Meant to report on the trip to visit my in-law family member who is eating a vegetable diet, pretty much. He has a progressive health concern which is rather grim, and this type of eating may give him better quality of life.
Every day the household makes a big pot of vegetable soup. Leeks, celery, onions, potato, parsley, garlic, tomato. Cooked for 2 hours and the slow cooking preserves nutrients but the digestion will be easy. A sprig of rosemary and some other herb sprigs (stems taken out before they get processed). This is ground down with a simple hand appliance that reminds me of a coffee grinder in its method, but is not enclosed and is easy-clean in dishwasher. Zero seasonings beyond the herbs. It is really very good. The potatoes give it body, as if it had a little overcooked barley in it.
They gave me a cup and I honestly enjoyed it. It's easy on the digestive system and soothing for anyone who is not well. So I know it was good for me, and not contributing to the day's sodium count.
He does get a tossed salad every day and into it he puts "micro-greens", something I had to research, because I'm not that familiar with it. These are not sprouts, but plants grown in the soil for about two weeks and harvested young to have extra nutrition. It is heavy on radishes, which would have used the next week to grow the root anyway, and finish the life cycle, so it's not as wasteful as it sounds. It is sold in our area by Whole Foods but I don't think any other stores have it.
He grows beets himself indoors - I think it's because he wants organic beet leaves and they are hard to find.
I wish I had a photo of that refrigerator interior. Pristine. All across the middle shelf, just juices made that morning, filled to the tops of matching glass mason jars and covered with very little airspace. Bright colors. The household makes so much juice daily that they bought a high-end juicer that makes mine look cheap! LOL
There's a certain kind of milk product he allows himself - more or less an organic cottage cheese, but he blends some with bits of fruit and it is like a frozen yogurt, so that he does have one small dessert a day.
He has had psoriasis for years and that has cleared up - it's just gone and he feels a lot of relief for that. Several of the bloodwork levels that are monitored for his illness have leveled off and he hopes that maybe this is a signal that he can actually get better. But at least he is not getting worse.
He's hired a lady for a few hours a day, who keeps the kitchen super clean and does all the vegetable washing and initial preparation, helps grind the soup veggies, etc. He's spending a lot more time on hobbies and creative outlets and tries to curb stress at every turn. I imagine it's also satisfying to him to look at the inside of his perfect refrigerator!