Welcome to Day 4 of the Veggie Challenge! Learn about antioxidants and try some new recipes:

• Quick Oats with Dried Fruits
• Quick Veggie Masala
• Walnut Broccoli Stirfry
• Rice Crackers and Hummus

Aou can see more recipes by visiting our What to Eat page for more breakfast, lunch, salad and dinner ideas.

Daily Cooking and Nutrition Tips

Where do you get your iron?

• A well-planned vegetarian diet includes plenty of iron! There are lots of excellent plant-based sources of iron – such as soy products (check this) and legumes, whole grains, dark green vegetables, dried fruits, nuts and seeds, and fortified breakfast
• Vitamin C greatly increases the absorption of iron, so make sure to include vitamin-C-rich foods in your meals like such as citrus fruits, green peppers, and fresh leafy green vegetables
• According to the American Dietetic Association, “Incidence of iron deficiency anemia among vegetarians is similar to that of non-vegetarians

Day 4 Recipes:

Quick Oats with Dried Fruits

Quick oats are any easy way to start the day! You can add dried fruits for extra sweetness. They can be purchased at bulk food stores. For more breakfast ideas, visit our recipes page.

Quick Veggie Masala

This Indian-style dish is simple to make! You can use a store bought curry paste or make your own!

Serves 4 | 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 potatoes, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp Indian curry paste
• ½ cup of water
• 2 cups green vegetables, such as peas, green beans or spinach, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
• 4 cups cooked brown rice (2 cups dry)

Instructions:

Boil or steam potatoes for 15 minutes.

In a separate pot, sauté onion, oil and curry paste until onion is browned. Stir in vegetables, potatoes, water and tomatoes and cook gently until tender.

Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve over generous portions of brown rice.

Walnut Broccoli Stir-Fry

Serves 4 | <40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 cup mushrooms, such as fresh shiitake, sliced
• 1 head of broccoli, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in two Tbsp cold water (optional)
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Brown rice

Instructions:

1. Sauté onions and carrots with oil in a wok or large pot until onion is tender.
2. Add mushrooms, broccoli and nuts and stir for one or two minutes.
3. Add the water, cover with a lid, and simmer for a few minutes until broccoli is bright green.
4. Add soy sauce, salt and pepper, and cornstarch dissolved in cold water to thicken the sauce.
5. Serve with brown rice (40 minutes to cook), quinoa (17 min to cook) or whole-grain noodles (10 min to cook).

Snack: Rice Crackers and Hummus

Hummus and crackers or sliced bread is an easy snack! Find hummus at your local grocery store, or make your own.

Preparing for Day 5 of the Veggie Challenge

Visit our day 5 recipes page to see your next meal plan!