IMBB #19: I Can’t Believe I Ate Vegan for a Whole Day!
[Check in this weekend for my round-up of my favorite food blogging of the week.]
One of these things is not like the others!
Yesterday I ate vegan and the only thing I really missed was cheese!
Throughout college and for years afterwards, I ate totally vegetarian. A bite of chicken didn’t enter my mouth for years. And while I’m not a huge meat-eater nowadays, I love fish and dairy, especially cheese. Also, I’m not really used to micro-managing what I eat, so scanning labels for even a hint of dairy wasn’t a natural fit for me. My main food concern, on a normal day, is to eat organic ingredients as much as possible and to avoid artificial ingredients, such as colorings and preservatives. I mainly shop at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
Yesterday, the day I decided to eat vegan, I was on the run all day, driving to work and appointments with hardly any time in between. Here’s what I put together for my day for vegan sustenance:
Breakfast – Red Bull and Kashi’s Autumn Wheat in a plastic baggie – I know it’s not good to eat on the go, but it was either this or starvation and with a long day ahead of me, I had to go the dry cereal route. I love Autumn Wheat, though, because it’s shredded wheat sweetened just a tad - crunchy and filling.
Lunch – Whole Foods Salad Bar – I love eating at Whole Foods. It’s the one of the few places where you can grab a quick and healthy meal to go. I wish they had a drive-thru! Yesterday, my first inclination was to grab some of their arugula salad with pine nuts and parmesan. But, no cheese for me on Vegan Day. So instead, I created a little bed of spinach and red leaf lettuce on which I put some Multigrain Tabouli (Japonica rice, brown rice, wheatberries, cucumber, tomatoes, red onions, and spices) and Golden Beet Couscous (Shallots, Beets, Israeli Couscous, and Spinach). It’s healthy, chewy, and delicious. I grabbed a bottled water and a vegan bar of dark chocolate that really scared me but turned out to be pretty tasty. My sister-in-law Lydia informed me that all dark chocolate is vegan. I never though about that…! Is that true?
I ate my lunch in the car while listening to Dr. Laura! I actually kind of like that solitary time. Is that weird?
When I got home a few hours later, I only had a moment to grab a quick snack of cranberry juice and brown rice cakes sweetened with buttery caramel. It was actually pretty delicious and satisfying. In fact, I might go have some now!
Dinner - A couple more hours of work and then my friend Amanda came over to watch our favorite show – America’s Next Top Model. I cobbled together a vegan salad culled from two Cooking Light recipes – Fruited Israeli Couscous and Citrus Couscous Salad. Basically, I liked the idea of the flavors in the Citrus salad, but I wanted to make it with Israeli Couscous, which I’d never cooked with before. The salad turned out fruity and satisfying, but the next day I didn’t like the way the Israeli couscous looked – more clumpy and solidified. I would definitely make this salad again some day, but I would stick with the traditional couscous, due to the consistency factor for leftovers.
Here’s the vegan recipe for Citrus Couscous Salad:
2 cups fresh orange juice
½ cup water
1 t salt
1 (10-ounce) package whole-wheat couscous (about 1 2/3 cups)
½ cup dried apricots, sliced
½ cup dried currants
2 T red wine vinegar
1 cup chopped seeded cucumber
¾ cup chopped green onions
½ cup coarsely chopped pistachios
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1. Bring 1.5 cups orange juice, water, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan, gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Place couscous in a large bowl.
2. Combine ½ cup orange juice, apricots, currants, and vinegar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes. Drain and discard cooking liquid.
3. Add apricot mixture, cucumber, and remaining ingredients to couscous, tossing to combine.
Makes 8 1-cup servings
Source: Cooking Light Magazine
So to sum up my day of living veganly, I actually enjoyed it and I felt rather healthy and satisfied. I’ve been wanting to take it easy on the cheese and crackers lately and I very rarely eat meat at home, so I guess I’m already more than halfway there.
