I have been having some computer issues, so I'm just now able to post.
I have weighed in, & have lost 1 #! (Not as much as I would like, but pretty good I guess for 1 1/2 weeks). At least that is a little motivation to keep going...
I admit, I have had to cheat a little & have some cheese. It is my weakness! And, that Rice Vegan junk is just not cutting it. Whew!!! I feel much better getting that off my chest.
However, for the most part, I have been doing my best being "vegan", but I am finding all kinds of hidden milk or (ahkkkkk!) chicken broth in all kinds of foods, especially when eating out. All I can say, is research, research, research!
Like for example, we ate at Taco Cabana the other night, & I did my best to eat vegan (without researching, my bad!) I had a "bowl" with black beans, rice, lettuce, & guacamole. Well, (after I ate it, hey, when you're hungry, it's not so easy to look up the ingredients!) it turns out the rice has added chicken broth (or something of that processed derivative) added for flavoring! Also, the tortillas have added whey (milk protein), but I didn't eat any tortillas. So if I was trying to eat low-fat, I think I did pretty well, but I failed in terms of eating "vegan".
If you have a smart phone, there are all kinds of apps about eating vegan, even ones that will give you some info about restaurants & fast-food joints regarding what they serve (if anything at all) that meets vegan criteria.
Here are 2 websites I found that give tips on vegan-friendly places to eat, & even shop:
http://www.vegguide.org/
http://www.happycow.net/
And finally, a website I ran across written by a vegan RD. Lots of great info!
http://www.theveganrd.com/
I am going to go eat at Pei-Wei, & see what I can come up with to eat that is vegan.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Purely Decadent Ice Cream (or non-dairy frozen dessert)
I found a new reason to live...
Or at least survive while I am being a vegan.
Purely Decadent line of coconut milk non-dairy frozen desserts.
Or at least survive while I am being a vegan.
Purely Decadent line of coconut milk non-dairy frozen desserts.
And yes, it is purely decadent!
The one I bought & tried was the cookie dough (as you can see above), & it is not only dairy-free, but the cookie dough is also gluten-free, & of course egg-free. The only allergens present are soy & coconut, but coconut is typically not a very common allergen.
They also have soy-free versions available, & I have tried the chocolate, which is soy & dairy-free, but it is nothing compared to this cookie dough, at least in my opinion. it also has ribbons of dark chocolate, which is awesome, melt-in-your-mouth wonderfulness.
The parent company is Turtle Mountain http://www.turtlemountain.com/, and they also make coconut milk & yogurts, which are ALL dairy-free. They very thoughtfully list the ingredient that is "free" on the lid, so it makes it easy to choose what you are looking for.
I think even if I wasn't avoiding milk & eggs right now, I would still eat it, because it is yummilicious!
I found this ice cream at HEB, but it is also available at Kroger, & I'm sure many other locations.
Give it a try! I'm going to go back & eat my ice cream right now.
Sneaky, Sneaky!
I got "milked"! (I guess that doesn't come across the way I intended it to...)
Anyway, my family & I were on our way to an evening soccer game, & we needed to "grab" some dinner fast. The kids wanted McDonald's (of course, what's new), & my mind was spinning thinking what I could get from there to eat that would comply with my vegan diet.
I didn't want a salad (which I could have gotten without the chicken), because I was wanting something with more substance. I decided to order their new Fruit & Maple Oatmeal, since it is offered all day, thinking I made a good choice (I hadn't previously read the ingredients), but I was aware it had raisins, dried cranberries, apples, maple flavoring, & brown sugar.
I thought I was safe.
While I was eating it, I thought it tasted exceptionally creamy, & I became suspicious there was either milk or cream added. Now I've had this oatmeal before (prior to going vegan), & I never noticed the creamy taste. Maybe not having any dairy for a week made my taste buds extra sensitive.
After I ate the oatmeal (I was hungry!) I decided to look up the ingredients on my iphone.
Here is what I found:
Fruit & Maple Oatmeal:
Oatmeal, Diced Apples, Cranberry Raisin Blend, Light Cream
Darn it! I was right, and I already ate it!
It got me thinking how important it is for people with food allergies to be aware of what they are eating, & before they go to the restaurant or fast food place, much less before they actually eat the food.
Luckily, I don't actually have an allergy, but I was upset because I felt like I had sabotaged a week of work, & I was more angry at myself for not being prepared (however, I do feel better in the GI department after not having any sources of milk, dairy, or milk derivatives. I wonder...) But for those that do, it could be dangerous.
Here is the link I found for all of McDonald's foods, including allergen statements:
http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/ingredientslist.pdf
Again, the take home message is to do your research & be prepared before you are faced with a situation like this! And, don't let hunger get the best of you!
Anyway, my family & I were on our way to an evening soccer game, & we needed to "grab" some dinner fast. The kids wanted McDonald's (of course, what's new), & my mind was spinning thinking what I could get from there to eat that would comply with my vegan diet.
I didn't want a salad (which I could have gotten without the chicken), because I was wanting something with more substance. I decided to order their new Fruit & Maple Oatmeal, since it is offered all day, thinking I made a good choice (I hadn't previously read the ingredients), but I was aware it had raisins, dried cranberries, apples, maple flavoring, & brown sugar.
I thought I was safe.
While I was eating it, I thought it tasted exceptionally creamy, & I became suspicious there was either milk or cream added. Now I've had this oatmeal before (prior to going vegan), & I never noticed the creamy taste. Maybe not having any dairy for a week made my taste buds extra sensitive.
After I ate the oatmeal (I was hungry!) I decided to look up the ingredients on my iphone.
Here is what I found:
Fruit & Maple Oatmeal:
Oatmeal, Diced Apples, Cranberry Raisin Blend, Light Cream
Darn it! I was right, and I already ate it!
It got me thinking how important it is for people with food allergies to be aware of what they are eating, & before they go to the restaurant or fast food place, much less before they actually eat the food.
Luckily, I don't actually have an allergy, but I was upset because I felt like I had sabotaged a week of work, & I was more angry at myself for not being prepared (however, I do feel better in the GI department after not having any sources of milk, dairy, or milk derivatives. I wonder...) But for those that do, it could be dangerous.
Here is the link I found for all of McDonald's foods, including allergen statements:
http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/ingredientslist.pdf
Again, the take home message is to do your research & be prepared before you are faced with a situation like this! And, don't let hunger get the best of you!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Where's the Beef?
When I here that phrase, I think of the little old lady in the Wendy's commercial from the 80's.
"Where's the beef?"
Truth be told, beef (or beef derivatives/byproducts) can sneak in where you least expect it.
Here's a prime example:
If you are taking any supplements with a gel-cap coating, which include soft gels, guess what? There's the beef! Take a look at the list of inactive ingredients, & you will see gelatin. That's right, gelatin is derived from beef! Did you know that? Gelatin typically comes from the bones of cattle, boiled down. Gross, right?
So that means Jell-O is off limits too. Darn! Not that I am a huge Jell-O fan, anyway.
I realized this supplement issue when I went to take my flax oil supplement (for omega-3 fatty acids), & when reading the inactive ingredients, the first ingredient listed was in fact gelatin. So, being the anal person I am with following my vegan challenge, I cannot take them! This is unfortunate, because they are very allergy & celiac-friendly in every other way, except for that darn gelatin. And, there are those that are allergic to beef, so this is an important fact for them to realize also. I already gave up my fish oil supplements to my husband because they are (duh) derived from fish.
So now the hunt is on for a vegan omega-3 fatty acid supplement.
"Where's the beef?"
Truth be told, beef (or beef derivatives/byproducts) can sneak in where you least expect it.
Here's a prime example:
If you are taking any supplements with a gel-cap coating, which include soft gels, guess what? There's the beef! Take a look at the list of inactive ingredients, & you will see gelatin. That's right, gelatin is derived from beef! Did you know that? Gelatin typically comes from the bones of cattle, boiled down. Gross, right?
