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Plant Chat: Wendy Lopez and Jessica Jones from Food Heaven Made Easy

Sharon Palmer

It’s so wonderful to have Wendy Lopez, MS, RDN and Jessica Jones, MS, RD, CDE on my Plant Chat today. With a passion for plant-based eating, these dietitians are the founders of the blog Food Heaven Made Easy. Wendy works as a clinical dietitian in Port Chester, New York, and Jessica is an outpatient dietitian at UCSF in San Francisco. They also host the Food Heaven Podcast, which was named “New & Noteworthy” by iTunes in 2016. They just released their very first cookbook, 28-Day Plant-Powered Health Reboot. Sit down with us to learn more about Wendy and Jessica’s nutrition philosophy and lifestyle.

Wendy Lopez (left) and Jessica Jones (right)

What is your blog Food Heaven Made Easy all about? How was it inspired?

Wendy: Food Heaven Made Easy is a multi-media platform for people who want to learn how to prepare plant-based meals that don’t require hours of laboring in the kitchen. Jess and I first started working together at farmers markets in the Bronx. At the markets, we provided nutrition education and cooking demonstrations primarily to low-income communities of color. We saw how this education directly translated into community members buying and eating more plant-based foods. This was very inspiring to us. We saw how necessary it was to provide communities with tools and resources for healthier living. Being the millennials that we are, we started strategizing about ways we could provide this education on a larger platform. We wanted to reach more people, and so we started filming cooking videos in Jess’s Brooklyn apartment. We called our web-series, Food Heaven Made Easy. Initially, our viewers were a handful of friends and family, but as time passed, we developed an organic and loyal following. As these developments unfolded, we created a website, online store, podcast, and our very first Plant-Powered cookbook. Five years later, Food Heaven Made Easy has grown beyond our wildest dreams!

What is your own personal diet and wellness philosophy?

Wendy: Throughout the years experimenting with all types of diets, I have found that I feel my best when eating mostly plant-based vegetarian meals. Occasionally, I incorporate eggs, dairy, and seafood. There’s an endless amount of articles and books about what to eat, what not to eat, and it has made things extremely overwhelming for people who want to learn practical tools for eating healthier. Although I eat mostly plant-based, I don’t restrict. If I want cake, I have a slice of cake. If I want ice cream, you better believe I’m going to enjoy a few scoops of ice cream. I try to go for foods like these that are minimally processed, and also try to practice portion control, but sometimes neither of those things happens, and I don’t feel bad about it. I believe that food should be an enjoyable experience that provides you with nourishment and energy to live your best life. Along those same lines, exercise and mindfulness practice are also very important components to my wellness routine. I try to start the day with mindfulness and meditation practice for at least 5 minutes in the morning. I also aim to work out 4 times per week, and switch between pilates, zumba, and yoga. Sleep is also something that I value tremendously. I aim to sleep 8-9 hours/night, and when possible, try to take one 15-minute nap per day. I find that this boosts my productivity and mental function.

Jessica: My personal diet and wellness philosophy is to keep it simple and try not to stress about food too much. Sometimes people think that healthy eating means cooking an elaborate new meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day and that’s simply not true. I try to batch prep one or two days per week. Or remix some of my favorite staples like beans, quinoa, brown rice and roasted veggies. I tell my patients that I like to live by the 90/10 rule, which means I try to eat a healthy, whole foods diet 90% of the time, and leave myself 10% for wiggle room for some of my fav not-as-healthy treats. Sure, maybe ice cream isn’t the healthiest food…but who really cares? My motto is: if you want ice cream, eat it, savor it and enjoy it. Just try to have those treats in moderation, and eat healthfully for your other meals that day. This year I also started working out with a personal trainer (dietitians need accountability, too) and it’s been amazing. Getting in structured physical activity multiple times per week has improved my sleep, mood and GI troubles.

What do you think some of the stumbling blocks are for people wanting to take on a healthy plant-based diet?

Jessica: One of the biggest misconceptions about healthy eating is that it’s really hard to do. Sure, it may take a little more effort when folks are just getting started (or adjusting to this new way of life). But with time, they realize that healthy eating can be easily incorporated into a busy lifestyle. I also tell my clients that if all of the so-called health foods they are cooking taste disgusting, we need to talk. We try to make people realize that healthy, plant-based dishes should usually taste better than their less healthy counterparts. It just takes a little bit of creativity (and an open mind) in the kitchen.

