Earth Week: 3 Day Health Challenge

With Earth Day approaching us this Wednesday, I find this week to be the perfect time to test your ability to choose sustainable options not only for the sake of fueling your body with clean foods and developing healthy habits, but also to help our Earth fight the consequences of our changing climate. Hopefully this experience will go past three days for anyone who tries it, but it's a great way to start.

note: feel free to just complete one day, two, or the whole challenge! Anything helps to keep our Earth happy. What is most important during this time in our society is to stay out of public and social distance as much as possible; get creative with the items you have laying around your pantry!

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DAY ONE

Vegan Breakfast + No Plastic Water Bottles 
For breakfast today, try having a hearty portion of homemade oatmeal. I love to mix in nut  butter and chia seeds to be sure I will stay fueled and satisfied until lunch. Remember to use water or non-dairy milk! 

Out of Oats/ Not a Fan?- I have a post on 5 other healthy vegan breakfasts on my page. 

Especially since we are all hopefully doing our best to social distance, there is really no better time to stop drinking out of plastic water bottles! Grab a cup or reusable bottle instead. 

DAY TWO

Vegan Breakfast and Lunch + No Plastic Water Bottles + Recycling Regulations 
For breakfast, make one or two pieces of toast with either avocado + a sliced veggie (such as cucumber or tomato) or nut butter + a sliced fruit (such as banana or strawberry). Pair with a smoothie filled with any frozen fruit greens you have on hand.

For Lunch, try making a vegan pizza. If you don't have or wish to make vegan pizza dough, make it on a tortilla, bagel, slice of toast. Use red sauce, vegan pesto, or hummus as a base and instead of cheese, top your pizza pizza with lots of veggies. For more protein, try adding chickpeas or any bean on top too! 

When recycling, I find one of the main issues in both my own and others everyday habits to be the lack of knowledge on what we can and cannot recycle. Here is a reliable source you and your family can follow in order to be sure you are helping our to ease the job of our county's hard working recycling team: https://bit.ly/3blGpnB 

DAY THREE

Vegan Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner + No Plastic Water Bottles + Recycling Regulation + Documentary 
For breakfast today, try making a thick smoothie bowl. I have an entire post on how I make the perfect açai bowl, but to summarize, pulse high your favorite frozen fruits without liquid, then slowly add non- dairy milk , juice, or water, until you reach a good consistency. Top with fresh fruit, granola, and nut butter for protein. 

For lunch, have a warmed sandwich or wrap. Add veggies, smashed chickpeas, hummus, avocado, or really whatever vegan food u have on hand onto a wrap/ vegan bread. Then, warm you sandwich on either a medium frying pan or a panini maker. 

For dinner, make a big macro bowl. Begin your bowl with either a grain (quinoa, pasta, lentils, etc.), a green (argula, romaine, kale, spinach, etc.), or both. Add in any veggies (usually chose raw peppers, onions, carrots, cucumber, and sweet potato), fruit (I like apples), protein (chickpeas, black beans, tofu, tempeh, hummus OR if you choose a protein packed grain), and dressing (lemon squeeze, tahini, soyaki, or your favorite plant- based dressing). 

Especially with the additional time most of us have on our hands, watching a documentary pertaining to our environment is an amazing way to inform ourselves on what is happening on our Earth. I've linked the trailers to some my family and I have watched over quarantine: 
Cowspiracy: how animal agriculture impacts climate change: https://bit.ly/3bmOpo7 
Broken (Episode Four): where our recycling ends up: https://bit.ly/2RP7jMQ
Game Changers: veganism's dietary benefits for athletes: https://bit.ly/2XNwz9P