Day 5 and 6 or Milky Tacos?

Day 5 and 6 passed in a flurry of work and baby related activity.  Alas I was not too much in the blogging and accountability mode.  While I technically remained mostly vegan, (except for one unfortunate taco seasoning misunderstanding - more later), dark chocolate is not healthy just because it's dairy free.   But, sometimes, you just need some chocolate and a glass of wine.   Wednesday was one of those nights.  Unfortunately, so was Thursday.

Day 5  Food

Breakfast
Leftover pancakes
Coffee w/ soy creamer

Snack
Peach
Dried fruit and nut mix

Lunch
Leftover Bulgur fried rice

Snack
Leftover smoothie

Dinner
Spinach salad w/ tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, onions and balsamic vinaigrette
Tortilla chips w/ guacamole

Baby's finally asleep snack
Dark chocolate
Red wine

Day 6 Food

Breakfast
Steel cut oats w/ brown sugar, raisins, apple, almond milk
Coffee w/ soy creamer

Snack
Dried fruit and nut mix

Lunch
Leftover bulgur fried rice

Snack
Tortilla chips and dark chocolate, I'm not proud

Dinner
Burrito with tofu and taco seasoning*, rice, veggies

*Who would think there is whey in taco seasoning? We certainly didn't until we decided to double check the label after dinner was ready.  Seriously, why is there milk protein in taco seasoning? Of course, why is there no dairy in the chocolate sandwich cookies that shall remain nameless? Where's the justice?

Day 4 or Hail Seitan!

Feeling pretty good today.  I've had a decent amount of energy, enough to get a half hour on the treadmill even, and I'm proud to say I had my first filling meal in 4 days! All due to seitan.  It's a wheat protein that's cooked and is supposed to be a meat substitute.  It's got a good amount of protein, around 20 grams per serving or so.  That is the only way it will ever be a meat substitute.  It certainly doesn't taste like, or is even reminiscent of, meat.  But thrown in a stir fry where you are adding sauces or seasonings anyway it's not bad.  The particular kind I had tonight was "chicken" style.  I'm still trying to figure out what that means.  I guess everything tastes like chicken.  Including wheat protein.


Food


Breakfast
Leftover whole wheat pancakes w/ blueberries
Coffee w/ soy creamer

Snack
Apple
Dried fruit and nut mix


Lunch
Leftover bean PATTY!
Leftover sweet potato fries


Snack
Leftover cherry and banana smoothie


Supper

Bulgur fried "rice".  This is an assortment of sauteed veggies and seitan with bulgur.  I highly recommend subbing your rice for bulgur.  It's not that much of a taste difference and it packs a more powerful nutritional punch.  We also love Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids instead of soy sauce.  There's less salt and a little milder flavor.  I actually prefer it to soy sauce.  A very satisfying meal all in all.  Did I mention that the husband made this (albeit his had the addition of steak and egg)? God bless him for putting up with my crunchiness.

Day 3 or And Then There Were Cupcakes...(and they were good!)

Today I am thankful for copious amounts of leftovers and coworkers so annoying I forget that my stomach, in a fit of desperation for REAL FOOD, has now eaten my liver.   Due to the cooking done this weekend all I had to do was grab some tupperware and go.  No effort required.  After work I was able to come home, do a little Zumba and spend quality(?) time with an angry, screaming, teething 14 month old.   Better that than an angry, teething 14 month old screaming while I'm trying to figure out just what in the world I can actually eat for dinner.

Food

Breakfast
Leftover whole wheat pancakes w/ blueberries
Fresh pineapple
Coffee with soy creamer

Snack
Apple
Dried fruit and nut mix

Lunch
Leftover Bean PATTY (yes, burger wannabe, I'm still holding it against you)
Leftover Sweet potato fries
Smoothie w/ cherries and bananas

Snack
Tortilla chips
Pico de gallo

Dinner
Leftover whole wheat veggie pizza

DESSERT!

I think the Shrek cupcake wrapper gives it street cred.

