Recipe Highlight: Soups!

Recipe Highlight: Soups!

Did you ever notice that "soup" is a funny word if you keep looking at it and saying it? Anyway, don't you just love soup on a cozy, winter day? Fitting with all of my recipes, they are EASY and NUTRITIOUS. Looking here, it seems we like three types: stews, chilis, and creamy soups. Remember, cashews, white beans, and even cauliflower provide satisfying creaminess. Stews really fill us up and warm us up! Finally, chili always seems to be a crowd pleaser! When I ask patients "do you like beans?", and they reply NO, when I remind them about chili, they almost always say they do like the beans in chili. Anyway, here are several soup recipe links all in one place. Enjoy!

SOUPS

Easy Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Esselstyn Exilir

Madras Chili

Easy Egyptian Stew

Hearty Lentil Stew

Super-Easy Chili

Creamy and Refreshing Carrot Soup

Also, today I made an old favorite: Spicy "Vodka" Pasta. It's healthy and delicious version with no cream, oil, vodka, or salt!

All these recipes have plenty of Dr Greger's Daily Dozen Checkmarks. My daughters (14 and 12 yr old) recently came up with a challenge to themselves to get all their checkmarks for a week. To my absolute elation, they did it! Well, the younger one has a few more days, but she will get there! It was so amazing to hear them ask me for their turmeric tea, or a cup of beans, or B12! Any day that my kids come close to getting all those checkmarks is a day that I am assured that they have been fueled with wonderful nourishment. Their bodies function properly, they feel great, and thrive!

Snickerdoode-lish Snack Cookies

For tasty other fruit, flax, grain, and nut DR GREGER DAILY DOZEN CHECK MARKS!

TRY THE AWESOME FREE APP!

Snicherdoodle-ish Cinnamon Snack Cookies

1.5 c pitted dates
1.5 c walnuts
1/2 c ground flaxseed
1/2 c Irish oats (steel cut oats)
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a food processor for about 2 min until a dough forms. At this point, you could be done, form into balls or bars, and eat it just like that!

To make cookies, form balls and flatten. Cookies will not change shape during baking. Bake at 350 for ~15 min. Enjoy!

Here is how I sometimes do it. Dump dough on a silicone baking sheet, flatten dough with a second baking sheet. Then use a round tablespoon to sort of cut out cookie shapes right on the baking sheet. It makes about 3.5 dozen cookies. Bake at 350 for ~15 min. Enjoy!

THIS is a post with more cookie recipes (of course all my cookie recipes can be eaten for breakfast!)!

May Be EASIEST Dinner Ever! Sloppy Len's (Vegan Sloppy Joe's, Sloppy Ben's)

This is SO easy, and TASTY! And Familiar! As I've said before, LENTILS are SO nutritious! One of the healthiest "beans"! And a great way to get your daily dose of flaxseed! It's a definite KID-friendly meal! They could even make it! (with some help by the stove :) )

It's another way to get Dr Greger Daily Dozen Check Marks!

Sloppy Len's (Sloppy Ben's, Sloppy Lentils)
~4 c water (enough to cover mound of lentils)
~ 2 c dry lentils
15 oz can sloppy Joe sauce 
2/3 c ground flaxseed

Cover and surround a mound of lentils with water in a pot; this is about 4 cups. Add 1 can sauce, stir, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 30 min. I add some water to can to make sure I get all the sauce; this extra cup or so of water is ok. After the 30 min, stir in flaxseed, and enjoy on a bun, in a pita, or in a bowl on it's own!

With a bit more time, you can make the Forks Over Knives recipe - and avoid a canned food! (but actually, this recipe still has brown sugar and soy sauce, so if you want NO Sugar, Oil, Salt...get Unprocessed, an awesome cookbook from Chef AJ and make some Not So Sloppy Joe's on p.107)

I found a sauce that is fairly benign, especially since it helps us eat more lentils! Also, I found it at a drug store, so there would likely be even better options at a grocery store! Dei Fratelli's sauce has few ingredients, with no HFCS or other chemicals. While it contains salt and sugar, it's a great way to enjoy lentils fast!




