DAY 4 of the HEALTHY VEGAN MEAL PLAN

Hello DAY 4! Today I make use of different grains and new flavors, so I hope you enjoy the variety. Breakfast is a mono meal of fruit, which just means consuming one type of fruit until satisfied for that meal. Eating a mono meal is optimal for digestion, absorption and assimilation of nutrients. Eating one food stimulates the perfect digestive response for that particular food and allows for complete digestion and satiety signals. I definitely recommend adding a mono meal or two in to your weekly routine. Alright...on to today's recipes.

DAY 4 MENU

FRUIT MONO MEAL

ASIAN COUSCOUS WITH PEANUT SAUCE

BLACK BEAN VEGGIE BURGERS

SHOPPING LIST FOR DAY 4

fruit of your choice

creamy peanut butter

rice vinegar

reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari

maple syrup

ginger root

garlic

crushed red pepper

couscous

frozen corn

frozen peas

carrot (frozen or fresh)

red cabbage

cilantro

whole peanuts

green onion

jalapeno

lime

black beans

cooked millet

sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)

fresh basil

red onion

arrowroot powder

whole wheat burger buns

tomatoes

avocado

lettuce

ketchup

mustard

vegan mayo

hot sauce (optional)

salt & pepper

BREAKFAST - MONO MEAL OF FRUIT

INGREDIENTS

your choice of fruit (I love to use watermelon, it gives the body lots of hydration and fiber)

Eat your fruit of choice whole, until satisfied.

LUNCH - ASIAN COUSCOUS WITH PEANUT SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

PEANUT SAUCE

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari

2 tbl maple syrup

1 tsp fresh ginger root (grated)

2 garlic cloves (pressed)

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tbl water

COUSCOUS

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup couscous

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup carrots (chopped)

GARNISH

red cabbage ( sliced or chopped)

cilantro (chopped)

1/2 tsp peanuts

green onion

jalapeno

lime

more crushed red pepper flakes

In a medium sauce pan bring vegetable broth to boil, add couscous, stir and turn down heat to low. Add in corn, peas, and carrots. When broth has almost fully decreased, turn off heat and cover. Let it sit while you make the rest of the meal.

In a medium mixing bowl add all the peanut sauce ingredients and whisk vigorously until well combined.

Serve couscous with suggested garnish on top, and drizzle a conservative amount of peanut sauce over everything. You will have leftovers of the sauce so feel free to dip veggies in it for snack time.

DINNER - BLACK BEAN VEGGIE BURGERS

INGREDIENTS

BURGERS

1 can black beans (rinsed & drained)

1 cup cooked millet

3 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 cup sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)

1 cup fresh basil

1/3 cup red onion (chopped)

3 tbl arrowroot powder

salt & pepper to taste

whole wheat burger buns

parchment paper lined baking sheet

TOPPINGS OF YOUR CHOICE

I used:

tomatoes

avocado

lettuce

jalapeños

red onion

ketchup

mustard

a tiny bit of vegan mayo

hot sauce

Place the beans in a large mixing bowl and use a potato masher or fork to coarsely mash them. Add in the millet, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, basil, red onion, arrowroot powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well until combined.

Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour. In the mean time you can chop up your desired toppings.

Once the hour is up for the burgers in the fridge, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Assemble burgers by forming balls and then flattening them into burgers. Place them on the parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for about 15 more minutes until lightly browned.

Serve on the whole wheat burger buns (you can toast them if desired) with desired toppings and enjoy. Feel free to add a side salad if you'd like to get in more veggies. These are great the next day too!

FOR A VIDEO VERSION OF TODAY'S RECIPES, WATCH HERE: