Perhaps you’ve been pulling a Betty White and avoiding all things green when it comes to your diet. Or maybe you’ve tried to incorporate vegetables into your meals, but can’t bring yourself to finish them. Fortunately, you’re not the only one—and Vegan Queen Tabitha Brown is here to help.
PureWow caught up with the actress and social media personality to discuss her partnership with the protein shake brand, Orro, her vegan journey and the best tips for sneaking more veggies into our diet.
"One of the easiest ways to add vegetables into your diet is actually throwing some into a shake," Brown told us. "You can’t taste a thing! You can add spinach into your protein shakes, which is a great source of fiber and full of so many wonderful nutrients." So, whether you're doing a breakfast blend or a high-protein smoothie to keep you full between meals, adding about a handful of greens can go a long way.
As for savory dishes, like vegan mac and cheese, Brown also suggests adding pureed veggies into the mix. She said, "You can blend and sneak some carrots or butternut squash to the cheese sauce. You’d never taste it, trust me!"
The options are limitless when it comes to these small changes—and they can work wonders for the kids too—especially when you're working with vegan options. "I think it’s so important to show kids that being plant-based and living a clean lifestyle can also be delicious," she explained. "Try whipping up some vegan tacos and even vegan cheese pizza." (Psst, you can check out the best vegan recipes for kids here.)
If you prefer to start small, you can try a simple smoothie. And lucky for us, Brown shared two of her favorite recipes, including spinach, bananas and a plant-based protein drink of your choice. (Because, as Brown would say, "That's your business.")
She told us, "In the mornings, I love blending up a chocolate Orro with a handful of spinach, ice, banana, blueberries, hemp seeds and maybe some nut butter."
If you're not a chocolate fan, you can try her vanilla variation, which includes frozen pineapple. Brown continued, "I love pineapple, so lately I’ve been really into blending up some frozen pineapple with Vanilla Orro, ice, half a banana, hemp seeds and some spinach to get my veggies in."
While discussing her journey as a vegan, the author opened up about one of the biggest lies she encountered since she made the switch to a plant-based diet. "The biggest myth I heard when I started cooking vegan was that I wouldn’t get protein. They couldn’t be more wrong! I am eating amazing and hearty meals full of vegetables, plant-based protein and hearty fats, like the kind from avocados, and I couldn’t be more satisfied," Brown said, adding that "being vegan has improved my life greatly, and I haven’t had to compromise the quality of food I eat."
If you need us, we'll be in our kitchen whipping up Tabitha's smoothie recipe.
