My MM: Maddie’s Meatless Monday Menu
Holy moly Maddie, this is one heck of a clean meatless menu. We’re curious to know how the no-gluten-or-sugar eating (and no caffeine) is feeling? We love a lot about the Body Ecology Diet—but have a hard time sticking to something so restrictive. For those who have followed similar plans, was this level of disciplined eating sustainable longterm?
In other news, we are low on meatless menus! If you want this sometimes-controversial series to continue, please email yours to nomoredirtylooks@gmail.com with “My MM” in the subject.
Name: Maddie
Home: Brooklyn, NY
Dietary Leanings: Right now, I am (trying to be) gluten- and sugar-free, per my naturopath’s suggestion. I avoid meat but I’ll make exceptions for special events or if I’m really craving it. I also recently read the Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates and I now try to follow the food-combining principles explained in the book (and feel better for it!).
My favorite vegetable: Tomatoes and avocados when the weather’s warm; right now, roasted turnips.
This morning I…
First, had a glass of water with a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar. On my way out the door, I had some decaf coffee with almond milk. (I’m about to cave and go back to fully-caffeinated coffee soon… I miss it too much!)
A few hours later…
That’s usually when hunger kids in for me. Today’s breakfast was Greek yogurt with cinnamon and almonds.
Then for lunch…
I had a big bowl of leftover soup. Over the weekend, I had roasted two butternut squash, a turnip, and a radish from my CSA, along with a little garlic… then pureed all the veggies with some organic butter (my favorite food item, ever!), homemade vegetable stock, sage, nutmeg, and S&P.
For a mid-afternoon snack…
I had some orange-spiced hot tea and two helpings of delicious spinach saag that was brought in to the office!
Then for dinner…
First I had more ACV with water and a bit of the kimchi I made yesterday (to check on the flavors/fermentation, but also because I just really wanted a taste!). Then I steamed fingerling potatoes, purple carrot, and some baby kale from my CSA, along with some white onion—all seasoned with sage and S&P and drizzled with melted organic butter. I topped it all off with some fresh scallions.
If I’m hungry later, I’ll have a few spoonfuls of organic peanut butter with cinnamon (my sweet tooth is now non-existent, so this is plenty dessert-y for me!). Finally, I’ll have a cup of hot herbal tea before bed to help me sleep.
I’m gluten, sugar and corn free right now (it’s more complicated than that, but I see a nutritionist, so I won’t go into it). I was strict for 6 months last year, then slipped for a couple of months during a particularly busy period of work, and now i’m back and determined to stay that way. I feel healthier (obviously), my head is more clear, I have more energy (so much more energy!) and I never crave sugar or bread anymore (i’m not exaggerating). You just have to get through that painful detox period! I seriously schedule vacation from work in order to detox.
I’ve learned that you have to go all the way and cut it all out (whatever it is you’re trying to avoid) or you still want it all the time. There’s no such thing as just a little bit in my book. Also, I just have to have a game plan and readily available snacks when I head into busy periods of life or i’m apt to get off track.
I do admit that if I want a piece of cake at a birthday party, I have it. I don’t kill myself for indulging occasionally. That’s an important part of life.
And… I’m hungry! I’m with you on trying to kick the coffee, but it’s such a comfort in the winter months (even here in L.A.). Have you read Natalia Rose’s “Raw Food Detox Diet” – she also outlines food-combining principles. Is there overlap between the two books/author’s views on this? Thanks!
The food combining principles in these books (Body Ecology, Skin Diet, etc) are all based on Ayurvedic principles– so if you’re curious about it, best to go to the primary source. :)
Personally, I feel worse the more restrictive I am with foods. I try to eat all real food (no chemicals) but that’s it. I have much more energy than when I tried restricting food groups. When you follow special diets (unless truly medically necessary such as for celiacs), there are a lot of negatives: it’s harder to be social, calories get too low (which slows down your metabolism long-term), and can just be stressful emotionally. I think the stress of restrictive eating often outweighs whatever stresses gluten, etc. would cause.
