20 Nov 09
Vegan 4-A-Day

Yesterday, as part of Vegan 4-A-Day, I ate all vegan meals and snacks. I’ve been eating vegan all week as part my goal for the Winter Shape Up Challenge. I photographed some of vegan eats yesterday to show you what kinds of delicious foods you can eat while still adhering to the principles of veganism (no animal products or byproducts). Sorry for the bad quality… I had to take them on my phone!

Breakfast was multigrain oats with pumpkin, peanut butter, and banana.

I actually keep all these ingredients in the office, so all I have to do once I get to work is add water and heat.

I forgot to snap a photo of my lunch, but it consisted of a falafel sandwich with tahini, lettuce, and tomatoes. I also had a side of lentil soup. I munched on a PB&J Larabar in between meals.

Dinner was eaten at happy hour. I had a hard time finding something vegan on the happy hour menu, but finally settled on another Middle Eastern-themed meal.

Cucumbers and pita with hummus and tabouli. I had them leave off the tzatziki sauce that normally comes with the plate because it contains yogurt.

Yesterday was my fifth day being vegan and I have to say, it’s the most annoying when you’re eating with other people. When I’m cooking for myself, I have no problem at all.

19 Nov 09
10 Reasons to Go Vegan (Even for a Week!)

Those of you that have been following along at home know that as part of the Winter Shape Up Challenge, I’m going vegan for this week. You may also know that other bloggers have also taken on the challenge of going vegan. What you may not yet know: Why going vegan might be a good idea!

As a disclaimer, let me clarify that I’m not trying to preach veganism to any of you. Though much of what I eat is naturally vegan, I’ve only been officially, completely vegan for three days. I don’t think it’s the right lifestyle for everyone. But there are many benefits, and I’m here to highlight those for you.

10 Reasons to Go Vegan:

  1. You’d be giving a little boost to our lovely planet. Producing meat and dairy consumes a lot of fossil fuel. Eliminating them from your diet drastically reduces your carbon footprint.
  2. It will probably save you money. Meat is more expensive than vegetarian forms of protein. Enough said.
  3. It might help you eat more whole foods. Yes, there are processed vegan foods (tons of them). But lots of processed foods are not vegan, so you might be forced to cut many of them out of your diet.
  4. You could lower your risk for chronic disease. Much of the heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity in this country can be partially attributed to our over-consumption of meat and dairy.
  5. Vegan food tastes good! Though your palate might not be used to it at first, vegan food is very flavorful. In fact, in my short experience with veganism, I feel like I’m able to taste the flavors of my food more.
  6. It forces you to get creative in the kitchen. I’ve been in a slump with my cooking lately, and going vegan has really forced me to pull myself out of it.
  7. Going out to eat will only seem desirable when the restaurant is worth it. When you’re vegan, most restaurant food is off limits. You’ll only want to splurge when you know the restaurant will have options for you, and that equals a healthier body and wallet.
  8. As a global community, more people can be fed on a plant-based diet than a meat-based one. The amount of vegetable protein fed to U.S. beef would feed almost the entire populations of India and China.
  9. Eating animal products isn’t biologically necessary! Why spend the extra money if you don’t have to? Why increase your carbon footprint if you don’t have to?
  10. A vegan diet can be just as gluttonous as an omnivorous one. Vegans can still drink beer and eat french fries (as long as they’re not cooked in lard!), so don’t think you’ll be deprived if you go vegan.

All that said, will I be vegan (or even vegetarian) for the rest of my life? Probably not. But I have been, and will continue to be, a LOT more picky about where my meat and dairy come from if I decide to incorporate them into my diet. I’ll try to buy free-range, organic, vegetarian-fed meat and dairy, as well as buying from local farmers when I can. I’ll also strive to keep at least 1-2 of my daily meals vegan, as even decreasing your meat and dairy a little bit can have an impact on the environment (and you’re also voting with your mouth!).

If you’re wary about veganism, try going vegan for just a day… TODAY! Michelle and Katy have declared today Vegan 4-A-Day. Katy says:

On Thursday, November 19, we are asking that you devote one or all of your meals to being vegan. We just kindly ask if you could link back to either my blog or Michelle’s when you make your posts about Vegan Week. We will be compiling a list of all who participate throughout the day, on our blogs under the ‘VeganWeek’ tabs. If you could make sure to either send us the link and/or leave it in the comment section of the ‘Vegan 4-A- Day’ official post on Thursday then we can give you proper accolades.

If you know of any other friends, bloggers or not, who are up for the challenge…spread it around! Everyone who takes part will have a chance at a really cool prize — details of that to come soon!

