Why Vegan? Part 2

I'm glad you're back! If you haven't part 1, you can check it out here. Ready for part 2? Today's is definitely more serious than last week so hang on to your keyboards, and let's jump right in!

Animals

The longer I've been vegan, the more research I've done, the more my eyes have been opened to the atrocities of the food industry. I'm not going to go into detail about how mistreated the animals are (look up what "cage-free" really means). There are plenty of documentaries and farms and slaughterhouses out there to check out if you really want to know.

Especially now that I am pregnant, I empathize with all the momma animals out there. I can't imagine anyone taking my baby from me. I would eat meat way faster than I would ever eat dairy simply because death is not the worst thing that can happen to someone. Slavery used to be considered totally fine because society said so. How is exploiting animals unnecessarily any different?

Civilization

Some fun facts for you, if we would just eat the food that we're feeding to the animals instead of filtering our nutrients through another's body, we would be able to feed everyone on the planet. Does anyone remember the trophic levels from 7th-grade biology? Only 10% of the energy in an organism makes it into the consumer (the rest is lost as thermal energy). If we eat the plants, we're getting that 10%, but if we eat the animals that ate the plants, we're only getting 1%.

Animal agriculture consumes so much of our water, and it produces an insane amount of greenhouse gases. I have done practically no research into commercial fishing, but considering the state of our oceans, I can't imagine the overfishing is any more sustainable than beef and dairy production. I for one would like for my child(ren) to live in a world that isn't dying as quickly as ours is currently. We are literally sacrificing countless animal lives and our ecosystem to satisfy bad habits and taste. Yes, vegan alternatives are not exactly the same, but there are some fabulously delicious alternatives if taste is the only reason you have to keep eating the way you always have.

Want to know more? I'll leave you with some awesome things to check out if you're still curious.

• Gary Yourofsky (speech on Youtube)
• Vegan Sources for Nutrients
• Vegucated (documentary)
• Cowspiracy Facts
• Forks Over Knives (documentary)
• What FAT Vegans Eat (Facebook group)

And that's what I have for you! I hope at the very least I got you thinking. What surprised you the most if anything? Is there anything I missed?

Why Vegan? Part 1

This is a conversation that I have had countless times in my everyday life, but I really haven't had it so much over the Internet (though I'm sure that could easily change the longer I'm a presence here). I started trying to write this as a single post, but it was getting really long. So in order to really do this topic justice, I'm going to break it up. For part 1, I'm going to talk about my initial reasoning for choosing veganism (health, perks). For part 2, we'll cover the reasons for why I'll never go back (animals, civilization).

First off, there are lots of different ways to be vegan: dietary, ethical, raw, raw-til-4, junk food, and I'm sure there are more. I identify as an ethical vegan, and I try my best to switch more and more of our products to vegan options as we go on. But I started out as a dietary vegan who fell in love with the side benefits and decided to learn even more about the choice I was making.

Health

Let me preface this by saying I just got a bad hand genetically. I was always active growing up, and I didn't eat poorly. We ate mostly home-cooked meals because my mother made health a priority. Not that it mattered because I still had borderline high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and was having mini strokes - when I was 16. I started on this journey thanks to a paper I wrote in college that showed countless health benefits to veganism. I made the transition over the course of months starting out pescatarian and then switching to vegetarian. While I was vegetarian, my cholesterol dropped 40 points in 7 months.

Yep, these are my actual results. Haven't seen my maiden name in years XD

I was still pretty active through college going to the gym 3 or 4 times a week, doing yoga, swimming, and playing volleyball with friends. Nothing would fix my blood pressure, though, until I went vegan. I was mostly plant-based and avoided processed foods aside from plant milk. Thanks to that change, I finally solved the blood pressure issue. I really don't get sick anymore, and even my pollen allergy isn't bothering me as much. Some of the other benefits that I should be getting but won't really know for sure is significantly reduced risk for cancer and diabetes, both of which run in my family. So long as I continue to not develop any chronic diseases or terminal illnesses, I'll go ahead and add that to my win pile.