Thanks, Amanda, for coming over and watching Top Model with me!
Ah, but Red Bull isnt vegan. (Or even vegetarian) It has (im going to spell this wrong) taurine in it, which is an animal product…LOL
Other than that, I totally applaude you, that was an awesome foray!
PS - On AMNTM, do you think the “big shock” for next week might be that Coryn started life as a boy? Hmmmmmm
Comment by Rachael — September 30, 2005 @ 9:23 am
Actually according to the Red Bull web site (http://www.red-bull.com/faq.action#5) it is vegetarian and the taurine is synthetic. While I was googling the topic, I came across several vegan blogs/sites and they all said it’s vegan. But I was worried that it might not be vegan - either way I really needed it that morning and would have cheated and had it anyway, if necessary!
As for ANTM, I’ve heard that rumor, but we’ll just have to wait and see! Maybe it’s that two of girls are going to hook up?!? Love that show!
Comment by Beth — September 30, 2005 @ 9:47 am
Where did you get the Israeli couscous? My local Whole Foods doesn’t carry it in its dried state. I love the couscous w/dried cranberries and eggplant they have in the salad bar.
Comment by Candice — September 30, 2005 @ 10:28 am
I was vegetarian in college, too. Couldn’t go vegan–I love dairy and cheese too much.
Red Bull vegan? I never would have guessed that. I guess it just goes to show that you could be vegetarian or vegan and still not necessary eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. I knew girls that lived on Diet Coke and candy and french fries!
Comment by Angie — September 30, 2005 @ 11:02 am
Love the day in the life of a vegan!
And I ALSO love Whole Foods, though I feel I’ve lost weight since moving away from an apartment that was practically across the street from WF. I went over and ate their free samples all the time…ha!
Comment by Mona — September 30, 2005 @ 12:16 pm
Bravo for eating vegan for a whole day! The couscous salad looks good.
Comment by boo_licious — September 30, 2005 @ 12:55 pm
I’m impressed! I would miss the cheese too - it’s a huge weakness for me. That couscous salad looks absolutely divine!
Comment by Michelle — September 30, 2005 @ 1:52 pm
Sounds like a very successful experiment! Great entry for this month’s IMBB!
Comment by Nic — September 30, 2005 @ 1:59 pm
I ate a lot of chocolate while being…”vegan”. *cough*
People always asked me about whether or n ot I could eat it. It’s not the healthiest thing in the world but WHATEVER! I think it just depends whether or not it has milk; good dark chocolate shouldn’t have milk. Eating too much good dark chocolate also makes me sick so I guess I can’t chow down on it anyway, haha.
Comment by Robyn — September 30, 2005 @ 2:38 pm
I love that Kashi cereal. Can’t get enough of it.
I don’t love Dr. Laura.
Red Bull frightens me. Never tried it.
I love Israeli couscous. I always saute it in oil before adding hot stock and covering the pan, basically cooking it like a rice pilaf. It’s really very different from Moroccan couscous.
Comment by mzn — September 30, 2005 @ 6:14 pm
Couscous with citrus sounds delicious. I might like to try this…
Comment by Glutton Rabbit — September 30, 2005 @ 10:14 pm
I think the possible problem with chocolate is sugar. To refine sugar… some/alot/most?? places use animal bones in the process so the sugar is obviously not vegan, crazy huh?
Comment by clare eats — October 1, 2005 @ 6:13 am
thanks for taking part in the IMB#19. And bravo for being vegan for a whole day. I, too, like the salad bar at wholefoods, so much variety. I have to be careful not to fill up my box with too much because then I end up with more than I can eat.
the recipe sounds delicious.
sam
Comment by sam — October 2, 2005 @ 2:39 pm
Love the vegan for a whole day idea! What a great entry.
Comment by Amy — October 3, 2005 @ 6:46 am
Hi,
I am also vegan. The salad seems tasty. I will try it. Thanks for sharing.
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