On the same trip, I was so saddened to see NO BEAN chili! Really! Chili is one of the few ways many Americans normally eat beans. Plus, canned chili! Yikes! Chili is like the easiest meal to make ever! Here are some recipes:
SUPER-EASY CHILI
MADRAS CHILI
SLOW COOKER INDIAN CHILI

Loads Dr Greger's Daily Dozen Checklist Recipes

Loads Dr Greger's Daily Dozen Checklist Recipes

Dr Greger's Daily Dozen Checklist is a wonderful tool that can quickly and easily help anyone get healthier!

After reading How Not to Die, I began focus even more on eating the foods recommended by nutrition research for optimal health. After a year or so, I started actually tracking my food intake with Dr. Greger's checklist. For the first few months of tracking, I averaged 20 out of 24 check marks, meaning that I was meeting most of my requirements, and eating healthier than ever before!

As soon as I saw my first 24 out of 24, I was hooked! So, from that day (11/01/17) forward, I decided to aim for 100%! Sometimes I have to complete my missing check marks before bed. My odd food combinations at the end of the day can be entertaining. Tonight, for example, I had a 1/2 c frozen cherries and 2-3 large leaves of kale (equivalent of 1 c raw), 1/4 c hummus, and some pistachios. For several months now, I have averaged 23 out of 24 check marks! Meeting the exercise requirement every single day is my biggest challenge, and slowly but surely, I am getting there! 

I LOVE that I am actually eating beans and greens EACH day, more fruits and vegetables than EVER before, and flaxseed and turmeric EVERY single day! Also, having some berries and nuts on a daily basis is exciting because these are foods I love and value, but couldn't say I definitely ate them daily in the past. My family is not quite getting all their daily check marks, but they are doing great, eating lots of beans and greens...mostly with smiles on their faces :). As time goes by, their intakes are improving as well!

So here are some recipes that can help YOU get YOUR check marks! Enjoy!

Recipes to Help YOU with YOUR Dr Greger Daily Dozen

SOUPS
Creamy Carrot or Cauliflower Soup
Madras Chili
Easy Egyptian Stew

ITALIAN and MEXICAN

Spicy Vodka Pasta
Meatless Meatballs
Cheesy, Meaty Lasagna
Oil-Free Bruschetta
MEXICAN CHECK MARK RECIPES

DRINKS 
Super Juice 
Mango Recovery Smoothie
5-Checkmark Spicy Ginger Latte (how could I forget?)
Snow Day Hot Cocoa
Power-Packed Ginger Ale

SWEETS
Cherry Lemon Bars
Orange Almond Biscotti Balls
Crunchy Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dough
Healthy Fudgy Brownies
Banana Bread


FUN EXPLANATION OF DAILY DOZEN

COMMENTS: Do you use a daily Dozen app? What check marks are hardest for you to get? Do your kids keep track? Have you made progress in your totals? What tricks do you have for getting everything in? Do you have the cookbook? What's your favorite recipe?

Dr Greger's Daily Dozen App!

The Daily Dozen App!

This Android and iPhone app (or a simple handout I have prepared) encourages users to eat as much of their Daily Dozen as possible! I have tried to eat these foods ever since I read How Not To Die, as soon as it came out, in 2015. Even before that, we were all trying to eat our fruits and veggies, and eat our beans and greens and nuts and berries! However, this app increases intake more than abstract, lofty goals of eating healthier! See also, my SMART goals post, for help creating goals with which you can evaluate your progress and meet your challenges!

We have an opportunity to try to eat as many servings as possible from these wonderful food categories each day!

It's a very positive and motivating habit to keep!

Positive, because we don't get an X for eating a burger or a candy bar! We get credit for what we do eat, and no shame for eating an unhealthy food.

