I often get the same (in some shape or form - and admittetly quite old...) question of
"So, you're vegan. What is it you eat then?"
Well ... It's quite funny when people first get "confronted" with these strange
(but oh so lovely) humans that decided to desist from eating any foods made from or with animals ...
And most of the time it's a pleasure if someone shows an honest interest in not only your lifestyle but thinking about how they can also contribute to a more compassionate, enviornmentally friendly & healthy society!
I'm all in for a good chat about Veganism & thought why not shed some light into those nagging questions ...
What does a vegan diet look like?
This is a bit of a tricky question, as not everyone is the same and many people have different reasons for being vegan - and their diet will of course reflect this accordingly (if you know what I mean ;)). I became vegan for ethical reasons and this is still my main motivation. However, over the years you start to learn what other perks come with a vegan lifestyle and although we do love some good junk-food every now & again, we do try to follow a healthy & balanced diet. But what does this actually mean?
Pomegranate seeds are added for health & dramatic purposes
In my case, I always try to have a healthy balance of basic ingredients at home, such as a variety of tinned beans (incl. chickpeas), different wholegrains (cous-cous, bulgur, quinoa, brown rice etc.) and a selection of fresh, seasonal fruit & vegetables (spinach, fennel, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, peppers, green beans, aubergines, courgettes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage ... ). What I also always have in the cupboard is passata, onions, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, soy milk / plant milk and wheat gluten flour (used to make your own meat-replacer!).
I can usually make up some pretty good, balanced meals out of the above mentioned. Some of these might need some preparation (e.g. making Seitan) but most of our meals we just whip up within 20 to 30 min. upon coming home from work...
What do you eat in a day?
I try to start each morning with a breakfast that will give me energy & gets me through the morning.
Top candidate during the week is usually Porridge (of which most are vegan - just don't grab the super-sugary, ready pots with "hidden" milk in it!) with chia seeds, cinnamon & berries or banana - and sometimes even a spoon of nut butter for some extra protein power
(although a hand-full of nuts will do the same trick!).
On weekends, I tend to mix breakfast & lunch together and indulge in some scrummy brunch foods which can include (but not limited to) home-made vegan wholemeal flour pancakes with fresh fruits; wholemeal muffins topped with a splotch vegan mayo, fresh spinach or lettuce, vegan ham (quorn or vbites), vegan cheese (usually tesco own-brand free-from) and some tomatos & cucumber on the side; scrambled tofu with baked beans and salad on the side - oh and a dollop of vegan egg yolk!
Nothing better than a "Full Vegan Monty"
Lunch time during the week has to be fairly fast due to work, so many times I'd make use of leftovers from dinners the night before or I try to take either some fresh (or occasionally tinned) soups as well as ramen noodles & salads (simply add juice of half a lemon as a dressing). Very occasionally I take wraps or sandwiches (ideally wholemeal & stuffed with loads of veggies).
Soup is life - especially in winter!
Now Dinner is the big one in my house - this is where I try to make time to properly sit down without any distractions to fully enjoy my meal. I make sure I cook as much as possible fresh & from scratch as I can, but as I don't want to be standing in the kitchen cooking for hours, I do make use of nice little inventions such as a microwave (which will steam potatoes in 10 min. rather than pot cooking them for 20+ min. ...). As dinner is my one "proper" meal per day, it's important for me to have this as balanced as possible, so I'll always have a ratio of 1/3 protein (legumes / tofu / seitan ...), 1/3 vegetables (whatever is in season, usually steamed or shortly boiled) and 1/3 carbohydrates (wholegrains wherever possible). There is of course also a small amount of healthy fats added (e.g. avocado, hand full of seeds or nuts, coconut oil ...) which usually come in some form of dressing or sauce to accompany the meal.
Herb drizzle -> on point!
On weekends, the same principle is applied, but as I usually have more time to cook & be adventurous,
I do experiment with more exciting, more time-consuming and more elaborate recipes - which usually end up in this blog!
Are you vegan or have you thought about a veggie / vegan diet?
