Healthy Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe | A Pretty Skin Booster

Having beautiful, healthy skin is not only about what you put on your face and body, it's also about what you put in it.

You may not like to hear this, but reducing the amount of meat you consume will GREATLY benefit your skin and trim years off of your look.  Not only will you feel better in about 2 - 3 weeks of changing to a cleaner, more plant friendly diet, you'll glow on the outside too.  Your skin will be less parched looking, less dull, have a smoother texture, and look so vibrant.

Not only will you feel better in about 2 - 3 weeks of changing to a cleaner, more plant friendly diet, you'll glow on the outside too.

You may be wondering, if you cut meat out of your diet, how do you stay full?  Just like I'm always barking at you to embrace the oils in your skincare for gorgeous, hydrated skin, you need to embrace plant oils in your diet too.  They're full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which are so beneficial to your skin, hair, organs, etc.  Don't worry about the fat they contain.  They're good fats, will help you stay full, and your body will digest them easily... 

As long as you keep you diet clean, by eating real, less processed foods, limited cream, butter, sugar, and meat, you'll see that replacing these bad fats with healthy plant oils will not only make you feel and function better, but will reduce your waistline too.

Here's a great recipe to get you started, or keep you going down that clean eating path.  It comes to us from Dish Ditty Recipes.  This got quite a few re-pins on Pinterest last week - it's a must try!  I've suggested a few modifications below to make it a little healthier.  The great thing about Asian food dishes is when prepared right, they're healthy, low in fat, yet include good fats, have a lot of flavor, and the ingredients are very budget friendly.  Enough with the chit chat, let's get to it.

Vegetable Lo Mein

 

Image source: Dish-Ditty.com

Ingredients

1 lb Fresh Steamed Thin Chow Mein Noodles (substitute rice noodles, or bean thread noodles for fat free, vegan option)

4 cups Napa Cabbage (shredded - substitute bagged coleslaw for the carrots and cabbage to reduce prep time)

4 cups Carrots (shredded - substitute bagged coleslaw for the carrots and cabbage to reduce prep time)

2 cups Bean Sprouts (cleaned and trimmed)

1/2 bunch Green Onions (sliced in long, thin strips)

1/4 - 1 cup Chicken Broth (substitute Vegetable Broth for vegetarian option)

1/4 cup Soy Sauce (Light)

1/4 cup Panda Brand Lo Mein Sauce (can be substituted with Oyster Sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sugar)

1 tablespoon - 1/8 cup Sesame Oil (to taste)

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Optional

2 cups Baby Bok Choy (sliced thin), or any other preferred vegetable

Healthy Modifications

If you want the healthier, lower fat, vegan version, be sure to use rice noodles or bean thread noodles instead of chow mein.  In doing so, you'll save yourself 14 grams of fat per serving (rice noodles are fat free).  They're also easier to find than chow mein and are available in most grocery stores.  If you're a rebel and wanna go for the chow mein noodles, use the fresh, steamed version, found in the refrigerated section at most Asian food stores.

In order to keep this dish vegetarian, you'll need to substitute the lo mein sauce or oyster sauce with a vegetarian oyster sauce, or eliminate it all together.  I'm not a fan of cooking with oyster or fish sauce, so I always eliminate them in my recipes and can't say I miss it.

Directions

To cook the rice/bean thread noodles: submerge them in boiling water.  Remove from heat source and leave in boiling water for 30 seconds - 1 minute.  DO NOT OVER COOK.  They will turn to mush.  Strain immediately and rinse with cold water.  Set aside.

If you are using chow mein noodles, put them in a colander and run hot water through the steamed chow mein for about 30 seconds.  Set aside.

In a wok or large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil on medium-high.  Add green onions, cabbage and carrots.  Stir fry for 2 - 4 minutes, or until the cabbage is wilted.

Increase the temperature to high and add the noodles.  If you're using chow mein, add 1/2 cup broth.  If you're using rice or bean thread noodles, use only 1/4 cup broth.  Cook stirring and tossing constantly for about 45 seconds and then add the remaining broth if you are using chow mein.  Cook for another 1 - 2 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Add the soy sauce.  If you haven't eliminated it, add the lo mein sauce/oyster sauce.  Add the sesame oil to taste.  Sesame oil is very strong, so be sure to taste test and only add as much as you prefer.  Starting with 1 tablespoon is a pretty safe bet for this recipe.  You can add more from there if you prefer.  Toss the ingredients together and cook for 2 - 4 more minutes.  Remove from heat and serve.