Dear Auset

This formula is especially for lunch and dinner. At breakfast, you may want something less savory and more sweet. But you can definitely try it for breakfast as well. 

I revised this formula from No Meat Athlete, with suggestions for some of my favorite combinations. The basic formula is A Grain, A Green, and a Bean (AGAGAB), and you can find his original post HERE.

You can place the different food items on a plate separate from one another, or you can place them all in a bowl.

1. Choose a GRAIN or other starchy vegetable. First, you want to have a starch-based food, which means either a grain or a starchy vegetable (potatoes or yams). My favorite grains are brown rice, pasta, rice noodles, quinoa, and potatoes. You may also choose millet, bulgur, or amaranth. For lunchtime, bread and tortilla wrap count as a grain. 

2. Choose a GREEN vegetable. Green leafy vegetables are the most nutrient-dense of all plant foods. Options include collards, kale, spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens. You may also choose cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or cabbage (not exactly green). Also, an optional addition would be another non-starchy, non-green vegetable like squash, carrots, or zucchini.

3. Choose a BEAN or other legume. Beans are a great source of protein, especially the amino acid lysine. They are also great sources of iron and calcium. Black beans, white beans, and calcium-set tofu are especially good sources of calcium. Other bean/legume options include tempeh, faux meat, lentils, black eyed peas, and split peas.

Optional Additions: A fruit-based, naturally sweetened dessert such as banana ice cream or berry cobbler. Also, you may want to add a condiment like avocado or chopped nuts. 

Possible Combinations:

Pasta (Grain), Broccoli (Green) and other Vegetables like Squash and Mushrooms, Cannelini Beans (Bean) for Pasta Primavera

Yams (Grain/Starch), Black Eyed Peas (Bean), Collard Greens (Green) for a Vegan Soul Food Meal

Mashed Potatoes (Grain/Starch), Brussels Sprouts (Green) roasted with Carrots, Lentil No Meat Loaf for a Classic American Meal gone Vegan