Leaves of Life

75 East Wilson Bridge Road,
Suite C-2, Worthington, OH 43085
Mon-Thurs 9:30am-6:00pm
Fri 9:30am-4:00pm

Category: Fat Free Vegan Low Sugar

This eating approach is not meant to be used long-term. We use this plan only for clients with specific genetic variants that compromise the ability to remove fats and oils from their bodies efficiently. The initial 2-4 weeks of no oils/fats is meant to allow for the body to clear these from the system (as a sort of reset) so we can start fresh by gradually reintroducing only healthy oils/fats. With a gradual reintroduction, we help clients determine the amount they tolerate while still achieving weight loss and other health goals. We do not recommend this type of eating plan without expert guidance, or without knowing if this is an appropriate approach for you.

Dairy-Free, Detox, Elimination Diet, Fat Free Vegan Low Sugar, Garden Gluttony, Gluten Free, Grain-Free, Paleo, Recipes

Zucchini Bake

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zucchini bake
Photo and recipe courtesy of Leaves of Life.

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium zucchinis, one sliced lengthways and one sliced crossways
  • Peppers sliced into large rings
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 2-3 tbsps chopped fresh basil
  • 1 large tomato, sliced
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper and dry oregano to taste

Instructions:

  1. Make one layer of round zucchini slices
  2. Top with a layer of pepper rings
  3. Make a layer of lengthwise zucchini slices
  4. Spread basil evenly over top and add another layer of round zucchini slices
  5. Finish with a layer of tomato slices, olive oil and fresh salsa
  6. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top

Tips:

Try some flavor infused olive oil for a little extra oomph.  Lime or lemon infused or Tuscan herbs would work well here.

Dairy-Free, Detox, Elimination Diet, Fat Free Vegan Low Sugar, Garden Gluttony, Gluten Free, Grain-Free, Paleo, Recipes

Fresh Salsa

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salsa2
Photo and recipe courtesy of Leaves of Life

I’m not precise w/salsa, but here’s what I throw in:

Ingredients:

  • Tomatoes
  • Assorted peppers (1-2 hot ones to jack it up a little)
  • Onion (purple is beautiful)
  • Basil and assorted other herbs (parsley, cilantro, marjoram, whatever is on hand)
  • Juice of 1-2 lemons or limes
  •  A li’l salt 
  • Garlic–several cloves, peeled 

Instructions:

  1. Dice one large tomato, onion and largest peppers and set aside
  2. Blend all remaining ingredients in a blender
  3. Combine chopped and blended ingredients and season to taste
  4. Bam!  Salsa!

Tips:

Great for topping omelets, added to bean soup during cooking or after, and even as a salad dressing.  Great as a snack with chips–try adding some guac or hummus to balance it.

This is a great way to use abundant cherry tomatoes!

Dairy-Free, Detox, Elimination Diet, Fat Free Vegan Low Sugar, Garden Gluttony, Gluten Free, Grain-Free

Chili Veg-Out

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vegan chili
Recipe and photo courtesy of Leaves of Life
veggies
Check out all the great colors and nutrients packed into this recipe–great way to feed the finicky folks!

Ingredients:

  • 1 large red pepper
  • 1 large yellow pepper
  • 1 large green pepper
  • 1 large orange pepper
  • 1-3 hot peppers, if desired
  • 2 portabello mushrooms
  • 1-2 cups button mushrooms
  • 12-15 roma tomatoes
  • 2 large red tomatoes (or 1 can stewed tomatoes)
  • 1-3 cups fresh salsa
  • 2 medium onions
  • 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil, diced
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, diced
  • 1 cup kale chips, crumbled into powder
  • 1 can chick peas, drained
  • 1 can tri-bean blend, drained
  • 1 can pinto or kidney beans, drained
  • 2-3 tbsp chili powder
  • 1-2 tbsp cumin powder
  • 1-2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Chop all vegetables into desired size.
  2. Add vegetables to large sauce pan and include some of the juices from the salsa or stewed tomatoes.
  3. Cook, stirring frequently until vegetables are about half cooked.
  4. Add all other ingredients and cook covered on low heat for 20-30 minutes.
  5. Taste and tweak seasonings and serve.

Tip:

If you dig hummus in your chili, but are avoiding fat, try mashing one of the cans of beans and either adding a dollop separately or adding  it back to the chili–definitely creams it up!

Elimination Diet, Fat Free Vegan Low Sugar, Gluten Free, Low Fat Low Sugar

Vegan Southwest Sweet Potato Hash

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SouthWestBreakfastHash-1
Photo and recipe courtesy of Low Fat Vegan Chef

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 16 oz can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3 cups cooked red quinoa
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp roasted ground cumin
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 4 tsp tamari
  • 1-2 large leaves of swiss chard or kale chopped
  • 1 large yam, baked or sliced and steamed
  • chili powder to taste
  • Herbamare to taste
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 1 small avocado, chopped (omit if doing 2 week NO FAT plan)
  • Salsa *optional

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa.
2. Cook or reheat cooked yams.
3. When quinoa and yams are almost done, sauté onions dry in a non-stick pan for 4-5 minutes until soft.
4. Add in garlic and bell peppers and sauté for another 2 minutes.
5. Add in black beans and quinoa and stir to heat through for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add in seasonings and swiss chard and stir to wilt.
7. Add in green onions and cilantro and stir.
8. Cut up yams into cubes and gently toss with hash to combine..
9. Season to taste with chili powder, Herbamare or salt and pepper.
10. Spoon into bowls and top with chunks of avocado and salsa if desired.

