It has been a while since I did one of these. It’s been a while since I’ve posted much of anything. Between work and school, there never seem to be enough time, but I’ve posted a couple in the last few days, and I guess we can thank my knee sprain for giving me more time to get things done. Gotta find the positive in something crappy right?!
I thought it would be fun to do a typical day of what I eat. If you’re plant-based, vegetarian or vegan, I’m sure you know what I mean when I say that I get asked what I eat daily, and when I give the answer people are shocked at the variety! But it’s true, it took some time, of course, research and experimenting, but I figured it out. Now, of course, I don’t eat like this all the time, I eat shitty food just like the next gal, but for the most part, I’d say I’m pretty good. I’m going to break it down by breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and I’m going to give two options for each!
Breakfast
Protein Shake:
I’m terrible at making time for breakfast. I’m awful. But it’s important, and I have to eat something before work because I get hangry, and it makes no one happy. That’s where the protein shake comes in to save the day.
1 scoop of either Vega Sport Vanilla Protein powder or Tone it up Vanilla protein powder
cup of unsweetened Almond milk
pinch of Chia seeds
1/2 tsp of peanut butter
2 medium strawberries
I have four different plant-based proteins I use. Vega Clean Protein which has 25g of protein and BCAAs, Vega Sport protein which has 30g of protein and also has BCAAs, Vega protein, and greens that has 20g of protein and no BCAAs, and on occasion I’ve used Tone It Up protein powder which has 15g of protein. How do I decide? Well, honestly price and what fits in my budget when I need it. The Vega Sport Protein is my favorite, and I think the best for me, but it is also the most expensive. Either way, it’s always vanilla flavored! The peanut butter and strawberries are not necessary, but I think they cut through what can be a weird texture and even sometimes taste of the protein powder, just gives it a little something extra.
Weekend mornings I’m a little more relaxed about it, and if I’m up for breakfast, I might have a bagel with vegan butter. I’ve found this Cinnamon Chex cereal that is gluten-free and just delicious, so I’ll have a bowl of that with my almond milk and sometimes add some chia seeds to that for fiber!
Lunch
Tofu Scramble:
Tofu:
I use three different kinds. Either regular ‘ole Extra Firm Tofu which I flavor with turmeric, honey mustard or just good old garlic, onion, salt, and cayenne. It doesn’t even need to be a scramble, it can just be cubed tofu, same idea.
Mushrooms
Spinach
Kale
Roasted Potatoes
Tomatoes
Olive oil
I make this a LOT. It is a great way to incorporate spinach and kale into my diet, because I’m terrible at it, but both are essential to me. It is also just simply delicious, and the best part is I’ve found multiple ways to flavor the tofu and discovered the Hodo already flavored tofu that makes it, so it’s not the exact same dish every time.
Another Fav: Riced Veggies and a Burger
Green Giant Riced Cauliflower Medley
Dr. Prager’s California Burger
Salt
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cayenne
I am obsessed with the new green giant riced veggies. They are perfect for me because I am not about to rice my veggies myself. The Cauliflower medley has mushrooms, asparagus and obviously cauliflower. It’s not seasoned at all, so after cooking it in the microwave, I absolutely have to add some flavor. With it being summertime I’m prone to cooking up some zucchini and yellow squash with a little garlic and olive oil for a nice side!
Both of these lunch ideas are perfect for during the week at work because they’re relatively light (besides those delicious roasted potatoes), and I don’t feel weighed down going back to work. I’ve also eaten these meals for dinner, they really work for any time.
Dinner
Gardein Skillet Meal: Chick’n Florentino
This new meal from Gardein is amazing. Not only is it DELICIOUS, but it is so fast and easy to make. When I get home from work, I usually am exhausted, I might have homework to do, I might have my siblings to pick up, or maybe I just don’t feel like cooking anything. I can throw this into a pan, and in less than 10 minutes I have not only dinner, but also lunch to pack away for the next day, or pack away for dinner the night before and even though it’s a pasta dish with a cheesy flavor it is not heavy at all, and that’s the best.
Breakfast for dinner.
I’m a sucker for breakfast for dinner. Maybe it’s because I love the food, but I’m not really in the mood or have time for it in the morning, who knows. My favorite thing? Burritos.
Sweet Earth Big Sur Breakfast Burritos to be exact. It is full of tofu with turmeric, roasted potatoes, red peppers, and smoked seitan. It has 17g of protein and so damn good. I’m honestly obsessed with it. I love adding either Morning Star Farms veggie bacon or their veggie sausage links.
Snacks
This can include something I’ll eat at night while watching Netflix, something I take along with me with my lunch at work, something small to grab in between meals if my schedule is messed up.
Cucumbers and hummus: roasted red pepper sabre hummus is my favorite.
Harvest Snap Baked green pea crisps: These are the perfect snack for when I want something crispy and salty in place of chips.
Fruit Salad: Summertime I am all about the fruit salad. Give me strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and kiwi for the ultimate fruit salad. OH, and I’ll never say no to a little whipped cream on top! Discovering they make dairy-free whipped cream and sell it at my usual grocery store was such a pleasant surprise!
Almond Breeze Yogurt: Even if I ate regular yogurt, after having this dairy-free kind, I would NEVER go back. It is so much lighter and just so good. I love the vanilla, peach and strawberry kind. I also just tried new ones that have vanilla yogurt and then some shaved almonds and granola to put into it. The one thing with my yogurt is, it’s got to be made with almonds, same goes for milk and dairy-free icecream. I cannot do coconut, no matter what it is, or how little it is, just one of my things.
A couple guilty pleasures
I do not eat great 100% of the time, and like most, I usually slip up around dinner time or a late-night snack. A few things I absolutely love making at home?
- Quesadillas with Salsa: I’ll use morning star farms chik strips or gardein chik strips, cheese, and occasionally tomatoes, spinach or mushrooms. I call this a guilty pleasure because of the wraps, and of course the cheese. I’m just about 80% vegan and 20% vegetarian, and much of that is cheese. I have made progress and keeping my cheese intake to about once or twice a week.
2. Chips and Dip. This is a snack, obviously. I love Tostitos chips, I love them with salsa, with hummus, spinach and artichoke dip at a restaurant, and most terribly Queso. I’ll even munch on the chips by themselves. It is definitely my go-to snack.
3. Boxed Spanish Rice. Rice a Roni to be specific: In terms of health, I cannot imagine the bowl of it I could eat, is healthy, but it is so good. There are not many things that I eat that comes out of a box that isn’t marked Morning Star Farm or Gardein, but this? It’s just too damn good.
Now for the love of all things do not take this to heart. I’m not perfect, I’m still overweight, and have shitty energy sometimes, but this is a start for anyone looking to start somewhere. It look a long time with a lot of research and trial and error, but honestly, slow is best. Take your time, forgive yourself for mistakes, and listen to your body.
Miss Raee 