Day of Vegan Eats

This post is part of my July Vegan series as Featured Health Editor for FoodBuzz’ new sub-division, HealthBuzz.

When I tell people I eat a primarily meat and dairy free diet, they always ask…Well, what do you eat? I’m certainly never at a loss for what to eat, cook, or snack on so I thought I’d share what a typical day of eating looks like for me.

Breakfast options:

• Fruit & yogurt parfait with soy yogurt, fresh or frozen berries, whole grain cereal
• Oatmeal with peanut butter, banana, vanilla soymilk, cinnamon and any other ingredients that inspire me (my latest favorite is chocolate soynut butter and a scoop of cherry jam)
• Whole grain cereal with soymilk and fresh or frozen berries
• Smoothie blended with yogurt, frozen banana, mixed fruit, and dry oatmeal

 Mid-morning snack:

Typically fresh fruit and almonds or homemade “trail mix” of pretzel bits, dried fruit, and nuts.

Lunch – this always varies and depends where I’m eating…at work, from home, between talks at a Starbucks, etc. Usually I like:  

• Leftovers for lunch, either as-is or rolled up into a whole wheat tortilla
• Instant tacos: 2 mini whole wheat tortillas, mashed avocado, salsa, and soy cheese
• Triscuits with hummus and salsa
• Hearty soup and crackers in the winter
• And if there is nothing in the house to eat, I can always count on a whole wheat roll-up with hummus, soy cheese, and some veggies

I always have fresh veggies like carrots or sugar snap peas with lunch, and some fresh fruit. All day I drink water, water, water.

Throughout the afternoon I might have some more fresh fruit, a bar (Larabar), some crackers and salsa or hummus, or anything else to tide me over til dinner.

Dinner is hardly ever the same recipe twice! And many of my dinner creations show up on this blog. I’m usually inspired by the season and a veggie I’m craving, so if it’s mushrooms, we might have stuffed portabellas. If it’s something heartier, I’ll roast root veggies, and if it’s a mix of whatever fresh veggies we have in the fridge, I might make a stir fry. We include some whole grain (couscous, whole wheat pasta, bulgur, quinoa, brown rice) and a protein source if I don’t think there’s enough from the grain and veggies (tofu, tempeh, beans). I’m always googling for new recipes and cook enough for at least 1 night of leftovers for dinner or lunch. As much as I love cooking, it’s always easier to cook once, eat twice!

Usually I can go without an evening snack, but sometimes my sweet tooth kicks in and I try to stick with dried fruit (current favorite is dried peaches) or frozen berries topped with cinnamon. Of course my daily diet varies with my schedule, foods I’m in the mood for, exercise, vacations, dining out and more, but you get the gist of it!

So there you have it: a typical vegan day of eats from me. Want more vegan meal plan inspiration? Here is a great 3 day vegan meal plan sample with nutrient breakdowns from fellow dietitian Dina Aronson on VeganHealth.org.