It's hard to imagine that 15 years ago Alicia Silverstone was playing a spoiled teenager in the film Clueless. Now, the 33-year-old actress divides her energy between acting and environmental causes. Her latest endeavor is a book, The Kind Diet (Rodale, 2009), which advocates a plant-based diet to improve health, increase energy, and reduce your carbon footprint.
Divided into three phases, "Flirting," "Vegan," and "Superhero," the Kind Diet has tips and recipes for all types of dieters, from those wanting to experiment with a meat-free diet to those who want an organic, vegan diet. Because the diet is full of healthy, natural foods, you won't have to worry about meticulously counting calories, carbs, or fat.
Silverstone confesses to being an on-again-off-again vegetarian at certain points in her life and knows eating meat isn't a black-and-white issue. She tried to make this book an entry point into a healthier lifestyle, with anecdotes and advice on how to "flirt" with a plant-based diet. There are recipes that can appeal to everyone (see the Peanut Butter Cups on the next page), and even some that resemble your favorite meat dishes, like the Waffle, Sausage, and Cheese Panini.
Next Page: Try vegan Peanut Butter Cups from The Kind Diet Peanut Butter Cups
Excerpted from The Kind Diet:
- 1/2 cup Earth Balance butter
- 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (preferably unsweetened and unsalted)
- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs or 10 graham cracker squares
- 1/4 cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener
- 1 cup grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips
- 1/4 cup soy, rice, or nut milk
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans, almonds, or peanuts
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners (If You Care makes unbleached liners made from recycled paper). Set aside.
