The leading cause of death in the world is heart disease, which accounts for roughly 30% of all deaths, worldwide. More interesting, this trend is most prevalent in middle-income and high-income countries, where you find diets with high concentrations of hydrogenated fat, meat, dairy and fast foods.

As we further examine other pervasive illnesses in these regions we discover cancer, diabetes, and obesity account for an additional 35% percent of all deaths annually. The good news is, these staggering statistics have the ability to change, if we change our diet.

| Related: 3 Recipes That Prove Going Vegan Isn't Scary |

The vegan diet, also known as the “plant-based” diet, is becoming more popular than ever in recent years, but if you’re used to a carnivorous diet, going vegan may require a very strong will. Cutting out any and all meat, dairy, egg, and animal products, is a big step, but even just adding more fruit and veg to your diet, while cutting back meat intake, is a small gesture that can lead to a dramatic improvement of your health and well being.

Studies over the course of the last few decades have come to the resounding consensus that eating a diet mainly consisting of plants, fruits, nuts, and seeds promotes optimal health. Toss in a dash of joy and a splash of daily exercise, and statistics show chronic illness is greatly reduced.

As Hippocrates said many moons ago, “Let food be thy medicine,” meaning that not is a diet of healthy plant-based foods great medicine for the body, but increasing our consumption of whole fruits and vegetables also has the potential to reduce our dependency prescription medicine. Here is one recipe that is packed full of protein, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that may get you one step closer to a healthier lifestyle.

The Best Vegan Chili Ever

Difficulty: Moderate 
Time: 1.2 hours 
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

For the chili:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 19 oz can black beans (2 cups) , drained and rinsed
1 19 oz can kidney beans (2 cups), drained and rinsed
1 cup water (plus more if needed)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder

For the Tofu:

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 350g block extra-firm tofu

Instructions:

1. For the Chili: Add the olive oil to a large pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent and just begins to brown. Add in the tomatoes, beans, water, and all of the spices. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer and continue to simmer for 1 hour. If the chili gets too thick, just splash in more water to reach desired consistency.
2. For the Tofu: In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease the pan.
3. Mix nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and olive oil together in a large bowl. Open and drain the tofu (no need to press it), then break off chunks and crumble with your fingers into the bowl. Do this with all of the tofu until you have a large bowl of crumbles. Stir the tofu crumbles well making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated in the nutritional yeast mix.
4. Spread the tofu mixture evenly over the pan. Bake for about 45 mins, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. The smaller crumbles will be darker than the larger crumbles, and that's ok because it will provide a variety of texture.
5. When the chili and tofu are both prepared, stir in the tofu crumbles and continue to cook the for another 5 minutes. This will allow the tofu to absorb the sauce and get gloriously chewy. Serve hot with a dollop of vegan sour cream and a sprinkle of chives if desired.

Healthy Ingredients:

Tofu, or bean curd, is a popular food derived from soya. Made by curdling fresh soya milk, then pressing it into a solid block and cooling it, tofu is made in much the same way that traditional dairy cheese is made by curdling and solidifying milk. Tofu is an excellent source of protein, iron, calcium, and the minerals manganese, selenium, and phosphorous and it contains all eight essential amino acids. It is also a good source of magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamin B1.

Read Next >>> Mood-Boosting Baked Zucchini Fritters

Sources

1. https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/the-best-vegan-chili-ever/