March 21, 2022

What I've Been Eating Lately


A couple of weeks ago I said I would post what I've been eating lately now that I'm following a vegan diet. I still hesitate to say that I'm "vegan" or "plant-based" because it's only been a couple of months. It's kind of like when I started running... at what point could I call myself a runner? It took me almost a year to finally use that word.

So, for now, I just say that I'm eating a vegan diet: no meat, no dairy or eggs, no honey, or any other animal products (like gelatin). I am not going to be writing about it much because I don't want to become one of those preachy people that pushes my diet on other people. I still believe people should eat what works for them! But the more I read about plant-based diets and watch documentaries about it, I'm super convinced that I'm doing the right thing--for health reasons, ethical and moral reasons, and environmental reasons.

If you want to watch a great documentary (that is NOT meant to be a fear tactic like slaughterhouse videos) I just watched one yesterday on Netflix called 'The Game Changers'. It's about athletes who thrive on a vegan diet, but also all of the reasons why it works so well. I wasn't super interested to watch it at first because I'm not an athlete, but it was a really good entertaining documentary that I think everyone should watch--not to try to convince others to become vegan, but to learn what a plant-based diet does for your health and body.

Anyway like I said... I'm not going to write about this stuff much because I know it's annoying to meat eaters--and this isn't a "vegan blog". If there is something that I really find interesting, like that documentary, I may mention it.

Okay, so some people have asked what I've been eating lately. My breakfast and lunch are always the same--only because I really like them! I'm sure I'll get sick of them sometime in the near future, but for right now they are working for me. And they provide a lot of nutrition.

Breakfast:

I quit drinking decaf coffee and now I drink herbal tea that has my required Vitamin C for the day. I eat Grape Nuts cereal with almond milk (I currently use Silk brand unsweetened almond milk, which I discovered I like better than the Blue Diamond brand I was buying) and frozen blueberries. I also take a B-12 + D3 vitamin and a calcium complex. I was taking a multivitamin, but I was getting much more than necessary of most vitamins, so I just chose the ones that I was having a harder time getting. (Even without those, I'm sure I'm getting way more vitamins than I did before I started eating vegan.)

I know this looks really gross! The milk turns purple from the blueberries and gets super cold, even a little slushy. But it's SO GOOD.


Notice the little decor on the counter next to it: "Dear Vegetarians, Thanks for saving all the good food for us." Hahah! For the record, at the time I picked those, I thought it was funny while not at all true. Just a fun one to include.


Lunch:

In the mornings when I make my breakfast, I also prep my lunch. I make Cold Almond Joy Oats in a mason jar:

40 grams old-fashioned oats
5 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
8 grams coconut
13 grams chia seeds
10 grams vegan chocolate chips (I like the Enjoy Life brand)
140 grams (just over 1/2 cup) of unsweetened almond milk
8 grams maple syrup
a few drops of coconut extract and almond extract (optional)

I just mix put it all in a mason jar and shake it up really well, then I put it in the fridge to thicken until lunchtime.




I also have fruit with lunch; usually a pear.

Dinner:

This is where I change things up. Sometimes I have leftovers so I don't waste them, but I do like making different things. Cooking without meat is SO much more enjoyable. I always hated prepping meat.

So here are some of my dinners. Some are kind of unusual--things just thrown together--and some are actual recipes.

Barley with white beans, mushrooms, and cauliflower. I don't remember what sauce.


Beans and Rice (recipe on my blog)


Chickpea Tikka Masala --If you only try one recipe here, TRY THIS. I've been making it for a few years now and Jerry and I love it. (I just realized I don't have the recipe posted. I'll do that soon!)


Mushrooms, chickpeas, and barley with stir-fry sauce


Garlic & Chickpea Soup (find the post here)


Sesame Chickpeas with broccoli and barley (see recipe here)


Indian Lentil Soup (recipe here)


Keema with a couple of modifications to make it vegan (non-vegan recipe here)


Lentil Bolognese (post here)


Olive Tapenade & Hummus Pizza


Olive Tapenade (recipe here)


Super simple--just quinoa and peas. I love peas!


