Lifestyle changes should be well thought through and should be introduced gradually to enable the body to adapt. If animal products and free fats are to be replaced in the diet, then acceptable alternative foods, prepared in such a way that taste is not sacrificed, must be supplied. Moreover, the new diet must allow for flexibility, as the needs of different individuals vary.
People tending towards obesity would have to limit the quantities of foods rich in fats, whereas the opposite is true for people with a low BMI. Free fats and oils and all animal products have been omitted from the recipes on our site, but taste is not sacrificed. Eating, after all, is one of the pleasures of life, and healthy food should not be synonymous with drab food.The omission of free fats calls for ingenuity, but that fried taste can still be obtained by employing different techniques; e.g. onions browned in a little soy sauce also impart a rich flavour.
Some of the recipes described here are designed to meet the demands of a Western lifestyle without the associated pitfalls, and as such may require the use of some basic household equipment and the gourmet may even require some sophisticated appliances, Whole food cooking can however be very simple, requiring the minimum in terms of equipment. Not all people can afford the appliances, to process some of the foods described here, and some of the more expensive ingredients, such as nuts, can be replaced by cheaper alternatives such as seeds and certain legumes. Where recipes call for the use of a blender, it is possible to make the dishes discussed equally interesting and healthful by using legume and grain flours or cooked and mashed whole foods. This simple lifestyle makes even camping and hiking a lot easier – no more fuss about keeping perishables frozen, and what can be more pleasant, satisfying and nutritious than a freshly-baked pot bread baked in the camp-fire eaten together with a rich pot-casserole? It only requires a pan or even a flat iron sheet to bake flapjacks and other interesting foods over the coals.
Finally, the recipes described are, wherever possible, quick and easy to prepare, particularly once one is organized. Some of the criticisms against healthful cooking practices are that they are expensive and time-consuming. As far as the first of these criticisms is concerned, it must be remembered that some of the more expensive items such as the nuts are used to replace equally expensive animal products, but that there is no wastage. Moreover, the nutritive value on a weight-for-weight basis exceeds that of animal products, and one uses small quantities to achieve one’s objectives. A small quantity of nuts will make a large quantity of nut milk or sauce, and the overall expense of cooking with whole foods will indeed be considerably less than that of conventional cooking. As regards the second criticism, it is indeed so that there is more to life than slaving over a hot stove.
A
good blender
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A heavy-base or non-stick frying pan
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Waterless cookware
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Optional: waffle iron
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Optional: food processor (flat blade variety) to chop nuts and seeds till ”butter” is formed
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Optional: wheat mill.
Unfortunately,
healthy foods are not always readily available in supermarkets and
conventional stores and some health shops can be very expensive. Don’t
despair, do some detective work – if there are some Middle Eastern
or Eastern communities in your country, they will have stores where
whole foods can be bought in bulk at very reasonable prices. Moreover,
many farming cooperatives and farm outlets supply many of the foods
required, and it is also possible to purchase some foods directly from
processing factories or factory outlets. Fortunately, the tide is turning,
and more and more supermarkets are catering for whole food shoppers
as public demand increases.
- Stone-ground wheat flour (large quantity)
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Other whole-ground flours, e. g. rye, millet, barley, corn, soy, garbanzo (chick pea), rice (small quantities)
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Whole grains: barley, millet (dehusked!), brown rice, groats (dehusked whole oats) and also rolled oats, cracked wheat (bulgur) etc.
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Legumes: soy beans, chick peas, mung beans (for stews and sprouts), lentils, other varieties of beans, split peas, peanuts
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Seeds: sesame, sunflower, alfalfa (for sprouting), linseed, poppy seed
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Nuts: cashew (pieces are cheaper), macadamia (for butter), almonds, pecan (find a wholesale supplier)
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Dried fruit: raisins, sun-dried prunes, peaches, apricots, pears, apples, dates, etc. (for the lunch box, muesli, as stewed fruit or for fruit chutney or jam)
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Shredded coconut: for cookies, muesli, etc.
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Carob powder: for puddings, milk shakes, cookies
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Honey/ raw sugar/ molasses
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Healthy peanut butter (with no additives) and Tahini (sesame butter) and nut butters
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Agar-agar: as a gelatine substitute
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Concentrated fruit juice (if available): useful for puddings, ice-creams, etc.
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Natural vanilla essence (from health shops)
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Active yeast: for bread and cake
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Concentrated fruit juice (if available): useful for puddings, ice-creams, etc.
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Natural vanilla essence (from health shops)
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Active yeast: for bread and cake
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Nutritional yeast (food yeast): for flavouring savoury dishes. Available at health shops, and is not the same as Brewer’s Yeast or Torilla Yeast
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Soy Sauce (without preservatives or other additives)
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Herbs, fresh and dried
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Some spices, such as coriander, cayenne pepper, paprika, cardamom, turmeric, cumin, aniseed
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Tinned tomato paste/ puree for sauces
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Olives in brine, not vinegar
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Garlic (powder and fresh)
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Onion powder
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Gluten flour
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Fresh fruits: have a variety, but always have at hand avocados for butter, bananas for milk shakes and puddings and lemons for sauces
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Fresh vegetables
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Tofu: for salad dressings, omelets, quiches, etc.