What do you think? Hmmmm…us sounds good to me!

Today’s Family magazine will be presenting a “Family Challenge” article in each of the next four issues, each with a different family taking on a different challenge.  The December/January issue’s challenge was “Vegan for a Week," and here’s a little something extra from it’s writer.

One of the lessons I took away from my “Vegan for a Week” challenge is that healthy eating doesn’t have to be hard. For example, lunch today consisted of spinach, baby carrots, avocado, pita bread (that I heated up by popping in the toaster), and hummus.  Although store bought hummus is fine, I make my own. Essentially chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and garlic, hummus is easy to make, and kids love to help. Below are a few tips on making delicious homemade hummus:
 
• Even if your recipe says to use a food processor, use a blender. For some reason the food processor won’t get the texture creamy enough. Once I switched to using a blender, my results were much better. 
• Add water as needed. Most recipes have water in tablespoon amounts, but if your hummus is too chunky, keep adding it, in small quantities, until the dip is smooth.
• Do you like garlic? Me too! I always add more than the recipe asks for. Not a garlic fan? Experiment with different flavors. Add red peppers, olives, parsley, or peanut butter.
 
With hummus exactly as you like it, a vegan meal isn’t difficult to put together. Although I’m not vegan, simple adjustments have taken root in my daily life as a result of the challenge; plus, a healthy lunch that tastes great, too. Who wouldn’t stick to that?

Could you go vegan for a week?
 
Contributed by Mali Anderson, parent-writer for Today’s Family magazine.