Wendy: Something we’ve also seen, especially within Latin American communities, is equating plant-based eating with an abandonment of one’s culture. Many clients feel like they would have to disconnect from their culture for the sake of eating healthier. This tends to create a mental barrier where clients are closed off to the idea of change. Through our sessions, I work to break that barrier down by honoring culture and individual preferences. At the same time, I am also teaching clients practical ways they can incorporate nutritious foods that are culturally relevant.

What are your best tips for making plant-based eating delicious and also easy?

Wendy:

  1. Keep it simple: Plant-based eating shouldn’t be a laborious task that requires an endless amount of ingredients. Allow plant-based foods to get the shine they deserve by having their flavors speak for themselves. Now I’m not saying you should eat a bowl of unseasoned beans for dinner. Use plant-based spices and flavor enhancers (think: garlic, onion) to make your dishes pop, and aim for a healthy balance of carbs, protein, and fats in each meal. One of my go-to simple plant-based meals is this Black Bean Quinoa Chili Stew topped with avocado. It’s packed with flavor, and lasts for the week! As one of our favorites say, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
  2. Plan meals ahead of time: Set yourself up for success. Set aside an hour or two each week to do your pre-prepping, chopping, and washing. Think about what meals you’ll be eating for the week, and make sure you go to the market and stock up on ingredients. We personally don’t enjoy cooking 3 meals a day, every day, and I don’t know of many people who do (or who have the time for that). By practicing meal planning, you’ll eat out less, save money, and have a say in what you want your meals to look like.
  3. Buy in bulk: Buying your staples in bulk is a great way to save time and money at the market. Think nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes. You can also purchase frozen fruits and vegetables in bulk, as space in the freezer permits.

What are some surprising things that people may not realize about the benefits of eating a plant-based diet?

Jessica: Most of my patients tell me that when they eat more plant-based their bowel movements become more regular. Additionally, they often end up losing weight, sleeping better and having more energy. I’ve also seen patients lower their blood sugar and cholesterol and reduce the dose of their high blood pressure meds.

What are some of your favorite plant ingredients to cook with?

Wendy: Beans are one of my favorite plant-based foods because they offer so much variety, and can be incorporated in an endless amount of ways. I love pureeing them into soups, making hummus, one-pot dishes, or tossing them into salads. Another favorite is avocado. It’s incredibly filling and can be added to pretty much anything (I even add it to dessert recipes!)

Jessica: Like Wendy, beans are probably one of my favs. You can add them to tacos, stews, pastas, sautés, veggie burgers… the list goes on and on. I also love kale because I can incorporate it into smoothies, tacos or have it raw in salads. The main trick with raw kale is rubbing it down with a little bit of salt and olive oil, to make it a little bit softer and less bitter.

What is your all-time favorite dish?

Wendy: When I think favorite dish, I think delicious, easy, and quick. For me, this translates into corn tortilla quesadillas stuffed with sautéed kale or chard, black beans, sharp white cheddar, and spices (paprika & cayenne pepper). If I have a ripe avocado around, I’ll slice that up and enjoy it with the quesadillas!

Jessica: I love the Ethiopian veggie platter (which is 100% plant based). It’s filled with so many flavors that I literally do a dance in my seat every time I am eating it.

Here is one of Wendy and Jessica’s favorite recipes:

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Black Bean Quinoa Chili Stew (Vegan, Gluten-Free)


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  • Author: The Plant-Powered Dietitian
  • Yield: 5 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups of cooked black beans
  • 1 cup of cooked quinoa*
  • 1 cup of tomato sauce
  • 2 medium tomatoes, cubed
  • 1 jalapeno, de-seeded & chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup scallions, chopped
  • ½ red bell pepper, chopped
  • ½ green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of cumin
  • Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add chopped peppers, scallions, garlic, tomatoes, and 1 tablespoon of cumin. Cook for 5 minutes.
  2. Then add 1 cup of tomato sauce, 3 cups of black beans, and 1 cup of cooked quinoa. Cook for 15 minutes under low-medium heat.
  3. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste!

Notes

Cook quinoa as per package instructions

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