Side Benefits

Even being vegetarian I noticed a huge increase in energy, and I felt lighter and less foggy. Through pregnancy, I haven't really had much pregnancy brain except for one week where I was forgetting everything (baby brain on the other hand has been hitting hard). Another huge perk was the cost. I'm not sure where the misconception came from that veganism is more expensive than the Standard American Diet (SAD) because let's be honest, it costs LESS to buy beans and rice than it does to buy meat. And since I've been sick less, I'm spending less on OTC medicines and doctor's visits. I don't have to worry about ever getting put on medicines for my cholesterol or blood pressure.

Note that this is cost per CALORIE, not per pound.

One of my all-time favorite perks, though, is that I can pretty much eat all day because it's almost required. You have to stop looking at how much food is on your plate and think in terms of calories. I can't order salads at restaurants because they are a FRACTION of the size you actually need for a full blown meal unless you're loading up on avocado and olive oil and other fats. If you're eating a variety of whole foods instead of processed foods, it's very hard to overeat. And one bad day of eating a ton of vegan junk doesn't do as much harm since you're not binging on those high cholesterol foods.

You HAVE to eat more to get the same number of calories!

That's enough for today. We'll pick this up in part 2! So tell me, what's holding you back? If you are vegan, what started you on the journey?

What I Eat In A Day (Vegan Pregnancy Edition)

I'm sure everyone is wondering one of those age old questions we vegans get frequently, "But where do you get your protein??" And in answer, pre-pregnancy, that wasn't a concern at all. My midwife told me that pregnant women need 75-100 grams of protein everyday, though, and no lie, that was scary to me. The high end of that is almost double my normal protein intake. Luckily, she said getting 75 grams a day is fine, so that has been my goal. I have since taken a week to track my protein intake, and it actually hasn't been as daunting as I thought it would be!

I tracked from January 18-25, and my numbers were 85g, 75g, 91.5g, 83g, 77g, 77g, 75g, and 98g. So I'm averaging about 82.5 grams a day. On to a million food pics to explain how I did it!

Breakfast
For breakfast, I usually have this smoothie: one cup of soy milk (8g), one banana (1g), two tablespoons of peanut butter (7g), sevenish frozen strawberries (0g), and one scoop of protein powder (20g). Sometimes I'll also add in flax or chia seeds which can add another 3-5g, but normally, this smoothie has me at 36g of protein! If I want a hot breakfast instead, I'll do oatmeal: 3/4 a cup of oats (7g), a cup of soy milk (8g), two tablespoons of peanut butter (7g), two tablespoons of whole flax seed (4g), and two tablespoons of chocolate chips (2g). Plus a banana which has 1g. That gives me 29g. One thing to look out for if you are going to be using a protein powder is if you are also taking a prenatal vitamin, you need to pick a protein with very little vitamin A. You don't want to get too much as it causes birth defects.

36g

29g

Yay, no vitamin A!

I've tried chocolate and vanilla. They're both fantastic.

 Lunch/Dinner
I pretty much do the same types of meals for lunch and dinner. Almost always I have a home cooked meal/leftovers for one and then a fake meat meal for the other. I didn't really crave fake meats much pre-pregnancy, but I have definitely been craving them a lot now which is what really helps me meet my protein goals. If you follow me on Instagram, these may look familiar. For the nachos: chips (8g), Minimalist Baker's queso (7g), black beans (10g), sauteed green bell peppers and red onions (2g), guacamole (.5g), and salsa (1.5g). For eggplant marinara: pasta (16g), marinara sauce (4g), beefy crumbles (13g), eggplant (1g), and green beans (1g). For cheesy pasta: pasta (16g), soy milk (2g), and nooch (8g). I have also made this pasta with Gardein chick'n strips which would add another 14g. I love the Boca burgers. I eat two at a time. My favorite way to eat them is with Just Mayo, ketchup, mustard (I know, I love condiments), spinach, bread and butter pickles, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado. For the burgers: patties (26g), buns (8g), and all the toppings (2g). Lastly, something I love to get as a treat is those Gardein pizza pockets. I eat two at a time so it's not the cheapest, but they are so delicious! Only 18g of protein for two, though.