Tastes much better than it looks! Ratatouille with quinoa (which is buried under there)


Sesame Chickpeas with rice


Sweet & Sour Chickpeas with barley (Sweet & Sour Chicken recipe can be found here on my blog; I just modified it to make it vegan)


Whole wheat pizza crust with tomato paste, mushroom, caramelized onions, and peppers


Tacos with mushroom/cauliflower taco filling (post can be found here)

Here is my favorite "junk food" dinner for when I don't feel like cooking. These "buffalo wings" are AMAZING. The kids and Jerry tried them and none of them could tell they were vegan because they look, feel, and taste just like chicken nuggets (with a spicy breading). I cook them in the countertop oven (it's a convection oven, so essentially an air fryer without the fancy name). 


And dessert! I don't eat dessert very often. (Yes, I actually said that! I was the queen of dessert, but I just haven't been craving it lately.) I made these vegan brownies which I posted about and they were heavenly. Again, you'd never know they were vegan. (Find the post here)



I love ice cream and I almost didn't even try this "non-dairy frozen dessert" because I *knew* it wasn't going to be anywhere close to ice cream. But it was really good! I've since discovered their peanut butter chocolate fudge (or something like that) is even better. I've tried the Ben & Jerry's non-dairy as well, but I couldn't even eat it; it had a funky taste. But the Häagen-Dazs is delicious and Jerry even said he'd get that just as soon as he'd get actual ice cream. 



And this dessert is bewilderingly delicious. It sounds completely weird but I encourage you to try it! (It's supposed to be a dip but I like to eat it out of the bowl, haha). Here is the recipe.

Cookie Dough Dip


Snacks:

The only snacks I eat are between dinner and bedtime. They vary a lot, but sometimes I'll have a tiny little cup of peanut butter (I have a bunch of plastic one-ounce Jello-shot cups from way back in the day, so I just fill that). And yes, I eat it plain! Or sometimes I mix dry oats into peanut butter. Sometimes I'll eat almonds or cashews. Sometimes a Larabar. Hummus or tapenade with pretzels. It varies depending on what I'm in the mood for and what we have in the pantry. If I do make a dessert (like the brownies) I'll have that.

Okay, well that's what I have on my camera roll as far as food goes. I don't miss meat or dairy in the slightest. I haven't gone out to eat yet, but that's not unusual; I don't really like to eat out. I have a lot more energy and motivation since I started eating vegan, which is encouraging. I just feel healthier! My chronic pain has let up a LOT--I'm not sure if it's the diet change or if I'm just having a good couple of months, but it's been nice.

Now, if only my knees would cooperate (and I don't throw out my back again!) I should be good to go, hahaha.

Like I said, I don't plan to make my blog about a vegan diet, but on this post, I am curious about what other plant-based eaters eat! So feel free to share your favorites.

7 comments:

  1. This is one of my absolute favourite vegan recipes. It's warm and comforting, and although the combination of coconut milk + mushrooms + thyme and sage sounded odd to me at first, it really works well: https://www.budgetbytes.com/lentils-with-creamy-mushroom-gravy/

    The blog plantbasedrd also has some good ones. This Lentil Vegetable Wellington is nice as a vegan centerpiece for a holiday meal or other special occasion: https://plantbasedrdblog.com/2020/12/lentil-vegetable-wellington/

    I also recently tried this Crispy Orange Tofu and really liked it: https://plantbasedrdblog.com/2022/03/orange-tofu/ (I love tofu, but if you don't, you could just sub in chickpeas or something like that.)

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  2. Thank you for sharing!

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  3. Thanks for all this information! I could live on beans (lentils, chickepeas, peas) but my husband struggles to digest them. Not sure how to balance this, but I want to try.

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  4. So excited to see you post your vegan eats! I love lots of recipes from itdoesnttastelikechicken.com. it helped my kids transition to our vegan diet.

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  5. I'm not vegan or vegetarian but I could make better choices and should lay off dairy as it affects my body negatively. But I enjoyed this post. I like learning about your process of eating this way and things you have learned. I do not find it preachy at all.

    Keep up what works for you!

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  6. Hi Katie! The grape nuts look intriguing! Do you let the grape nuts and blueberries soak to “unfreeze” them?

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    Replies
    1. I LOVE Grape Nuts! I don't necessarily let them soak, but a lot of times after I pour the almond milk I'll see a squirrel waiting for me to feed him on the deck (or some other distraction) so I'll step away for a minute. The blueberries I use are very small so they defrost almost as soon as I pour the almond milk and stir it around. The milk gets SUPER cold. I think they taste good eaten right away or if I let them sit for up to five minutes or so afterward.

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