Kung Pao Tofu Wow - it has been a few months since I’ve blogged here, or even added a recipe! Things have been quite busy - as I’m sure they have been for you too. I’ve been loving my individual coaching program, I am launching a group coaching program, and moving into a new office space. Lots of exciting things happening here at Wholesome! I’ve also been loving up on some tofu lately! Concerned about tofu? Then you have to head over to my blog regarding “How Does Soy Affected Breast Cancer Risk?” Spoiler Alert: You do not need to avoid soy! In fact, it is protective against breast cancer and ..read more

Chinese Takeout from Home A little while back, I introduced my first tofu recipe to the blog -- our Sofritas Tacos. Up until recently, we weren’t using a lot of tofu in our cooking. Honestly, because I really wasn’t sure how to cook with it.  If you’re looking to transition to a more or entirely plant-based diet, tofu doesn’t have to be part of it, unlike the popular belief. You can get plenty of plant-based protein from other plant-based sources.  However, if you’re a little hesitant about cooking with tofu, you’re in the right place. I was too, but it is much easier than I thought ..read more

Plant-Based Pantry Staples to Stock Your Kitchen We’ve all been there -- walking between the freezer, refrigerator, and pantry trying to decide what to eat. Groceries are low and a grocery store trip isn’t in the very near future. Plus, you want to have the motivation to cook a delicious plant-based meal, but you just can’t find it in you.  We know this feeling all too well. But how do we (most of the time) overcome the desire to simple order out? Pantry staples! Making sure you have a few pantry staples always on hand, and some that aren’t as q ..read more

How to Make Açaí Bowls Avocado toast and açaí bowls seem to be the new trend in cafe-like restaurants - at least by us.  These are two trends I am not mad about!  Here in Wisconsin, açaí bowls are a little harder to come by. When we went to San Diego for a conference, we saw them on almost every menu -- especially the breakfast places. #lucky My plant-based eating is certainly more suited for living on the West Coast, but I don’t see moving there anytime soon.  Thankfully, you can make your own right at home. And it’s really easy ..read more

Does Dietary Cholesterol Increase Cancer Risk? For years, we have known about the connection between increased cholesterol levels as it relates to heart disease. The higher the cholesterol level, the higher the risk for heart disease.  However, there is a public debate regarding dietary cholesterol consumption. Overall, the medical community agrees the consumption of dietary cholesterol should be as little as possible.  The Institute of Medicine (IOM) states “individuals should consume as little dietary cholesterol as possible while consuming a ..read more

Do You Love Cookbooks as Much as We Do? For a while, I never used cookbooks. When Pinterest was new, it became my main source for recipes.  I’m not entirely sure how transitioning to a plant-based diet flipped the switch, but I quickly fell in love with cookbooks all over again once I transitioned to plant-based eating.  Maybe it is my old school pen and paper approach to most things, and in this case, a hard copy version right in front of me -- complete with spills, splashes, and notes scribbled about the pages.  Over the years of living a plant-based lifestyle, Lauren and I have both compil ..read more

Organic Foods and Cancer Risk We commonly get two questions when it relates to organic foods:  Are organic foods healthier than conventionally grown foods? Are organic foods safer than conventionally grown foods? Let’s first focus on answering if organic foods are healthier than conventionally grown foods. We’ll cover the second question regarding the safety of organic foods in next week’s blog post.  What Does the Research Say? Many used to believe organic foods had higher vitamin and mineral contents. However, a systematic review of 223 studies found there was no significant difference in vi ..read more

Dairy Alternatives to Help you Reduce Dairy Intake I need to make a few things clear before I share our favorite dairy alternative products.  One. I love(d) dairy, especially cheese! And in my opinion, there isn’t anything that completely mimics the flavor, texture, melty-ness and gooey-goodness of cheese made from cows.  Two. Just because a product is labeled “vegan” or “plant-based”, doesn’t make it a nourishing food. Many dairy free alternative products are highly processed, some with a laundry list of ingredients, and are still high in fat/oil.  Here at Wholesome, we focus on whole, unproc ..read more