17 Nov 09
Make It (Vegan): Signature Vegetable Soup and Whole Wheat BiscuitsToday’s vegan recipe is my Signature Vegetable Soup, made vegan. All I did to veganize it was subtract the chicken sausage and add about a cup more beans (I used garbanzo). I also used vegetable broth instead of chicken (obv). It tastes pretty much exactly the same! For the biscuits, I used whole wheat flour instead of white and almond milk instead of soy.

Make It (Vegan): Signature Vegetable Soup and Whole Wheat Biscuits

Today’s vegan recipe is my Signature Vegetable Soup, made vegan. All I did to veganize it was subtract the chicken sausage and add about a cup more beans (I used garbanzo). I also used vegetable broth instead of chicken (obv). It tastes pretty much exactly the same!

For the biscuits, I used whole wheat flour instead of white and almond milk instead of soy.

WSUppers: 5 Weeks Down, 5 Weeks to Go

Check out your progress this week. Just a sampler platter of your amazingness:

Michelle: “I was successful in my goals this week! I’m feeling kind of on-top-of-the-world right now :)”

Ariel: “Wanted to email you tonight before I forget but also b/c I’m really happy with how I did this week and surpassed my goals.”

Marci: “Finally I got myself into action and accomplished my weekly goal!! It was definitely a challenge but I was super determined”

Tara: “yesterday I bought a new pair of jeans - one size smaller!”

Ginny: “This challenge is the only thing keeping me from eating too much!!”

Sharon: “Week 4 was awesome!”

Kendyl: “I have waited all weekend to send this email!! I finally busted through the plateau by switching it up.”

Brieann: “Let me start off by saying last week ROCKED, or more accurately, I ROCKED :)”

Christina: “Middle of the challenge! I’m having a lot of fun with this, it has made me love Mondays.”

Tracey: “I asked myself, how bad do I really WANT IT?????  I indulged as I had planned on and knew I would, but made ok decisions.”

Helen: “My goal last week was to wake up extra earlier at least twice during the week so that I could work out before work and after work.  I met that goal, yay!”

Kelly: “NUTRITION: No diet soda: Passed with flying colors!  I crave it so much still, but I’m going to extend this goal until January 1.  NO soda till then!”

Claire: “This was a great week! I started to get a lot better hold of nutrition, and fitness, and it paid off on the scale! …I’m really making progress!!”

Mary W.: “I lost the my goal weight: 2 pounds!”

Kate: “Nutrition: Check! Let’s just say I drank my weight in spinach and dandelion.”

Maggie E.: “I’m using the new nike+ipod feature and it’s so great to try and beat your last run/time.  It’s making running a little more fun for me!”

Melissa: “One thing that I was proud of myself for this week (and I have you to thank for it!) is that I satisfied my french fry craving (obsession) by substituting with roasted sweet potatoes.”

Katie S.: “I really feel like this is helping me, again, thanks so much for providing a venue for this!”

Katie K.: “What a drastically better week i had.  i feel much more encouraged”

16 Nov 09
Make It (Vegan): Cherry Tomato Rotini Primavera Day two of Vegan Week is going well! For dinner, I whipped up a vegan version of something I’ve made before (unvegan). This time, I kept it simple. You’ll need (serves 4): 4 servings rotini pasta (or whatever kind you like) Small carton cherry tomatoes (or whatever kind of heirloom tomatoes you have on hand) Lots and lots of spinach (basically as much as you can pack in the pot) About 2/3 C chick peas 1/2 T EVOO Salt, pepper, and other seasonings (think Italian) Preparation: Boil pasta according to directions. Drain pasta, leaving 1/2 C water in the bottom of the pot. Add spinach, tomatoes, chick peas, EVOO, and seasonings. I used salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute (WHICH I ADORE!) Cook covered on medium heat until spinach is wilted and tomatoes begin to burst (about 5 minutes) Serve hot or cold! I was able to make the whole dish in one pot (I didn’t even use a colander!), and it took about half an hour, including the time it took to boil the water. Cooking (vegan) is hard? Not so much. For dessert, I had a small granny smith apple with peanut butter. So far, I genuinely don’t miss meat or dairy at all. Be sure to check out the other Vegan Weeks going on around the blogosphere (and join us!).

Make It (Vegan): Cherry Tomato Rotini Primavera

Day two of Vegan Week is going well! For dinner, I whipped up a vegan version of something I’ve made before (unvegan). This time, I kept it simple.

