Vegan Recipes for the DASH Diet
Good vegan recipes for DASH
The DASH Diet has ranked as "the best overall diet" by US News and World Report for four years in a row. Developed by the National Institute of Health (NIH) twenty years ago, the diet is clearly not a gimmick and is recommended by many doctors to help lower weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
When it comes to a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, the DASH Diet is easily adaptable. Lean meat is allowed on the standard diet but this recipe collection of DASH Diet vegan recipes focuses specifically on dishes for vegans and vegetarians who want to take advantage of all that the DASH Diet has to offer.
This is the third volume in the DASH Diet Cookbook series by Robertina Whelans. I started with volume one, DASH DIet for Smoothies, and have been giving all the rest of the cookbooks a try to have enjoyed preparing the various recipes and incorporating them into my daily diet. Be sure and check out my review of the DASH Diet for Smoothies book. I've also written about the DASH Diet Quick and Easy Recipes: Soups, Salads, Stir Fry and Spring Rolls, which is a favorite of mine because I love light and easy food. You will find my DASH Diet reviews positive as I do think the diet is a good eating plan that is packed with major health benefits and, so far, have enjoyed this series. I also like recipe books and playing around with new dishes.
Forget fads and gimmicks
If you're looking for some kind of magic silver bullet, you can stop reading. The DASH Diet is not a fad; it is not a gimmick. Instead, you have a well-documented and studied diet that originated at the National Health Institute. There is ample evidence that this diet works.
What does DASH mean?
The DASH in the DASH diet stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension." At the time, the focus and intention was strictly to lower hypertension or blood pressure. Over the years studies have revealed more benefits and have shown that the DASH Diet plan does lower blood pressure, as intended, but also cholesterol, blood sugar and weight. It is an extremely heart-healthy lifestyle diet. That is why the American Heart Association recommends the DASH Diet.
DASH Diet elements
If you like your fruits and veggies, you'll like the DASH Diet low-carb concept. The DASH Diet is not a vegan diet or a vegetarian diet. Even though there is strong and healthy focus on fruits and vegetables, the standard form of the diet allows for lean meat. Vegans and vegetarians can easily strip out the meat, and in this recipe book that is exactly what happens.
My personal experience with the DASH Diet
I began by a flirt with the DASH Diet, as I said, when I picked up a copy of DASH Diet Smoothie Recipes. I wanted to get back on some sort of regimen that I knew would help control my blood pressure. I like smoothies and I liked the recipes I found and went from there.
From an earlier experience a number of years ago, I know that great strides can be made in lowering many of the common health plagues by turning to a vegan diet so I was happy to grab a copy of this book and see what else I could whip up in the kitchen that would meet my personal dietary plans. I'm happy to say that this book met my expectations and more. Imagine my delight when I found the Sundried Thyme and Basil Pizza among the main courses. I also liked the eggless tofu and spinach quiche, as well as the ginger-grilled Portobello mushrooms. Ginger is an absolute favorite of mine whether it's in tea or food. You can't go wrong with ginger.
What else is in the DASH Diet Vegan Recipes cookbook?
The book includes an introduction to the DASH Diet, DASH Diet guidelines for vegans and vegetarians, and even tips and reminders that are geared toward vegans. While many well-schooled vegans and vegetarians will know much of this basic information, for those who are just starting out or even flirting with the idea of going vegan or vegetarian, the information should be helpful.
In addition, you'll find recipes for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. If you're like me, you may prefer to eat appetizer-style, so the appetizer recipes will be happily embraced. You'll also find main courses that range from roasted vegetables to chili to noodles and stuffed eggplant. A treat is the dessert section. These 23 recipes should get you off to a great start.
Additional bonus
If you enjoy reading about the success of others, you will enjoy the free bonus that is available. I don't know about you, but I like to read inspiring stories where people have been successful. It helps shore up my own motivation and discipline.
Conclusion
If you've heard about the DASH Diet but shied away from it because of the inclusion of meat and even eggs, this collection can ease the transition to a vegan-style DASH Diet experience. If you've never gone vegan or even vegetarian, give these recipes a try. You may find the results of a vegan approach will give a boost to the goal of lowering all those bad numbers and getting you back onto the road to good health. Do you have to go totally vegan? No. Simply add these vegan-styled DASH recipes to your chosen eating plan and enjoy.
More DASH Diet Cookbooks
The DASH Diet Cookbook series includes, as of now, five books. They are:
- DASH Diet Smoothies (Reviewed)
- DASH Diet Quick and Easy Recipes: Soups, Salads, Stir Fry and Spring Rolls (Reviewed)
- DASH Diet Quick and Easy Recipes: Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks
- DASH Diet Recipes for Vegans (Reviewed)
- DASH Diet Easy Slow Cooker Crock Pot Recipes
Look for future reviews on the rest of the collection as I implement them into my dietary lifestyle.
