Here is a delicious recipe that I have used in my recovery for eating disorders and you can use it as a part of your recovery meal plan too!

Eating Disorder Meal Plan Recipe:

Seitan Veggie Quinoa Stir-fry

This recipe will make 2-3 servings and you can always change it / tweak it as you like!  This is a great meal to make for dinner or lunch when using the exchange system for recovery meal plans.

It is a vegan and vegetarian meal and although I am neither a full-on vegan or vegetarian, I do enjoy eating meatless and dairy-free on a regular basis.  Many women in recovery are vegetarian/vegan or have specific dietary needs which is why I wanted to share this recipe, but remember you can always substitute the seitan for another protein source such as chicken, beef, shrimp or even tofu.

 

What is seitan?  

From the box it reads: “Made from wheat gluten, seitan is a low fat, good protein alternative to beef and poultry.  Often referred to as the meat of wheat, this vegan source of protein provides the same texture and mouth feel that a piece of chicken or beef would have with only 2 grams of fat.  Seitan is the perfect substitute for all recipes.”

It is delicious and being a former vegetarian, I sometimes prefer the taste of meatless protein sources such as seitan, tofu, veggie burgers, and other “fake” meat products.  I bought this package of seitan at my local grocery store and you can find it at any major grocery or health food store in the refrigerated section, usually near the tofu and other meat-less products.

 

 

 

What is quinoa?

Quinoa is an amazingly delicious and nutritious whole-grain substitute.  I would describe it as tasting something like a rice or a pasta.  You can use it in any recipe as a substitute for rice, or just to switch it up and try something new.  It is a great grain to use if you are gluten-free, is has a low glycemic index and provides all of the eight essential amino acids.

From the bag it reads: “Quinoa is an ancient traditional grain grown at 12,000 feet above sea level.  It is a whole grain and has been classified by the National Academy of Sciences as one of the best sources of protein in the vegetable kingdom.”

 

Now onto the recipe!  For this eating disorder meal plan recipe you will need:

Large frying pan with lid

Small pot with lid

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced or chopped

1 head of broccoli, chopped

1/2 of a red pepper, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup organic quinoa (2 servings)

1 cup water

1 package seitan (2-3 servings)

1-2 teaspoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (optional)

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and/or additional spices of your choice to taste

It is best if you can use organic, GMO-free produce and ingredients, but don’t beat yourself up if you can’t find or afford it.  Just try your best!  For this recipe I used non-GMO seitan, organic and non-GMO quinoa, and organic carrots.

 

It only takes about 10 minutes to prep and about 20 minutes to cook, so altogether this is a quick, yummy and nutritious meal that you can use over and over again, or change it in a way that fits your specific eating disorder meal plan.

If you want to make meal prep even faster or don’t have much time to prepare your meal beforehand, you can always chop the veggies up the night before when you are planning your eating disorder meal plan out, and store in the refrigerator until the following day.  That way when you go to make this recipe, all you have to do is add the chopped veggies to the pan and, Voila!  Meal complete in 15 minutes.

 

Instructions on how to cook this delicious eating disorder meal plan recipe:

First, add the 2 T of olive oil to the frying pan and heat on medium heat.

While the oil is heating up, chop or dice the onion and add it to the pan.

While the onions are cooking, chop up the broccoli, carrots and red pepper into nice bite-size pieces and add to the pan when finished.

Turn heat down slightly and put the lid on the pan.  Cook for 10-15 minutes or just until veggies are soft.

While the veggies are cooking, we will cook up the quinoa which is so fast and easy.  In the small pot, combine 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup quinoa.  Bring to a boil.  Turn heat on low, cover with lid and cook for 15 minutes.

 

Add the seitan to the pan with the veggies when there is about 5 minutes left.  Seitan only needs to be heated up, not cooked, so we add it in towards the end of cooking.

 

Next, add in 1-2 teaspoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos to the veggies.

Liquid Aminos can be found at the health food store and sometimes in major grocery stores near the vinegar or soy sauce section.  It’s taste is similar to soy sauce yet it is a natural soy sauce alternative.  It is made from healthy non-gmo vegetable protein from soybeans and water, is gluten-free and contains 16 amino acids for health.

I think it tastes delicious and prefer it in my stir-frys, other recipes and even salads!

 

 

 

Next, sprinkle some garlic powder, pepper and/or other spices onto the veggies and stir.

For this recipe I used about 1/8 teaspoon or less of pepper (I don’t measure!) and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder because my spice rack is still in storage from moving and that’s all I had in the cupboard!  But any spices you prefer is delicious and the combinations are endless!

If you don’t have Liquid Aminos you can also sprinkle some salt onto the veggies and lightly season to taste.

Put the lid back on the veggie/seitan stir-fry and if it is done cooking, remove from heat until the quinoa is finished cooking.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork when finished.

 

Now serve and eat!  Serve one portion as follows:

Scoop 1/2 cup of quinoa onto a plate.  Cover with 1 1/2 cup of the veggie/seitan stir-fry.  Yayyyy you’re done and ready to eat!!!!

 

If you are using the exchange lists for meal planning, 1 serving (as portioned out above) of this recipe will provide you with:

2 carbohydrate (starch) exchanges

2 vegetable exchanges

2 protein exchanges

1 fat exchange

 

It is best if you can measure it out once or twice, and then begin to learn how to estimate without measuring.  For help on visualizing portion sizes, go here: Estimating Portion Sizes.

 

If your eating disorder meal plan or dietary needs are different then you can always tweak it to fit your needs!  For example, if you need 3 vegetable exchanges for the meal, then serve yourself an additional 1/2 cup of veggies.  If you need another fat exchange, then add a teaspoon of butter to the quinoa or sprinkle 2 tablespoons of parmesan or romano cheese on top.  If you need another starch exchange, then serve yourself 3/4 cup of quinoa.  Make sense?  I show you exactly how to use the exchange system for meal planning in my Healing Your Eating Disorder Ecourse, so if you are interested in learning more on how to create and follow a meal plan make sure to check that out here: Eating Disorder Meal Planning Ecourse.

 

Well there you have it!!  Now sit down to enjoy your meal and let me know how it goes!  Make sure to eat with awareness, nourishing and loving yourself with the food.  Sit down to eat and say a prayer of thanks and gratitude, blessing the food before you eat.  If you need to get support during the meal or afterwards, please do!  Take small bites and tune into your body while eating.  Notice any feelings that come up and journal about them when you are finished if you like. 

 

I really hope you enjoyed this recipe and if you are interested in seeing more recovery meal plan recipes on my blog, please let me know!  I would be happy to continue to share healthy, simple meals that can fit into your eating disorder meal plan but that are also super yummy and taste amazing!!  I made this for my family yesterday, and my meat-and-potatoes-loving husband went back for seconds and my two toddlers gobbled it up too!!

 

If the ingredients are new to you, try them, you just might love it, or if you are hesitant you can substitute other more familiar foods and take it slow, trying one new thing at a time.  Above all, enjoy it and remember that you are simply eating for health!!

Enjoy!!!

Peace, Love + Freedom,