You’ll need (serves 4):

  • 4 servings rotini pasta (or whatever kind you like)
  • Small carton cherry tomatoes (or whatever kind of heirloom tomatoes you have on hand)
  • Lots and lots of spinach (basically as much as you can pack in the pot)
  • About 2/3 C chick peas
  • 1/2 T EVOO
  • Salt, pepper, and other seasonings (think Italian)

Preparation:

  • Boil pasta according to directions.
  • Drain pasta, leaving 1/2 C water in the bottom of the pot.
  • Add spinach, tomatoes, chick peas, EVOO, and seasonings. I used salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute (WHICH I ADORE!)
  • Cook covered on medium heat until spinach is wilted and tomatoes begin to burst (about 5 minutes)
  • Serve hot or cold!

I was able to make the whole dish in one pot (I didn’t even use a colander!), and it took about half an hour, including the time it took to boil the water. Cooking (vegan) is hard? Not so much.

For dessert, I had a small granny smith apple with peanut butter. So far, I genuinely don’t miss meat or dairy at all.

Be sure to check out the other Vegan Weeks going on around the blogosphere (and join us!).

Make It (Vegan): Spiced Pumpkin Glo Bites from Oh She Glows Day One of Vegan Week (I started yesterday) was a huge success, in no small part due to Angela’s amazing Glo Bites. I’ll admit, I was a little nervous because a) I don’t normally bake, and b) I’ve NEVER baked anything vegan. I was able to pick up all the more unusual ingredients at Whole Foods (spelt flour, whole wheat pastry flour, cane sugar, and sucanat can all be found in the bulk foods section for relatively cheap). I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter and the bites came out beautifully. Not too sweet, lovely pumpkin taste (and aroma! Those things smelled so good in the oven!). Now, let’s be clear: Just because something’s vegan doesn’t mean it’s healthy. However, because these use spelt flour, whole wheat flour, and flaxseed (which adds protein and fiber), they’re far from nutritionally void. But they’re still a dessert, and it’s important to keep that in mind. (Note: I mostly added that bit for myself). Anyway, I’m excited for the rest of Vegan Week… I hope you guys are, too! I know I’ll be using OSG as a resource, and I’m excited to see how becoming vegan helps me think outside of the box with my meals.

Make It (Vegan): Spiced Pumpkin Glo Bites from Oh She Glows

Day One of Vegan Week (I started yesterday) was a huge success, in no small part due to Angela’s amazing Glo Bites. I’ll admit, I was a little nervous because a) I don’t normally bake, and b) I’ve NEVER baked anything vegan.

I was able to pick up all the more unusual ingredients at Whole Foods (spelt flour, whole wheat pastry flour, cane sugar, and sucanat can all be found in the bulk foods section for relatively cheap). I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter and the bites came out beautifully. Not too sweet, lovely pumpkin taste (and aroma! Those things smelled so good in the oven!).

Now, let’s be clear: Just because something’s vegan doesn’t mean it’s healthy. However, because these use spelt flour, whole wheat flour, and flaxseed (which adds protein and fiber), they’re far from nutritionally void. But they’re still a dessert, and it’s important to keep that in mind. (Note: I mostly added that bit for myself).

Anyway, I’m excited for the rest of Vegan Week… I hope you guys are, too! I know I’ll be using OSG as a resource, and I’m excited to see how becoming vegan helps me think outside of the box with my meals.

15 Nov 09
Make It (Vegan): Black Bean Chili-Topped Baked Sweet Potatoes For every day of vegan week, I’m going to post a delicious vegan recipe. Here’s one from The Vegan Chef. I’m going to pretend the sweet potatoes in that picture have Earth Balance on them and not butter. You’ll need (serves 4): 4 large sweet potatoes, washed well (do not peel) 1/2 cup onion, diced 1 1/2 t. olive oil 1/2 cup green pepper, destemmed, deseeded, and diced 1/2 cup Roma tomatoes, destemmed, deseeded, and diced 2 t. garlic, minced 1/2 t. chili powder 1/2 t. ground cumin 1/4 t. salt 1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper 1 - 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed, and drained 1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce hot pepper sauce, to taste Preparation: Using a fork, pierce the skins of the sweet potatoes in several places. Place an oven-proof rack on a cookie sheet and place the sweet potatoes on the rack. Bake at 400 degrees for 60-75 minutes or until the sweet potatoes feel soft when gently squeezed. While the sweet potatoes are baking, prepare the black bean chili. In a medium saucepan, saute the onion in the olive oil for 3 minutes to soften. Add the green pepper and saute an additional 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings, and saute an additional 2 minutes. Add the black beans, tomato sauce, and season to taste with hot pepper sauce, stir well to combine, and simmer the chili for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, to taste. Remove the saucepan from the heat. When the sweet potatoes are tender, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and leave the sweet potatoes on the rack to cool for 5 minutes. For each serving, place one sweet potato on a plate or in a bowl, split it open, ladle some of the black bean chili over the top, and serve.

