20 November
For many people attempting vegan travel (and even those attempting just the vegan, or just the travel, part) pasta is so often the go-to meal for everyday dinners. Pasta can make a part of a healthy and balanced diet, but when I see it being eaten it's usually with just tomato sauce, and maybe cheese for non-vegans.
The main attractions are that these meals are easy to make, cheap, tasty and filling - seemingly perfect advice for how to travel and be vegan. Sometimes the reason is that they can't think of what else to make. Macaroni and cheese is another popular choice for students, recent grads and young travelers.
What's wrong with pasta?
There's nothing wrong with pasta in and of itself. The problem is, it is most often eaten as white pasta, which is devoid of the vitamins, minerals and fiber that make grains healthy. White pasta is simply empty calories that fill you up but leave your body craving those missing nutrients, making you want to eat more.
Without the fiber, it can also be difficult for your body to digest. White pasta often leaves you feeling tired and heavy, which in the end isn't good for vegan travel.
Not only is white pasta empty calories, but those calories are made up almost entirely of starch. Starch can be a good source of energy, since it is a complex carbohydrate, but a meal of only starch is imbalanced. Your body needs a balance of different nutrients in order to use the energy you feed it efficiently. A starch meal will not be burned properly and leave excess, which is turned to stores of fat.
To balance pure starch, your body will be craving pure fats and pure proteins. This can result in cravings for meat or animal foods, that if you are trying to maintain a vegan or vegetarian diet can be difficult to deal with mentally. Cheese used on pasta is a source of unhealthy saturated fats and not a good source of protein, so it also just adds unhealthy calories although it helps balance the starch.
The Solution
The first problem to solve is white pasta, which is really pretty easy. Choose whole wheat or other whole grain pastas. Kamut, spelt, brown rice and quinoa are all made into the traditional pasta shapes. Whole grain pastas have fiber, some protein and some of the vitamins and minerals from the grain.
They are a much more balanced source of energy and nutrients than their starch-only white versions, and are much easier for your system to digest and utilize - all good things for vegan travel.
Eating it less often is another easy way to help the pasta problem. Try some other whole grains, like brown rice, quinoa, millet, or legumes like lentils or canned beans. It's just as easy to boil rice or lentils as it is pasta, it just takes a little bit longer. Canned beans are the ultimate in vegan travel food since they come cooked - just make sure you have access to a can opener.
The main thing to remember when planning a meal is that the biggest part of it should be vegetables. Tomato sauce is ok, but you need to increase the volume and add some fresh vegetables to your meal. The vegetables can be cooked or raw, but the important thing is that when you buy them they are as fresh as possible. Peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant and parsley are all fantastic additions to a tomato sauce.
There are so many easy options for healthy and delicious meals for vegan travel or at home that you shouldn't rely on pasta. Help break the stereotype that all vegans eat is pasta! When you do have it, be sure to make it in a healthy way.
© Heather Nauta . heather@healthyveganrecipes.net
Disclaimer: This website is for educational purposes only, from the research,
education and experience of Heather Nauta. It is not intended as medical advice.
Disclaimer: This website is for educational purposes only, from the research,
education and experience of Heather Nauta. It is not intended as medical advice.