Also, this menu sounds like way too little food for a day. It’s about how I ate when I had a diagnosed eating disorder (I’m sorry if that sounds harsh but it is true!). Most women need 2,000 a day to keep their metabolism properly boosted (and that’s for low levels of activity). This one definitely comes in well below 1,000, which is neither healthy nor sustainable.
I have been vegan/raw/gluten free for a few years now, interspersed with a couple of unsuccessful tries at eating fish again. It’s not hard to be strict once you figure it out. There’s a learning curve, figuring out what you like and where to find it, getting used to new ways of thinking about food. And you have to have the motivation. I don’t think people can maintain the motivation to be strict unless they clearly feel much better on their strict plan (especially when it’s very different from the way others around them eat). And if you don’t feel better, then why bother?
I’m not a moderator, and agree with Shelby – may as well go all the way. But, I do have exceptions to my rules. For instance, I just love peanut butter, and have never found a raw one I like. So I don’t worry about not being 100% raw, I worry about eating what I love that makes my body feel good. That’s the number one rule, and is pretty easy to follow. Anyone can get off track when times are especially stressful, but for me it will be things like eating too much of what is otherwise a healthy food. And now I will go have a scoop of peanut butter. ; )
@Amy, I acknowledge that eating disorders are a very real problem, and I don’t think this particular menu is in any way indicative of an eating disorder. One cannot possibly know how many calories it is from this post. With the butter, peanut butter, almonds, yogurt – that could be a lot of calories depending on portion size. Plus, we do not know activity level, age, or any other things that can affect how much food a person needs.
And as a general statement, not picking on Amy specifically, I really think that saying, “this is not enough food and it sounds like an eating disorder,” is just as bad as saying, “I can’t believe you eat so much, your ass must be huge.” If we really want to live in a society where disordered eating is rare, we need to not criticize the amount of food people eat (or the amount we perceive they eat). It’s completely counterproductive.
It’s very acceptable, and highly recommended, for people to disagree about the myriad of things that get posted on NMDL and post honest comments. There are some things, though, that are, in my opinion, unacceptable. And judging the amount of food someone eats is one of them.
@Rebecca– agreed. !!!
@Amy — it’s really hurtful and unhelpful to accuse someone of having an eating disorder. I’m sorry you had trouble with this in your own life, but you literally don’t know anything about Maddie aside from what’s written here and honestly the amount of food listed here is quite healthy– yogurt and almonds, two hearty vegetable soups plus tofu saag at lunch + almond milk coffee + a generous helping of peanut butter for dessert. ???? As long as she isn’t running an ultra-marathon every day this is absolutely enough calories and nutrition for one day. At best, your comment seems like a classic case of projection; at worst, you are trolling.
Seems like a better comment-filter is in order on this site.
Coffee is an environmental disaster for people with money to waste.
Water suits me fine and doesn’t have adrenal consequences. A nice warm locally-sourced herbal tea will do.
Caffeine = NO
Alcohol = NO
Local water = yes
Learn and be wise. Stop listening to lies.
And here it goes again. I agree with Amy. Not to pick on this menu, but the reason the MM are controversial is that NMDL continues to post controversial, skimpy menus, where the only reaction one has is to calorie count. It feels irresponsible to say nothing. Being underweight is the opposite continuum of overweight, and still not healthy.
Hi everyone! So excited to see my menu posted!
The gluten- and sugar-free diet is not as bad as it sounds! Like Shelby, the longer I go without, the easier it is. I was never a huge sweets fan to begin with so that part’s been pretty easy. But, it’s been hard to cut out pasta–I used to eat a ton of it. So, if I’m craving that I’ll have brown rice pasta. I do make exceptions for special occasions or when someone else is feeding me, so in that sense I don’t consider my diet to be too restrictive.
I did end up going back to caffeine! It’s just too good to give up forever.
@Erin: No, I haven’t read that book–I need to check it out! I really liked the Body Ecology Diet book–I learned a lot from it. But, the BE Diet is VERY restrictive and I do not follow it closely at all. I only try to follow the general food-combining rules (like, no animal protein with starches, for example). It’s really helped to reduce the frequency of stomach aches for me.
@Amy: You can rest assured that I do not have an eating disorder. I have no idea how many calories I eat per day, but I do know that I eat until I’m full every time I have a meal.
