By Molly Patrick
Jan 19, 2016,
Have you ever seen this?
WFPB
And thought to yourself, what the hell does that mean?
Want Fucking Peanut Butter?
Wait For Plan B
Warning: Foul Party Breath?
Turns out it has nothing to do with peanut butter, an alternative plan, or stale booze breath.
WFPB stands for Whole-Food Plant-Based, which refers to the Whole-Food Plant-Based diet.
I’m taking it back to basics with today’s fuckery and before I go any further, I need to jump on the mic and tell you that if you don’t eat 100% Whole-Food Plant-Based or 100% Vegan, you will experience nothing but love from me.
My work in the world is to help you eat more whole plant food and less of everything else, regardless of your current diet. That’s right lover, everyone is welcome to this clean food orgy. Well, except for assholes. Assholes will be swiftly removed.
Carrying on.
Let’s hop over to the Whole-Food Plant-Based bus stop and take a looksy.
The Whole-Food Plant-Based diet consists of whole plant foods that haven’t been overly processed or refined.
This way of eating focuses on vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. It excludes meat (including poultry and seafood), dairy products, and eggs. The Whole-Food Plant-Based diet also excludes highly refined foods like bleached flour, refined sugar, and oil.
People eat this way because it’s damn healthy and in turn, it makes them feel really good. Study after study has shown that eating a Whole-Food Plant-Based diet is the best way to lose weight and keep it off, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, increase energy, and protect the body from degenerative and chronic disease (like Type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancers, autoimmune disorders, heart disease, and more).
When people feel like crap, can’t lose weight after trying diet after diet, and/or have been warned by their doctor to get their numbers under control, this is the diet people turn to (if they’re lucky enough to find out about it).
Health related issues or wanting to avoid health related issues is the driving force behind most people’s decision to follow a Whole-Food Plant-Based diet.
Let’s talk about the Vegan diet for a hot second. But first, a quick detour.
It’s important to understand that when animals are raised for food (whether that’s for meat or for dairy), they do not have a happy life. It’s an extremely sad existence for these animals, from start to finish. I won’t go into the details because it’s enough to make me throw up in my mouth a little. Just know that it’s bad. If you want to know the full extent, watch the documentary Earthlings. This will give you the full, bleak picture.
Okay – detour completed – back to the Vegan bus stop.
A Vegan diet is free of all animal products and all animal derived by-products. So no meat (including poultry and seafood), no dairy products, no eggs, no honey, no gelatin, no anything that comes from any part of any animal. Ever.
Take note that oil, refined flour, and sugar aren’t on the vegan no list. This is because these foods are technically vegan, and following a Vegan diet is less about health and more about the ethical treatment of animals.
Oreos, a grilled cheese made with white bread and processed vegan cheese, packaged vegan hot dogs, olive oil, vegan donuts, vegan candy bars – and other foods like these do not fall under the Whole-Food Plant-Based way of eating, but they do fall under the Vegan way of eating.
I should note that following a Vegan diet is usually just part of following a Vegan lifestyle. This lifestyle avoids anything that is made from animals, whether that’s for food, clothes, shoes, accessories, bedding, or anything else that is derived from animals. So no leather, no silk, no fur, no anything that comes from any animal ever.
Vegans are known to be pretty damn vocal about their stance on the ethical treatment of animals because animals have no voice and they are unable to defend themselves. I have no patience for preachy, judgmental vegans, but I do applaud their determination in savings animals from inhumane conditions.
I just think there are better, more efficient ways of spreading the message, none of which have anything to do with making people who aren’t 100% vegan feel like shit about themselves. But that’s another fuckery altogether.
It’s a fact that judgmental Vegans can put people off, and for this reason there are lots of people who don’t want to associate themselves with the word “Vegan”, so instead they use the word “Plant Based”.
And this is the crux of people’s plant based confusion (as a side note, Plant Based Confusion should definitely be a ride at Disneyland).
People who are advocates of the Whole-Food Plant-Based diet (like myself) often use the term “plant based” for short, because Whole-Food Plant-Based is a fuckin’ mouthful.
So we have people talking about the Vegan diet using the term “Plant Based” because they don’t want the word Vegan attached to them, and we have people talking about the Whole-Food Plant-Based diet using the word “Plant Based” because it’s shorter than saying Whole-Food Plant-Based.
