of muscle...(lol I was thinking about Tim Barker from Down Under...I guess I picked the wrong PDC to go to as it looks like the gold plated one is this year, and last years was not...)  
Anyway, I take a lot of protein if you want me to work hard all day and other than the beans it seems to come from a lot of exotic sources in peoples recipes.  Living a simple life on a piece of land in the US seems like a lot the stuff like cashews and coconut milk are impractical.  I also wonder about B12 deficiency, and how people get around that with out some lab sourced supplement or something else exotic that does not sound too permaculture to me.  

Where do you live in relationship to  North Alabama, I can be enticed to work for food and beer?

I went to the first two days of the Spiral Ridge PDC (just the introduction part) in Summerton Tn last week put on by Cliff Davis & Jennifer Albanese, and the food there was spectacular!  I am still thinking about the butternut squash soup, oh and the fresh pork loin, chicken salad, the greens...but I digress.  They both were vegetarians before they started Spiral Ridge, but realized to do permaculture you need animal systems to make it work, so that led them back into the omnivore life.  Cliff talked a bit about starting work in the morning without protein, and he could not work hard ( and trust me he works, as he and Jenn are walking the walk) with out crashing.  I am not a coffee drinker, but Cliff would make his with like a stick of butter in it... Anyway great couple and their place they making out of a logged over ridge is pretty awesome.  I have some pictures and need to write up something about their PDC.

I practice routine  intermittent fasting. Therefore, I am used to working for a day, or a week without food. I don't have to eat protein, or carbs, or fats to get through a day, or a week. My body has become accustomed to using it's stored energy. My mind has become accustomed to the idea that I can thrive in spite of not having any particular food on any particular day or week.

Joesph,
I agree the body and mind are amazing things.  I have seen some of the stuff you are doing so I know you are working.  So how do you eat between the fasting, do you eat fats?  

I am trying to remember but I think the human body stores about an hours worth of carby glucose that gets burned first, then your liver starts to convert fat to energy...but that takes a bit of time.  We called it hitting the wall, back when I played sports.  My problem is I do not have that much fat on my body, don't float, never have.  So at some point my liver starts chewing on muscle but as with most things your mileage my vary depending on body type.  Going a week fasting while still working hard, would be tough for me.  I am sure my production at the end of the week would be way down from the start of the week.  I think the month at Wheaton Labs last Summer had me a bit down on the back end as I was out there without wheels and left to my own devices for food pretty much for the PDC and ATC.
I have seen people on "Naked and Afraid" basically fast for that for the 20 day challenge and the guys will lose 30 or 40 lbs in that time...fat then muscle loss and they are struggling physically and mentally, but is seems most of that kicks in hard after the first week.

Rob,

I keep raw organic cashews on hand (I do source them from Znatural foods, 50# is $425.00 plus free shipping) as I have issues with coconut, and use them as a base for some of my cooking. I gotta eat something. I also do eat soybeans (make my own tofu and soy based vegan cheeses) that I source from a gluten free non GMO family farm type situation (Laurabeans). I could grow my own soybeans but not the cashews.

Just for high protein levels, Lentils, Black Beans and Chickpeas return very high levels of protein, 20-25 grams a serving. One lean hamburger pattie grilled, four ounce, is about 23 grams. Those three legumes are growable by most with a long enough season and enough space. The hardest thing when you go vegan is to get the protein.

It sounds like you are a low BMI (body fat percentage) and carry a respectable amount of muscle. In this case you may need far in excess of the average person, the protein to feed your body. I gave the figure above as that is my minimum, with my age and diet, for a sedentary level of activity. I also have additional issues with celiac and such reducing the efficiency with which my body absorbs the nutrients I feed it. So. I am working hard this spring and find I need closer to 90-100 grams of protein a day to feel good, have energy, and get work done.

B12 and B6 are important and can be deficient in a vegan diet. I have used nutritive yeast flakes bought bulk (10# Now Foods, Amazon) and hope this year to switch to some Joseph Lofthouse squash, he has excellent landrace that he also selects for flavor and Beta Carotene. I pay attention to this as it is the most common deficiency when going vegan.  

You don't sound like you are calorie restricted, unlike myself, which makes it harder to eat a balanced diet. However, when going to the table and the fare is vegan, looking for those three foodstuffs and consuming enough, and balancing your diet with other foodstuffs, you should do well. Maybe a food log (what you eat and when, how much, and how you feel) will help you tune in on how much of what basic nutrients you need to be happy and productive, and how much to consume a day.

Do know if you go to legumes for your main diet protein source, there is 'bean-revenge' and you will get over that in about a month, as your gut bacteria mix will change and you will get used to handling and digesting beans. I am bean immune, and I can just smile at others that suffer the consequences.

Since you are carrying so little fat, you may very well need to go to the 3 and 3 mealplan. (three main meals, three snacks, and more or less eat by the clock) to keep energy levels up and a fuel source available.

Joseph Lofthouse is a Lean Mean Gardening Machine, and carries a different muscle/fat ratio than you do by the sounds of it. He also mentions he often works and grazes all day on what he's growing...  

Edit, forgot to add, I am about five states away from you, so though I could use a big strapping field hand for a week or two to get some gardening work finished around here, the commute would stink.

Deb,
That commute does sound sucky.  $425 ouch.  Will the raw cashews give you a poison ivy rash, or have they been processed enough to get that oil out?  Cashews are an interesting fruit/nut, they make a fruit drink/alcohol from the flower, and the resin from the nut covering is used is used in all of our advanced epoxies used on rockets and satellites.  I heard in cashew nut processing plants if you can survive the first day, touching and breathing the oils, you will be immune from poison ivy for the rest of your life.  But they are pricey.

