A beautiful mix of Sauteed kale and Chinese broccoli with tofu

Wednesday lunch time I sent out an email to my team and was joined by Melissa, Chef Cathy, and Chef Bryan at Becker House. I walked around to really check out what I was going to be able to eat. This process has made so much more aware of what I am eating and really thinking about my choices overall. I looked at Melissa and say WOW…we can eat almost everything here today! There were a ton of vegan options and they all looked really beautiful. I was excited to to be having my lunch with my teammates and to have some time to talk with the chefs about the food. Chef Tony stopped by our table to say hello and ask how everything was, I was very happy to tell him how great my lunch was and how impressed I was with all of the options.

There was a very appealing salad bar with lots of fresh veggies and a couple composed grain salads that looked delicious and sparked my interest immediately. But I have to say the star of the day was the fresh greens sauteed with hot peppers and tofu. The flavor was quite outstanding and the colors of the dish were just beautiful. You could tell by the cuts and the presentation that this super healthy, tasty dish was given some thought and the care and that time was given into its preparation!

Chickpea Salad & Lentil Vegetable Salad

I also found a bright green plate of steamed asparagus which was cooked just perfect! No sauce or butter to smother this delicious beauty was necessary – some things can look good naked even in the middle of winter! Both Melissa and I were going the same route as we met by the salad bar and chuckled that our plates were almost identical and how “green” they were. I went for the lentil salad which had fresh carrots, celery, green onions, red peppers, and maybe some cucumber, it was fresh and quite filling. Melissa tried both and raved about the chickpea salad. I recently read how lentils pack a ton of protein and are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber so I was happy indulge. Lentils also provide good amounts of important minerals & B-vitamins and pretty much have no fat. With the Cornell Wellness Weight Loss Challenge around the corner: “Hey  teammates…eat lentils!!!” They only have 230 calories for a whole cup of cooked lentils and you will feel super filled up.

Delicious Vegan lunch at Becker House on West Campus.

I guess I was starving at that moment because looking back at the picture of everything I ate I am really surprised I consumed that much! On top of the tofu stir fry, lentil salad, and asparagus I grabbed a bowl of perfectly cooked rice from the quesadilla station and added some black beans and a very peppery pico de gallo. I perused by the salad bar but I really didn’t want more greens so I just complemented my dish with some fresh crisp sugar snap peas and whole beets. This was the over kill- I grabbed a veggie burger! It was tasty but I do still love eating them with cheese and bacon…yes at my house I call them the garden of sin burger! Again for sure today no room for dessert but I heard North Star has Vegan Chocolate Cake from the bakery on the menu…maybe a late afternoon snack!