Earlier this week we watched the documentary Forks Over Knives. If you haven’t seen it yet, you must! If you aren’t vegan yet, it will get you thinking. If you are already vegan it will inspire you to eat more whole foods. If you are already vegan and eating whole foods, then you will feel assured that you are living and eating the best way for your health and for the health of our planet.

I occasionally find myself questioning how we live and eat because it can feel so lonely being a vegan in this world sometimes. I have wrote on the blog before about this in me vegan freak post. This documentary really made me feel uplifted and confident that how our family eats is not abnormal, but healthy. It also inspired me to start baking less and eating more fresh, organic, raw fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

They make a point in the film that some people think eating a whole foods, plant-based diet is extreme. While Dr. Esselstyn responds, “With a Western diet there are going to be half a million people in this country this year, who will have to have the front half of their body divided, their heart exposed… some people would call that extreme.” It made me wonder why so many people are still so skeptical about becoming vegan, when we know that animal foods are no good for our bodies and that you can get everything you need in terms of protein and calcium from a plant-based source, along with an abundance of fiber, vitamins and minerals that animal foods are lacking.

I included the trailer below and here is the link to the Forks Over Knives site.

Here was today’s amazing salad!

Sweet Ginger Sesame Crunch Salad

This salad will have you asking yourself why you would ever avoid eating salad. It is abundantly colorful and perfectly dressed with sesame, garlic and ginger. The maple syrup adds a sweet touch and the Mary’s crackers add some protein and crunch. You do indeed make friends with salad!

Makes one large salad

• 3 cups spring salad mix or field greens
• 1 cup red cabbage, sliced into thin strips or grated
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
• 6 Mary’s crackers, broken into pieces (I like onion or original)*
• Sweet Ginger Sesame Dressing (recipe below)

Toss the greens, red cabbage and red pepper together in a bowl. Place the salad in a large bowl. Top with broken Mary’s Crackers and drizzle with Sweet Ginger Sesame Dressing.

* If you have never tried Mary’s Crackers, you should. They are made with quinoa, rice and seeds and have no added oil, salt or sugar. I love to snack on these crunchy crackers.

Sweet Ginger Sesame Dressing

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 clove of minced garlic

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small dish. Makes about 1/4 cup of dressing.