I personally loathe tofu in desserts.  I can taste of teaspoonful of tofu in a vat of it.  Why would someone take the perfectly delicious institution of dessert and violate it with tofu?

Do losers eat carbs?  I have a hella slow metabolism so I stay away from flour and starches.  But Blueberry Bran Muffins would be a good example of how to take a food, if you have to have it, and improve it healthwise.  There's no added oil, it's all applesauce, and there's more wheat bran than flour.

eta:  I'd talk about how meat is a complete protein.  Plant-based protein is often viewed as an inferior protein, but that's only because it's not complete.  When plant-based proteins are combined, they are as equally high quality as meat protein.  A breakfast of oatmeal and lunch of Delicious Pakistani Dhal is an example of a combined protein because a person only needs to eat complementary proteins within about 24 hours of each other.

Good combinations of complementary proteins are grains & legumes or seeds & legumes.  Okay complementary proteins are grains & seeds.

make it a chocolate pb mousse pie and they'll never taste the tofu... i drain off the separated oil from my pb and pour it into another container to use it to cook with later if i want to.  instant lower fat pb!

That is awesome...

I think you should really focus on the veg*n aspect of things...since that is what your instructor wants anyway.

Explain to them the benefits of a high fiber diet in regards to weight loss and how a healthy vegan diet is naturally high in fiber.

I agree! Totally pimp the fiber (how, if you stick with whole grains and legumes rather than processed foods, it's harder to overeat because fiber fills up your stomach better, that beans and the like have serious complex carbs that break down slower keeping blood sugars a little more regular, and thus help to stave off binges, and certain types of fiber don't break down at all, so there are calories that just don't get absorbed, and of course all of the health aspects of a diet high in fiber) I would also make some joke about the beans at this point, and then proceed to show how easy it is to incorporate veggie options into "normal" recipes (yes, I am a major bean lover!) ;D
but I would make sure that I have research to show that the fiber needs to come from food sources, or you might just have a bunch of people who think they can short-cut and metamucil. (although that might be interesting to see...) >:D

I think that I would be careful about talking about complete proteins. That sort of talk might scare them off. Rather show it to be a fairly simple process (a basic veg*n food pyramid might go down well here), and, more importantly, something that they can easily do, while making it possible for them to reach their goals.

Such a cool opportunity to reach a group of people who might be more open to an idea they wouldn't normally consider, all because they are goal-oriented. Good luck!

Also, for today's economy, mention the fact that veg*nism can be cheaper than all those processed foods and meat products if you do it right. You don't have to shop at Whole Foods or the local HFS to eat veg*n--it's all about knowing the basics. And the fact that just like any diet, you may have to carry a list and do a bit of re-learning just at first but it soon becomes automatic.

Great ideas all!  I forgot about complete and incomplete proteins....thanks...should at least touch on those....the girl I present with is convinced that vegans can't get enough protein to live on...like I said working with her could be interesting...sigh...not a perfect world.  I have a lot of stuff to show her on that!

Protein seems to be the question I most often get from omnis.

Then you could also mention that getting healthy is getting healthy inside and out.  That Americans consume two to three times the amount of recommended protein and that increased protein intake stresses the kidneys.  Also, unless someone is training super hard as an Olympian body builder, people can get enough protein through a well-balanced cholesterol-free, low-fat, vegetable-based diet to satisfy the needs of someone who goes to the gym or works out regularly.

I personally loathe tofu in desserts.  I can taste of teaspoonful of tofu in a vat of it.  Why would someone take the perfectly delicious institution of dessert and violate it with tofu?

My sentiments exactly.  :smileteeth:

Really?  I fed tofu chocolate mousse to a whole group of ten omni girls before they even knew the ingredients and they were like OMG THIS IS SO GOOD.  Maybe you just need a better recipe?

They were faking it.

:-D

KMK - which recipe did you use?  I'd be willing to give it ONE more try...  I want to eat a tofu dessert and be like "OMG THIS IS SO GOOD".  (I love tofu just fine in savory dishes).

make the s'mlove pie from vcon, you will definitely have that reaction.  although i had a party full of omnis devour a much simpler one - chocolate kahlua pie and love it.

If I had 45 minutes to lecture about a low fat vegan diet I would start with a simple introduction, including how a whole foods plant based diet is healthy (high fiber, plenty of nutrients and no cholesterol) and inexpensive (in season, local produce).  While talking make them a quick smoothie with banana, frozen berries, handful of spinach and orange juice.  Have helpers pass out small cups to taste.

Explain how they just got a serving of fruits and veggies all in one easy to make breakfast drink.  You could even add in flax seeds and wheat germ or blue green algae to really get things nutritious.

Next move onto making simple, healthy meals with rice and beans.  How cheap it is to buy dry beans, soak overnight, cook during the day in a crock pot and use up at night for dinner.  Show them samples of the beans in a pan, explain how each is healthy and excellent protein and that you can flavor it any way you want; from Indian spices to Mexican to South American to Italian.  Also that pureeing a cup of beans adds a great creamy texture to soup and sauces.

Whip up a quick mousse of tofu, chocolate and fruit to serve them.  Explain how versatile tofu is for savory to sweet and that they can buy it in different textures for different uses.

I would not get into too much history as while the term vegan might have sprung up in the 40's I am sure many cultures were around and eating a healthy plant based diet long before then.  Also the whole idea of complete vs incomplete proteins just seems like a fallacy to me and you do not want to spend half your time defending your position from others.