I totally get why people are confused.
The thing is, there’s no final verdict on whether “Plant Based” is technically short for Whole-Food Plant-Based, or just another term for Vegan. You won’t find this term in the dictionary, so it’s up in the air and it can go either way.
When I use the term Plant Based, I’m referring to the Whole-Food Plant-Based way of eating. When someone else uses that term, they might be referring to the Vegan diet. No one is wrong. It’s just different interpretations of these terms.
And this illustrates beautifully why it’s important not to overthink shit. And the first step in not overthinking something is to get clarity around it and understand the basics.
Only when we understand something can we simplify it in our mind and not get hung up on the details.
So call it whatever you want, but at the end of the day, if you want ridiculously good health and you want to drop weight, focus on eating whole plant foods in their natural state and stay away from processed foods, whether they’re vegan or not. Easy as that – not a damn thing to get hung up on.
And now you know that WFPB has nothing to do with peanut butter.
If you’re ready to stop half-assing your clean eating routine and truly start eating for your health, jump on our weekly Plant Fueled Meal Plans and all you have to do is follow along.
Today’s recipe has a little bit of genius in it. I’ve managed to come up with the perfect oil-free Roasted Potato recipe. Here’s what my hilarious, beautiful, talented, no bullshit recipe tester and friend told me after she tested this recipe.
“I love these potatoes! I had one roasted so perfectly that it popped in my mouth. Like air was sealed/roasted in and it just exploded a little when I bit into it. It was perfect 🙂 And without oil!”
Try it out and then post a pic in our (hilarious) private Facebook group.
Ingredients
- 6 cups red potatoes leave the skin on the potatoes, 885g, cubed
- 2 cups onion 225g, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup tahini 65g
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon onion granules
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 10 turns fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (175°C).
- Place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl and add the chopped onion, tahini and the non-dairy milk. With your clean hands, work the tahini and the non-dairy milk into the potatoes until they are totally coated.
- Add the onion granules, garlic granules, dried basil, dried dill, smoked paprika, sea salt and black pepper and stir until well combined.
- Place the potatoes in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (or two if your baking sheet isn’t big enough to hold all of the potatoes in single layer).
- Bake for 30 minutes, take out of the oven, flip with a spatula and put back in the oven for another 30 minutes. Serve hot.
I hope that you have a happy week. May it be filled with eating lots and lots of plants.
33 Comments
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Why is tahini more healthful than olive oil? Isn’t it processed sesame seeds?
Hey Elaine –
I am covering this in detail in this week’s Saturday email.
Sign up here if you are not already signed up.
https://cleanfooddirtygirl.com/signup/
xo
Molly
Hey Elaine – here’s my answer for you!
https://cleanfooddirtygirl.com/lifes-guarantees-plant-based-lemon-tahini-dressing/
xo
Molly
Hi there, I am researching the WFPBNO diet for myself. I’d like to know how I will absorb fat-soluble vitamins without eating fats, thank you, Sarah.
Hi Sarah,
It’s not that no fats are consumed eating WFPB or WFPBNO. This way of eating and our meal plans rely on whole plant sources of fat (nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut, olives) so you do indeed consume fats that enable fat soluble nutrient absorption. For instance, in the recipe on this post, tahini (made from ground sesame seeds) is a plant based source of fat (along with other nutrients too!).
Hope that helps!
Karen
Team Dirty Girl
Awesome, thanks!
These potatoes (smothered in your cheese sauce and a big pile of fresh cilantro) were my last meal before the juice cleanse began. So delicious! And easy. I am dreaming of eating them again already.
You will have them again soon!
I agree – they are pretty damn good!
xo
Molly
More than half the overall weight of tahini is fat content so you are essentially adding sesame oil. Don’t get me wrong – These sound delicious. Calling them no-oil is a bit misleading, however.
USDA nutritional data fro tahini: http://tinyurl.com/hf3l9z2
Hi Gary –
There’s a little more to it than that.
I wrote all about oil in this week’s blog post.
Here’s the link.
https://cleanfooddirtygirl.com/clearing-up-the-confusion-about-oil-wfpb-fancy-toast/
Wow…that was absolutely awesome, full of fabulous, undisputable facts & Molly, girl…you da bomb, yo!!!♡♡♡ 🙂
Exactly what I was thinking… tahini is essential oil from sesame. So the recipe does use oil, though its a whole oil like a nut butter. I don’t like tahini, but was thinking cashew butter might work as a replacement.
Hi Steph, Just to clarify, tahini is made up of whole sesame seeds that have been ground. Because sesame seeds are ground to make tahini (and, like any large-scale production of nut or seed butters I suppose they are also probably treated with heat to kill any pathogens) they still contain all of the original nutrients (carbohydrate, fat, protein and micronutrients) and are not a refined or extracted/essential oil product. You could definitely sub out a different nut or seed butter based on allergies or preferences. ~Karen
Hi! I am 59 and I want to switch to plant based diet for the very reasons you mentioned. I am gathering recipes so that once I start making changes I wont panic wondering what I will eat. This is going in my file of recipes! Thanks!
Good for you Melanie! It’s never too late. If you ever get stuck in a food rut, we do offer meal plans so all you have to do is follow along 🙂
https://cleanfooddirtygirl.com/plant-based-meal-plans/
I was looking for savory breakfast ideas and made this delicious potatoes with tempeh. I top it with a few avocado slices and pico de gallo or some of Molly’s mayo with a little sriracha added. My husband loves them too!
I couldn\’t believe how fantastic these were! We switched up the spices a bit for our personal preference for the meal (greek inspired seasonings) but holy cow, so crispy. They really hit the spot, and everyone loved them as a side with a tofu veggie scramble – even the 9 month old baby!
Amanda that is so awesome! Keep us posted on any other spice change ups you make – we love hearing how to make these recipes even better!!
Hi! Honest question here: can you please tell me why you think vegans are preachy and what you think are more efficient ways of spreading the message? I have been a vegan now for 2 years and it is not my intention to make people “feel like shit about themselves”. I only talk about my reasons for being a vegan, when people ask me questions. And it has struck me that people think vegans are pushy and judgmental and that they only eat horrible tasteless foods. They keep telling me (and my “poor deprived” husband) that I don’t know what I’m missing, that animals were put on this earth for humans to eat, etc. etc.
Hi Luisa, it is unfortunate that people think ALL vegans are “pushy” and “preachy” because its just not so. All blondes aren’t “dumb.” Girls can be a mechanic if they want to. Men can do hair and makeup… Stereotypes are a bummer and its something we all have to overcome. Thankfully our community (join our private group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/cleanfooddirtygirl) is full of supportive peeps who are there to help in instances when you are being badgered by omnivores. We share our lifestyle with friends and family when they are interested and ask questions… sounds like you do to. And that’s about the best you can do. Be an open book of information for the people that want it – and as far as people thinking your deprived of yummy food – well we know better!
I only have russet potatoes at the moment. Would those work as well?
What if I only have russet potatoes? Could that work?
Carrie – russet would work perfect too!
These are INSANELY good! By far the crispiest and best tasting potatoes that I’ve ever made. ???? Thank you for making me look and feel like a rockstar in the kitchen!
OMG just made these tonight for super, and they are the bomb! I added diced beets as I had purchased 4 golden beets I wanted to cook. I used heirloom ‘penny’ potatoes (all about the size of a cherry) if they were a little on the large size I cut them in half and they worked great! I probably should have only cooked them for a total of 40 min, but your way because of the size they had a nice little crisp to everything, I’ll post a photo on your FB page. These are a keeper! Thanks.
Mine are in the oven and I can’t wait!!
I just wanted to say that you may want to change in Step 2:
“work the tahini and the soy milk into the potatoes” for Plant based milk like in the ingredients! Just a detail! Thank you
Hi Marie! Thanks so much for stopping by and pointing out that detail, fixed. I hope you enjoy the potatoes. ~Karen
You are an amazing food genius!!!!! ?
This recipe looks amazing!
Will it work without the dairy?
There is no dairy in this recipe 😉
Cheers to plant based!
xo
Molly
Ahaha. I love your irreverent approach to this serious topic of potatoey goodness. Thanks for the recipe.
You got it!
xo
Molly
I figured that since I’m making these for the millionth time, I ought to leave a review. They are delightful and so perfect tucked into a breakfast burrito with some tofu scramble. Today I’m trying them with zaatar spice in place of the other flavors and I’m confident it will turn out well. Thanks for a great go-to savory brekkies option!