Make It (Vegan): Black Bean Chili-Topped Baked Sweet Potatoes

For every day of vegan week, I’m going to post a delicious vegan recipe. Here’s one from The Vegan Chef. I’m going to pretend the sweet potatoes in that picture have Earth Balance on them and not butter.

You’ll need (serves 4):

4 large sweet potatoes, washed well (do not peel)
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 1/2 t. olive oil
1/2 cup green pepper, destemmed, deseeded, and diced
1/2 cup Roma tomatoes, destemmed, deseeded, and diced
2 t. garlic, minced
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 - 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed, and drained
1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce
hot pepper sauce, to taste

Preparation:

Using a fork, pierce the skins of the sweet potatoes in several places. Place an oven-proof rack on a cookie sheet and place the sweet potatoes on the rack. Bake at 400 degrees for 60-75 minutes or until the sweet potatoes feel soft when gently squeezed. While the sweet potatoes are baking, prepare the black bean chili. In a medium saucepan, saute the onion in the olive oil for 3 minutes to soften. Add the green pepper and saute an additional 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings, and saute an additional 2 minutes. Add the black beans, tomato sauce, and season to taste with hot pepper sauce, stir well to combine, and simmer the chili for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, to taste. Remove the saucepan from the heat. When the sweet potatoes are tender, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and leave the sweet potatoes on the rack to cool for 5 minutes. For each serving, place one sweet potato on a plate or in a bowl, split it open, ladle some of the black bean chili over the top, and serve.

Winter Shape Up: Gone Vegan We’re halfway through the WSU, and I think it’s time to shake things up. My only Week 5 goal is to go vegan! Some of you have made this a goal during previous weeks, and now I want to give it a shot. Two of my friends in college used to go vegan for the month of Lent, and I always really admired them for it. The rest of the year, they were pepperoni pizza guys, but for that month? They totally revamped their eats and ate completely vegan. I’ve been gravitating toward lots of junky food (meaning food with little to no nutritional value) lately  and consequently haven’t been too concerned with making sure my meat and dairy products come from sustainably and humanely raised animals. I want to change that, so I hereby declare this VEGAN WEEK 5. My goals for Vegan Week: Be more aware of what I’m putting in my body. Break my addiction to cheese! Experiment with new recipes (I’m trying Angela’s vegan Spiced Pumpkin Pie Glo Bites!) See how I feel on a vegan diet. Who’s going to try VEGAN WEEK 5 with me? Come on, you know you want to! Whatever your goals are for Week 5, be sure to send them to me by tomorrow (Monday 11/16) at 11:59pm EST.

Winter Shape Up: Gone Vegan

We’re halfway through the WSU, and I think it’s time to shake things up. My only Week 5 goal is to go vegan! Some of you have made this a goal during previous weeks, and now I want to give it a shot. Two of my friends in college used to go vegan for the month of Lent, and I always really admired them for it. The rest of the year, they were pepperoni pizza guys, but for that month? They totally revamped their eats and ate completely vegan.

I’ve been gravitating toward lots of junky food (meaning food with little to no nutritional value) lately  and consequently haven’t been too concerned with making sure my meat and dairy products come from sustainably and humanely raised animals. I want to change that, so I hereby declare this VEGAN WEEK 5.

My goals for Vegan Week:

  • Be more aware of what I’m putting in my body.
  • Break my addiction to cheese!
  • Experiment with new recipes (I’m trying Angela’s vegan Spiced Pumpkin Pie Glo Bites!)
  • See how I feel on a vegan diet.

Who’s going to try VEGAN WEEK 5 with me? Come on, you know you want to! Whatever your goals are for Week 5, be sure to send them to me by tomorrow (Monday 11/16) at 11:59pm EST.