Dairy-Free, Detox, Elimination Diet, Fat Free Vegan Low Sugar, Gluten Free, Grain-Free, Low Fat Low Sugar

Vegan Chili

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vegan chili
Photo and recipe courtesy of Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp broth
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
  • 3 28-ounce cans beans of your choice (try a combination of pinto, pink, and black beans), drained and rinsed
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with liquid
  • 1 16-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1 to 2 jalapeño or other hot peppers, seeded and minced, or one 8-ounce can mild or hot chopped green chiles
  • 1 tablespoon good-quality chili powder
  • 1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Chopped ripe tomatoes for garnish
  • Chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat the broth in a large soup pot. Add the onion sauté over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until the onion is golden. Add the remaining ingredients except the last three. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are tender and the flavors have melded.
  2. Season with salt and pepper, and adjust the other seasonings. If time allows, let the chili stand for up to several hours before serving. Heat through as needed.The chili should be nice and thick; if it has gotten too thick, stir in a cup of water. Serve in individual bowls, garnished with tomatoes and cilantro.

Tips

  • Add a cup or two of cooked corn kernels toward the end of cooking time
  • Add a medium or large firm-cooked sweet potato, peeled and diced
  • Add a diced zucchini or yellow summer squash about halfway into the cooking time
  • Serve with grated nondairy cheddar cheese on the side for garnishing individual servings
  • Put out extra “hot stuff” like minced fresh chili peppers, dried hot red pepper flakes, or hot sauce for those who like their chilies extra-spicy
Detox, Elimination Diet, Fat Free Vegan Low Sugar, Gluten Free, Low Fat Low Sugar

Curried Chickpeas and Quinoa

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chickpea quinoa curry
Photo and recipe courtesy of Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons good curry powder (or adjust to taste)
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne or other ground red pepper (or to taste)
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted preferred)
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat a medium-sized, non-stick sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring, until onions soften. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
  2. Add the chickpeas, curry powder, and red pepper, and stir briefly.
  3. Add the tomatoes and cooked quinoa, reduce heat to low, and cover.
  4. Simmer for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
  5. Add salt to taste.
Dairy-Free, Elimination Diet, Fat Free Vegan Low Sugar, Gluten Free

Beany Breakfast Sausages

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beany breakfast sausages
Photo and recipe courtesy of Fat Free Vegan Kitchen 

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 small onion, quartered
  • 1 carrot, cut into large chunks
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
  • 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, cooked or canned (drained and rinsed well)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (omit if on 2 week NO FAT plan)
  • 1 tablespoon quinoa flour (or other flour)
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • red pepper flakes to taste
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Fit a food processor with a chopping blade and turn it on. Drop the garlic into the running blades to mince. Add the onion and carrot and pulse several times to chop fine. (Or mince all by hand.)
  2. Heat a small non-stick skillet and add the vegetables from the food processor along with the fennel seed.
  3. Cook until carrots soften, about 4 minutes, adding water by the tablespoon if needed to prevent sticking.
  4. Scrape into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
  5. Put the pinto beans into the food processor and pulse until they are mostly broken down, but not a paste. Add to the vegetables in the bowl.
  6. Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir well. If the mixture seems too runny, add extra flour.
  7. Preheat oven to 400F.
  8. Line a baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper.
  9. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, add bean mixture and press it in until it’s not quite to the top of the cup. Invert it over the prepared baking sheet and tap lightly, if necessary, to get the mixture to come out.
  10. Repeat for remaining bean mixture.
  11. Flatten each sausage slightly with a fork or the back of the measuring cup.
  12. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until crispy on the outside but moist inside.
  13. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from the baking sheet and serving.
Dairy-Free, Elimination Diet, Fat Free Vegan Low Sugar, Gluten Free, Grain-Free, Low Fat Low Sugar, Paleo, Recipes

Sugar-Free Herb Lemonade

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Recipe courtesy of Leaves of Life

This recipe is easy to make in big batches for a summer crowd. Serve it from a clear drink dispenser to show off the beautiful herbs and keep the stems out of your guests glasses.

Ingredients

  • 1/2  gallon filtered water
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • Stevia to taste
  • Herbs of choice : suggestions include lavender, dill, rosemary, basil and mint

Instructions

  1. Add  herbs and a small portion of stevia to a clear drink dispenser.
  2. Add lemon juice and water.
  3. Test for desired balance of sweet, tart, and herbs. Adjust ingredients as necessary.

Tips!

  • Start with a small amount of stevia (either powder or drops)… you can always add more as you go.
  • If using leafy herbs such as mint or basil, add them to your container first and crush the leaves a bit with a muddler. This releases the oils and flavors the lemonade more quickly.
  • If using more delicately sized herbs such as lavender or rosemary, leave the herbs intact on their stem.
Dairy-Free, Detox, Elimination Diet, Fat Free Vegan Low Sugar, Gluten Free, Grain-Free, Low Fat Low Sugar, Paleo, Recipes

Herbamare Substitute

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herbamare_sub
Photo and recipe courtesy of Premeditated Leftovers

Ingredients

  • ½ cup sea salt
  • ¼ cup dried parsley
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp rosemary
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp sage
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 1 tsp marjoram
  • 1 tsp dried kelp

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth and blended.
  2. Let the spices settle, then remove from the food processor and store in an airtight container.
  3. Use as called for in recipes.

Tip

Creating your own seasoned salt blend allows you to personalize the amount of sodium and other ingredients according to your specific needs.

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