What I Ate Wednesday - Week 1

In a bid to try and eat cleaner this year, I'm going to start doing What I Ate Wednesday on a regular basis starting this week. I'll try and mix things up a bit and do it on days I'm eating out too, so hopefully I'll be a bit different every time.

Breakfast

Whoever said you can't make vegan waffles has clearly never tried these. I got my waffle maker last year, and it's one of my favourite items in my kitchen, even if I don't use it that much. I topped my cinnamon waffle with banana, agave syrup and mixed seeds. I also had half a litre of water with lemon as I'm attempting to try and drink at least two litres of water each day, so it helps if I can start it first thing.

Lunch

I was still pretty full from breakfast, so I only had a seeded bagel and fruit for lunch. I topped the bagel with my favourite vegan cream cheese from Bute Island.

Dinner

I got the Deliciously Ella book for Christmas, so I thought I would try out her coconut Thai curry which I made with sweet potato, chickpeas and cauliflower. I tired to be healthy by having it with wholegrain rice and not too many popadoms.

Snacks

I got these for Christmas and they're delicious. I first discovered them in a shop in London last year, but my mum managed to pick up this tin and Vegfest Scotland in December.

HAPPY SIX MONTHS VEGAN BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

If you haven't guessed it already, this week marks six months since I decided to change my eating habits and become vegan. I made the decision from the start that I wasn't going to commit myself to it forever. These days forever is something that almost never exists, and the last thing  I want to be known for is quitting the choices I have shouted about for months on end. The thing is, right now I honestly can't see myself going back to how I was before.

My dad was concerned that I was making it socially awkward for myself, but i'm managed to pass the major eating hurdles without any problems at all. If i'm eating out then I take my friends to vegan friendly restaurants like Henderson's in Edinburgh or Stereo in Glasgow. If we go to a normal restaurant then i'll find something to eat. It might not be my first choice, but I can always find something on the menu. I went away for a hen party and the restaurant we went to was able to adapt everything so I could have soup without cream, pasta without cheese and even something sweet to finish it off. I've got two weddings this year and both brides to be have said they can supply a vegan option for the meal. The only downside is i'll miss out on the wedding cake, but at least i can eat myself full at dinner.

My dad wasn't the only one who raised concerns back in January when I started to tell people what I was doing. Some people just simply didn't understand. I should probably point out that these were the people who had a diet that consisted of junk food, takeaways, cigarettes and a lot of alcohol. But of course, it would be rude of me to comment on their diet. Others seemed worried about how I would ever manage to get my daily intake of protein. It just so happens that one cup of pinto or kidney beans gives you 15 grams of protein, so really there's no need for people to be too concerned.

The best thing about it all is how healthy I've felt. I don't get that horrible bloated feeling you get after eating lots of junk food. I still feel a bit tired, but that's due to my over thinking mind keeping me awake than anything else. I've not had a proper cold, a sore throat or any sort of flu related illness in months. I don't feel run down at all, in fact i feel better than I've felt in years.

I know this kind of diet isn't for everyone and i'm sure people will continue to question me whenever I tell them about it. But instead of asking stupid questions (i'm happy to answer serious ones) i wish people would look into it a bit more. It's an incredibly healthy way to live, and i'm pretty sure i'll be feeling even better in another six months time.

The (very belated) Vegan Life Update

I remember at the start of this year, i had promised myself i was going to blog at least twice a week. It's now been well over a week since my last update, so it's safe to say the plan has totally went out the window.

I figured i would try get back into things by taking the easy way out, and posting some pictures of healthy food I've been eating/drinking/making lately.

1. Baked Oatmeal - (oats, banana, cinnamon and coconut milk) topped with banana, frozen blueberries, coconut, goji berries, seeds (chia, pumpkin, sunflower, linseed and sesame).

2. Smoothie - bottom layer is coconut water, banana, mango, cinnamon and coconut oil and the top layer is banana, mixed berries and wheatgrass.

3. Salad - kale, carrot, beetroot, pomegranate seeds and quinoa with roasted sweet potato and peppers.

4. Haggis Pizza from Stereo in Glasgow - haggis, muhammara (spiced red pepper and walnut), tomato sauce and olives.  

The Vegan Life: One Month

Happy 1st Month Vegan Day To Me!! 

Well technically it was yesterday, but i didn't have any time to do an update then. So i celebrated it this morning by going for a run along the canal, before i had cinnamon waffles, homemade cake batter ice cream (frozen bananas, baking soda, sprinkles, vanilla extract and agave syrup), and blueberries. I'm pretty sure it's the best breakfast I've ever made myself, especially since the waffle recipe came out a book i picked up from my favourite bakery in San Francisco. 

I've found the past month so much easier than i thought it ever could be. It's still difficult when i eat out, unless i got to places like Mono and eat their smoked tofu, pesto mayo, tomato and spinach sandwiches. I also need to go back soon to try their cheesecake with tequila and lime syrup, because i way was too full yesterday to eat another bite.

It's also done great things to my health too. I've not nearly as tired as i used to be, although my sleeping pattern has been thrown off course due to other things at the moment. I am finding it a lot easier to get up in the mornings, and I've even managed to go out running three mornings this week. I've also managed to lose a couple of pounds, and i'm a lot less bloated too.

So i guess overall, January has been a complete success.

The Vegan Life: Week 1

I've been a vegetarian since i was about 12 years old, so i can't actually remember what meat tastes like. There's even some meat products I've never eaten like steak, lamb chops, or even a Big Mac. The vegan lifestyle is always something I've been intrigued by, but it's always been something I've been too scared to do. I'm the sort of person who could eat milk chocolate every single day, and still want more. My favourite times of the year involve chocolate, and i order mozzarella dippers whenever i can find them on the menu. 

Then i read Vegan Freak and realised that i need to stop making excuses as to why it won't work, and just go for it. It's been 8 days, and so far it's been pretty easy. I'm making lots of green smoothies with kale for breakfast, salads for lunch, and things like vegetable chilli for dinner. 

I was disappointed there's no vegan friendly cakes in Costa, although i wasn't exactly expecting them to a giant section especially for me. Luckily, Real Foods is just along the road from work, and today my lovely colleagues gave me all these vegan goodies as an early birthday present. 

So here's to trying the vegan lifestyle. Let's hope i can make a real go of it.