On Android, you can see your efforts over time by clicking on the small graph at the top, as well as see your "streak" for meeting the requirement in any food group. For example, I have had my serving of berries for the last 23 days! See update below :)

Please email me if you want a PDF for the handout, since I cannot attach it here. I will send it right away!

Fun Fact: when helping a friend install the iPhone app, she said "wow! I've never seen an app get 5 stars!" I don't know how reliable this statement is, but she was very impressed with the score!

COMING SOON: Many Check Mark Recipes!

Added because, why not? Me and Dr Michael Greger, yeaah! And my friend,Theresa, aka "the local Dr Greger" :)

UPDATE as of 3/4/26: 2,840 Days and Counting! 🍓

But my "streak" includes some make-up days! My son and I actually disagree on my "streak logic." He thinks my "make-up" rule is cheating, and a tracker should show exactly what happened that day. But I look at it a little differently. I say it is about the big picture! If I miss my berries on Tuesday, I just have two servings on Wednesday to make it up! To me, the "Daily Dozen" isn't about getting a perfect daily checkmark tally—it’s about the total nutritional "win" and making sure these incredible foods get into my system as often as possible.

Whether you hit every mark or just aim for a 3-day streak, the point is to enjoy the journey. Just try your best and fuel your body with the healthiest foods in the world! 😊

It’s about the habit of health. 

Don't get hung up on a "perfect" day. The goal is progress, not perfection.

Challenge: Can you hit a 3-day streak this week? Give it a try! You've got this!

6 Great Recipes to get Ready for Cinco de Mayo

Mexican dishes are a flavorful way to eat lots of bright colored foods, plenty of spices, AND your fill of beans! Here are some of our favorites :)

You can tick off many Dr Greger Daily Dozen check marks!

Fiesta Bowl (~5 check marks)
This was one of the first recipes I ever shared, and when I began making it, it included chicken! Yuck!
Tamale Pie (~6 check marks)
This one is always a hit - the kids love the corn bread on top :)
Avocado Quesadillas  (~2 check marks)
So simple, so tasty!
Homemade Refried Beans (~2 check marks)
The possibilities are endless here, and it's SO easy! Learn how to make beans without soaking!
Easy Lentil Tacos (~4 check marks)
This taco "meat" could be used in many different ways, and lentils don't make much longer to cook up than pasta! Plus, Dr Greger says they are an even healthier option than beans!
Easy Guacamole (~2 check marks)
You probably love guacamole, and you might have made it before, but it requires lots of chopping. This simple trick fills your guacamole bowl in a flash!
Guacamole Pizza (~4 check marks)
One of our very favorites!
Healthy Mexican Lasagna (~8 check marks!)
Look at all those check marks! Need I say more?

IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING, THE FRESH-YOU MINDSET:

I eat and educate others about PLANT BASED WHOLE FOODS and/or EVIDENCE-BASED eating, which are VEGAN. The way I eat and the way I teach involves much more than just avoiding animal foods (VEGAN). It is important to EAT lots of beautiful colors and tastes, and:

• AVOID processed foods 
• AVOID refined and unprocessed sugars (molasses and honey, for example, but not whole fruits)
• AVOID refined grains (whole wheat flour is ok with me :)
• AVOID salt and oil.

You won't hear a lot from me about all this "avoiding" because I love to focus on EATING, rather than what not to :) Ok, back to the recipes!

Fiesta Bowl (~5 check marks)
Tamale Pie (~6 check marks)
Avocado Quesadillas  (~2 check marks)
Homemade Refried Beans (~2 check marks)
Easy Lentil Tacos (~4 check marks)
Easy Guacamole (~2 check marks)
Guacamole Pizza (~4 check marks)

Healthy Mexican Lasagna (~8 check marks!)

