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5/17/2021 0 Comments How to create a Nourish BowlIf you are looking to eat a quick, easy, yet healthy and balanced meal, you've come to the right place! At the beginning of every week I usually batch a lot of good foods meaning, I eat nourish bowls almost everyday and never get tired of them! In this blog, I am gonna teach you how to make your own nourish bowls so that you can always have quick, healthy, and diverse meals on hand! Let's jump into this by first talking about the different parts of the nourish bowl...
Note...
I normally add in a cooked non starchy vegetable as well but didn't in this particular photo! That could be zucchini, eggplant, green beans, roasted tomatoes, roasted bell pepper, or okra! I usually season these well depending on whatever style I'm going for. A good example of this would be the Mediterranean Nourish Bowl here on my blog! I hope you enjoyed this little guide and let me know what your favorite Nourish Bowl combos are!
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5/17/2021 0 Comments Vegan + Gluten-free Banana Muffins
ð˜ð˜¦ð˜³ð˜¦'𘴠ð˜µð˜©ð˜¦ ð˜³ð˜¦ð˜¤ð˜ªð˜±ð˜¦... â£
⣠Ingredients...â£â£ 3 ripe banana's mashed ⣠1/2 cup plant milk (I used almond)⣠1/4 cup Maple syrup ⣠1 tbs vinegar ⣠2 1/2 cups oat flour (my oats didn't blend up so well) ⣠Pinch of salt ⣠1 tsp baking soda ⣠1 tsp baking powder⣠1 tbs cinnamon ⣠1 cup chopped dark chocolate (or chocolate chips)⣠⣠ð˜‹ð˜ªð˜³ð˜¦ð˜¤ð˜µð˜ªð˜°ð˜¯ð˜´...â£â£ Preheat the oven to 345° F⣠Mash the bananas with all the wet ingredients ⣠Blend your oats and mix with the dry ingredients⣠Chop your chocolate if in bar form ⣠Mix all the ingredients together ⣠Prepare your muffin tin with oil or parchment ⣠Fill each muffin cup to the top ⣠Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown ⣠⣠Consume within 3 days or store in the fridge. ⣠If you store them in the fridge reheat for 5 minutes before eating! ⣠â£
5/17/2021 0 Comments Kurdish Inspired Lentil Stew
ðˆð§ð ð«ðžðð¢ðžð§ðð¬ ⣠1 onion⣠1 cup bell pepper⣠1 medium-sized carrot⣠2 cups Napa cabbage ⣠2 cups brown lentils⣠2 tbs oregano, cumin, and paprika⣠Salt and pepper to taste! ⣠ðƒð¢ð«ðžðœðð¢ð¨ð§ð¬ ⣠Chop all of your veggies to your liking! ⣠Start by sauteing your onions with some water or oil if you prefer⣠Once they are cooked add in your bell pepper, carrot then lastly, your cabbage. ⣠Saute all your veggies until they are a little soft (keep in mind that your carrots won't be soft at this stage). ⣠Add in your lentils, and seasonings stir well. ⣠Now add in 4 cups of water and close the lid on your pressure cooker if you're using one if not, leave on medium heat to simmer until lentils and carrots are soft. ⣠This will take about an hour. ⣠If you are using a pressure cooker, this will take only 15 minutes. ⣠â£If you are going to eat the stew on top of a baked potato (and you really should) be sure to put it in before you even start the soup! â£
4/15/2021 0 Comments Mediterranean bowlI recently started a series called "$5 and under vegan recipes". I am so glad to hear that you guys have been loving these easy recipes! My goal with this series is to show you just how easy and accessible veganism really is! You can be vegan no matter where you live, what your income is, or what your schedule is like! Today I am sharing this easy Mediterranean bowl! This bowl is made up of 4 key parts! Please feel free to adjust this recipe according to what you have on hand! 
I usually have 4 parts to every nourish bowl I put together... - Roasted Vegetables - Salad (raw vegetables) - Protein - Carb In this bowl I have roasted eggplant, bell peppers, rice, salad, and chick peas! The rice, salad, and chickpeas are pretty straight forward but, the roasted veggies are SO good that I thought I would share my recipe for that! Let's get in the recipe... 
