What I Eat as a Plant-Based Eater, Full-Time Working, Nursing Mama

Hey hey hey!

I titled this post with all those descriptions because all of them greatly influence my eats.  I stick to whole foods and I don't eat meat or dairy generally (except for the occasional slip up with dairy).  I work full-time so it requires some planning ahead to make sure I have the proper foods (and enough food!) for when I'm at work.  Lastly, I'm still nursing (pumping while at work) for my 5 1/2 month old baby boy, so that makes me a hungry beast.  

I'm sharing typical workdays as weekend food varies more.  Also, I do not count calories.  I believe in the quality of the food (organic as much as possible) and eat when I'm hungry, even if that means every two hours.  That all being said, here's what I eat...or ate ;)

Breakfasts:
  
I have a shake everyday.  Well, every workday.  On the weekend when I have more time, I tend to have pancakes bright and early, and then sometimes a shake mid morning. 

My favorite shake lately is a Peanut Butter Shake (that I share half with my husband):  2 cups vanilla almond milk + banana + 2 tbsp. PB + 2 scoops of Vegan Smart Protein Powder (vanilla flavored) + ice (sometimes I add 2 tbsp. of chia seeds)

Shakes are perfect because (1) there are so many different ingredient combinations and (2) the blender does all the work.  I do a combination of either vanilla soy or almond milk, always a banana and nut butter (PB, almond, or cashew), sometimes protein powder, and other add-ins include:  cocoa powder, chia seeds, ground flax, shredded coconut, frozen fruit, spinach, kale, etc.

And these are the killer Flax, Chia & Oatmeal Pancakes from last weekend.  I make all sorts of pancake recipes from banana pancakes to whole wheat chocolate chip, but these are a new favorite (recipe here!).

Lunches: 

I try to get greens in my lunch everyday.  This salad was from the Vegan Cafe by my work and it had kale, roasted beets, roasted sweet potatoes, green apple, and an agave mustard dressing.  I enjoyed it, but I could do without the beets.  

On this day I also had a whole wheat pita with garlic hummus about an hour earlier.

Another lunch making a big appearance this week is a salad made up of chard, spinach, kale and carrots with a miso ginger dressing and, again, a large dollop of garlic hummus with whole wheat pita bread.  It is just so simple and tasty.

 
And a third lunch from this week was a whole wheat pita stuffed with lots of avocado and tomato.  For me, sometimes the more basic the lunch, the better.  

 
And don't forget about dessert!  I never do.  Chocolate mint milkshake to get me through the afternoon.  In the dead of winter, I brave the cold for a vegan milkshake.  Totally worth it.

 Dinner:

My sister-in-law made a Curry Squash and Tofu dish for my birthday celebration last weekend and then left me with all the leftovers.  Hurray!  It's a glorious curry sauce made with lots of coconut milk and spices.  I dump a heaping pile of the squash, tofu and sauce over basmati rice.  
Other recent dinners include veggie chili, tempeh BLTs, cheddary broccoli soup, romaine salad with avocado and faux chicken strips, earth balance mac & cheese with kale, garlic tofu with mixed veggies (takeout), Chipotle...

Snacks:

I first tried these Fig Bars in my Vegan Cuts Box I order each month, but then I discovered them at my grocery store, Wegmans, and I'm hooked!  I have them every morning when I get to work.  I also like the plain fig bar flavor and my husband likes the blueberry.  They pair perfectly with a soy decaf latte that I get on the way to work when I have an extra few minutes.

I also eat several snacks during the day depending what I have on hand - nuts, chips, Larabar, Kind Bar, decaf soy latte (if I walk to Starbucks on lunch), oatmeal, granola... And I drink decaf tea all day long to keep warm and because I don't love just drinking plain water.

Sometimes a few hours after dinner I am hungry again so I have a banana with nut butter or a bowl of cereal.

Life is just better with delicious & nutritious food.

Agreed?

31 Foods in My Kitchen

Hi!

I actually did my hair for a dinner we had on Wednesday, so I got a picture with my sweet baby boy.  Normally he's all dressed up and I'm in sweats.  I swear I put socks on his feet, but they never stay on!  I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We traveled to visit family and had two delicious meals, one for lunch and the other for dinner; therefore, I was definitely stuffed.  

