Then and Now: How my day to day eating has changed since going vegan.

On Monday I shared about my journey to going Vegan. Now I’ll share with you some of the more specific ways my diet, and thoughts behind my food choices, has changed. A fun way to show this is by comparing what I’d eat on a typical day before I went vegan versus a typical day now. 

Breakfast:

Then: A mix of cereals with skim milk and a banana

Now: Rolled oats cooked with chia seeds and topped with fruit, almond butter and granola

The Difference: I cared more about low-calorie and low-fat foods then and didn’t pay attention to ingredient labels or the amount of processed sugar I was consuming in my cereals. The lack of healthy fats in my breakfast also caused me to be hungry a couple of hours later. Now I enjoy whole foods that keep me satisfied for hours.

Lunch:

Then: A PB&J sandwich on low-calorie wheat bread with sugar-free jelly, fat-free peach yogurt, pretzels and carrots.

Now: A big salad with spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, chickpeas, tahini dressing and homemade whole wheat bread with hummus on the side.

The Difference: I had no variety in my diet and carrots were practically the only vegetable I'd consume throughout the day. Before going vegan I was focused more on calories instead of nutrients and therefore deprived my body of lots of the vitamins and minerals found in whole foods.  

Dinner:

Then: An egg sandwich on an english muffin with a side of microwaved peas and more pretzels. 

Now: Red Lentil Marinara Sauce over Quinoa with side of steamed broccoli and fresh pineapple.

The Difference: Again, I was all about convenience and low-calorie foods. I was addicted to pretzels. Now I love variety and incorporate veggies into almost all of my meals and usually in multiple ways.

Snacks:

Then: Granola bars, apples, carrots or pretzels. 

Now: Green smoothies, Homemade Lara Bars, veggies and hummus.

The Difference: I often tried not to snack, but when I was too hungry not too, I often chose low-calorie convenience foods with lots of ingredients on the labels. Now I love a good hearty, often homemade snack chalk full of nutrients. 

Desserts:

Then: Ice cream, cookies, brownies.

Now: Fruit, a square of dark chocolate, Homemade Almond Pulp Fudge, dates and almond butter.

The Difference: My sweet tooth was definitely hardest to give up, which shows how much my body was addicted to sugar. I still love sweet things, but now I don't need them. I'm often happy with some fruit for dessert. I've also grown more in my ability to bake desserts using whole foods like dates and nuts which, after eating, leaves me feeling full and satisfied.

Before I went vegan I had no variety in my diet and was all about quick, convenient and low-calorie foods. I cared more about the health claims of the foods I bought and didn't realize that those foods were often processed and stripped of the nutrients that are naturally found in whole foods - a concept that I had never had explained to me.


I feel so much better and couldn't be happier with my choice to go vegan. I eat such a wide variety of food, REAL food, and love that I am able to eat larger quantities. While at first going vegan seemed restricting and I struggled with what I was able to eat, I now feel like there is no end to the delicious food I can eat. My mind is often thinking of different food combinations or recipes I want to try, hence the reason this blog got started in the first place. I love being able to document different recipe creations I make and also see the progress of how far I've coming in my ability to cook and bake without any dairy, meat or eggs.

It's been a wonderful journey! If you have any questions I'd love to chat. Check out my Contact Me tab!

Eat Consciously,

Faith

Homemade Vegan Protein Powder Review!

I was just starting to get into protein powders when I decided to go vegan. My husband Brett would always have some protein powder mixed with water after an intense workout so I figured I'd join in. But when I stopped eating dairy, I realized that all the protein powders we had, and most on the market, had dairy in them. So, just as I stopped eating animal products cold turkey, I stopped having protein powders. I hoped that eventually after some research I'd be able to find a protein powder that was dairy free and tasted good.

With all the traveling I've been doing this past year, it was hard to find time to research and test out different protein powders. So far I've only tried out two kinds: Arbonne and Trader Joe's Hemp Protein. One of my friends heard I had gone vegan and sent me two packets of Arbonne Essentials Protein Powder Shake, one chocolate and one vanilla. Other than the price, I love this protein powder! It tastes great and I love the list of ingredients. You can read up on my full review here. 