10 Nov 09
More WSU Inspiration!

…From none other than YOU. And YOU. And YOUUUUU:

  • Christina: “I bought size 12 skinny jeans this week! I have always been chubby…and the last time I was in size 12 was 6th grade. No joke. So it is kind of a big deal for me. :)”
  • Kate: “Nutrition: Lots of veggies! This was aided by the Amazing Grass I added to several things throughout the week.”
  • Teresa: “Since starting the WSU I have lost 2 inches off my waist. Incredible!”
  • Alice: “THE WORKOUTS WERE A SUCCESS. I followed the tip you gave about setting concrete times to go to the gym, and it was super helpful. It prevented me from going ‘I’ll skip today, and go tomorrow, instead.”
  • Michelle: “so, my food goal was to cook breakfast everyday. I’m happy to say I did so every day!”
  • Frédérique: “Goal: Run a minimum of three times for a total of 20k. Yes! five runs for 22K”
  • Stephanie J.: “I had a complete turnaround with this part of the challenge and my goals for it.  I wasn’t sticking with my week one and two goals but it was purely out of laziness.  But while those two weeks felt like failure, I rocked it this week.  I came up with my plan for the week and stuck to it.”
  • Kelsey: “I ate my 3 servings of veggies everyday! :)”
  • Sara: “this weekend i got engaged!  so, with a wedding looming next summer, i have even more motivation for this challenge!!” [Ed. note: CONGRATS!!!]
  • Daphne: “Something I’m really proud of doing is drinking more water — always so hard for me. I’m getting into the habit of drinking about a glass before a meal to make sure that I’m eating because I’m hungry and not because I’ve mistaken thirst for hunger.”
  • Claudia: “Only weigh myself on Sunday…basically stop obsessing (YES!!! I did it!)”

For those of you that didn’t do so well, don’t be discouraged! I just wrote to someone that I would be skeptical of any change that happened overnight. This is a 10-week challenge, so use all 10 weeks to become the best you that you can be. There are 50 of you left (down from almost 90!), so you should be happy that you’re even sticking with it. Got it? Good.

09 Nov 09
Winter Shape Up: Week 3 Progress/Week 4 Goals Alright, you guys. I’m fessing up my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. FITNESS: I want to make sure I don’t lose my running abilities, so my goal this week is to run at least 9 miles. That should be doable. I ran 14 miles! This was my one successful goal. NUTRITION: I want to try again to close the kitchen after dinner. That would be a great habit to get into, and I’d like to work on it until I’m successful! I’m also going to make this a week of calorie counting. No, I don’t do it always, but yes, sometimes it is necessary just to keep portions in check. Calorie counting happened on a few days, but I realized again that it’s just not for me. Closing the kitchen was a complete failure. My kitchen had an “open” sign on it allllll night. WEIGHT LOSS: Again, my goal is a two pound loss. Hopefully, closing the kitchen after dinner and counting calories will help with that! And I’m exactly back to my Week 2 weight. I can blame that on a certain time of the month and a little extra Halloween candy fun, but really, I’m to blame. New goals: FITNESS: Complete four days of Making the Cut workouts (those things are killer!). NUTRITION: I’m going to go for my third-time’s-the-charm goal of closing the kitchen after dinner/dessert. WEIGHT LOSS: Yup, you guessed it: Two pounds. I’m not letting my fluctuating weight discourage me.

Winter Shape Up: Week 3 Progress/Week 4 Goals

Alright, you guys. I’m fessing up my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week.

  • FITNESS: I want to make sure I don’t lose my running abilities, so my goal this week is to run at least 9 miles. That should be doable. I ran 14 miles! This was my one successful goal.
  • NUTRITION: I want to try again to close the kitchen after dinner. That would be a great habit to get into, and I’d like to work on it until I’m successful! I’m also going to make this a week of calorie counting. No, I don’t do it always, but yes, sometimes it is necessary just to keep portions in check. Calorie counting happened on a few days, but I realized again that it’s just not for me. Closing the kitchen was a complete failure. My kitchen had an “open” sign on it allllll night.
  • WEIGHT LOSS: Again, my goal is a two pound loss. Hopefully, closing the kitchen after dinner and counting calories will help with that! And I’m exactly back to my Week 2 weight. I can blame that on a certain time of the month and a little extra Halloween candy fun, but really, I’m to blame.

New goals:

  • FITNESS: Complete four days of Making the Cut workouts (those things are killer!).
  • NUTRITION: I’m going to go for my third-time’s-the-charm goal of closing the kitchen after dinner/dessert.
  • WEIGHT LOSS: Yup, you guessed it: Two pounds. I’m not letting my fluctuating weight discourage me.

Now Serving: Your Nutritionista

I love food. I love food that tastes good, is satisfying, energizes, and delivers lots of nutrition. There's lots of food like that out there. Let me prove it to you. Email questions, comments, or suggestions to yournutritionista@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: I'm not a Registered Dietitian (RD) or mental health professional. For medical or psychological counseling, please consult an RD, certified nutritionist, doctor, or mental health professional. All content on this blog is based on my own acquired knowledge/research and personal experience. It is not meant to qualify as medical advice.

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