I think a food log is a good idea to see how much/what I eat and how well I work and feel.

Rob, they are fully processed and safe to mess with. I go ouch about the price, but in the end that is about the cheapest I can get good plump fresh raw organic cashews.

The log is probably your best bet so you can manage your nutrition. I had to keep one for a few years as I learned to manage my life and diet. I am a medical not a moral vegan, and I live with an omnivore. So once you have an idea of what it takes to make yourself happy and healthy, feeling fed and full of energy; you can visit a vegan table and know how to eat. And know if you need to warn them about amounts, and/or bring something to contribute to the table.

I think this is what you were looking for with this thread, is it not?

My diet is typically low protein (<70 g), very low carbohydrates (40-60 g), and high in fats (80 - 200+ g). My body is very used to being in ketosis and switches into it readily. Some of the first few transitions were tough when my body was unlearning a lifetime of fueling itself with sugar. When I'm burning fat instead of sugar, I have all the energy I can use for as long as I want to use it. No sugar crashes. No after-lunch blues. No meals required to work long and hard. I don't have to plan my day or my week around eating.

A typical meal for me is three eggs poached over a bed of greens and onions. My lunch today was raw greens foraged while working in the garden.

I have issues with forcing my body into ketosis without it just sort of randomly attacking whatever is handy.

I do agree for growing your own oils, if you are not allergic, peanuts (zone 5b to 10b) can be grown if you can give them 100-130 frost free days (help them out by starting indoors if needed and/or using floating row cover in early spring or similar), and sunflowers. There are eating kinds (we are used to seeing them with greyish/whitish striped shells) and oil kinds (smaller seeds that are black). Issues with sunflowers tend to be toppling over in strong winds and birds sitting on the top of the head and eating to their heart's content (bagging the head sometimes helps).

I do eat some fats but I have to be careful. The body does need some fats to process things such as sugars correctly.

That is why I mentioned if I was to serve a meal during a hard working day, to include some things fried in oil (olive, peanut, sunflower, etc. A lot use coconut but I seem to not get along with coconut I discovered AFTER investing in some fair trade small batch cold hand pressed coconut oil...) And if you need to, as Joseph mentioned, adding some oil to your foods as a condiment/dressing. It is said in the Artic or Antarctic, that explorers and researchers will eat butter if they are cold for a quick shot of fat to burn to warm themselves up.

I tend to go for protein. Again, try the food log and see what seems to work for you. Vegetarians will often eat eggs, and dairy, a few will even eat fish. Vegans skip all of that.

Another oil is flax oil, or flax seed. I often use a substitute for eggs based on flax. You can't make an omelette with it but if you are baking it can work to replace the egg in the recipe. Mix one tablespoon of freshly ground flax seed with three tablespoons water, well, that will replace one egg.

Good luck, I hope you can sort your dilemma.

Rob Griffin wrote:I don't know guys, I am not feeling full yet....To work hard and long I need protein and fat...just ask Josh the Ant how much energy you feel when you are fat deprived...What do you have that will keep me sustained and working hard.   I think that was part of my problem of not feeling full strength at the Lab as I was not getting enough calories.   And two beers a night only carries you so far....

Take a home-baked subway-style roll. Top with one avocado, sliced mushrooms, pickled zucchini, swiss chard and/or kale. Season with a dressing of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and spices (think Panera balsamic vinaigrette with a touch of sugar, salt, and garlic but made with healthier olive oil - not soybean oil).

If one of these isn't enough, have two. You might even be able to eat three. There's your protein and healthy fat.

Good details on why this is a great meal at http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=5

For dessert, this is the perfect time of year for FrogHollow fruit. I can't wait for delivery as I'm expecting cherries, pink lady apples, oranges, pears, and tangerines today. I would also make sure I had stocked up on organic nuts from Nuts.com. Pecans are my favorite, but I order many kinds alone plus their mixed nuts. https://nuts.com/organic/nuts

While beer drinkers will probably turn their noses up at the idea, I would do my best to entice you to drink some iced herbal tea. Mine contains hibiscus flower, peppermint, red roobois, raspberry leaves, and ginger root. To each glass, I add 1/2 tsp of Braggs apple cider vinegar, a splash of Max-well ionic sea minerals, and some stevia.

For non-herbal tea drinkers, this results in a drink that tastes a lot like an Arnold Palmer you might order at a restaurant (half black iced-tea and half lemonade). The raspberry leaves make herbal tea taste like black tea to me, so if you crave black tea and want an alternative, there you go.

Deb Rebel wrote:I have issues with forcing my body into ketosis without it just sort of randomly attacking whatever is handy.

My tribe uses the phrase "Low Carb Flu" to describe people's initial attempts to switch into ketosis. It's wasn't pretty for me the first couple times. These days, I live on the edge, so I can swing either way: getting energy from ketones or from sugars. My life seems easier and happier when I'm burning ketones for fuel.

I think that I erred by switching -- cold turkey -- from a high carbohydrate diet to low-carb. My current recommendation for people wanting to adopt a low carb diet is to use some type of nutrient counter, and gradually lower the amount of carbs consumed over a few weeks. Using a tracker is valuable in pointing out which foods are filled with hidden carbohydrates. For me, the surprises were milk, nuts, and beans.

The oil that I can grow readily at my place is flax. I've already planted about 200 row-feet. I'm toying with planting more...  I'm also growing 3 species of chia this summer. Clary Sage looks like it's going to work well for me.

Here's what my lunch was yesterday: Plants foraged from the cover crop I planted last fall: peas, bok choi, spinach, and cilantro.