The first time I tried TJ's Hemp Protein was in some plain oatmeal. Dirt. That was my initial thought on the taste. It's not very sweet and there isn't a ton of protein per serving compared to other powders. I found I could enjoy it in smoothies, but on its own it's not my favorite.

So, I still hadn't found a protein powder that fit into my budget and that tasted good. 

The search continued.

Last week, however, my friends who actually played a big role in my going vegan shared with me a homemade vegan protein powder recipe that they had found on The Daily Garnish. They gave me a batch of some they had already made so that I could try it out before I bought the ingredients to make it myself. 

The ingredient list is awesome. 

• hemp protein powder
• PB2 powder
• ground flax
• maca powder
• chlorella powder
• spirulina
• cinnamon
• stevia

So many of these ingredients like the maca powder, chlorella and spirulina have been on my list of things to purchase and try, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet. So that's a win.

The smell is similar to algae due to the spirulina, but I chose to not let that phase me.

The first time I tried it was with frozen banana chunks, strawberries, blueberries, almond milk and kale. I wasn't sold on the taste after the first sip, but the more I kept drinking it, I grew to like it more and more. I has a subtle seaweed taste but the taste of peanut butter has a stronger presence which I really like. 

Even better are the stats and price it cost to make this powder:

In 1/4 serving with 104 calories there are: 

• 4 grams of fat
• 9 grams of carbs
• 7 grams of fiber
• 11 grams of protein

The cost to make this protein powder at home is only $0.53 per serving! Now that's a steal. 

The full recipe for this homemade vegan protein powder can be found at The Daily Garnish. Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think!

I'd also love to hear of any other vegan protein powders that you know of and love!

   

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

Cheesy Vegan Spaghetti Squash and Broccoli Casserole

I've made a lot of progress this week in my goal to cook with at least one new ingredient each week. After my half marathon (recap here!), Brett and I stopped at the Winter Park Farmers Market and picked up a bunch of produce. In addition to our regular produce, we got bok choy, fennel and spaghetti squash, three veggies that I have yet to cook with before. 

I sauteed the bok choy with some salt and pepper and put it inside a whole wheat wrap with sweet potato, black beans and tomato. It definitely reminds me of some Asian dishes I've had and made me want to try it again soon in a noodle soup or stir fry.

For the fennel, I roasted the bulb with some potatoes and carrots and used the leaves and soft stems to make a lemon, fennel dressing. This dish turned out great! I'll be sharing it soon.

Lastly, for the spaghetti squash I combined two recipes to make this cheesy dish. I know I'm way behind in using spaghetti squash, but it really was so easy and shredded just like spaghetti.

To cook the spaghetti squash, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and cut your squash in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Then place the halves face up on a baking dish and spray the halves with cooking spray. 

Then stick it in the oven and roast for about 50 minutes until its tender enough to poke with a fork. After it cools enough to touch, just take a fork and shred the squash horizontally until all the squash has been removed. 

You can use it as a spaghetti substitute or have it act as rice for stir-fries or curries. Or even better, you can make this awesome Vegan Cheesy Spaghetti Squash and Broccoli Casserole.

Cheesy Spaghetti Squash and Broccoli Casserole

(Makes 6-8 servings)

Ingredients:

· 1 large spaghetti squash, roasted and shredded

· Two cups steamed broccoli

· 1/2 –1 cup green peas (optional)

For the Cheese Sauce:

· 1 1/4 cups water

· 1 cup almond milk

· 3/4 cup nutritional yeast

· 3 tablespoons cornstarch

· 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

· 1/2 teaspoon paprika

· 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

· 1 tablespoon tahini

· Ground pepper and red chili flakes to taste

  

Directions:

1. See above for how to roast and shred a spaghetti squash.

2. For the cheese sauce, place all of the ingredients from water to tahini in a blender and blend until smooth.

3. Pour the sauce in a large sauce pan and heat over medium-low heat. Allow the sauce to thicken while stirring occasionally. This should take about 5 minutes.