Ingredients: 1/2 Onion 1 medium sized bell pepper 1 medium sizes eggplant 1 small carrot 2 TBS olive oil Juice of 1 lime 1 tsp salt and pepper 1 tsp red pepper flakes Directions: Preheat the oven to 370° F Chop all of the vegetables to your liking - Let me just say, the way you chop changes the game! Mix the sauce together Pour it onto the veggies Put in the oven for around 45 minutes or until the vegetables are soft Once the vegetables are soft pair with your favorite rice, hummus and, salad!
3/4/2021 0 Comments Why are you still hungry?I get the opportunity and honor of working with so many amazing women as they transition into plant-based veganism! I hear a lot of questions about veganism and hear almost every struggle people have when they're transitioning. Today we are talking about a very common one. Why am I hungry all the time? Keep reading for 3 reasons you may be hungry when you first go vegan and how to overcome it...
Not eating the right thing... We are often told by dieting norms what we should eat and what we should stay away from. When I first went vegan I was often hungry because I only ate low-calorie vegetables and protein. I was afraid that eating carbs would make me fat so I never ate whole grains and tried to stay away from carby vegetables. You will never be satisfied with your diet if you're cutting out a food group. You need carbs, proteins, fats, omegas, everything to thrive! So if you are still feeling hungry after a meal go through and see if all food groups were present and if they were try adding in more whole grains next time since they keep you fuller longer. This could be foods like brown rice, oats, barley, and quinoa.
2/18/2021 0 Comments 3 go-to simple snacksI had someone ask me the other day what my guilty pleasure was... It has been and will probably always be snacking! There is nothing like a good dip, wrap or crunch in the mid-afternoon! Am I right ladies? Today I'm sharing 3 of my family's favorite healthy snacks! Stick around for these easy, vegan, and healthy recipes!  1. Dark chocolate fruit bowl This is heaven in your mouth girl! You should never feel guilty about eating chocolate but you can rest assured that this little snack will still be giving you some nutrients while you get that chocolate fix! 1/2 cup dark chocolate (be sure that this is vegan most dark chocolates are from my personal experience) 2 cups fruit of choice - I love strawberries, grapes, and even bananas in this! Melt your chocolate in the microwave in 10-second intervals this essential! In between each interval stir until fully melted. Mix in fruit Enjoy!  2. Coconut date balls These are so easy and are great for when you're craving a sweet! I like to store these in the fridge with a stasher bag and enjoy them whenever I have a sweet tooth! 12 Medjool dates pitted 1 cup pecans Pinch of sea salt 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut Soak your dates in water for 10 minutes to soften then drain the water In a blender or food processor mix your dates, pecans, and salt until fully combined Scoop out the date mixture with a spoon and roll into tiny balls Roll the balls in the coconut Chill for 30 minutes Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks!  3. Eggplant hummus I saved the best for last with this one! This recipe is inspired by an Italian restaurant here in Curitiba, Brazil! As an appetizer, they give out eggplant hummus and crackers. It's SO good that I had to recreate it! Here's the recipe... 1 medium-sized eggplant 1 green pepper 1/2 onion 2 cloves garlic 2 tbs olive oil 1 tbs vinegar 1 tbs oregano 1 tbs thyme salt and pepper to taste. Bake on 350 for 40 minutes stirring every so often. Once the veggies are brown take them out of the oven and mix in the blender till hummus texture. Chill for an hour and enjoy on bread or with fresh veggies! Which recipe are you gonna try first? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading, Zoe Cordeiro <3 "I'm too lazy to meal prep" I use to be the one giving that excuse until I realized preparation isn't the opposite of being lazy. Meal prepping actually saves you from doing work. After years of feeling unprepared for healthy living, I found this super-easy way of meal prepping and, I'm obsessed! If you want to learn how I meal prep as a "lazy" person keep reading!  Lazy days... In this strategy, you evaluate your weeks and see which days of the week you aren't able to cook/aren't feeling like cooking and prepare ahead for those days... Here's what that looks like for me, the days I am the busiest and just don't want to get in the kitchen at all are - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. (I told you I was lazy lol). That leaves me with Wednesdays and the weekends. The schedule that works for me is to cook on Sundays for Mondays and Tuesdays. Then I use Wednesday to cook for Thursday and Friday. This has been an amazing system for us and allows us to mix it up before we get bored with the food we have. I usually get asked if I'm talking about dinner or both lunch and dinner, I actually prep for Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Our average week looks like: Breakfast - baked oatmeal I make it beforehand. Lunch - Sandwiches. I prep the ingredients beforehand and we assemble them the day of. Dinner - A classic nourish bowl. The rice and beans are heated up the day of and the salad is prepped beforehand and kept in the fridge. This schedule gives variety while still allowing quick prep for lazy days.  Batch cooking... We have done this in the past and find it SO beneficial for veganism especially if the 1st strategy is a little too complex for you. This strategy also utilizes your cooking days and helps you stay healthy. Here's how it works... You cook a big batch of staple foods and keep them in the fridge for quick meals. I have done this with Quinoa, Beans, Brown rice, Black bean burgers, and even eggplant lasagna. The best part about this is how spontaneous it can be. It can be a real lifesaver when you've had a long day. The only downside to this option is that if you don't have a plan for the food you are risking food waste. However, this strategy can be really good for someone with an ever-changing schedule. This required very little planning and prep. So, those are our two strategies!
