Trying New Foods

If you are whole food plant based like me, you will find there is so much variety out there. I know people tend to think the opposite, that without meat, there's nothing to eat. Well, I’m here to tell you, there is a lot of awesome food that you most likely are missing out on.

When I was omnivore, I stuck with the same foods over and over again. Ever since going plant based, I go out of my way to try new plant based foods. Here are some foods that I found I love after recently trying them.

Guava. This fruit is awesome and has so many health benefits. As a vegan, my blood platelet count was a little low, just below normal. I started eating guava and it brought it right back up to normal. That’s not the only benefit though. Guava can help to lower blood sugar, aid in digestion and boost your immunity. It is high in vitamin C, potassium and fiber, something that most Americans are sadly lacking in. I have guava every morning with my steel cut oats and berries breakfast.

Tamarind. Wow, do I love tamarind. Looking at tamarind, it doesn’t look very appetizing. It has a hard shell that you have to break before you get to the edible part. Then there are also stones in the center that you can’t eat. But the editable part is so worth it. It honestly tastes like candy. I would have loved these as a kid had I known about them. Be warned though, they are addictive! If you are wondering about tamarind’s health benefits, they are a rich source of antioxidants, they may have anti-cancer properties and may help to lower your blood sugar. Of course, as is typical with fruits, it’s high in vitamin C, also potassium, calcium, magnesium and fiber.

Kohlrabi. Surprisingly, I don’t think I ever tried kohlrabi before this year. Kohlrabi is a member of the cabbage family and is considered a cruciferous vegetable. As typical of cruciferous veggies, kohlrabi is an anti-cancer food. I found kohlrabi at a farmer’s market. It came with the attached greens, which taste like turnip greens. The greens were awesome in the smoothie I made the other day. Kohlrabi has lots of calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron, along with vitamins C, A, and K.

Pumfu. This food should be used in moderation only. Pumfu is high in fat, as it contains pumpkin seeds as the only ingredient, and pumpkin seeds have fat in them. However, if you are looking for a nutritious, quick way to get some fat in your diet, and you skip the avocado, Pumfu might be a good substitute. I occasionally add it to salads if I feel I need the extra fat or calories, but I am very careful with the portion sizes.

These were the most recent foods that stood out. I truly enjoy discovering plant based foods that I haven’t tried yet. It keeps things exciting and mixes it up a little. I encourage you to do the same!