On that note, let's talk food.  With the arrival of snow, I like to make sure my kitchen is always stocked with food because I hate having to go out on a snowy, freezing day because the refrigerator is empty.  I'd much prefer to stay cozy at home with my family, drink tea, read, cook (and run because soon our treadmill will be arriving!!!).  Here are 31 foods you can almost always find in my kitchen.   Ironically my refrigerator is close to empty right now though and we really need to get to the store!  I chose 31 foods simply because I listed every food item I could think of that I always want around and that's when my brain stopped.  They are all vegan.  Having these items around makes putting a healthy meal together simple.

In no particular order...

1. Almond Milk and/or Soy Milk

2. Chia Seeds

3. Spinach 

4. Kale 

5. Oats 

6. Peanut Butter and/or Almond Butter

7. Tofu

8. Tempeh 

9. Sprouted Wheat Bread

10. Broccoli 

11. Avocados 

12. Brown Rice 

13. Whole Wheat Flour

14. Chocolate Chips 

15. Nuts (one or more of: almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans)

16. Bananas

17. Black Beans 

18. Whole Wheat Pasta 

19. Marinara Sauce

20. Faux Chicken Patties 

21. Garlic

22. Onion 

23. Tomato 

24. Nature's Path Cereal 

25. Flax (ground)

26. Udon Noodles

27. Vegenaise 

28. So Delicious Ice Cream

29. Squash and/or yams

30. Apples

31. Tofutti Cream Cheese

If you need a grocery list, that's actually a pretty good start!  And check out these cookbooks if you need a little more assistance in the meal preparation part (like I did!).

What are a few items always in your kitchen?

Do we have any of the same?

5 Simple Changes To a Vegan Diet

Hey hey!

I thought it would be nice to do a post on just a few things that can be changed in one's diet in order to adopt a plant-based one.  After reading The Kind Diet back in the fall of 2009, I felt ready and inspired to jump into a vegan diet.  The last four years have been a wonderful learning experience.  There was a period where I went back to eating meat occasionally, but I officially gave it up in January 2013.  Dairy slips into my food here and there if I'm away from home, but making the transition away from it was surprisingly easy.  

Below are a five simple switches you can make in your diet if you're interested in a vegan diet.   I feel better from making these changes in my life - both mentally and physically - and I don't feel like I've given anything up.  In fact, I love almond milk way more than cow's milk and who needs cheese when daiya exists (see below)?!  I've linked all of the foods below to recipes I've posted in the past and the products too.  The websites provide a wealth of information regarding each food product as well.  

1 - Instead of cow's milk, try:  almond milk (my favorite kind), rice milk, soy milk, hemp milk.  These can all be store bought, but I've made my own almond milk with the Soyabella and rice milk with a blender.

Source

2 - Instead of regular cheese, try:  daiya and Tofutti cream cheese.  We go through a package of daiya cheddar in our house each week.  It's perfect in quesadillas, grilled cheese, and any other food you desire it with.  It melts just like regular cheese.  I swear you can't tell the difference.  I made my dad (who loves his meat and dairy) a grilled cheese with daiya and he didn't even notice the difference.  

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3- Instead of meat, try:  Tofurky Deli Slices, Tofurky sausages (love the Italian flavor), Field Roast sausages (Apple Maple flavor perfect at breakfast), tempeh bacon, and other meat substitutes.  There are faux chicken nuggets and patties out there and faux meat crumbles.  I don't even crave meat anymore, but with these delicious substitutes, I could always satisfy a craving.

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4 - Instead of regular mayonnaise, try: Vegenaise!  Perfect on sandwiches, wraps, in salad dressings, on quesadillas.  Oh it's just so tasty, you won't miss your old mayonnaise at all.  

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5 - Instead of regular butter, try: Earth Balance Buttery Spread.  Perfect on toast and great in all baking recipes that call for butter.  The cookies will taste just as good (but better, really!)

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I shop at Wegmans and I can easily find all these foods there, but I know lots of other grocery stores carry them as well.  And if yours doesn't, I would ask!

Would you give any of these vegan options a try?

Six Foods I Eat Every Week

Hey there!