BONUS: I came across this cute couple who has lots of great recipe videos. Enjoy!
Mr and Mrs Vegan Youtube Playlists

7 Simple Breakfast Cookie Recipes with 3 or More (mostly more!) Dr Michael Greger Daily Dozen Ingredients

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! I was hoping to share a lovely reuben sandwich made with tempeh and homemade rye bread today! SIGH. Tasty, so hopefully it'll be coming soon!

Instead, I have 7 Simple Breakfast Cookie Recipes with 3 or More (mostly more!) Dr Michael Greger Daily Dozen Ingredients! So they are of course free of sugar, dairy, oil, and salt!

You read that right - cookies for breakfast! These recipes are a simple way to get your day started, or snack on all day long! They each contain just a few ingredients, and are packed with nutrition! Enjoy!

As far as Dr Greger Daily Dozen check marks go, these recipes all have whole grains and fruit, most have flax, nuts, and spices, some have berries, and one even has veggies!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Chocolate Brownie Muffin Top Cookies
Raspberry Kiss Muffins (could make cookies!)
Healthy Cranberry Cookies
Apricot Crinkler Cookies
4-Ingredient Nut-Free Banana Breakfast Cookies
Peanut Butter Banana Crunch Breakfast Cookies

• Make a batch or two and freeze some, or eat them fast!
• Healthy ingredients mean there aren't the usual preservatives make bakery last a long time.
• If a recipe lacks flax, add some! You'll never taste the difference, and you'll be adding powerful nutrition!
• A few recipes contain non-dairy chocolate chips, but please note that chocolate chips are a processed food that contains sugar, so they should be added with care. They are always optional!

If you enjoy a recipe, please share and like on Facebook :) THANK YOU!

Madras Chili and other Yummy Lentil Recipes!

I LOVE Indian food! My husband introduced this cuisine to me on our first date :) This Madras Chili recipe is so simple and satisfying!

Before I was completely vegan, I used to sometimes eat the convenient product, Madras Lentils, made by Tasty Bites. Unfortunately, it contains a very small about of cream and butter (there are only 10 mg of cholesterol). Traditional Indian food consists of many truly amazing vegetarian dishes! However, they often contain a bit of dairy :( So, here is my dairy-free recipe:

Madras Chili

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)

1 onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 Tbsp cumin

2-3 tsp chili powder (3 tsp = 1 Tbsp)

1 tsp turmeric

dash of pepper (as much as you like!)

1 c dry lentils

4-8 c water*

4 c tomatoes, diced (2 cans)

2 c black beans (1 can)

Heat a large pan for a few min before adding any food. Optionally, saute the onion and garlic for a few min, then add all other ingredients, and bring to a boil. Otherwise, skip saute, and combine all ingredients, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally. See timing below*.

*Water quantity:

For 8 cups, simmer 90 min.

For 6 cups, simmer 1 hour.

For 4 cups, set INSTAPOT** to manual for 10 min.

**I'll do a post on the Instapot, a pressure cooker, one of these days. It's a super-speedy way to cook beans, rice, potatoes, soups, and more!

Of course I want to mention Dr Greger's Daily Dozen :) This recipe gets 3 check marks: beans, non-green veggies, and spices. There is also water, but it doesn't count, since it isn't in "beverage form".

Besides being in this recipe, what do chili powder, cumin, and turmeric have in common? It's salicylic acid, the main active ingredient in ASPIRIN! And CUMIN has the most! Watch this fabulous nutritionfacts.org video!

PLANTS with ASPIRIN ASPIRATIONS

PS: In case you ever wondered, lentils are the best option from the beans and lentils group, according to Dr Greger :)

Here are some other lentil recipes to try:

Hearty Lentil Stew

Easy Lentil Tacos

Tricky Traditional Lasagna

COMMENTS: Do you make any awesome Indian recipes? I'm working on a tikka recipe, and I would love to make some vegan Palak Paneer :)...I think www.pcrm.org has a recipe!