4. Once the sauce begins to thicken, add in the spaghetti squash, broccoli and peas.

5. Season with ground pepper and red chili flakes.

Notes: The cheese sauce is adapted from Oh She Glows.

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

Exploring NYC!

I miss New York already. I miss the walking, the food, the many unique burrows and the people. This past week in the city got Brett and I even more excited to move to New York next year. I feel like we'll never run out of things to do and explore while living there. 

Obviously since I've been gone I haven't been able to cook or try out any new recipes, but I did eat some amazing, vegan food this past week. That's one of the beautiful things about such a big city - there are tons of vegan friendly restaurants. Even if a restaurant isn't labeled vegan there are so many ethnic restaurants that have tons of vegetarian and vegan friendly options. 

The first place we ate when we arrive in the city was called Xi'an Famous Foods in Flushing. I got the Mt. Qi Vegetables Biang-Biang Noodles. It was my favorite meal of the whole week. The noodles were fat and chewy and the seitan had a delicious flavor. I ended up going to this restaurant again later in the week in Manhattan's Chinatown and ordered the exact same dish. It was that good.

Another vegan friendly restaurant we found was called Fresh & Co. Brett and I were originally going to eat at an all vegan restaurant, but when we got there it was empty which made us second guess the quality. We had just walked past a Fresh & Co. and decided to go back and eat there. They had salads, soups, "power" bowls and sandwiches. I got a power bowl called Sesame Ginger Seitan. It had quinoa, tons of veggies, kale, seiten and a sesame ginger dressing. Nothing was fried, but the whole bowl was steamed instead. It was delicious and it filled my belly with a bunch of nutrients. Yum!

But...the best restaurant we found - in my opinion at least - was a place called Oat Meals. Brett spotted the sign and we decided to just stop in and see what they sold. I literally squealed when we walked in. It was a little cafe that sold coffee, oatmeal scones AND all different kinds of oatmeal combinations! I couldn't believe it. I've often thought about how there should be a place just like this. It wasn't quite lunch time, and I had already had oatmeal for breakfast, but I told Brett we had to eat there. I got the Indian Spice bowl with oatmeal, crystallized ginger, cardamom, raisins and coconut milk. It was delicious. Brett got the Banana Cream Pie bowl with vanilla wafers, banana, brown sugar and cream. Seriously, I am going to be a regular at this place while we're living in New York.

There was a lot of walking involved the entire week which I loved. It definitely takes longer to get from place to place, but it was rejuvenating to move so much in the dry, crisp air. A lot of the trees still had colorful leaves so we were able to get our fill of fall before heading back to sunny Florida. 

The last place I want to talk about is a restaurant called Franchia Vegan Cafe located on Park Ave. Brett and I met up with a couple for dinner and no one except me was vegan, but everyone loved it. The meat eaters were amazed at how much the faux meat tasted like real meat. I got the Vegetarian 'Duck' with brown rice, veggies, a soy based "meat" and a spicy red sauce. It came in a stone bowl that was pipping hot so it kept all the food nice and hot and even cooked the rice so that it got a nice crunch to it. I didn't get a picture of my meal, but it was incredible. I loved everything about this restaurant - from the atmosphere to the food - and I'll definitely be going back again.

All around it was a fantastic trip. I can't wait to live in the city and continue exploring all the different burrows, parks and restaurants. There is always something to see in NYC!

A Free Nights Stay and Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

My husband is the best. Why? Well, for many reasons, but also because he always manages to work out free deals for us. Last night we got to enjoy a free night stay at a nice hotel on Daytona Beach. We stayed in a beautiful room with a full kitchen, family room and a balcony that overlooked the ocean. All you could see was water for miles.

It was cloudy and raining yesterday morning so we took our time waking up and packing for the our night away. We stopped at a friends house before beginning the hour drive to Daytona. Usually I'm not a big fan of cloudy days, especially when we're trying to spend time on the beach, but I was loving it. I just wanted to snuggle up on the couch, read and look out the window to the ocean. And that's just what I did. It was wonderful.

We got to see a double rainbow and the sunrise!

Is anyone else out there a morning person and as excited about 

daylight savings as I am?