30g

35g

26g

14g

18g

36g

Snacks
When it comes to snacking, I didn't really start being hungry enough to snack until this week. I really love sweets. It's kind of a problem. But I try to limit all my fruit intake to breakfast since I'm only supposed to be having 1-2 servings of fruit through this pregnancy. Instead, I try to make different snacks like cinnamon toast (6g), or I'll eat a bagel (8g) or bowl of cereal: two cups of cereal (12g), one cup of soy milk (8g). For the cinnamon toast and the bagel, if I know I've had a low protein day, I'll beef them up a little by adding peanut butter which adds 7g making them 13g and 15g respectively. Occasionally, I'll snack on chips and salsa (5g) or hummus and crackers/veggies (5-8g). (Neither of those are pictured)

6g as pictured

8g as pictured

20g

And that's that! Some days I do better than others, but so long as I'm averaging where I need to be, I'm not worried. What are your favorite go-to snacks? Any one else tackled a tricky diet through pregnancy? Any other vegans out there got some yummy recommendations?

Bumpdate #1

Still not sure how many weeks along we are for certain, but we have our first ultrasound scheduled for November 30. Let's go ahead and jump right in!

Rainbow:

I assume you are somewhere between 7 and 9 weeks along so maybe you're just now starting to peek out over my pelvis. That's really all I've got for you. You've got your little arm buds at the least, and your heart is beating. This cute app I've found lets you tell me nice things about your growth and encouragement for me. Until we get that ultrasound, this section is going to be pretty much guess work on my part XD.

Me:

I threw up today for the first time ever. I'm hoping it's just because I overslept and was super hungry and not because I'm going to be the first one in my family to actually experience morning sickness. Only time will tell. I'm still blaming your daddy regardless because at least then we're both laughing about it. Not as tired all the time which is good, but I'm getting pretty fed up with my job now that I know we've got better things coming our way in just a month's time. I cry at least once a week over something I wouldn't normally, and I've started having to pee more often. Not a ridiculous amount yet, but definitely enough that I've noticed a difference. I have also informed Husband that I would like to trade in my Princess title for Goddess since I am now a vessel by which life enters this world. I will keep you all posted on if it sticks ;P

That's all for this week! Stay tuned to find out what's next in our adventure and how this vegan baby grows!

P.S. 280Days is the app I have found. It's super cutesy which I love. There is a version for the pregnant partner and the non-pregnant partner. We can both make journal entries and access each other's, and the calendar is linked so when I input an appointment time, he has access to it as well! The only thing I don't like about it is it gives the baby's growth updates in 4-week increments instead of week increments.

Our First and Last Huzzah!

At our apartment complex we have access to a pool, a sand volleyball court, several BBQ pits, and lots of picnic tables. So of course we have to host a huge cookout with all our friends at least once before we move and lose access to all that free stuff.

I happen to be the only vegan I know. No one is even a vegetarian or pescatarian or gluten intolerant or anything. Just me. Which means that of course there will be some vegan burger options for me, but there will be an overwhelming amount of meat. I have almost completely forgotten how to prepare anything other than chicken tenders for Husband. Absolutely take this as a cry for help (read: please post links to meat-eating bloggers so I'll be able to make something decent).

I like to think of myself as somewhat social so I know I'll be getting a few of my friends and their husbands and children to come. However, Husband is not as social. Other than the guys who came to Thanksgiving last year, I don't know any of the guys he talks about. Some of them have gotten married, but a lot of them are single, barracks guys. It's going to be an interesting mix that's for sure.

What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy the summer? Who all is a queen hostess and has tips for me? Any food or beverage suggestions?