I have absolutely noticed an increase in my hunger levels this week.  Basically every two hours, if not sooner, I'm hungry for something.  Therefore, lots of snacking to get me through the day.  I think we all have foods that we eat every week without fail.   I'll get on a kick with certain foods and have it for weeks at a time, but the foods listed below are foods I absolutely have every week, if not multiple times a week.  In fact I love these foods so much I can't imagine a week without them. In no particular order, here they are...

black beans

My husband and I eat black beans like it's our job.  They definitely fall into at least one (sometimes up to three) meals each week.  My favorite recipe with black beans:  these quesadillas.  You truly cannot go wrong if you've got tortillas, daiya, black beans, and rice in the house.  

brown rice

Speaking of brown rice, that too makes a major appearance in our house each week.  It goes with close to every meal.  Those quesadillas I talked about, stir fries, salads, wraps, you name it.  Coming from my macrobiotic perspective, brown rice is an absolute super food and I wouldn't go a week without it.  Also, I don't cook fresh rice every day.  It keeps in the refrigerator for a few days, so we generally cook up a large batch and then use it for the next two days.      

sweet potatoes

 Oh they are so glorious.   By now you've probably heard me mention my favorite sesame tofu meal that goes with a pile of baked sweet potatoes.  We eat them all winter long and then make lots of fries with them come summer.  They pair so perfectly with a veggie burger or dog.  I'll even just eat a sweet potato with earth balance and cinnamon for dessert.   

kale

 Kale has become my new favorite green leaf.  It's so nutritious and really I'd take it over spinach.  My husband grows buckets of kale and it's wonderful eating it fresh (like really fresh straight out of the garden).  It truly tastes better than store bought, but really I love kale.  It makes me feel good.  We often saute it in olive oil with garlic and eat it along side dinner.  Kale makes any dinner healthier and happier.

sprouted grain bread 

My go to breakfast is sprouted grain bread - I like this brand.  There are weeks where I have two slices of toast every morning for breakfast.  My favorite toppings include peanut butter, almond butter, Tofutti cream cheese, jelly, and earth balance.  Depending on my craving, I change it up.  Also, a super simple meal is a grilled cheese made with sprouted grain bread and daiya.  And then with homemade sweet potato fries and a side of kale, you've got a wonderful lunch/dinner there.

 noodles (rice, udon, soba or whole wheat)

Udon noodles with broccoli in thai peanut sauce

Last, but certainly not least, are noodles.  If you follow me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook you've definitely seen pictures of my meals involving noodles.  I just love them!  Noodle stir fries with a pile of veggies and tofu are my favorite, but a nice Italian dinner of whole wheat spaghetti with Field Roast sausages is also so comforting, especially over this freezing winter we've had.  Noodles are easy and filling.  I stick to organic.  On a busy workday, it's almost effortless putting together a quick noodle stir fry.  Makes life easy and my stomach happy.

Soba noodles with faux chicken and veggies in spicey orange sauce

So there you have it, six foods I eat every week.

What are some foods you eat every week?  What's your favorite from my list?

5 Happy Foods from Grocery Shopping

Hey there!

We just got back from running some errands and now I'm posting about 5 things I'm excited to eat this week.  Do you ever grocery shop and get extra happy about your food for the week?  I really like to grocery shop.  I love a kitchen full of delicious, healthy, happy food.

This morning I started my day with Ezekiel 4:9 toast with Tofutti and jam on top.  And that's a glass of Dark Chocolate Almond Milk.  So good.  Great way to start a Sunday.

My husband needed a haircut, so while he went to the salon, I went to the grocery store.  We shop at Wegmans for the most part.  I just love that store.  They sent me (not just me, I'm sure tons of other customers too) all these coupons for their organic products.  Smart move on their part because I jumped right all over that.  Three of the 5 things I'm featuring below were bought because (1) they are delicious foods and (2) I had a coupon.  Woohoo!

Let's start off by talking about that baby spinach!  In cold weather, I don't really crave salads, but I love to saute greens with garlic and a little olive oil along side meals.  I already know this is going to pair perfectly with a tofu dish.

And that rice above will be the perfect base for that tofu dish and greens.  We've only had instant rice in the house the last week or so and I have really been wanting some good rice.  I've been doing lots of Macrobiotics reading too which further inspires me to get more brown rice in my life.  Really having it daily would be ideal.

Moving onto breakfasts.  Oatmeal is my go-to breakfast lately.  I like to throw stuff in my oatmeal - not so much a fan of eating it plain.  Last week it was pecans, now those almonds will rock.  A great extra kick to get me going for the day.

These Animal Cookies were a brand new buy this week.  The coupon totally inspired this purchase and I'm glad!  They are delicious.  They remind me of those animal crackers from the little red box that I would get when I was little.  Only these are healthier - bonus!  I had a handful of these as soon as we got home and I know they'll make a great afternoon snack during the workweek.  