So that means Jell-O is off limits too. Darn! Not that I am a huge Jell-O fan, anyway.
I realized this supplement issue when I went to take my flax oil supplement (for omega-3 fatty acids), & when reading the inactive ingredients, the first ingredient listed was in fact gelatin. So, being the anal person I am with following my vegan challenge, I cannot take them! This is unfortunate, because they are very allergy & celiac-friendly in every other way, except for that darn gelatin. And, there are those that are allergic to beef, so this is an important fact for them to realize also. I already gave up my fish oil supplements to my husband because they are (duh) derived from fish.
So now the hunt is on for a vegan omega-3 fatty acid supplement.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
3 Days In... (and some product reviews)
As I write this I am enjoying (yes actually enjoying) a tofu scramble in a pocket sandwich from Amy's.
And, I am amazed by how much the tofu actually tastes & has the consistency of scrambled egg. Very weird. Now I've had tofu before, but never in a "scramble".
Here's the run down:
Allergen Alert:
Overall, I would actually recommend this product, as it was really pretty tasty, & satisfying (no, seriously!)
You can click here to read more about Amy's products, & they have a great website also, with RD involvement.
Finally, I wanted to share some of what I've learned so far 3 days into following a vegan diet:
1) This is doable.
2) I actually do feel a little better (but, it may also be due to the fact I officially worked out twice this week so far).
3) Vegan rice cheese tastes like cardboard (I do not recommend this product).
Notice how it says "made for melting"? Well, they are full of bologna (meat on the brain, again... and I don't even like bologna!) I put this on a steaming hot baked potato, & it just sat there and looked at me. I even zapped it in the microwave for another 30 seconds, & again, it just sat there and looked at me. Hmmmm. I tried to poke it with my fork, & it started to turn into mush. I guess that is their idea of "melting". Not my idea. I saved my potato by drizzling on olive oil, & adding dried rosemary leaves, sea salt, & cracked pepper. Much better.
I bought this because it was the only vegan cheese at Kroger. They had plenty of Veggie soy cheese, but alas, they all contained casein, which is a component of milk protein. That is why it is important to read ingredient lists, especially for people with food allergies. If I happened to be allergic to milk & thought I was doing good buying soy cheese, I would be sadly mistaken. One good benefit of this cheese, is the calcium content is a whopping 20% per slice. So, I choked it down (plus it was kind of pricey).
Casein likes to sneak up in soy yogurts as well, as I noticed when reading the labels at the store. One example of this is O Soy brand. I was successful in finding a vegan soy yogurt, which also stated clearly on the label:
This yogurt was not bad (I've only tried the strawberry so far), but it did seem to have a bit of a "twang" to it.
Click here to read more about their product.
It was doable, especially since I added some Kashi GoLean Crisp toasted berry crumble to it. That's some good stuff. Another great website to check out their products.
I think my tofu scramble wore off, so it's time to go have a snack. In case you were wondering, I'm going to have "ants on a log" (Jif natural creamy peanut butter & raisins on celery sticks). A childhood favorite, & also very yummy!
And, I am amazed by how much the tofu actually tastes & has the consistency of scrambled egg. Very weird. Now I've had tofu before, but never in a "scramble".
Here's the run down:
- Only 180 calories & 6 grams of fat
- Provides 11 grams of protein (almost comparable to what 2 scrambled eggs would provide)
- Vegan - of course, or I wouldn't be eating it (dairy & egg free)
- Trans fat & cholesterol free
- Organic
- Made without any GMOs or bio-engineered ingredients
- 520 mg of sodium (which is kind of hefty, ideally would be < 300 mg)
Allergen Alert:
- Soy
- Wheat (also gluten, so definitely not celiac-friendly)
Overall, I would actually recommend this product, as it was really pretty tasty, & satisfying (no, seriously!)
