[or how to eat more fruits and veggies!] It’s actually pretty easy and fun, but I enjoy cooking, being creative, and learning new recipes. Trust me though, you can be a lazy vegan — oh, and I hardly eat salads.
For some out-of-character reason, I recorded what I ate for an entire month, early on in the vegan journey. Here’s a sample:
Tuesday, 17th Dec 2019
- black coffee + orange juice
- oatmeal with cranberries, flax seeds, and milk
- banana and berries smoothie
- leftover pasta (olives, tomatoes, broccoli, flax seeds)
- kimchi
- stir-fry veggies (garlic, onions, tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, mushrooms, sesame seeds), tofu and rice + quinoa
- leftover veggies
- handful of oreo cookies + milk
Wednesday, 18th Dec 2019
- black coffee + banana
- oatmeal with cranberries, flax seeds, and milk
- banana, pineapple, ginger smoothie
- leftover stir-fry and rice from yesterday
- orange juice
- orzo, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, garlic, bell peppers
- sweet potatoes
- 2 gummy bears from student
- more orange juice
Sunday, 22nd Dec 2019
- banana, blueberries, chia seeds w/ choc milk
- black coffee
- oatmeal w/ cranberries and flax seeds, splash of milk
- yakisoba w/ cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, peppers, sesame seeds (1 sm and 1 large serving)
- a strange cupcake from one of my students
- A WHOLE BAG OF VINEGAR CHIPS – good job, Lani
Wednesday, Jan 1st 2020
- banana and blueberries smoothie
- black coffee
- oatmeal, cranberries, chia seeds and soy milk
- tofu, veggies [brussel spouts, tomatoes] and rice + quinoa
- leftover goulash
- 2 sm slices of sweet potato bread w/ jam
- dates and almonds
- butterfly pea tea
Tuesday, 24th Dec 2019
- banana, berries, chia seeds w/ soy milk, a touch of honey
- black coffee
- oatmeal, cranberries, chia seeds and soy milk
- leftover veggies and rice
- chili extraordinaire [potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, cauliflower, corn, black beans, tomatoes, red onion, garlic, cilantro]
- matcha green tea milk latte
- English muffin with jam
- oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (first attempt at baking vegan!)
Friday, 27th Dec 2019
- banana and berries smoothie, seeds
- black coffee
- oatmeal, cranberries, chia seeds and milk
- homemade hummus sandwich w/ chips
- vegetables [cabbage, tomatoes, green beans] w/ baked tofu and rice
- chocolate chip cookie w/ matcha green tea latte
- leftover spaghetti
Smoothies
This is how you get those 5-a-day fruits and veggies in, folks! The blender is your friend. And after a year of this, I’ve gotten better about variety because it’s so important for your gut health. Sometimes I add pre-biotics, or chia seeds for Omega 3s, or even spinach. Lately, I’ve been adding one or two Weet-a-bix to make the smoothie extra thick and hearty.
Oatmeal
Oats are another quick and simple way to get fiber and nutrition and you can jazz it up depending on what you like. We now add sunflower + pumpkin seeds and watermelon kernels.
Both smoothies and oats are a good way to pack in as much plant diversity before lunchtime.
What I’ve learned
- There are a variety of egg replacements depending on what you are making.
- Adding nutritional yeast gives foods a cheesy taste and is used in many vegan recipes.
- Vegans love to make cashew cream, a versatile sauce, that can be put on just about anything.
- Squeezing a lime or lemon over many dishes adds flavor, vitamin C, and for some reason vegans love to do this. It’s magic.
- Topping crushed nuts and seeds to stir frys and pasta dishes is another way to boost flavor and nutrition. [Birds and squirrels approve!]
My favorite recipes
- Remove the seed in Medjool dates and stick in an almond instead, and you’ve got yourself a sweet and good-for-you snack.
- Mixing hummus with pasta makes a quick meal. [Add cherry tomatoes or broccoli for extra credit. I like to put in a splash of olive juice and olives, too, because olives…]
- I like Budget Bytes easy vegan recipes post ~ the first one though, the spicy coconut vegetable stir fry ~ I’ve made so much I know it by memory — mostly.
- It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken is another site I truly enjoy. Sam has a knack for creating flavors you might miss. Her Creamy Lemon Pepper Chickpeas is simple and filing. I learned the power of zest from her.
- And honestly, it’s really easy to make stir fry, curries, and even pasta dishes without meat. I mean, I had no idea one pot pastas were a thing.
How do you add more variety of fruits and veggies in your diet? What’s your favorite vegan recipe? I know you have one!
Life, the Universe, and Lani 
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