Last, but certainly not least, is the Thai Peanut Sauce.  So I know it's very easy to make my own sauce, but this sauce is just so tasty (and convenient) that it sucks me in.  It's delicious.  This will make a quick and nutritious dinner this week (with leftovers).  I'll use rice noodles, broccoli, and tofu and then cover in in this sauce.  Perfection.

The dogs might not have had nearly as much fun as I did at the grocery store this morning.  Time to take them for a run in the snow!

Have a great rest of your weekend!

What food are you most excited about this week?

How I Save Money on Food

Hey!

I feel like it's been forever since I just sat down at my computer and chatted with you.  I also never post at night, but here I go.  I just finished dinner - Thai Peanut Noodle Stir Fry.  I'm going to relate everything I share with you tonight on how I save money on food.

I love food so much.  I'm sure you know that about me.  I love food that makes me feel good, so for me, that means sticking to a plant-based diet.  Dinner tonight was incredible and honestly better than something I'd get at a restaurant, and even better, it was way cheaper than going to a restaurant.  

Rice Noodles - approximately $3 (bag serves 4)

Broccoli (frozen) - $1 for the bag (serves 2)

Tofu - $2 for the block (serves 2)

Thai Peanut Noodle Sauce - $3 (serves 2)

So basically this meal cost less than $5 and it's nutritious and delicious!  The splurge for this meal was this store bought sauce - I could have made it myself - but it's just so good.  I try to buy as much fresh produce as possible, but broccoli is one of those veggies we keep bags (and bags) of in the freezer.  It makes for a super quick stir fry and I really I don't taste a difference.  Great way to save a bit of money.

Another thing that is crucial for me is bringing lunch to work.  It is ridiculously easy to spend a small fortune each week if I don't plan out lunches.  Most often I bring leftovers from dinner the night before, but not always.  This lunch consisted of a PB&J on Ezekiel 4:9 bread, organic apple sauce and fruit cup, Amy's lentil soup, and a massive salad.  Definitely plenty to keep me full. 

I could easily spend $10/day if I went out to lunch every day.  That's not to say I never go out, but I try to bring lunch most of the time.  I'd rather save my money for going out to eat on the weekends.

My husband and I LOVE dessert.  It's also tough to find vegan desserts out so that means dessert at home more than not.  And plus dessert out is pricey - sometimes costs 1/2 the price of the meal itself if we both order dessert.  But if we make it at home, that's way more brownies, way more ice cream, plus the fun of putting it all together.  

Also, I love to bake so for me dessert at home is really in my favor.  Save money and make something spectacular.

Complete side note - I forgot to share with you my birthday cupcakes from my BFF!  They were (because yes I ate them all) gluten-free, vegan, and Mocha Chocolate flavored.  Heaven.  I saved money here because they were a gift - ha! 

A few more tips for saving money when shopping for food:

1. Buy only the food you need.  This is such a tough one because I always find something I want.  And I go for it many times, but if I'm really sticking to a budget, then I stick to buying for what's on the menu for the week.

2. Vegan on the Cheap - great book!  

3. Eat your leftovers!

4. Eat more brown rice (throwing some Macrobiotics at your here) because it's nutritious and cheap.

5. Grow your own veggies (if possible) - Right now we are growing tomatoes, kale, and squash.  

It feels really good to use all the food in my fridge without being wasteful.  I absolutely hate when I have to throw food out.  My dogs are very considerate though and they always offer to eat leftovers as well.

Hope you have a great weekend ahead!

Also, you must check out this giveaway - jump over here!  Hidden Fruits and Veggies is an amazing blog with tons of delicious recipes, and right now is hosting a fantastic giveaway.  I mean it, you really should go see for yourself...

How do you save money on food?

My Sunday Vegan Shopping Trip

Hello!

 

How's your first weekend in November going?  I've been writing down my something I'm thankful for each day.  And working on my reading list.  In my notebook yesterday, I wrote how I was so thankful that my two dogs get along.  My husband and I went to the dog park with them Saturday morning and Jax was playing with a husky pup.  At one point it got a little rough and Lincoln ran over and barked a little - essentially protecting his brother.  It was incredibly cute and heartwarming to see.  

 

 

Yes, that's wrapping paper!  We are officially halfway done with our Christmas shopping and I want to wrap the presents because they look so pretty all piled up together.  I know for many it may be early, but not in our family.  We like to start early.  I get into gear with the holidays once November hits.  So fun that way!   

 

 

And look what was out on the shelves when I was grocery shopping this morning...I resisted.  I definitely will be getting that soon though.  Come December, for sure.

