Loma Linda may be one of the most famous places you've never heard of. It's a Blue Zone, meaning it has one of the five largest concentrations of healthy people over 100 on the planet. It's also where I got my first undergraduate nutrition degree… and it had a big influence on my life.
You see, Loma Linda is home to a large community of Seventh Day Adventists, who live a healthy vegetarian lifestyle. This city is the site of the world-famous Adventist Health Studies, which conclusively demonstrated that eating this way not only presented no dangers, but showed great benefits for vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian diets, with lower risks of obesity and chronic diseases.
I love this place for its homespun, slightly kitschy, approach to vegan eating, where church ladies swap recipe cards before the next potluck. This way of eating is all about having it all, including stick-to-your-ribs foods and healthy baked treats, but having it plant-based.
How can you embrace the Loma Linda approach to thriving into old age?
Take an old recipe from your own heritage and "plantify it." Mix your vegan diet with a focus on community. Dig up vintage veg and vegan recipe books and share them with friends. Better yet, share your meal and smile with a senior.
Try it out
Herbed Lentil Patties Serves 8
1 cup (8 ounces) small green lentils, dry
1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) quinoa, dry
3 cups vegetable broth, reduced sodium
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1 medium carrot, shredded finely
3 green onions, chopped finely
1/4 cup chopped basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, dry
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salt (optional)
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Place lentils and quinoa in a small pot and add broth. Cover and simmer over medium heat about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender. Drain any leftover liquid and transfer cooked lentils and quinoa to a bowl and mash slightly.
Add flaxseeds, carrot, onions, basil, garlic, oats, oregano, black pepper, and salt (if desired) to bowl with lentils and quinoa and mix well. Add mustard, soy sauce, and vinegar and stir well to moisten all ingredients. Chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Press lentil patty mixture into a 1/2-cup measuring cup, place onto the baking sheet, and flatten to create firm, round patties about 1/2 inch thick. Form eight patties with mixture.
Place in oven on top rack and bake for about 40 minutes, until golden and firm. Remove and, if you like, serve with Savory Mushroom Sauce from page 64 of California Vegan.
Get more Loma Linda downhome deliciousness in California Vegan
Thanks for touring Loma Linda with me. Next week, I'll have more fresh California inspiration to liven up your plant-based eating.
About the author
Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RD is The Plant-Powered Dietitian. She is an award-winning food and nutrition journalist based in Ojai, California. Sharon speaks, writes, and blogs about her passion for delicious, healthful, sustainable plant-based foods every day. Check out her three books, and don't forget to follow Sharon on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and her blog. If you'd like to work with Sharon, please contact her here.
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