This is a whole wheat chocolate chip cupcake adapted from this recipe with the following exceptions: I used almond milk instead of soy or rice, used whole wheat flour instead of (hiss!) white flour, added about 1 cup of dairy free dark chocolate chips to the batter, and no frosting.  Here's why.  I'm not really down with the whole soy "you won't miss the butter!" frosting.   Plus I don't see how the texture would be even remotely similar.  Why not make the cupcake more chocolaty so you don't even need the "frosting"?  Success!  They were great.  The husband even took more than his obligatory first cupcake.  You see I have this whole theory on cooking shows and the mandatory taste test.  If they go back for a second bite then you know it was truly a good dish.  If not, despite what they might have actually said, they're probably spitting it back out as soon as the camera cuts away.  Taking seconds is always the truest indicator of a successful recipe.  It's practically as scientific as the law of gravity.

Day 2 or A Bean Does Not a Burger Make

Today went much smoother than yesterday.  I wasn't overwhelmingly hungry and I had access to a stocked fridge full of fruits and vegetables.   I felt better today than yesterday as well with more energy, although some of that might be attributed to 40 minutes of Zumba.  For dinner I decided to experiment making my own black bean burgers.  And while they were delicious in their own right, they are not a burger nor do they taste like a burger.  Any vegetarian that tells you so is probably delirious with severe protein deprivation.  But if you take them for what they are they can be a great meal.  Just don't expect them to replace that hunk of beefy goodness. 

Food

Breakfast
Homemade whole wheat pancakes w/ blueberries
Coffee w/ soy creamer
Slice fresh pineapple

Snack
Apple w/ 1 T natural peanut butter

Lunch
Spinach salad w/ avocado, mushrooms and tomato
A splash of balsamic vinaigrette
Slice homemade whole wheat bread

Snack
Tortilla chips
Pico de gallo

Supper
Bean patty (the term burger has been revoked)
Tomato
Baked sweet potato fries

I even had enough energy to experiment and make a vegan friendly dessert for tomorrow.  Being Valentine's Day and all I didn't feel like my guys should have to suffer.  Although the husband may argue that consuming the dessert might still entail suffering, the son won't.  Only because he can't talk.  It still counts.

Day 1 or I AM SO HUNGRY!

We took a trip to the grocery store I will refer to as that weird hippie place that smells like patchouli.  The husband picked me up a vegan cookie while my back was turned and in a fit of desperate hunger I tried it.  Not bad at all, but definitely something that I could make myself.  The boy even happily gobbled some down, although if you could see what he puts in his mouth this is not necessarily a shinning endorsement for its flavor.  I did also pick up some seitan because it's clear that I will need to make an effort to make sure I'm getting enough protein.  And this was only before I learned that I could also make this myself.  Experimenting will be done.  I just might have to bring home some lab goggles for this kind of work.

But the meat (ha!) of this post is FOOD.

Breakfast
1 cup steel cut oats with
1 T brown sugar (I know, I know!)
1 apple
dash cinnamon
coffee w/ 1 T soy creamer

Snack
A serving of smoothie containing banana, cherries and almond milk
Part of a vegan cookie

Lunch
Qdoba vegetarian burrito with black beans, rice, guacamole salsa verde and no dairy obviously
*I double checked allergen ingredients before we ordered, I swear it's vegan!

Supper
I don't think I even have words for this.  It require full graphic detail.

Homemade whole wheat pizza crust brushed with olive oil and garlic, adorned with tomato sauce, onions, green pepper, mushroom and fresh tomatoes.  The best part? This is a great example of a meal that can be vegetarian and meat eater friendly for the whole family.  I made two pizzas, mine got the bulk of the veggies, and theirs got the addition of some pepperoni and cheese.  Everyone is happy.

I think the main hunger problem was poor planning on my part.  I foolishly was out and about grocery shopping without packing a proper snack.  That's silly for even an omnivore.  And I'm sure that like any style of eating it will be an adjustment.  I will say that the headache I get sometimes and have been battling the past few days is gone.  Also I definitely don't have that heavy, ate too much, going to sit on the couch and slip into a coma feeling.  I, however, will not make any wagers over if my dreams tonight are filled with dancing chicken breasts and milk chocolate.

Grocery shopping - the frugal vegan way!

I must admit, grocery shopping proved not to be as overwhelming as I had imagined.  For the most part I am already familiar with most of the ingredients.  As a household we already eat tofu, quinoa, beans and similar items.   And, perhaps most surprisingly, my final grocery bill total was a little less than it usually is for roughly the same amount of groceries.  I think that can be attributed to buying lots of dried beans, rice, produce and very little processed foods  The label "vegan" does not necessarily equate to healthy.  Just because some meat substitutes may be technically vegan doesn't automatically make them a superior health food.  If I'm eating soy or beans, just be upfront instead of throwing in some caramel coloring and preservatives and trying to tell me it's just like meat.  Why do we as American consumers let the food companies do this to us?  Turn over your food packages and take a good look.  For example, those delicious little chocolate sandwiches with the creme filling? Dairy free.  Check it out for yourself.  But then while you're there take a walk down the chip aisle and check out the chips that contain dairy.  What kind of world am I raising my son in that a cookie with creme filling has no dairy but a bag of chips do?


Anyway, our fridge is stocked full of fruits and veggies.  Our pantry is overflowing with rice, bulgar, barley, dried beans and lentils, some canned vegetables and everything else imaginable.   I have whole wheat flour ready and waiting and a bucket of wheat at the ready for grinding.  I imagine beautiful whole wheat pizza topped with tomato sauce, peppers, onions and mushrooms.  Or delicious black bean burgers accompanied by a side of baked sweet potato fries.  And, if I'm really lucky, freshly made guacamole resting next to a modest serving of (dairy free?) tortilla chips.  A girl can dream.

I am crazy

Yes that's right, officially insane.  I don't know what prompted me down this road but I suppose it deserves a background of sorts.  A few years ago I lost about 70-80ish lbs by adopting a sort of clean eating lifestyle.  For those of you not in the nutritional know that's eating lots of fruits, veggies, lean meat and dairy, and whole grains or in simple terms no processed foods.  Pizza rolls - out.  Quinoa - in.  That sort of thing.  But this, coupled with a lot of exercise, did the trick for me and lead me to a healthier lifestyle.  Fast forward a few years and a baby later and while I lost most of the baby weight I find myself still struggling with about 10 lbs.  The things that worked for me in the past just aren't working anymore.  Granted my diet isn't quite what it used to be but I still eat far better than the average American.  I eat very minimal amounts of processed foods, I don't eat anything fried, and I have whole wheat coming out of my ears.  Almost literally actually, I grind my own flour (you saw the insane part).   So after reading some other accounts of normal people from non hippie roots greatly improving their health by following a vegan diet I decided to give it a try.


This challenge consists of 21 days.  Why 21 days? Because 7 days is too short? Because I like my numbers divisible by 3?  I think it's the ideal amount of time for choice to become habit.  That's what I'm seeking to gain.  And I also saw it on Oprah so it has to be true.  I don't intend on being vegan forever but I do think it's the perfect opportunity for me to make conscious healthful decisions and increase my intake of fruits and vegetables.   Which is what I need.  You see I may have a bit of a sweet tooth.  I firmly believe I am in the midst of a full blow sugar addiction and that is not something I want my now 14 month old to inherit.  Now while technically sugar by itself would be vegan, some of my favorite sugar counterparts, butter, eggs, are most definitely not.  Therefore, hopefully, limiting the appeal.


So what is a "vegan"?  Someone out protesting cutting down trees? Someone not welcome at your family turkey day dinner? While those may be correct, a vegan diet is just like how the average American eats.  Except take out the meat.  And oh yeah that milk, yeah that too.  O.k., so that butter? Yeah not so much.  Oh and the eggs too.  Basically any animal products or bi products.  Now while some may do this for moral reasons, mine is solely based on health. 


So why embark on this journey? Well you saw the crazy part, but also I do well with rules and limitations.  You see I am scientist by trade, and I guess we science nerd types thrive on rules.  Even if we make them up as we go.   Speaking of making them up, did you know vodka is totally vegan? Whiskey too.  I'm just saying.