WE’VE BEEN VEGAN FOR 2 WEEKS. HERE’S WHAT I’VE LEARNED
Ira and I
My birthday was in early October. To celebrate—my meat and potatoes loving man pledged to go vegan for 31 days~the entire month of October. Yay!
This didn’t just happen out of the blue. For the past few years I’ve been dipping into the vegan/vegetarian pond. My journey was inspired by motherhood and having children with allergies—beef and pork being a few of them. I’d heard that a plant-based diet would help. Plus, I’ve also watched a number of my family members health decline, due to their dietary choices. I want to carve out a different outcome for us.
Our challenge has inspired me to take a no BS look at what we’re all eating and approach things from a more holistic perspective. Week 1 was easy. I whipped out all of my usual veggie go-tos: soups, salads, smoothies, and a few vegan meals: rice, beans, and plantain, sweet potatoes with kale and chickpeas, black bean tacos, and veggie burgers. But Week 2 was more challenging. The reality of the lifestyle change was setting in. I must admit, I relied more on vegan restaurants during Week 2. But doing so actually inspired me to think beyond the soup and salad box. Some of my favorite L.A. based vegan restaurants, or places that have vegan options include: Green Table Cafe, The Grain Cafe, My Two Cents, Cafe Gratitude, Simply Wholseome, and Veggie Grill. Thank goodness for all of the healthy options we have locally.
Cutting up fruit and veggies to juice
Now in Week 3 of our challenge, here’s 5 things I’ve learned about being a newbie vegan:
1. Have protein rich staples on hand: Some of my favorites protein-rich staples, which can be added to a variety of dishes include: beans (black, red, white, black-eyed), chickpeas, kale, spinach, hummus, quinoa, Ripple milk, lentils and almonds. Although I’m not a tofu girl, it’s a great option when seasoned and prepared well.
Avocado toast and mangos for the win!
2. Have recipes on deck: Before going vegan, I must admit that I had standard meals that I’d recycle weekly—turkey tacos, spaghetti, etc. But our new plant-based diet has forced me out of our comfort zone when it comes to recipes. In addition to adding veggie substitutes to our favorites, I’ve found that researching recipes ahead of the week and meal prepping has helped. I signed up for 22 Days Nutrition, a vegan meal planning service (backed by Beyonce actually :). It has helped me chart out what we are eating daily, offers recipe suggestions, nutrition breakdowns, and organizes grocery lists.
3. Snack responsibly: In addition to having staples, it’s been key to have snacks on hand. I prefer to eat mini-meals throughout the day, as opposed to three big meals. Conscious snacking has helped. Some of my healthy favs include: raisins and almonds, hummus and carrots, plain ole’ sliced fruit, roasted chickpeas, avocado toast, sun-butter (or a non-nut butter alternative like Wells Made Co., Wowbutter or Kween Granola Butter ) with celery or apples.
4. Eat when you are hungry: I’ve found, and even heard through research that when you’re plant-based your metabolism is faster, which means that you may feel hungrier more often. For me, it helps when I eat every 2 hours. I feel fuller and my body doesn’t escalate to starvation mode. Healthy snacking has helped me fill up when I’m not craving a larger meal.
4. Drink lots of water: Although this sounds super obvious, I didn’t realize how dehydrated I’d been until I started chugging about 50 ounces of water a day. (I really should be drinking about 64-100 ounces a day), but at least it’s a start! I feel a change in my overall alertness.
Coconut and oat yogurt parfait
5. Be careful with the carbs: When you’re living that meat and dairy free life, it’s easy to fill the void with carbs. But that kind of defeats the purpose of eating cleaner. It’s tough, but I’ve been trying to limit my carb intake to one meal a day. I substitute carbs for plant-based protein, fruits, nuts, and veggies, (when I have the willpower) I’m also trying to do the same when it comes to limiting processed meat substitutes, like Beyond Meat and Field Roast.
Overall, I do feel a big kick in my energy and happiness levels. Plus, the vegan challenge has also brought us closer. I’ll keep y’all posted on our progress in my next blog. Are you vegan? Do you have any great tips or hacks that have helped you on your journey?