It has been a long time since my family has had a vegan meal. Everyday, our meals are based on an animal product–whether it be eggs, meat or fish. This year, I want to be open to new concepts. That being said, in honor of National Vegan Cuisine Month in February, I decided to try a week of veganism. I wanted to test my ability to stay dedicated while trying something new and challenging. During the seven days of my vegan journey, my breakfast usually consisted of dairy free greek yogurt. I really enjoyed the dairy free yogurt because I felt less bloated after eating. In the bowl, I added granola, chia seeds, banana slices and dates to add more flavor. During the seven days of my vegan journey, my breakfast usually consisted of dairy free greek yogurt. I really enjoyed the dairy free yogurt because I felt less bloated after eating. In the bowl, I added in granola, chia seeds, banana slices, and dates to add more flavor.
I also made fresh squeezed juice multiple times this week. It included carrots, celery, lemon, green apples, and ginger root. To do this, I have a juicer which makes the process a lot easier. The juice is packed with benefits such as improvements to gut health, healthy skin, and vitamin boosts. This is one vegan friendly drink I make weekly, so it was nice I was still able to have this in the morning or afternoon.
A simple Americano coffee is my only morning necessity; I would be very upset if this was not vegan. If you enjoy sweetener in your coffee, there are delicious nut milk based creamers that are a great alternative. In the mornings I made sure to take my multivitamins to ensure I kept balanced nutrient levels. I believe it is very important, especially for vegans, to take vitamins as it boosts your immunity and maintains nutrients you might not get from certain foods. Lunch and dinners were similar during my vegan week.
I would play around with different salads and eat a lot of lentils, which I also have a lot of on a normal week. Other great sources of protein you can add into meals include black beans, garbanzo beans, mushrooms, or grains like oats and quinoa. Overall, my experience being a vegan was not exactly challenging, but I would never do it again. If you are used to having animal products in your meals, you might find it annoying having to change around your diet. Surprisingly, my energy levels stayed the same.
I thought if I ate less I would feel more fatigued, but everything I ate was very high in nutrients. I took this as an opportunity to drink more juices, so I did feel an improvement in being less bloated. In general, I think my biggest challenge was breaking routine, though I did find new easy recipes that I will continue making.
- Banana Oat Pancakes
- 2 ½ cup rolled oats
- 2 ¼ cup oat milk
- 2 medium bananas
- Greek Lentil Salad
- 1 cup of lentils
- ½ chopped cucumber
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Dressing
- One lemon juiced
- 1 diced garlic clove
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ cup of greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon of of extra virgin olive oil
Chickpea Pasta Salad
- 1 pound of chickpea pasta
- 1 diced bell pepper
- 1 cup of diced grape tomatoes
- 1 bunch of chopped cilantro
- ½ diced red onion
- 2 small chopped avocados
- 2 chopped green onions
- 2 cups of baked chickpeas