What are your thoughts / top tips?
I'd love to hear your input !
"So, you're vegan. What is it you eat then?"
Well ... It's quite funny when people first get "confronted" with these strange
(but oh so lovely) humans that decided to desist from eating any foods made from or with animals ...
And most of the time it's a pleasure if someone shows an honest interest in not only your lifestyle but thinking about how they can also contribute to a more compassionate, enviornmentally friendly & healthy society!
I'm all in for a good chat about Veganism & thought why not shed some light into those nagging questions ...
What does a vegan diet look like?
This is a bit of a tricky question, as not everyone is the same and many people have different reasons for being vegan - and their diet will of course reflect this accordingly (if you know what I mean ;)). I became vegan for ethical reasons and this is still my main motivation. However, over the years you start to learn what other perks come with a vegan lifestyle and although we do love some good junk-food every now & again, we do try to follow a healthy & balanced diet. But what does this actually mean?
In my case, I always try to have a healthy balance of basic ingredients at home, such as a variety of tinned beans (incl. chickpeas), different wholegrains (cous-cous, bulgur, quinoa, brown rice etc.) and a selection of fresh, seasonal fruit & vegetables (spinach, fennel, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, peppers, green beans, aubergines, courgettes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage ... ). What I also always have in the cupboard is passata, onions, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, soy milk / plant milk and wheat gluten flour (used to make your own meat-replacer!).
I can usually make up some pretty good, balanced meals out of the above mentioned. Some of these might need some preparation (e.g. making Seitan) but most of our meals we just whip up within 20 to 30 min. upon coming home from work...
What do you eat in a day?
I try to start each morning with a breakfast that will give me energy & gets me through the morning.
Top candidate during the week is usually Porridge (of which most are vegan - just don't grab the super-sugary, ready pots with "hidden" milk in it!) with chia seeds, cinnamon & berries or banana - and sometimes even a spoon of nut butter for some extra protein power
(although a hand-full of nuts will do the same trick!).
On weekends, I tend to mix breakfast & lunch together and indulge in some scrummy brunch foods which can include (but not limited to) home-made vegan wholemeal flour pancakes with fresh fruits; wholemeal muffins topped with a splotch vegan mayo, fresh spinach or lettuce, vegan ham (quorn or vbites), vegan cheese (usually tesco own-brand free-from) and some tomatos & cucumber on the side; scrambled tofu with baked beans and salad on the side - oh and a dollop of vegan egg yolk!
Lunch time during the week has to be fairly fast due to work, so many times I'd make use of leftovers from dinners the night before or I try to take either some fresh (or occasionally tinned) soups as well as ramen noodles & salads (simply add juice of half a lemon as a dressing). Very occasionally I take wraps or sandwiches (ideally wholemeal & stuffed with loads of veggies).
Now Dinner is the big one in my house - this is where I try to make time to properly sit down without any distractions to fully enjoy my meal. I make sure I cook as much as possible fresh & from scratch as I can, but as I don't want to be standing in the kitchen cooking for hours, I do make use of nice little inventions such as a microwave (which will steam potatoes in 10 min. rather than pot cooking them for 20+ min. ...). As dinner is my one "proper" meal per day, it's important for me to have this as balanced as possible, so I'll always have a ratio of 1/3 protein (legumes / tofu / seitan ...), 1/3 vegetables (whatever is in season, usually steamed or shortly boiled) and 1/3 carbohydrates (wholegrains wherever possible). There is of course also a small amount of healthy fats added (e.g. avocado, hand full of seeds or nuts, coconut oil ...) which usually come in some form of dressing or sauce to accompany the meal.
On weekends, the same principle is applied, but as I usually have more time to cook & be adventurous,
I do experiment with more exciting, more time-consuming and more elaborate recipes - which usually end up in this blog!
What are your thoughts / top tips?
I'd love to hear your input !
🍃 NAMASTE 🍃
with lots of love & light from your
Natural Vegan Gypsy
Natural Vegan Gypsy