@Rebecca: Peanut butter’s the best:)
@amy, I’m in agreement that this didn’t sound like enough food to sustain me for the day – probably because I eat quite a few more times than this throughout the day. I’m newly vegetarian and I like this as a starting point (kimchi, yes please!), but does anyone have any good suggestions on how to bulk this up in a clean, meatless way?
@rebecca, I think talking about the amount of food we eat is a great way to keep the dialogue about food open and honest. bringing eating disorders into the comments on this post was, in my opinion, out of line, but I do think talking about quality and quantity is a valid part of this healthy eating discussion.
@Bethany and @Lauren, thank you, yes, I’m glad to hear you had the same reaction. I think being vegetarian can absolutely be very healthy, but it should not be synonymous with eating so low-calorie.
@Maddie, I was not trying to accuse you of having an eating disorder; I don’t know you, and who knows, maybe your portions are larger than they sound. But the menu did sound a lot like what I used to eat: lots of watery ingredients (soups, tons of liquids to fill up) and mostly just veggies, not enough protein, etc., and I think it’s okay to be honest about that for anyone else who may be reading this.
I wanted to say something, because I would hate for other women to see this and feel like this is the normal amount they “should” be eating. I think there’s so much pressure on women re: diet, and many now think they should be eating these low-cal diets which do not provide enough sustenance. When you eat too few calories (even on the healthiest of foods), it puts your body into starvation mode, and people end up with low metabolisms, feeling freezing cold and low-energy, lowered immunity, etc.
@Bethany- This is way too little food for me as well. I am tiny, and without carbs there would be nothing left of me in a few weeks. A heartier breakfast would definitely be important- eggs with bread, Morning Star sausage patties and waffles or pancakes with honey and fruit, etc. I also like a simple whole grain toast with honey and goat cheese.
Also, I would have put some quinoa, pasta, or at least tofu in the soup to make it substantive. I like to have a big smoothie that is kind of like a meal late afternoon- greens, banana, protein powder and/or peanut butter, chia powder, cacao, and some frozen berries. Apple or celery with peanut or almond butter is great; nuts are an awesome way to add calories. (Cupcakes and ice cream sandwiches work well too, if you’re into that…)
@Bethany: I think it’s pretty easy to bulk up a vegetarian diet with grains. Like I said, I enjoy brown rice pasta (it was horseradish mac and cheese for dinner the other night–so delicious). I also like polenta–great with mashed avocado and a little lemon juice. In addition to grains, potatoes and beans can be very filling if you eat enough. I frequently make a chipotle red-bean chili, topped with a little goat cheese. Hope those ideas help!
I think the MM series is great for providing inspiration, but it’s not supportive or productive for anyone to judge the quality of other people’s diets. (It also simply doesn’t make sense because, as others have pointed out, portion sizes are not given.) I’m not sure of a way to get around this–I suspect that having readers send in pictures of their meals would only subject them to more judgment. I think the best solution is for readers to remember that different people require different things to be, look, and feel healthy (and also that these menus are a snapshot into ONE day of someone’s life!). Maybe Greek yogurt/almonds and peanut butter is not enough daily protein for everyone, but for me it’s just fine. Just like we each have different morning routines, we each have different diets, too.. But just because they are different doesn’t mean that some are healthy and others not!
Maddie did not list portion sizes and calories. From this menu, you simply CANNOT make judgments about her calorie intake. I don’t get why people obsess over this to be honest… please give it a rest.
@Bethany, I respect your opinion and I agree with you about discussing the quality of food. It’s fine, imo, to question something like, for example, is that amount of soy in a menu really healthy, just like we might question the type of preservative in a face cream. It’s also fine to say something like, “I would want to eat more, maybe add some black beans to that dish.” That feels like discussion and open commenting. I disagree, though, that stating the amount of food is not enough (for that person or for people/women in general) keeps dialogue open. I feel like that pretty much always sounds/feels like an attack and it shuts people down. If someone actually did have an eating disorder I don’t think that comment helps, and it may keep healthy people from wanting to share. It is definitely a personal trigger for me, as I have been much criticized in life from both directions – it seems in some other people’s opinions I either eat too little or I just “really don’t need that dessert,” which was quite common back when I was obese. Either way, I think comments on how much a person eats, especially when you’ve never seen them and don’t know anything else about them, feel really crappy.