Vegan Ice Cream Blueberry Muffins

I just want to start by saying that Pinterest is amazing, and I would run out of things to cook without it. Pinterest and Thug Kitchen are my staple cookbooks. However, I actually found this recipe on Twitter from BuzzFeed Food. The original recipe is by Christine Byrne I believe, and thankfully it was pretty simple to make it vegan. I just had to swap out dairy ice cream for non-dairy and voila!

The muffins themselves are delicious without being overly sweet so I'm sure you could use the muffin batter as a base for several different flavors of muffins, but Husband is suddenly on a blueberry kick so I thought I'd humor him. That was a bad idea. I didn't even think to taste a blueberry before I threw them all in there, and mine were quite sour unfortunately. But one thing I absolutely loved about this is the ice cream made the batter a little more on the sticky side which prevented the blueberries from all sinking to the bottom.

I used Luna and Larry's Organic Coconut Bliss Vanilla Island ice cream. Why? Because it was new at the store so I figured it must be good. I honestly still haven't even tasted the ice cream. I just melted it into these muffins and called it a day. At least this lack of a taste test didn't end terribly like with the blueberries, and I have a second pint in my freezer waiting for me.

I have no idea how Christine fit an entire pint of blueberries into the batter. Mine got pretty well full with just 6 ounces. And with these muffins only requiring four ingredients, getting the balance right seemed pretty important (in hindsight I should have added some sugar to help cancel out the sour blueberries, but generally you wouldn't need that fifth ingredient).

I took the liberty of putting the muffins in my cupcake liners because I had them and wanted to use them finally so we add a very spring-themed breakfast with the pastel pink, green, and yellow. Since the blueberry juice stained my fingers, I was pretty grateful for that little barrier.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 6-oz container of blueberries
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 375° F and melt your ice cream in the microwave (or you could leave it on your counter for a few hours or the fridge for a day).
2. Add the flour and baking powder to a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir/whisk until evenly distributed.
3. Add the melted ice cream and stir. You will end up with a shiny, smooth batter.
4. Stir in the blueberries.
5. Prepare your muffin tin with either cooking spray or cupcake liners.
6. Evenly distribute the batter to all 12 slots, and make sure there's a blueberry in each one.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the muffins are slightly golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean. The blueberries will be leaking juice so poke with care.
8. Allow them to cool before eating. The blueberry juice is incredibly hot and will burn your mouth.

Just warning you all, I am not very creative. I have never once managed to create a new recipe that actually tasted good, but I can tweak existing ones! So if anyone has any old favorites and wants to give me a challenge, go ahead and comment those recipes! We'll have more regular food posts if this is something the majority enjoys.

Vegan in a House Full of Omnivores? No Problem!

I am what is called a dietary vegan which means I maintain a vegan diet solely for the health benefits. I still have quite a few cheat foods (chocolate mostly). Does that mean I don't care about animals at all? No, fair and healthful treatment of what we are to be eating is extremely important. I just don't see that happening anytime soon, but that's an entire post of its own.

My husband doesn't cook, rather he CAN'T cook. Without me he'd live off ramen and fast food his whole life and never reach his workout goals. The tricky thing is he isn't vegan. Neither is our roommate. So what do I do? Easy. I make whatever vegan foods I want and make an easy chicken dish for the boys.

On Monday I had been craving this super delicious Cuban black bean soup so I decided to have a Cuban night. I Googled a couple other Cuban recipes so we'd be eating more than just soup, tweaked them according to what ingredients I actually had, and voila!

The soup is a recipe from my very first vegan cookbook Eat Vegan on $4 a Day so no tweaking there. The chicken recipe I got off Food.com and fourthed it since it was calling for 2 whole chickens. The green beans were also from Food.com, and I left the bacon out to keep them vegan as well so I'd have two food options, and the boys would have three. It was all delicious!!

So that's how I get around my picky eaters. Does anyone else have dietary restrictions to juggle while cooking for others? Anyone else have trouble getting someone to eat their vegetables?