The past couple of times we've gone to the beach I've ended up being the only girl with a bunch of guys. I always have a great time, but man, boys sure can eat! Especially when they've been surfing and throwing footballs around all day. Brett, knowing I'll never turn down a baking opportunity, always requests some baked goods to take with us for the guys to eat after surfing. Even though it was just me and Brett this weekend, the request still remained. As did my excitement to bake.

During our time in Dallas last week I was able to stop at a Trader Joe's and pick up some almond butter - I had just run out of my homemade almond butter - and coconut oil. I wanted to find a recipe in which I could use both ingredients. I found a simple chocolate chip cookie bar recipe, adapted it a little and was very pleased with the result. They were a bit crumbly when I first cut and ate one, but after resting overnight they were perfectly solidified, moist and held together great.

The next time I make these bars I'm going to try using 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup of another flour. I also think turning the 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed into a "flax egg" will help hold the bars together when they first come out of the oven.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

(Makes 16 servings)

 Ingredients:

· 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour

· 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

· 1 cup rolled oats

· 1/2 cup natural cane sugar (or other dry sweetener)

· 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

· 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1/4 cup coconut oil

· 1/4 cup almond butter

· 1/3 cup almond milk

· 1/2 cup agave nectar

· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

· 1/2 cup non-dairy chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x8 baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, sugar, flaxseed, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. Add in the coconut oil and almond butter and use a pastry cutter (or your hands if you don’t have one) to mix in the oil and almond butter until a crumbly mixture forms.

4. Pour in the rest of the ingredients except the chocolate chips and stir until combined.

5. Fold in the chocolate chips.

6. Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish and level it out by pushing down with your hands until firm.

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting into 16 squares.

 Notes: Adapted from Good Clean Food.

I've never baked (or cooked) with coconut oil before and after making these bars I'm sold. First of all, it made my kitchen smell amazing. Secondly, it made these bars so amazingly moist and gave them a texture that's subtly different than when you bake with butter or other types of oil. 

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

Eating a Vegan Diet with a Meat-Loving Family and {WIAW}: On the Road

Welp. Brett and I are yet again...on the road. In Texas that is. This past weekend we visited with Brett's family in Houston. During the week we'll be in College Station for work and this upcoming weekend we'll be camping with friends in Dallas. I've never been to Texas before, so it's fun that I'll be able to see three different cities during our time in this large state.

On a side note, who knew you could find massive statues of president's heads in Texas?

Good thing Brett wasn't jealous.

Aside from seeing random statues, this past weekend with family was so good. We got to hangout with our two identical twin nephews and our four year old niece and spend time with Brett's immediate family. We took the kids to the zoo, checked out a little craft market in the neighborhood, and played corn hole and farkle after the kids went to bed. I got to get in a few morning runs too. But it's amazing how tiring just two days with three little chillun' can be! I'm in awe of my sister-in-law and brother-in-law and their energy and patience with those precious kids. Amazing parents right there.

Eating a Vegan Diet with a Meat-Loving Family:
I wasn't sure how eating vegan would go while staying with Brett's meat loving family. The last time we were together - before I went vegan - we ate uh-mazing barbecue ribs, brats, steak and Asian lettuce wraps with pork. My in-laws are spectacular cooks and I always look forward to the meals they'll prepare for our family gatherings. But this trip was the first time we'd be spending time together since I've "gone vegan". And not only that, Brett's dad was doing a special diet and the kids are pretty specific in the foods they'll eat.  My sister-in-law had her work cut out for her planning meals for such a high-maintenance-eating-family!

But, it turned out great. They were so accommodating and every meal was well thought through so that everyone could eat together. They bought me black bean burgers for our grill-out night and made a separate pot of soup without meat for me the second night. My sister-in-law even had dairy-free desserts ready for us the night we arrived.

I was so encouraged to know that it is possible to eat vegan while with family. And not just eat, but eat WELL. It just takes a little bit of planning and communication about what is or is not vegan. We'll see how thanksgiving with my family goes next month!

So if you're a new vegan out there and aren't sure how eating in a group or family environment will go, know that it's possible...and worth it. I felt great all weekend!

