Another Reason to Fight Climate Change with a Plant-Based Diet

More and more frequently, parts of the world are on fire or underwater or otherwise plagued by climate-change-intensifed bad weather. It is literally devastating. But even if you're just watching it on TV and counting your lucky stars that you're not in an evacuation zone, climate change may still have immediate hazards in store for you.

Today's example? "Climate change is making poison ivy stronger and itchier," according to Grist. Read my description of suffering from poison ivy in 2015, and try to tell me that's no big deal:

"I went from looking like a smallpox victim to getting an infection, then antibiotics and steroids, then a 'systemic reaction' of random rashes all over my body, so antihistamines and MORE steroids, and a very successful stint on a MLB team, then another exposure to poison ivy, because I'm just that stupid, then more steroids, and now I just have scars all over my arms and legs."

We're enabling all kinds of horrors, small and large, by ignoring climate change. This is why I look for simple steps I can take to change its trajectory, like reducing my consumption of animal products. As noted by Barbara Pompili, French minister for ecological transition, "[about] 15% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and 91% of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest are linked to livestock farming." Her country, in response, has mandated one day a week of meatless options in state-funded school cafeterias, and you can embrace the spirit of this effort, too.

You could make "Grilled Carrots With Avocado and Mint" (Epicurious), which is easy and tasty. I substituted jalapeño for serrano pepper.



Or try "Sweet Potatoes With Tahini Butter" (NYT Cooking; subscription required), which is vegan. My only complaint about that recipe was that the topping slid right off the hot potatoes! You need to scoop them out somewhat to get the effect in the recipe photo.


Or "Vegetable Noodle Salad With Sesame Vinaigrette" (NYT Cooking again), which is super-duper easy, vegan, and marvelously fresh-tasting. I substituted green beans for the snap peas.



Desserts are virtually always vegetarian, of course, but if you want to go the extra mile for Planet Earth, you could consider vegan dessert options. My backup dancer and I recently made "Peanut Butter Coconut Cream Cookie Sandwiches" (Epicurious). I liked the filling a lot, but the cookies not so much.


Enjoy your cookie sandwich while watching the Olympics

I also made "Vegan Banana Sweet Potato Muffins" (Sweet Like Cocoa).* In a classic Jennie move, I forgot a key ingredient: sugar, in this case. Sugar! I assumed the muffins would taste like garbage, but guess what? They were STILL GOOD. So, skip the sugar - healthier and plenty delicious.


Try picking at least one day a week to be vegetarian (Meatless Monday beckons), or even embrace Vegan Vednesdays with me, but above all: steer clear of those "leaves of three", my friends!

*As of April 2024, the page with this recipe doesn't exist anymore, but I used the Wayback Machine to find it, and here is the recipe:
Vegan Banana Sweet Potato Muffins

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Category: Snack, Breakfast

Yield: 12 Muffins

Serving Size: 1 Muffin


Ingredients

    Dry Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
    Wet Ingredients:
  • 1 cup sweet potato, mashed (~ 200g or 1/2 med-lg sweet potato)
  • 1 cup banana, mashed (~ 260g or 3 medium bananas)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 2 flax eggs (2 tbs ground flax + 6 tbs warm water)
  • 2 tbs dairy free milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

    Cook the Sweet Potato:
  1. Wash/scrub your potato(s) and pierce with a fork several times
  2. Place onto a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 425 °F for 45-60 minutes (this will depend on the size/thickness - they are done when a knife easily pierces the whole way through the potato)
  3. Scoop out 1 cup or 200g of potato (the skin will pull away easily from the flesh), and mash with a fork
  4. Set aside to cool
    Bake the Muffins:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F
  2. Grease/line a 12 cavity muffin pan
  3. In a small bowl, mix ground flax and warm water and set aside to thicken
  4. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt
  5. In a large bowl mash the bananas and add cooled mashed sweet potato, mixing the two together
  6. Add melted coconut oil, flax eggs, dairy free milk and vanilla extract to banana/sweet potato mixture, and stir to combine
  7. Add dry ingredient mixture to wet, and stir until fully incorporated
  8. Pour batter into prepared muffin tin
  9. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the muffins comes out clean
  10. Cool in pan for a few minutes, then remove and allow to fully cool on a wire cooling rack

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