I won’t shy away from controversy (my dominant bitcha dosha is usually quite apparent), but I don’t like it when things feel mean rather than supportive. There are definitely people commenting here that would eat more themselves, and many are doing it in a way that feels okay, even if it is questioning or disagreeing. Questioning is fine and welcomed, I just don’t want to see anyone who posts a menu being accused or suspected of having an eating disorder from the tiny view we get into them from a MM post.
I would rather see some well-balanced, nutritious, delicious meals/menus rather than focusing on someone with restrictive needs. I am happy for those who are working with their health care professionals to meet their specific dietary needs. And I think we need to be supportive and non judgemental. Looking at this menu, I could definitely eat this and enjoy it for a day (or two); lots of good things about it. However, I think by featuring this type of diet in this venue promotes it for the general public as what a healthy diet should be, if you were just disciplined and restrictive enough, and I don’t find that helpful, and potentially harmful.
I can’t help but notice a lot of these daily menu’s are lacking in Calcium. I am assuming a supplement is taken?
I am not accusing, just wondering what you ladies do to reach your daily calcium requirement=)
I don’t think it’s lacking in calcium. The predominant view is that calcium can only come from dairy, but vegetables have lots of calcium (and more readily absorbed), including almonds, soy, broccoli, lentils, greens…
I do like Ionic Fizz as a calcium supplement, though. It also has magnesium and is very soothing before bed.
@Melissa, I agree with Silvy that this menu does not necessarily lack calcium. But, to answer your basic question, I eat lots of nuts, seeds and dark leafy greens – those have lots of good stuff including calcium. I don’t worry about calcium specifically.
@Anne and others, send in your own MM post! I’d love to see variety.
Interesting about the calcium; I broke my leg about 3 years ago (well, my dog did it for me) but anyways I found out my vitamin D level was 11. I have always been lactose intolerant, so have avoided dairy. Also In my older age (40’s) I have avoided the sun. I came across some interesting information regarding calcium and bones from Susan Browns Better Bones site. A alkaline diet may be more important and yes you can get enough calcium from a vegan diet. Now I take my Vitamin D, eat my veggies and eat alkaline. I do not take calcium supplements.
@Maddie and @Emma B – I fully agree that MM posts are wonderful inspiration and can’t fathom why people insist on fixating on the amount of calories consumed. Those comments are getting tiresome.
I love getting ideas from MM posts and think it’s so interesting to see what people do to add flavor and pizzazz to more restricted diets. While I’m not gluten- or sugar-free, I am always looking to reduce my intake of both. Thanks for your inspiration, Maddie!
I used to be the biggest fan of coffee (we even roasted our own at home!) but once I started juicing (with my VitaMix and nutmilk bag- most genius combo ever. Love my orange/green apple/carrot/lemon/kale juices. Oh the mental clarity and reduced cravings due to the high nutrient density! Sometimes I go crazy and drink a whole 24oz juice myself. That’s a meal in itself and can hold me over for a few hours), I noticed after a while I didn’t even think to drink coffee in the afternoon like I always used to. And I wasn’t even trying to stop drinking coffee.
I find that the best way to stop craving something is to not fixate on it but find something even better and satisfying to fill its place. That’s what happened with me and coffee, as well as meat, cheese, and refined sugar.
I too tested low for Vit D and osteoporosis runs on both sides of my family so I have always been too afraid to skip drinking milk! Thanks for all the tips! I will be looking into them all.
About vit D– milk only has it because it is *fortified* with it. It doesn’t occur naturally in cow’s milk.
Mushrooms have a crap TON of naturally occurring vitamin D– like 2,000% of your daily need. You’re better off sauteing a few portobellos with dinner than drinking a full glass of milk!
@Ash, totally in sync about the milk/vit D thing – dairy industry propaganda. I try to get light sun exposure to make some of my own D, too. And a crap-ton is the official unit of measure for vitamins, right? ; )
Read the coolest article about mushrooms and vit D!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-stamets/mushrooms-vitamin-d_b_1635941.html