Once people find out that I am a vegan, the first question I get is, “so you only eat plants?” I always smile and say, “Yes, I eat plants, but there are more options.” I usually get interrupted before I can go into the detail of my lifestyle because they want to ask me more about how I could ever think of giving up meat and dairy. Well today, I want to tell you all about what I do in a day of a Vegan.
I will take you through a typical school day because that is what I think everyone will relate to. When I get up in the morning, my breakfast typically consists of fruit and sometimes a little granola (depending if I work out in the morning or not). I am a big fan of apples and pineapples, so when I make my fruit cup I always throw those two in there. Along with apples and pineapples, I will throw strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and watermelon in the fruit cup.
Normally this food will tide me over until snack time, so I like to bring different snacks to school to tide me over to lunch. I like to bring granola bars because they are convenient and easy to carry around with me. But aside from granola bars, kale chips, peanut butter crackers, and seaweed chips are always a good option.
Kale chips brands come in a multitude of flavors. My favorite is the “cheeze” flavor from Rhythm. The “cheeze” that they use really taste like authentic cheese. I think it is a good substitute for someone who just wants to try something that is healthier than plain potato chips.
Lunch is my favorite meal of the day, especially when I bring my lunch. I usually get produce and some prepared foods from Central Market and Whole Foods to bring to school. My favorite meal to bring is a rice based dish. I will use brown rice as a base, mix some vegetables, and then get a meat substitute to top it off. I like to mix up spinach leaves, green onions, thinly sliced carrots, and some cut up broccoli and cauliflower.
I will put the mix in a pan and sauté them until the spinach starts to shrivel up a bit. I will then pour in some teriyaki sauce for flavor and sauté the mix for about another minute. The meat substitute that I add in is a vegan sausage made by Field Roast. It is easy to cook and the same consistency and taste as an actual piece of meat.
After I make everything I just toss it together and, voila, a delicious vegan stir fry is ready for lunch. After a long day at school, I head to play volleyball in the evening. Volleyball practice is usually two hours long so by the time I get home I am definitely ready for a good dinner. On a normal day, I like to eat a mix of all kinds of foods.
A good dinner that I make is a plate that is filled with a multitude of different colors and tastes. I like to grill a few Brussel sprouts, squash, and cauliflower with some oil and sauce and place that on a side of the plate. From the prepared food section at Central Market, there are some pre-grilled baby potatoes that are absolutely phenomenal.
I warm them up and place them next to the mix up grilled vegetables. Next, to the potatoes, I will use some of the leftover sausages from lunch as another section. Then I finish out the plate with a little bit of rice on the side.
And, of course, I need to finish with some dessert. The Reverie Bakeshop in Richardson, Texas sells 100% vegan desserts. They have everything from cinnamon rolls to handmade personalized cakes. I like to get the blueberry bars because they are a good mix of cake and fruit.
Now you have a good idea of what some vegans eat on a day to day basis. I hope this broadened your horizons and makes you want to try some meatless Mondays. A vegan lifestyle is not for everyone; but, for me, the lifestyle change has been really helpful and I have enjoyed every part of it.
