What We Ate Today #8 Vegan Family Meals | Video

 I love showing easy and delicious vegan meals that you can enjoy with the family. 

Check out the latest What We Ate Today vid...

Breakfast: Puffins multigrain cereal (the cereal featured in the video & picture is NOT vegan; here's a list of the vegan-friendly ones from the same company-scroll to the bottom of this page), almond milk & nectarine

It's crazy because when I skimmed the ingredients, I just knew this multigrain one would be vegan over their peanut butter, fruit medley & cocoa crunch (which is all vegan), since it's plain and has less ingredients.

This Puffins multigrain cereal contains vitamin D3 which is derived from an animal source (I believe sheep's wool).

At first I was pissed about featuring a non-vegan product in this video, but decided the lesson was too important to leave out that footage.  Even after 4 years on this journey, I still don't always get it right. 

I do the best I can daily and hope you do the same in your own journey. :-)

Progression over perfection, baby.

Lunch: Thai noodles from Forks Over Knives

My kids have a love/hate thing with sprouts, so I left those off. I doubled this recipe, so there was enough for lunch the next day. Get the full recipe here 

Dinner: Chipotle-white rice, black beans, fajitas, guacamole, mild salsa, lettuce

When buying or eating burritos out, be sure to check to make sure it doesn't contain lard (which is an animal byproduct). As far as I know, the flour tortillas at Chipotle are vegan-friendly. Articles here & here 

Another vegan option at Chipotle is getting the same ingredients in one of their veggie bowls. You can also ask for their vegetarian/vegan pinto beans, brown rice and sofritas. 

Vegan While Out: Indian Guru

Eric and I have been searching for authentic Indian food and we stumbled on a new small restaurant with service and food that didn't disappoint.

The menu clearly marked all the vegan options and the cover even boasted about catering to a vegetarian lifestyle. Woohoo! Intimate ambience and inexpensive food? Sign me up!

Instead of ordering from the menu, we opted for the lunch buffet that featured several of the same dishes. The server pointed out 3 vegan entrees on the buffet and I piled my plate up with them.

Vegetable samosa, mixed vegetables, chana marsala & basmati rice-I promise it tasted better than this picture looks. So flavorful!

Tips on choosing vegan Indian dishes while dining out-

Fortunately, plenty of Indian dishes are already vegetarian or vegan.

*Check out the menu online before leaving to get an idea of what options are available.

*Vegetable curry, samosas, pakoras, dhal and papadums tend to be vegan

*Be sure to inquire about the ingredients in the sauces to ensure there's no butter or other animal byproducts.

Most importantly, politely ask your server for assistance. :-)

Theo photo bombing my random restaurant shots.....

lol

I came across a vegan Indian cookbook at the library the other day.  I can't wait to experiment with some of the recipes. 

I hope you had a great weekend!

Vegan While Out: Jackson 21-Alexandria, VA

 A couple of weeks ago, hubby and I stumbled onto Jackson 21 while walking around Old Town Alexandria.

I started off with a salad...

The salad on the menu included pig's ear and deviled eggs, so I asked our server to leave that out. I was left with sauteed radicchio & onion, arugula with other mixed greens, and a mustard vinaigrette.

Simple & delicious!

The main course was everything, though...

Northern Neck Stuffed Peppers with orzo, cherry tomatoes, broccoli rabe and romesco sauce-the original dish is topped with cheese but I also asked my server to leave that off.  She was very accommodating and made our dining experience that much better.

I vlogged about our day in the video below.  Check it out :-)

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Vegan While Out: Busboys & Poets

I love everything about Busboys-laid-back vibe, fun music, beautiful artwork, and a lot of vegan choices on the menu.

Last week I ate dinner there with a couple of my DC friends. Ladies night!

 After peeking around their library I headed over and drove right in...

Falafel sandwich with cucumber, hummus, lettuce, tomato on pita & French fries

Delish!

I ate half to save room for dessert and left my leftovers at the restaurant. FAIL!

Vegan brownie & a scoop of vegan vanilla icream

I was in dessert heaven :-)

Become A Vegan In One Simple Step

PLAN! :-)

Plan your menu for every meal before going to the grocery store. Try to keep breakfast simple with foods like bagels, smoothies, oatmeal, etc. Make enough dinner to serve for lunch the next day or better yet make enough for dinner, too.

Keep it simple with recipes like Califlower Cous Cous with Mint & Basil Sauce & Fried Rice.

Take your favorite non-vegan recipes, switch out a few ingredients and veganize it. I recently made my mom's collard greens recipe using liquid smoke opposed to smoked meat. It was yummy and I couldn't tell the difference.

If you don't want to plan your menu or don't have the time, Happy Herbivore offers affordable vegan weekly menus with grocery lists and directions.

Also Pinterest and my recipe page are great resources.

Plan ahead for social gatherings- This time of year (also Christmas, New Years, etc.) can be difficult because there's so much temptation to eat foods that aren't necessarily good for you at gatherings. I usually eat a meal before leaving my house and bring a simple vegan dish to events to munch on and share.  If you're heading out to a restaurant, check out the menu online so you have an idea of your options. Fortunately, many restaurants now have at least one vegan entree. If all else fails, order several side items-like french fries, steamed vegetables, applesauce, garden salad with balsamic vinaigrette, rice (check to make sure it wasn't cooked in beef or chicken broth) and a baked potato.

Plan for snacking- I used to keep fresh fruit and nuts in my car for those times when I wasn't sure about my next meal. You don't want to be stuck with nothing to eat.

It can be overwhelming in the beginning, but soon you'll establish a routine and all of this will become second nature. I wish I could say every situation will be perfect, but the health benefits of compassionate eating are worth the effort.