  

  

And later while figuring out meals for the week - because that's generally what I use Sunday for - I did some organization.  Reuse your glass jars!  I tend to accumulate pasta sauce jars and brown rice syrup jars, both of which work fantastic for storing beans, grains, and seeds (below from left to right:  whole oats, pinto beans, whole wheat flour, sunflower seeds, and brown lentils).

 

Two things on the menu in my house this week are Hearty Pinto Bean Stew and Sweet Potato Lentil Stew.  Especially now that the weather is cold, I love making big batches of stews.  It makes lunch at work easy (and delicious) and great dinners when we need something quick.  I've got brown rice soaking as well as the pinto beans to cook up later tonight (both of which I generally soak overnight, but it's going to be a solid 7 hours before I need to cook them anyways). 

 

 

We are off to Barnes and Noble now where I plan to read The Food Revolution by John Robbins and of course get a Venti Peppermint Tea.  Have a wonderful rest of your weekend.

 

What's on your menu this week? 

A Grocery Shop for Clean Eating

Hey hey hey!

 

Time to talk food.  I haven't shared a grocery shop in a while because I know it gets repetitive each week, but this week is a little different.  I was inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow's book, It's All Good (see yesterday's post).  I went into the store wanting to buy gluten-free foods and I think I accomplished that.  At least at the moment I can't think of anything that's not gluten-free.  As I mentioned, her book really focuses on clean eating and this is something I strive for. 

 

 

 This list supplements what we already had at home.  Also, it incorporates some non-vegan items for my husband.  Ready for some pretty pictures?

 

 

I hardly ever eat yogurt so I just had to try those new Almond Dream ones.

 

 

I plan on doing some juicing this week as well.  We have some greens from our garden to mix in.

 

 

I'm giving coconut water another try and hoping I like this flavor more.  There is a smoothie that calls for it in Gwyneth's book and I know it's so good for hydration with running.  My husband loves those Kind Bars.  They are like a healthy candy bar.  And that Miso Ginger dressing was sooo good on our salads last night.

 

 

It wasn't all this healthy - we finished off our wedding cake after this salad.  Healthy dinner and wonderful dessert! 

 

 

So that's my grocery shop for this week.  I'll post recipes as I try them.

 

What's your favorite item from my list?  Did you grocery shop this weekend? 

 



Another Grocery Shop

Hi guys!

I went grocery shopping again.  Big surprise, I know! ;) But I wanted to share my list because I think I got lots of good stuff.  I actually was thinking of a few dinners in advance as well as lunch makings for both myself and the hubby - always makes shopping easier.

 

Also, something else I wanted to let you guys know is that my husband does not eat 100% vegan.  In all my grocery lists I've eliminated the non-vegan items because they do not apply to me, but I thought it actually may be helpful if I included those food items.  A large majority of his meals are vegan, but there are nights where say we have burgers, he'll have a turkey burger and I'll have a veggie burger - that sort of thing! 

He stuck to a plant-based diet for 2 years, but then made the choice to incorporate some meats back into his diet.  I probably should have shared this much earlier, but didn't really think much of it because the majority of the food in our house is vegan.  And again, I was just focusing on my eating, but grocery shopping is for the family so here I go...

 

On my list below I indicated the non-vegan items that were bought.  When looking over my list now, I guess it looks incomplete, but several food items we already had in the house.  For example, I didn't need to buy any beans this week and I already had sunflower seeds, chia seeds, ground flax, raisins, and shredded coconut...to name a few.

Fruits & Veggies

 

Apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries

kale, collard greens, romaine lettuce, parsley, baby carrots, sweet potatoes, mushrooms

Grains

 

brown rice, gluten free quick oats

 

Grain products

 

Organic seven-grain bread, tomato basil tortillas, brown rice krispy cereal, kind bars (chocolate peanut butter flavor), multigrain pita chips

 

Nuts, seeds, etc.

 

walnuts (chopped), dates, organic peanut butter

 

Bean product

 

hummus (roasted red pepper!), tofu

 

Fake Meat

 

Amy's veggie burgers

 

Fake Dairy

 

Almond milk, daiya

 

Other
 

 Cliff gel shots (running fuel), organic diced tomatoes (can)
 

Non-vegan items

 

deli turkey, provolone cheese, bacon

That's what I bought for this week!

Tomorrow I'll post about a typical food day since I haven't done that in a while. 

Any grocery shopping questions?  Let me know!

Did you grocery shop this weekend?