You can click here to read more about Amy's products, & they have a great website also, with RD involvement.
Finally, I wanted to share some of what I've learned so far 3 days into following a vegan diet:
1) This is doable.
2) I actually do feel a little better (but, it may also be due to the fact I officially worked out twice this week so far).
3) Vegan rice cheese tastes like cardboard (I do not recommend this product).
I bought this because it was the only vegan cheese at Kroger. They had plenty of Veggie soy cheese, but alas, they all contained casein, which is a component of milk protein. That is why it is important to read ingredient lists, especially for people with food allergies. If I happened to be allergic to milk & thought I was doing good buying soy cheese, I would be sadly mistaken. One good benefit of this cheese, is the calcium content is a whopping 20% per slice. So, I choked it down (plus it was kind of pricey).
Casein likes to sneak up in soy yogurts as well, as I noticed when reading the labels at the store. One example of this is O Soy brand. I was successful in finding a vegan soy yogurt, which also stated clearly on the label:
This yogurt was not bad (I've only tried the strawberry so far), but it did seem to have a bit of a "twang" to it.
Click here to read more about their product.
It was doable, especially since I added some Kashi GoLean Crisp toasted berry crumble to it. That's some good stuff. Another great website to check out their products.
I think my tofu scramble wore off, so it's time to go have a snack. In case you were wondering, I'm going to have "ants on a log" (Jif natural creamy peanut butter & raisins on celery sticks). A childhood favorite, & also very yummy!
Ready, Set, GO!
Welcome to my journey/challenge on becoming vegan (at least for a month...)
So, why did I decide to give up ALL animal products as part of my New Year's? Here is the run-down:
1) First & foremost, I want to drop a few (or a lot). My thought process on this is that instead of driving myself crazy & focusing on counting calories, I will "trick" myself into something else to focus on. Something much bigger. Instead of starving, I will be eating- but eating healthier. Instead of reading food labels for calorie content, fat grams, & serving sizes, I will be scanning the ingredients making sure there are no hidden milk or egg ingredients. I am hoping that this shift of focus will get me through this, & the pounds will just drop off without me even realizing it! Yeah, that's right, just keep telling yourself that, Megan! You can see my full rationale and goals here. After 2 days in, I noticed I have bypassed alot of things that normally would have ended up in my mouth because I know they are made with either milk, butter, or eggs (like cookies!), which is going to be better for the end result.
2) Health reasons- I have been blessed with the gene of hypertension. Unfortunately, for me, even when I was in better shape, I still have required medication for management. But, I have never tried this diet! It would be absolutely awesome if one of the results from this endeavor would be I could either decrease or get off my meds (probably a long-shot, but I can still hope). I also have a physical with my doctor in 1 month, where she will be checking my lipid levels. Even though cholesterol is not an issue yet for me (thank goodness!), I still could stand to have some improvement in that area as well. Plus, I am just curious to see if I will feel better.
3) Personal challenge & fascination- ok, I have never been a big beef eater, but occasionally I do like a big, fat, juicy filet. Even better with hot, melted butter sizzling on top... snap out of it! (I haven't had any meat at all for 1 1/2 weeks at this point). But, I do like seafood, chicken, cheese, ice cream, & I LOVE Starbuck's lattes... Once I make my mind up to do something, I am all or nothing. That is why I decided to go "all the way" & shoot for vegan rather than vegetarian, & I will be very anal and comply, just mainly because I am stubborn. I have also always been curious & interested in vegetarian/vegan eating, but it has never stuck very long. While I was in graduate school, I often had many meatless meals, even buying & eating soy cheese, soy margarine, veggie burgers, & soy corndogs just for S & Gs.
