Nutrition Blog
Plant-Based Eating

The benefits of a plant-based diet:
- Helps with weight loss
- Good for heart health
- Reduce risk for certain types of cancer
- Studies show that people who eat the most plant-based foods live longer, healthier lives.
- Eating more plant-based foods is more environmentally friendly. See how here:
Ways to increase plant-based foods:
- Have at least one main meal (lunch or dinner) a week that’s vegetarian
- Add one serving of a fruit and/or vegetable to your breakfast
- Snack on fruits, vegetables and nuts
- Enjoy smoothies made with fruits and/or veggies
- Add nuts and seeds to your soups and salads
- Add chickpeas or other beans to your salads in place of meats or cheese
- Use hummus as a spread on your sandwich in place of a slice of cheese
- Add lentils and beans to whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat pasta
- Try ethnic cuisines, like Asian, Indian and Mediterranean, as they’re more plant-forward than typical American eating style
Vegan Lasagna
Recipe Courtesy of Vegetarian Times
INGREDIENTS:
Tomato Sauce:
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 6-oz. can tomato paste
- 3 28-oz. cans peeled plum tomatoes, chopped with juices reserved
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Lasagna:
- 1 Tbs. salt
- 1 lb. dry uncooked eggless lasagna noodles
- 2 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
- To make Sauce: In large, heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice, basil, parsley, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer over low heat about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, bring large pot of water to boil. When water boils, add salt and noodles. Cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain, rinse with water and drain again.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Crumble tofu into medium bowl. Add garlic, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir until well blended.
- Spoon about 1 cup sauce over bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Add layer of noodles and top with one-third tofu mixture. Spoon over about 1 1/2 cups sauce and top with another layer of noodles. Cover with one-third tofu mixture and top with 1 1/2 cups of sauce and another layer of noodles. Top with remaining tofu mixture and 1 cup sauce.
- Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand about 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve with remaining sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 219
Carbohydrates: 27 g
Fat: 6 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 13 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 493 mg