Which one do you think works best for your family's lifestyle? When I was transitioning into veganism 7 years ago I had absolutely no clue what I was doing! During these 7 years of focusing on plants, I have made so many mistakes and learned a lot of lessons the hard way. And though I am a true believer in the phrase "live and learn" there are a few things I wish someone had told me about veganism before I jumped in. Today I want to share 3 of the things that I wish I knew before transitioning into veggie living! Let's dive into it!  1. Veganism isn't a diet, plant-based veganism is! Let's first start this out by acknowledging that when I use the word "diet" here I'm talking about a way of eating not a quick fix. When I first started out on my vegan journey my main inspiration was the health benefits the lifestyle brings, little did I know, the word veganism doesn't = health. And though the consumption of animal products is directly linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, and even cancer veganism alone can't be the answer to all of your health needs. The word vegan only means to live a life free of animal cruelty. This does pertain to diet because you won't be eating animals however, there are so many foods that don't contain animals but aren't healthy. For example, Oreos are vegan! This is why I call myself a plant-based vegan. Someone who doesn't use animal products but also focuses on real plant foods. 2. Perfectionism isn't sustainable Did you know that veganism isn't an all or nothing lifestyle? There can be gray areas and that's okay! When I first went vegan I was learning from all of these die-hard vegan women who would rather die than be caught with a glass of milk. I admired them but I always felt like I couldn't call myself a real vegan since I wasn't as perfect as them. But I did my best. I made mistakes, learned from them, and kept going. About a year after I discovered all these vegans they all started to make videos about why they weren't vegan anymore...Weeks later they started sharing their new diets that were the extreme opposite. Crazy right? I couldn't believe that they had given up on something that seemed so important to them. I am not here to brag about how much better I am for sticking with my veganism because I am probably the last person to gloat. However, I want to share what I learned from that whole situation... They were so perfectly vegan that they exhausted themselves. They eventually got burnt out and since they thought veganism was an all or nothing type lifestyle they didn't even know how to just be plant-focused. They could have just brought some animal products back into their diet and kept eating mostly plants but from what I heard from them they don't even like plant foods anymore because they restricted themselves to eating them for years. Now, I am a vegan but I defiantly never want to be someone who comes off as perfect or even someone who expects that from others or shames those who aren't like me. The best way to stick with veganism is to be kind to yourself, take your time in the transition, and let yourself make mistakes. 3. Being a kind vegan is rare but oh so important! When I first went vegan I join ALL the vegan Facebook groups because I didn't have any vegans around me physically which was so great! I made so many connections yet found myself consistently insecure about what veganism looked like for me... You see, as much as I LOVE veganism there is so much judgement in the community and it often feels like you're either perfect or your nothing. I'm gonna tell you today, imperfect veganism is STILL veganism! The way you do this lifestyle will look different than how I live it and that's OKAY! If we really want to change the world with veganism we need to celebrate others for their little steps towards plant-based living! It isn't about the status it's about compassion! So though kind veganism is very rare it's a must because veganism can change the world if everyone does their part! We don't need 100 people doing veganism perfectly, we need 1,000 people doing it imperfectly! So, be kind! Encourage others in their meatless Mondays and little choices!
So you want to go plant-based vegan. But, you don't know where to start... If that's you, you're gonna want to keep reading because, in this blog, I'll be sharing what a practical and simple day of eating looks like for me! I will even be helping you map out your transition so be sure to stick till the end!
Sometimes between Breakfast and lunch, I'll have a smoothie or a banana. It honestly depends on the day, I practice listening to my body so I take it day by day.
After lunch around 3 PM, I drink another liter of water. I drink water throughout the day but scheduling it like this makes sure I get it all in.
I love cooking big batches of these meals to make them accessible for us! When healthy is accessible you're more likely to stick with it!
This is how I make the plant-based lifestyle work for me.
Now, let's find your style! Did you know that I coach women just like you as they transition into the plant-based vegan lifestyle? I love what I do but 1 on 1 coaching has to be my favorite! Want to know how you can get in on the action? Click here to work with me! 11/20/2020 0 Comments 3 ways to be kind holiday season
How are you gonna make it as the only vegan at the table this holiday season?
If you don't have a game plan, you're gonna want to stick around because this is gonna be a lifesaver. Since I'm from a small town in Alabama, and even though I've been vegan for 7 years have yet to make a in person connection with a vegan I know a thing or two about feeling like the black sheep of the family. Though being the only vegan at a family gathering can be triggering, if we prioritize self care we can still show up lovingly, and kindly this holiday season. I've heard so many vegans tell me that even though they went vegan for compassion (compassion for themselves, the animals, and the earth) they have lost that feeling of compassion over time and now they just feel jaded to the outside world (non vegans). If you've been around here for anytime you would know that your girl is NOT about that. I believe you can still have meaningful relationship with non vegans, my husband is an omnivore, and though I hope one day he goes vegan I am able to celebrate his little steps now. It isn't always easy to be a kind vegan during the holidays though... It seems like seeing all of these people and being asked all the condescending questions about your lifestyle pushes you to your limit. I know it's pushed me before. In my vegan for the holiday guide I give you 3 self care tips to help you show up in love this season. When we are healthy inside we can overflow that onto others. Be sure to click the link below to grab that for free! But, while I have you here, let's go over 3 ways to live kindly this holiday season. 
Prepare yourself by practicing self-care before that family gathering. As I mentioned above, it's only in being kind to ourselves that we can be kind to others. Make sure you check in mentally with yourself to be sure you're okay so you can be the most loving, kind version of yourself. This will look different for everyone! For me it means making sure I get at least 30 minutes of alone time every day so I can regroup and process. Don't take the questions / rude comments to heart. This is hard especially for me because I don't take criticism well and I can't stand when that particular comment/question is an uneducated assumption. Remember that you were once uneducated about veganism too, we all start somewhere. If it's a rude comment or question try your best to shut the conversation down in a kind matter, because it will not lead to anything productive. Keep your head up, you can do this! Don't isolate yourself. I want to remind you that though veganism is an amazing part of your life it's not the only part of your life. Celebrate this season, let your heart be filled with the joy of this season. Don't just eat your salad in the corner, let this season open up your heart and fill it with the ones around you! Though veganism has changed your life, family is what life's all about. Enjoy this season! 
Spread kindness this year, girl! Trust me it will be worth it! Want to hear more tips on being a vegan this holiday season? Sign up here to get the vegan for the holiday guide! <3 You'll get my tips to being vegan this holiday season, and 3 Amazing vegan thanksgiving recipes, no one will even know they're vegan! I'll see you on the inside <3 |
Zoe Worlund Cordeiro
Zoe grew up in the heart of the South, Huntsville, AL. After spending most of her life avoiding animal products, she became a Vegan six years ago and hasn't looked back! Zoe is passionate about loving people, stewarding the planet's resources well, exploring new places, and pursing a relationship with Jesus. After a two-year cross-cultural & international relationship, Zoe said "Yes!" to her Brazilian-designer husband, Gabriel. After their wedding in March of 2020, Zoe settled in his hometown of Curitiba, Brazil and they hope to travel the world together. Archives
May 2021
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