Lights Out Actress Teresa Palmer On The Best Vegan Snacks for Kids

“I just decided I don’t want to add to any more suffering in the world, including [the] suffering of any sentient beings,” says Teresa Palmer. Best known for her role as Rebecca in the horror movie, Lights Out, Palmer ditched meat for the "sake of the animals." The Australian actress has always been an animal lover since she grew up on a wildlife sanctuary that her father owned back in Adelaide, the coastal capital of South Australia. As a girl she was always around endangered species and felt the koalas and kangaroos were her personal pets.

As a mother of four Palmer is raising her children as vegans. Palmer, 37, has sporadically eaten vegan throughout her life and has been a longtime pescetarian. She confessed that she ate fish because, 'It didn't resemble an animal, so I would eat it and not really think about the life that was that animal, and then as an animal lover and the more I read, I realized, "I actually can't do this anymore,"' she told Daily Mail UK. Palmer adds, "It didn't align with who I was, and I realized that I had this sort of cognitive dissonance and I was very disconnected from the food that I was eating."

Palmer explained to OK! Australia how her son Bodhi and stepson Isaac encouraged her to make the switch to veganism for good."Their compassion and kindness [have] inspired me to adopt a more humane and considered approach to food. Bodhi saw some fish on display at Whole Foods Market one day and was completely scarred – he didn't understand why they weren't swimming in the ocean and why someone would purposely catch the fish for people to eat."

Last April, Palmer gave birth to her third child Poet, and since has been laser-focused on making healthy food choices. Palmer has a total of four children including her stepson Isaac, and reveals what her diet looks like after giving birth and having her hands full with kids. "Nursing Poet and Forest are so demanding on my body and I'm constantly feeling hungry."

She adds, "I love heavy carbs and always want to eat pasta, bread, or pizza, but I find my energy levels plummet when I indulge in these foods continuously. A particular food focus for me at the moment is to eat a variety of nutrient-rich mixed greens every day. I can make them into a simple stir-fry or curry and enjoy a delicious, healthy meal in minutes." Palmer raises her children on plant-based diets and shares her story on her wellness website.

In her blog Your Zen Mama  Palmer was asked how she manages a vegan diet as a family, and said, "our family does it pretty seamlessly. We usually make sure we have a serving of veggies/fruit with each meal, a starch, and a plant-based protein whether it be quinoa, beans, or veggie meat made from pea protein. Our children feel really passionate about not eating animals and their drive and commitment to it keep inspiring us to stay on this path."

She started the blog as a community for plant-based parents with her friend the actress  Sarah Wright Olsen, known for her role as Millicent Gergich in Parks and Recreation, collaborates with Palmer on the wellness website. The two actresses both eat a plant-based diet and share recipes, information and advice about veganism from expected mothers, using their first-hand experiences to guide.

In addition, she advises her readers to ensure you're taking a great multivitamin, drink more water than you think you need, and consume enough protein. Palmer chooses plant-based proteins such as "beans, nut butter, lentils, quinoa, chia seeds, and oat barley," and enjoys vegan meals from well-known blogger, Angela Liddon, creator of Oh She Glows.

As a mother of four and raising her children as vegans, Teresa Palmer likes quick and creative vegan snacks and meals.

Here is a list of her go-to snacks by Oh She Glows:

Palmer admits she uses her Vitamix, "a bunch", and "purées lots of fruits and veggies for Forest to eat and sprinkle it with chia seeds for protein. He also downs my vegan banana bread." One of her easiest go-to snacks and her son's favorite snack is mashed cinnamon sweet potatoes. She explains how simple they are to make, instructing, "just bake peeled sweet potatoes in the oven, chuck in a bowl, add a dash of almond milk and cinnamon and smash it all together!"

When Palmer needs to satisfy her sweet tooth, she claims her guilty pleasures are anything "chocolate or caramel flavored." Palmer says,"It's okay to treat yourself occasionally if you're feeding your body with healthy choices the rest of the time, and it's okay to have a day off from the gym if you need time to rest." The actress claims, "the worst I've ever felt and the sickest I've ever been was when I was working out five times a week for 90 minutes a day and eating the cleanest diet possible."

Shevonne Hunt hosts Teresa Palmer on her Feed Love Play podcast and gets to the bottom of what zen means for the busy mother and famous actress. Palmer explains that zen is the "idea of finding balance, it exploits the idea of perfection." She advises parents and listeners of the podcast to "let go of the self-critical voice, everyday ill feel and look different--that's okay."

During the lockdown, Palmer is "riding the wave" and mentions how "some days I feel like I'm in the flow and other days are messier." She goes on to explain how her four kids are high maintenance and need to stay active or completely disconnect by spending the entire day watching TV.  Palmer concludes, "I have to take the pressure off myself."