Season of Creation – Healthy Eating Challenge

September 1 – October 4 is the Season of Creation!

An ecumenical, or unified Christian Church celebration, in which according to SeasonofCreation.org, “the world’s 2.3 billion Christians are called to ‘dwell in our common home,’ to truly love and appreciate that sense of place that we should feel in creation…Pope Francis and the Vatican call on all Catholics to take part in the ecumenical Season of Creation.”

For the Season of Creation, let’s all take up a healthy diet challenge! #EatfortheEarth #CaringConsumption

The team at the Catholic Commission for Social Justice is challenging ourselves during the Season of Creation to eat well and exercise in contemplation of the Earth and the importance of our physical wellbeing. A key aspect of social justice that all Catholics are called to live in the idea of integral human development, “promoting the development of each person and of every dimension of the person, e.g spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, psychological”. In other words, every aspect of you matters, not only to yourself but the wider human family and all of God’s Creation. You have a purpose here on Earth, so let’s get healthy together!

Today we’re sharing ideas with our community and caring for the Earth! One very impactful way to live more sustainably is adjusting our diets. Choosing lifestyles and habits that are not only healthier for each of us as individuals, but also our whole world can create powerful ways in which we can lovingly act and care for our common home. One big adjustment we can make is to limit red meat consumption and reduce other forms of meat. We can choose other forms of protein, such as legumes, and today, we’re going to explore a lentil and kale soup, that’s a simple and small adjustment from traditional lentil soup that we find here in T&T.

Lentil and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown Lentils, thoroughly rinsed

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 cloves Garlic smashed

3 cups water to boil the lentil peas

1 ½ cups pumpkin chopped

1 carrot chopped

1/2 large onion diced

Green seasoning

1/2 head Kale washed and dried, torn from the rib in the centre.

Instructions

1. · In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, cook for 2 minutes.
2. · Add water to your medium-sized pot with a small amount of salt and bring to a boil.
3. · Add the lentils and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the lentils, are cooked through.
4. · Add pumpkin, carrots, and green seasoning (to taste) and cook until the carrots and pumpkin are soft.
5. · Add the kale 5 minutes before you finish your soup! According to webmd.com “At just 33 calories, one cup of raw kale has nearly 3 grams of protein, 2.5 grams of fiber (which helps manage blood sugar and makes you feel full)”, so is an excellent addition to this healthy local dish!
6. · BONUS TIP! If you’re still worried about your protein intake and feel hungry, give your soup an “Asian twist” and throw in a boiled egg, with a dash of sesame seed oil and some chive! Trust us, it works and is delicious!

Let’s get a great dialogue going around good food! Send us your ideas and recipes on how we can eat well and sustainably, so we can make these challenges lifetime habits, cherishing our individual wellbeing and integrating with God’s beautiful and complex ecosystem that is the Earth, our “common home”.

Email socialjustice@catholictt.org