Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn‘s name is synonomous with several things, depending on who you’re speaking with. He was a successful Olympic rower who helped his team take home a gold medal in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. He’s the author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease where he wrote about how he helped his own patients reverse atherosclerosis by following a vegan diet. Bill Clinton‘s medical advisor, father of a Texas firefighter who turned his house vegan on the job and now, Esselstyn can be officially known as lover of all unsweetened almond milk and rolled oats.

In a Q & A with Philadelphia Magazine’s Be Well Philly, Esselstyn told readers whether he prefers tofu or tempeh, kale or collards and all things a vegetarian foodie loves to read about.

Although he’d choose tofu over tempeh, he has a problem with the fat content of many soy products.

“The problem with tofu and all those soy products is that they are about 40% fat. If anything, I prefer a very, very light silken tofu occasionally.”

So Esselstyn definitely has a clear preference for vegan protein, but some of his answers sound as if he’s playing food politician and rooting for both sides.

BWP: Black beans or aduki beans?

CBE: Oh, they’re all great.

BWP: Brown rice or quinoa?

CBE: I really like them both.

BWP: Butternut squash or sweet potatoes?

CBE: They’re all glorious.

But make no mistake, there are some lines that are drawn and he often doesn’t vote for either party–like in the case of stevia vs. agave syrup.

Visit Philly Magazine for more.

Possibly Related Posts: