Vegan Eggplant Not-Parmesan

I took a huge leap tonight and made eggplant parmesan, minus the parmesan! Thus, eggplant not-parmesan. I also swapped out my regular pasta for whole wheat pasta and it tasted good! I was pleasantly surprised to find 8g of protein per serving and 4 g of fiber in the whole wheat pasta! Bonus!

So, instead of setting up a breading station (with eggs, flour and bread crumbs with parmesan cheese) to make a classic eggplant parmesan dish, I grilled the eggplant on my indoor cast iron griddle by slicing the eggplant into circles, drizzling with extra virgin olive oil and seasoning both sides with salt and pepper. I grilled them on each side for several minutes until they softened up a bit and got nice grill marks on them. Then, I took a major short cut and used store bought tomato basil marinara sauce to layer underneath and on top of the eggplant in a baking dish. This is where the Vegan swap outs continue--this is all new terrain for me! I used Vegan mozarella cheese to sprinkle on top. The brand I found was Daiya. I baked it in a 350 degree F oven for 40 minutes or so until it was bubbly.

I have never had Vegan cheese. This Vegan eggplant not-parmesan wasn't half bad! I found some Vegan Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top and I tore up some fresh basil for garnish. I actually enjoyed this Veganized eggplant not-parmesan dish because it was lighter and yet very satisfying--it still hit most of the flavor notes of classic eggplant parmesan but it didn't make me feel guilty for eating it. The Vegan cheese definitely didn't melt the same way as regular mozarella cheese, but it was still creamy tasting and added the visual element of having "cheese" on this classically cheesy dish. It wasn't greasy either, which was nice.

I feel like this Vegan eggplant not-parmesan was a fair swap out and definitely something I would be willing and excited to make again. Usually I eat a ton of pasta, but I tried serving myself a smaller amount with two slices of eggplant, and it was all the better for me because I didn't walk away feeling heavy and overly stuffed, just pleasantly sated. That is the key state that I need to train my body to reach, pleasantly sated and not overly stuffed. I have to remind myself that if I get hungry in two hours, I can eat some fruit or nuts or some kind of snack. And somehow that idea comforts me--I can always eat again later!

Baby steps...changing my habits, changing my recipes...baby steps...I will get there, I will. Day 15 in a row of Vegan meals, day 19 of Vegetarian. I am half way done with this challenge to eat Vegan meals for 30 days. If I can do it, anyone can!

Trader Joe's Super Green Drink Mix

Started today off right with a nice green smoothie! I mixed a scoop of Trader Joe's Super Green Drink Mix with a cup of cantelope, a splash of water and a few ice cubes in the blender. The cantelope really sweetens up the green drink mix and the ice makes it nice and frothy. Trader Joe's Super Green Drink powder is a nice, affordable and convenient way to make a green smoothie on the go!

Vegan Rajas and Sweet Potato Barley Hash

Here's another great "use-up" recipe I just threw together today for lunch.
Bring on the spicy food, please!

For this Vegan Rajas and Sweet Potato Barley Hash, you need to:

1. Saute half a chopped onion in a tablespoon of coconut oil
2. Add one small chopped sweet potato and let soften a bit
3. Add two cloves chopped garlic and two roasted poblano chiles (aka, rajas)
4. Add one small zucchini, chopped in quarter moons
5. Add 1 cup or so of cooked barley, just eyeball it, I just used up what I had and didn't measure it
6. Season with salt and pepper. Add about half a teaspoon of cumin and corriander
7. Add half a bag of baby spinach (had to use it up so I threw it in to wilt up!). Cover with a lid to let spinach cook down while the veggies soften.
8. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime

Talk about a flavor explosion! This is so hearty and spicy with those rajas! YUM!!!

NOTE: To roast a poblano chile, simply char it on an open flame of a gas stove until the skin blisters and turns black. Or you can place them on a broiler pan under the broiler and turn every few minutes until the skin is blistered. Place chiles in a plastic ziploc bag or a bowl with a tight lid and let steam for ten minutes. Remove outer black layer and skin with a paper towel. Remove seeds. Rajas!

Vegan Chickpea Vegetable Curry Stew with Harissa

Felt ambitious enough today to try to find a way to use up some cooked chickpeas and experiment with Harissa, a very spicy chile paste that comes in a tube. It is deliciously spicy and adds so much depth to any dish.

This kind of stew is so easy to make because you can just throw in whatever vegetables you have on hand. I started by sauteeing a chopped onion, two stalks of chopped celery, two chopped carrots, one chopped yellow bell pepper, five cloves of chopped garlic and grated fresh ginger in a tablespoon of coconut oil. Then I started building the spices. I just eyeballed everything: teaspoon of cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, corriander, tumeric, garam masala, pinch of dried oregano and paprika. I let the spices coat the veggies and seasoned everything with salt and pepper. Then I added one tablespoon of harissa, one tablespoon of tomato paste and one serrano chile cut down the middle (but still attached at the stem). Next, I added one chopped zucchini and one chopped sweet potato, one can of cut tomatoes, about two cups of cooked chickpeas, two handfuls of kale, one cup of cooked pearl barley and one can of coconut cream. I let that come to a boil and simmered it over low for 20 minutes to thicken. I had to leave the house so I threw the stew in the slow cooker on low and it simmered on low for about 5-6 hours. Before I served this stew, I stirred in one cup of frozen roasted corn to let warm through. I toasted up some pine nuts and cut some cilantro and mint for garnish. This chickpea vegetable curry stew with harissa can be served over rice or by itself with the garnishes of toasted pine nuts, cilantro and mint. The mint nicely counters the heat of the harissa and the pine nuts at a buttery crunch. I really enjoyed this stew and I love how filling it is. This is the kind of stew that makes you feel good about getting your veggies in for the day! Plus, it is so flavorful that you will enjoy it even if you're not Vegan! Did I mention this is a good "use up" stew, so you can use up any veggies that need to be cooked before they go bad? Love this flexible kind of cooking!

Baked Kale Chips with Nutritional Yeast

If you are a chip-a-holic like I am, you might like these baked kale chips. I made my first batch and I love them! The key to crispy baked kale chips is making sure the kale is dry before you add oil.

Set oven to 275 degrees F.

Tear kale into pieces and drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with Nutritional Yeast and a pinch of sea salt. Do not over salt--a tiny bit goes a long way. Massage the oil into the leaves to coat.

Set a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. Scatter kale evenly over the cooling rack. Bake for 10 minutes. Check. Turn kale gently. Bake for additional 5-10 minutes or until crisp. I just eyeball it until it is crispy.

Yum!!! This is an amazing snack! I am smitten! This snack doesn't keep well stored, so try to eat it in one sitting (not hard for me to do!). This is a great way to eat a kale salad on-the-go and it is a wonderful way to sneak a super food into snack time in a crunchy chip form! Kale chips are light and crispy, nutty and satisfying--the texture almost reminds me of roasted seaweed. I am going to keep experimenting with different ways to prepare kale chips because the possibilities are endless! I bought a bundle of kale for $0.79 at Berkeley Bowl Market and made these kale chips myself instead of paying over $6 for a small bag of pre-made kale chips at Whole Foods Market. Victory for homemade food! Yay!

Tofu Vegetarian Banh Mi Sandwich

What a treat--a Banh Mi sandwich...with fresh French Bread! I had a Tofu Vegetarian Banh Mi Sandwich today, minus the mayonnaise. It was a true test of will power not to order a BBQ Chicken or Pork Banh Mi from my favorite Vietnamese Deli, but I really wanted to stick to my goals. It is definitely easier to stick to Vegan meals at home, but I need to learn how to navigate through menus at restaurants on the rare occasion that I actually eat out. At least I remembered to order the Vietnamese sandwich without mayo--it's healthier for me anyway and it's a habit I should have embraced long ago. At least I got to indulge in super fresh French bread that Banh Mi sandwiches are known for! I was surprised that the tofu on the Banh Mi was like tofurkey or tofu deli-style slices of fake meat. It was interesting. Visually, it looked like turkey slices. It tasted okay, too, very similar to deli turkey--salty and not soft and mushy like I would have imagined the tofu to be.

Baby steps...I am making changes and from now on if I hit a Vietnamese deli, I will order the tofu sandwich or tofu fresh rolls. I just need to find out if they put fish sauce in the dipping sauce. Does anyone know if they do?

Vegan French Lentil Soup

I have never had French lentils before, but now that I have, I know what all the fuss is about! It really does make a difference using French lentils--they are so tasty! French lentils are smaller than brown lentils (the ones that are in most grocery stores) and look dark green when they are dried. This super is really satisfying and is perfect for a rainy day.

For this Vegan French Lentil Soup, you will need:

1 1/4 cups French Lentils, washed
1 onion, chopped
2-3 carrots chopped, depending on size
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 carton Organic Vegetable Stock
1 15 oz can cut tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried Thyme
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar or Balsamic Vinegar Glaze (Trader Joe's has a great one!)
Salt and Pepper
Parsley

Saute onions in a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add carrots, celery and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Add dried Thyme and bay leaf. Add entire carton of Organic Vegetable Stock. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cover. Let simmer 40-50 minutes. Skim off any foam that forms. Take an immersion blender and blend a few seconds to thicken soup, but do not blend completely--we still want to see some whole lentils. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley and a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar or Balsamic Vinegar Glaze (my favorite!).

Vegan Citrus Arugula Salad with Fennel and Toasted Pine Nuts

Came home late and threw this Vegan Citrus Arugula Salad with Fennel and Toasted Pine Nuts together in minutes and it was sure yummy! It was a nice, light dinner that kept me on track on day 9 of eating Vegan meals. The fennel gives the salad a nice crunch, while the citrus highlights the licorishy flavor of the fennel and balances out the peppery arugula with a tinge of sweet and sour. The pine nuts add more crunch and almost a creamy-nutty charm to the salad.

For this salad, you will need:

Half a bag of organic baby arugula (Trader Joe's is perfect for this)
1 Fennel bulb, finely shredded
1 grapefruit, segmented
1 orange, segmented
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Toss ingredients gently and drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil and Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Vinegar. I also squeezed the remainder of the orange and grapefruit juices from their membranes onto the salad (the clear "skin" of what was left after segmenting the citrus). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Vegan Asian Slaw with Barley and Spicy Peanut Dressing

This Vegan Asian Slaw with Barley and Spicy Peanut Dressing is a breeze to make for lunch. I used Smart Balance peanut butter to bump up the protein. The added bonus is that Smart Balance Peanut Butter is a good source of Omega-3's!

For the dressing, you will need to mix together:
-1 tablespoon Smart Balance Peanut Butter, heated in the microwave about 20-30 seconds to liquify it
-1 tablespoon soy sauce
-2 tablepoons rice vinegar
-1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
-about 2 tablespoons grape seed oil or any flavorless oil
-salt and pepper to taste

For the slaw:

Handful of pre-shredded cabbage, just eyeball it (about a cup?)
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1 cup diced English cucumber
1/2 cup cooked pearl barley, cooled
Chopped cilantro (about 2 tablespoons)
Black sesame seeds to garnish

Mixed slaw with dressing and enjoy! This is just the basic foundation for good slaw salad. I would have added sliced almonds, green onion or bell peppers if I had them! The barley just blends right in--thanks to the peanutty dressing that gets a kick from the sriracha sauce--and almost takes on the characteristic of a brown rice salad.

The Problem with Low Carb Diets

The problem with the low carb diet is that it makes people tired and cranky! I have tried to reduce or eliminate the bad carbs, like white bread, from my diet and load up on protein (chicken or fish) and veggies, but more often than not, it left me still hungry and feeling icky after a few days. It just wasn't satisfying because eating too much meat was not good for me--it wasn't giving me the energy I needed to get through my day without feeling hunger pangs and blood sugar dips in the afternoon. Plus, it made me crave carbs even more because they were so "forbidden." I realize now that carbs are important as a source of good energy--it's just a matter of finding a better source of carbs that don't spike my blood sugar levels. And now I have found that source: beans, legumes and whole grains! I am so satisfied after eating beans, legumes or whole grains along with veggies that I don't need a big pile of rice or pasta or bread to hold me over like I used to (I definitely still eat pasta but just not as often and when I do, I am sticking to a vegan sauce). The beans and grains are enough! They are a terrific source of good carbs for me and I now I actually enjoy designing my meals around beans or whole grains, instead of meat and simple carbs.

I am on day six of eating vegan meals (and day ten of vegetarian meals) and my body is definitely going through an animal detox phase right now. I am changing my habits and reaching for different foods and it is changing my appetite and tastebuds, which is great. The more healthy food I eat, the more healthy food I want. It is a nice, unexpected cycle of positive energy. Plus, now I get to try new dishes along the way--that's the funnest part of this challenge (well, that and the fact that I have already lost about five pounds without even starving myself!).

Zucchini Carpaccio

Even though this dish is not Vegan, it is vegetarian and it is so good, yet so simple! I ate this eight days ago (it was my one slip-up off the Vegan wagon, but I haven't slipped since).

One zucchini serves two people. Zucchini Carpaccio is raw, as the name suggests, but it is so refreshing and full of fresh flavor. The simplicity of this recipe is also the beauty of this recipe because it celebrates the flavor of zucchini.

Finely shave a zucchini in long ribbon stripes. Use a "Y" vegetable peeler for easy ribbons. In a bowl, whisk together the juice of one lemon, chopped fresh thyme (one teaspoon), and approximately two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over zucchini. Let sit for at least 15 minutes so the lemon juice can start to wilt the zucchini ever so slightly. Add shaved parmigiano reggiano and gently toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve as an appetizer/salad course or side dish.

If you are looking for a new way to serve zucchini, this zucchini carpaccio is a winner and reminds me of a fancy bistro salad (but you can do it at home for a fraction of the price!). The next time I make this, I will have to omit the parmigiano reggiano cheese if I want to stick to  Vegan meals. So now I am on a mission to find a vegan parmesan cheese subtitute!

Eat with Abandon

I have made it to my fifth full day in a row of Vegan meals and ninth day of vegetarian meals. YAY! I feel so good and so full, even though overall I am eating less food. By eating more beans and legumes, I am getting my protein and carbs at the same time, except they are GOOD carbs that I am allowed to eat. Beans and Legumes are perfect double duty foods and I really do feel fuller, longer (but not a gross, stuffed full). It is a comfortable feeling of not feeling hungry, which is hard because usually I am hungry all the time. It is so hard to explain, but since most of my food is now plant-based, I feel like my body is more evenly fueled and I am not feeling dramatic dips and spikes in hunger. I am comforted by knowing that I can eat with abandon--bring on that big vegan salad or big bowl of vegan soup! I am not stingy with my servings and I know that if I get hungry later, I can always have a snack. Today was a day of leftovers for lunch and dinner (leftover barley salad over greens for lunch and 16 Bean Soup for dinner) and that made life so easy. I had a medjool date and some dried coconut as my afternoon snack to hold me over before dinner. Those dried fruits are like candy to me, so that was my Friday treat for sticking to my goals this week. I think I can keep this up if I remind myself of my mantras:
1. Baby steps
2. One meal at a time, one day at a time
3. I can always eat again if I am still hungry
4. Patience
5. Be kind to my body, be kind to animals
6. You are what you eat

Efa Gold Organic Coconut Oil

I had leftover 16 Bean soup for dinner and it was even better the second day--very thick and stewy! I had a hankering for sweet potatoes (my favorite root vegetable!) so I cooked some cubed sweet potatoes in some coconut oil and they were a super yummy addition to mix into the soup.

I did not know coconut oil was so healthy to cook with, but now that I know, it is my new secret weapon! It makes the house smell so good and I love the creamy flavor in and of itself.

I haven't used it as a moisturizer or conditioner yet, but the package says you can liquify the coconut oil by placing it in a water bath and then smoothing it on your skin or your hair! How cool is that? I love how you can cook with coconut oil in place of oil or butter and apparently, you can bake with it up to 350 degrees F.

I will definitely be incorporating coconut oil into my cooking because it is also stated to help in weight loss! So, not only does it taste good, it is actually good for me too, and may help me lose weight in the long run? Sounds like I will be marrying coconut oil with all my recipes!  Move over olive oil and make room for more coconut oil in my saute pan, please!

Vegan Tabuleh with Trader Joe's Organic Power to the Greens

Tabuleh is one my new favorite lunches to make because I can do it ahead of time and it is so fresh with all the bright flavors of lemon, mint and parsley. YUM! Plus, I can make a big batch and save it for the week. I am not accustomed to cooking with bulgar--this is the first year that I have experimented with it. But now that I have, I am hooked!

Today, I decided to throw tabuleh over some Trader Joe's Power to the Greens, which is a great medley of baby kale, baby chard and baby spinach. I love Trader Joe's Power to the Greens sauteed in olive oil and garlic, but it is equally good as a simple salad. I am just trying to eat more greens and Trader Joe's makes it so easy with this power mix!

Vegan 16 Bean Soup with Kale

I am having a love affair with soups! Autumn is approaching and I am already living off soup--what a great reunion!  Soup is so hearty and filling and I just love how soup gets better the next day! Not only is making my own soup healthier--I control what goes in and it's basically veggies, beans, herbs and water--but it is also cheaper! I made a Vegan 16 Bean Soup with Kale today and I must say it was so comforting and filling. I love how I can sneak kale into just about any soup and it tastes good!

Today was another succesful Vegan day. I am slowly learning how to eliminate more foods and the things that are left are the things we all should be reaching for anyway: fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes. Aiming for a Vegan diet really does make eating healthier easier for me because it gives me boundaries and guidelines and basically forces me to eat healthy food. But, I am a foodie so I do not like to sacrifice flavor, so I make sure everything I eat still bursts with bold, fresh flavors. I have noticed that I feel so much better now after eating Vegan meals than I did when I was basing my meals around meat. I used to get so hungry late at night and crave snacks, but last night all I had for dinner was a bowl of vegan black bean and butternut squash chili that I made and it kept me full all night! I didn't feel a spike in my blood sugar level in my body and I wasn't hungry late at night like I usually am. It was a great feeling and it was another reward for me for eating Vegan another day. I am still taking this challenge one day at a time, but as each day passes and I make it through another Vegan day, it gets easier and easier. I think it is getting easier because I am feeling the benefits in my body already--I just feel better after eating a Vegan meal and I want to keep that feeling going...like I need my next "hit" and that motivates me to stay on track. Gosh, if I didn't know better, I would say that eating Vegan meals is addictive! Could I be a Vegan addict? I hope so, because I am enjoying it so far!

Red Star Nutritional Yeast

I am learnning so much about vegetarian foods and this week, I decided to try some nutritional yeast on my air-popped popcorn. It is a great snack! What a great way to sneak in some extra nutrition--sprinkle nutritional yeast on popcorn! It has a subtle nutty, almost cheesy taste but blends in well with the popcorn.

The label for Red Star Nutritional Yeast says: "Vegetarian Support Formula was first manufactured in 1975. A valuable source of high-quality protein, essential amino acids, vitamins, dietary fiber and minerals, its popularity has grown worldwide as individuals have become more aware of their day-to-day health."

Nutritional Yeast is a good source of B-complex vitamins, like B-12.

Nutritional Facts include:

1 1/2 Tablespoons (16g) serving size
70 calories
1 g fat
0 g sat fat
0 g trans fat
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 11 mg
Potassium 329 mg
Total Carbohydrates 6 g
Dietary Fiber 4 g
Sugar 0 g
Protein 8 g

Vitamin A 0%
Calcium 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Iron 4 %
Riboflavin 590%
Vitamin B6 480%
Vitamin B12 130%
Thiamin 670%
Niacin 290%
Folate 250%
Zinc 20%

I will definitely be sprinkling this on my food daily! Yay! Red Star Nutritional Yeast is amazing!!!

Spinach and Cabbage Salad with Fennel Seeds

This salad is one of my new favorite ways to enjoy spinach. It is so simple to make and you can add or take out whatever you want, but you have to include at least the three main ingredients: baby spinach, shredded cabbage and toasted fennel seeds--that is the secret to this flavorful salad! Now, if you have more produce laying around, here are the optional add-ons that you can pick and choose from:

finely sliced red onions
green onions
finely sliced apples
tomatoes
strawberries
dried cranberries
toasted pine nuts or any nut you like

The dressing is just a splash of red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. This is a great potluck salad because it can sit for a long time and the longer it sits, the better it gets (in my opinion) because the cabbage starts to wilt and becomes pickled cabbage (which I love!). There is just something magical about the toasted fennel seeds--it's the surprise ingredient that will make everyone ask you what is in there that makes the salad so good! It adds a little bit of crunch to the salad and adds a nice layer of warmth to the salad. I absolutely love this Spinach and Cabbage Salad with Fennel Seeds and I tend to play with the ingredient add-ons all the time, depending on what I have in the house.

I've learned that in order to eat healthier, I need to have a salad at least once a day (at least that is my goal) because it forces me to eat a variety of veggies. And when a salad tastes as good as this one, I am happy to eat salad! Try it and tell me what you think!

Barley Fennel and Cucumber Salad

Just because I am trying to omit meat from my meals doesn't mean I am missing out on good food with lots of flavor. I am still enjoying what I eat and this makeover has forced me to find alternate sources of protein, which is actually a GOOD thing for me.
I bought my first bag of barley and cooked it up the other day. Instead of throwing it in soup, I decided to make a salad with it. It turned out quite yummy and very hearty, yet refreshing. Two of my friends tried it and liked it a lot. This is definitely a new staple for me because it kept me full and energized all day, thanks to the barley--what a wonderfully earthy and substantial grain! I never knew it could taste so good outside of soup!
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked barley
1 small head of fennel finely, shredded
1/2 English cucumber, chopped
2-3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 toasted pine nuts
Juice of an orange
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
plenty of salt and freshly ground pepper
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and adjust seasoning as needed. I taste it and reseason with salt and pepper until the flavors pop!
This Barley, Fennel and Cucumber Salad holds up really well and can be stored in the fridge for the next day thanks to the crunchy sturdiness of the licorishy fennel and the slight chewiness of the barley--think brown rice except bigger and nuttier-tasting. Lovely! Plus, this is perfect picnic food because it travels well, fills you up and is super refreshing on a hot day.

Trader Joe's This is Not a Tub of Cream Cheese

I just discovered a cream cheese substitute: Trader Joe's This is not a Tub of Cream Cheese. It is the perfect non-dairy alternative to cream cheese! 

My first application? I just stirred it into some sweet potato and corn stew that my friend made to add some creaminess in lieu of adding sour cream. It was just lovely! I will be buying Trader Joe's This is Not a Tub of Cream Cheese again for sure. I love the name of it, too!

Trader Joe's Super Green Drink

Accountability. I need accountability for my choices. I am starting my day with a cup of Trader Joe's Super Green drink powder supplement. I have a vegetarian friend who drinks this green juice every morning and I am trying to incorporate it into my diet now.

Trader Joes's Super Green Drink Powder is only 50 calories per serving (1 scoop per 8 oz of water). It is packed with so many good vitamins and nutrients--too many to list! It is a no brainer way to set the tone for healthy eating for the rest of the day. Trader Joe's super green drink is berry flavored, but I don't know if I would decribe it that way. It just tastes healthy, let's just put it that way--not too sweet and not too strong. It does take some getting used to, but it is worth it for the health benefits.

Cheers!

Omnivore No More?