4) Empathy for my patients- as an registered dietitian (RD), I have many patients that have food allergies, & absolutely cannot eat certain foods or ingredients. At least I am fortunate enough to not have this issue, & I am making this diet change by choice, but it will give me the understanding of the many challenges they face on a daily basis- from grocery shopping, cooking, & eating out. By following a vegan diet, I will not be eating any foods that are derived from cow's milk/dairy products or eggs, which is similar to my patients that are allergic to these foods & cannot under any circumstances eat these foods or any ingredients derived from them. This way, I can understand on a daily basis some of the challenges they face, & hopefully I will also learn some practical tips & information I can pass along to make their lives a little easier. Plus, I will be personally trying many of the foods I have recommended as substitutes to them, & hopefully will get the "inside scoop" (ice cream on my brain again).
Yes, this will be a difficult journey for me, but hopefully one that will help me grow (but not in the waistline).
Why blog about my "vegan adventures"? Accountability! I figured if I write it down, & it is posted on the internet for anyone & everyone to see, that gives me no excuses to cheat or quit.
Please join me as I learn from personal experience!
So, why did I decide to give up ALL animal products as part of my New Year's? Here is the run-down:
1) First & foremost, I want to drop a few (or a lot). My thought process on this is that instead of driving myself crazy & focusing on counting calories, I will "trick" myself into something else to focus on. Something much bigger. Instead of starving, I will be eating- but eating healthier. Instead of reading food labels for calorie content, fat grams, & serving sizes, I will be scanning the ingredients making sure there are no hidden milk or egg ingredients. I am hoping that this shift of focus will get me through this, & the pounds will just drop off without me even realizing it! Yeah, that's right, just keep telling yourself that, Megan! You can see my full rationale and goals here. After 2 days in, I noticed I have bypassed alot of things that normally would have ended up in my mouth because I know they are made with either milk, butter, or eggs (like cookies!), which is going to be better for the end result.
2) Health reasons- I have been blessed with the gene of hypertension. Unfortunately, for me, even when I was in better shape, I still have required medication for management. But, I have never tried this diet! It would be absolutely awesome if one of the results from this endeavor would be I could either decrease or get off my meds (probably a long-shot, but I can still hope). I also have a physical with my doctor in 1 month, where she will be checking my lipid levels. Even though cholesterol is not an issue yet for me (thank goodness!), I still could stand to have some improvement in that area as well. Plus, I am just curious to see if I will feel better.
3) Personal challenge & fascination- ok, I have never been a big beef eater, but occasionally I do like a big, fat, juicy filet. Even better with hot, melted butter sizzling on top... snap out of it! (I haven't had any meat at all for 1 1/2 weeks at this point). But, I do like seafood, chicken, cheese, ice cream, & I LOVE Starbuck's lattes... Once I make my mind up to do something, I am all or nothing. That is why I decided to go "all the way" & shoot for vegan rather than vegetarian, & I will be very anal and comply, just mainly because I am stubborn. I have also always been curious & interested in vegetarian/vegan eating, but it has never stuck very long. While I was in graduate school, I often had many meatless meals, even buying & eating soy cheese, soy margarine, veggie burgers, & soy corndogs just for S & Gs.
4) Empathy for my patients- as an registered dietitian (RD), I have many patients that have food allergies, & absolutely cannot eat certain foods or ingredients. At least I am fortunate enough to not have this issue, & I am making this diet change by choice, but it will give me the understanding of the many challenges they face on a daily basis- from grocery shopping, cooking, & eating out. By following a vegan diet, I will not be eating any foods that are derived from cow's milk/dairy products or eggs, which is similar to my patients that are allergic to these foods & cannot under any circumstances eat these foods or any ingredients derived from them. This way, I can understand on a daily basis some of the challenges they face, & hopefully I will also learn some practical tips & information I can pass along to make their lives a little easier. Plus, I will be personally trying many of the foods I have recommended as substitutes to them, & hopefully will get the "inside scoop" (ice cream on my brain again).
Yes, this will be a difficult journey for me, but hopefully one that will help me grow (but not in the waistline).
Why blog about my "vegan adventures"? Accountability! I figured if I write it down, & it is posted on the internet for anyone & everyone to see, that gives me no excuses to cheat or quit.
Please join me as I learn from personal experience!
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