What does a girl on a two-shakes-a-day vegan diet eat? I've had quite a few people express their concerns that I'm not eating enough, getting enough calories, or getting enough nutrients. Especially protein. So I thought I'd share what a day's worth of meals might look like for me.
Usually, I save my meal for dinner. It's the one mealtime that I often get to share with my husband, so I'd rather use it for socializing, bonding, all that good mushy stuff. =)
Also, I just switched to rice milk instead of coconut milk. So much less saturated fat!
Breakfast: I make a shake with 8 ounces of rice milk, two scoops of my protein meal replacement powder mix, 1/2 cup of frozen fruit (I used mangoes this day), and some ground flax seeds. I put it all in my single-serving blender, mix it up, and add a little water if it's too thick.
Snack: This depends on if I'm at work or not. I'm a preschool teacher, so we eat with the children three times a day. It's generally pretty healthy, but I stick to the fresh fruits and veggies if there are any served. I'll also have a tiny bite or two of whatever else there is if the kids need some encouraging from me. Sometimes they just scarf it all down on their own, but sometimes they need to see that someone likes it (even if I'm just pretending it's delicious!).
If I'm not at work, I usually have some protein-rich veggies. Maybe a small salad or black beans in a tortilla.
Lunch: My second shake! Same as breakfast, only I leave out the flax. This day, I used frozen mixed berries. I experimented with soy yogurt, also. It really helped the texture (so smooth!) and made it such a bright purple! Buuuut, it tasted like tofu and tofu is not my thing. Glad I tried it, but I won't be doing it again. If you like the taste of soy yogurt, I'd suggest putting a little in a shake for added benefits.
Snack: Yes, two snacks a day. You need to eat something! I usually have hummus at least once a day, and it's usually for my afternoon snack. Sometimes I dip veggies in it, sometimes tortillas.
Dinner: This day, I went to a Greek restaurant. After studying the menu, I discovered they offered a vegetarian plate with TONS of goodies on it! I substituted something non-vegan for roasted veggies, though. Don't ask me what's on the plate because I'm not sure what it's all called... or how to spell it. I know there is pita, hummus, and tabbouleh. And something wrapped in grape leaves. And something... fried. Which I later found out wasn't vegan. Now I know for next time.
Other easy vegan meal ideas: Stir fry, tacos, burritos, pasta, fancy sandwiches, soup... just a few general ideas that you can spice up how you want. I plan on including recipes in this blog when I can, but there are a ton of ideas online already. Go explore!
A vegan diet can be very well-rounded and completely nutritious. Just be sure to eat lots of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. And take a multivitamin! If you do it properly, you will get plenty of protein, calcium, and any other essential nutrient found in meat and dairy.
Happy adventuring!