I have a problem: I am an obsessed foodie--all I think about is food and what to make for my next meal.
But, I need a makeover.
After reading Skinny Bitch and having some conversations with my friend, who is becoming a Vegan, I have decided that I need to make some serious changes in my life, as well.  She has lost over 7 lbs, since she has been cooking Vegan meals and that was very inspirational. No counting carbs, no counting calories, no muss, no fuss. Just eliminate animals and animal products--let that be your guide to healthy eating. She has inspired me to think and to work on changing my eating habits, because that's all they are, habits.
This year has presented some interesting issues for me (when I say interesting, I mean that they have lingered in my head and have buzzed around for months, making me question who I am and what I can do to help myself change for the betterment of my health) and I will discuss them briefly here:
1. Earlier this year, I applied for a job and to make a long story short, I didn't get it because I was not like-minded, I was not a Vegan.  The employer was Vegan and really wanted a Vegan assistant, someone "like-minded" and that was understandable. I did not know this when I applied, of course, because it was not stated in the job announcement that this work was Vegan-related. I am an honest person and I told the employer that I did not eat beef, but that I ate dairy, poultry, pork and fish. At that time, I did not know any better. I was ignorant. I was naive. I am a foodie obsessed with eating good food, after all. I was a Vegetarian when I was younger (I stopped eating beef when I was 11 and I tried to be a vegetarian back then, but it was hard and I did not know how to do it safely and properly by eating the right kinds of foods, so I inevitably failed. I started eating chicken and fish again). I did not know much about Vegans, except that Vegans do not eat animals or animal products. Beyond that, I was pretty much in the dark. I had no idea that Vegans wear that badge of identity with pride and that it is more of a lifestyle and philosophy or ethical decision, than just a diet. Vegans have so many reasons behind their dietary choice. Simply put, I had no idea, until I started reading more about it and listening to Vegan podcasts. The issues that Vegans discuss are very...intense. I had no idea. Vegans believe so many things that I never even thought about. I had no idea...
2. My blood sugar levels were tested in the pre-diabetic range last year. I know what I am supposed to do: exercise and eat right. Easier said than done. I have tried to cut down on sugar (I don't like too many sweets anyway, so that isn't too difficult for me, but I wasn't being honest with myself all the time and occasionally, I'd have dessert!). I know I am supposed to eat more whole foods, especially fruits low in sugar and vegetables. I know all this, but I wasn't doing it on a daily basis. I know I need to be healthier, but I just didn't have the motivation or the knowledge of how to do it successfully. I was stuck in my own cooking ruts and enjoyed cooking the things that were familiar or easy.
I am a carb addict. I love carbs. Anyone who knows me knows that I cannot say "no" to food. If you offer me food, I will say, "yes." If you offer me seconds, I will say, "yes." I should be saying, "no." I should be opting for healthier food. I should be eating a plant-based diet! That will help me design my meals around fruits, vegetables and whole grains, instead of meat. That will force me to to eat better, right?
Go figure, last week, I got sick all of a sudden. Someone suggested, maybe it was a food allergy? Something I ate? Could it be? I ate myself sick? Getting sick was all my fault for being less than healthy? That got me thinking. My taste buds were dulled, so I started making vegetarian soups to nurse myself back to health. Soup: the easiest vegetarian transitional food. It is so filling and comforting. I ate soups for four days. Then I got to thinking, if I can do it for four days, why not more? I wanted to see how long I could eat vegetarian meals since the momentum was already there. I knew I could not commit to being a Vegan right away, but I could taper down and try to be a Vegetarian.
It is time for a makeover. I need to wake up and own my choices. I need to make smarter choices and be kind to my body. I need to eat more vegetarian meals. Going Vegan seems so overwhelming and so impossible. How do you even begin? How could I give up dairy? I love cheese and I have to have 1/2 and 1/2 in my coffee! Could I ever be a Vegan? I do not know, but I am going to try to be a Vegetarian first and taper my diet down as much as possible to eliminate as many animal products as possible. Getting rid of meat is "easy," it's the dairy that will pose the most difficulty for me. But, baby steps...
I am setting goals. I am aiming to give up one or two things at a time. I want to taper down and make changes slowly. This week, I am giving up 1/2 and 1/2 and butter. I bought my first tub of Earth Balance to replace my butter and Soy creamer for my coffee. So far, so good. I can handle those substitutions.
Eventually, I would like to see if I could handle a Vegan diet (yesterday marked the first day I ate entirely Vegan! But that was just one day, I need to work on changing my habits and making that a goal to work towards). But that won't happen right away, so be patient with me. I am trying. Baby steps.
I do not know if I can do it, but this blog will help me explore and share my foodie makeover.
Omnivore no more? I am going to try to switch to a Vegetarian diet, one meal at a time, one day at a time. With the help and inspiration of my friends, here goes my foodie makeover!