What I Ate Wednesday: On the Road

One thing I don't like about traveling is that I can't cook my own meals or experiment with new ideas. If you've read my blog at all recently, you'll know that I'm on an intense oatmeal kick and have been experimenting with all kinds of combinations and flavors recently. Since we left for Texas I've even had random recipe ideas pop into my head for my morning oats and it's killing me that I can try them out.

The good news is that my inability to eat oatmeal this week lead to me having yogurt for the first time since I went vegan: 3 months! All the groceries stores by my house in Florida don't sell non-dairy yogurt - or if they do it's $3 a serving.  We found a store by our hotel here in Texas that sells non-dairy yogurt that's affordable, and since we're on Perdiem for the week, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Here's some iPhone pics of my eats for a random day "on the road". (Check out Jenn's blog for other people's Wednesday eats!)

Breakfast:

I tried out So Delicious Chocolate yogurt with sliced banana, raspberries and blueberry flax granola. 

Yes, I'm eating out of a Styrofoam to-go container. Being a traveling vegan, I've learned to improvise.

It was an awesome way to eat yogurt for the first time in so long!

When Brett and I are traveling we love to go to Starbucks first thing in the morning to read and get work done. My drink of choice is a decaf Americano. Lovely. 

Snacks:

My sister-in-law got me this snack to try out: 180 Snack: Blueberry Pomegranate Trail Mix Crunch.

It was delicious and a great snack to hold me over until lunch.

Afternoon drink: Cappuccino with soy milk at a popular college coffee shop in college station.



Lunch: (no pic)
A veggie burrito at Freebirds World Burrito with mixed greens, salsa, tomatoes, roasted veggies, cilantro, black beans and guacamole. Yummmm.

Dinner: 
Snacks in the hotel room.
Papaya slices, a pink lady apple and a Clif bar.
Sometimes when I'm traveling I get sick of eating out 2-3 times a day... even if it means I'm stuck with a Clif bar for dinner. Anybody else?

And that's it! While I sometimes have to combine random snack foods to make a "meal" on days that I'm traveling, I'm always able to find something vegan and delicious.

What are you favorite "on the road" snacks?

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

Sweet Potato and Apple Oatmeal

I woke up at 5 A.M. this morning so I could eat, digest, stretch and go for an 8-mile run. Now that my runs are getting longer, I've decided to prep a little more instead of waking up, heading straight out the door and having to deal with sleepy legs. I left around 6:30 while it was still dark. I actually think the darkness made me a bit dizzy because it kept me from having good depth perception. As the morning wore on though, I started to feel better and picked up my pace even. It was a great run overall and I was definitely in need of a good second breakfast afterwards to keep me full the rest of the morning.

This oatmeal was just what I needed. It's sweet, subtly savory and oh-so-filling. And, might I add, delicious.

I had bought a couple of sweet potatoes and a big bag of apples a few days before leaving town with high hopes that my husband and I would eat them all before leaving. Wrong. It was the day before we were supposed to leave and it looked like we hadn't made a dent in the bag of apples and I still had one sweet potato left. So I started looking up recipes that I could use both in and found a recipe for these oats. I tweaked a few things and was very pleased with the result. The sweet potato gives these oats a beautiful fall color too. I hope you try this combination!

Sweet Potato and Apple Oatmeal

(Makes 1 serving)

 Ingredients:

· 1 cup water

· 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

· 1/2 small apple, chopped small

· 1 small sweet potato, cooked and mashed*

· 1 teaspoon brown sugar

· 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

· Splash of vanilla extract

· Optional: ground flaxseed, chopped nuts, almond milk

*I usually clean my sweet potato, poke holes in it with a fork and cook it in the microwave for four minutes. Then I cut it in half, scoop out the flesh and mash it.

Directions:

1. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the oats, chopped apple and, if using, ground flaxseed. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir well and let cook for about 3 minutes.

2. Add in the mashed sweet potato, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla extract and mix until the sweet potato is well incorporated. Let cook about 2 more minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency.

3. Pour oats into a bowl and top with nuts and almond milk.

4. Eat your fill!

Eat Consciously,

     Faith