Eating Vegan at Cookouts

It's that time of year again! Fourth of July officially kicks off the season of sticky weather, beaches, coolers and firing up the grill.  I don't know about other vegans, but after 3 years, I still feel awkward at cookouts. I've accepted that I will probably never be 100% comfortable being vegan in social settings.

Picture from non-vegan cookout I went to last year

With that said, it does get a little easier to navigate. Here are a few tips to help you at the next cookout... 

*Eat before you go-This is a must if you're just starting out in a vegan lifestyle.  Your aunt's macaroni and cheese & grandmother's potato salad will be too tempting on an empty stomach.

*Eat after you leave-I'm the queen of hitting up Chipotle on the way home from any social event. You can also stash nuts, fruit, and seeds in your car to hold you over until you get home.

*Attack the fruit & vegetable tray-The potato salad, collard greens, pasta salad (usually has meat & cheese) and all the desserts at the cookout are likely not vegan. Fortunately, every cookout I've ever been to has a fruit and/or vegetable tray. I don't consider this a meal but it will likely hold you over until you leave...especially if you ate before getting there. Also, snacking on fruit and vegetables helps with the uncomfortable feeling of not eating while everyone is.

*Bring a side dish or two -I've done this a few times and it usually goes pretty well. It's also a great conversation starter.  Bring a vegetable dish or make a fruit platter. You can also bring vegan hotdogs or hamburgers and ask the host to toss them on the grill for you. Don't forget to bring a few to share because some may be curious about how they taste.  Check back in tomorrow for a post with some summer vegan side dish ideas.

*Don't be shy-If you bring a dish, use this as an opportunity to educate your family on why you made the shift to a vegan diet.  Don't preach! Just chat with those who want to know more (and people will) in the most loving way possible. Try not to get defensive when someone has a sly comment. It happens! *Sigh* Smile and enjoy your day.

*Try to see social events as an opportunity to connect...NOT eat-This is one that I'm working on right now.  For most of us, cookouts are just as much about the food than spending time with family and friends.  Try to see these occasions as being more about connecting with family and friends and less about the food.  I know this is easier said than done but with practice is should become a little better.

I had a vegan cookout with one of my friends last year. Check out the post and video here.

Woohoo! 3,000 Subscribers on YouTube

It feels like only yesterday when I wrote about reaching 1,000 subscribers.

Thank you soooo much for all of your support. 

So many things have changed since I started my channel. I was unsure for a long time if I would even continue to make videos. It feel like it took forever for me to find my voice. These days, I'm focusing on moving my channel to a vegan lifestyle family channel.

Even though I will continue to make cooking videos, I will also keep up with grocery store hauls, product reviews, family vlogs, What We Ate Today, and more Vegan While Out (day in the life) type vlogs.

This vegan thing is a lifestyle, yo!  I really want to show it from a family perspective.

Thanks again!

If you haven't already, subscribe to my channel for vegan cooking videos and vlogs.  

    Tell A Friend! :-)

My White Husband Didn't Convert Me to A Vegan Diet....

........& 6 tips to get your spouse to eat plant-based meals.

You wouldn't believe how many acquaintances and family members (the ones I don't know well) say I became a vegan because of Eric. Wait, so Black folks can't be vegan? Oh ok.  *Sigh*

Anywho, I love Eric to death. He's an amazing husband and father, but he didn't influence my decision to become a vegan. In fact, he wanted to know if I would still make him steak or chicken once I made the decision to become one.  lol

I asked him to share some tips to help women interested in getting their spouse to embrace plant-based eating on my YouTube channel.

6 Tips From the Video: 

(1) Pre-packaged vegan food is helpful for transitioning to a plant-based diet. I wrote a post about that here

(2) Be gentle and don't force the food

(3) Don't tell what's in the food lol Wait until your spouse tries it

(4) Take it one step at a time-Eat one plant-based meal a week

(5) Ask your spouse to keep an open mind. Don't expect the food to taste like its conventional counterpart

(6) Replace foods

Thanks for watching and reading! I will see you on Saturday with a new smoothie recipe. 

Come to the Grocery Store With Me #2

A few days ago, I went to grocery store with the KIDS, NO grocery list and a camera. Umm, yeah.  I was about that life!

I just tried to stick to items that we buy often-onions, garlic, beans, fresh fruit, rice, bagels, seasonings, cashews & walnuts (for raw vegan desserts), avocados, green leafy vegetables, tofu, tempeh, and a couple of bags of frozen vegetables.

Even though the kids distracted me a bit and Jason (my oldest) wanted to leave on more than one occasion, it wasn't too bad. I spent $150 on this grocery trip.

Here's the recipe for the homemade ice cream I mention in the video.

Processed Vegan Foods Are Helpful. Here's Why...

From my Instagram last night:

Caption under pic "I made portobello lasagna tonight using spaghetti sauce, vegan sausage, spinach, basil, oregano, vegan cream cheese, garlic, and onion. I haven't made this since last year and usually add Daiya "mozzarella" but it wasn't necessary this time. Our taste buds are changing again and we use less vegan cheese than before. Faux meats and cheeses definitely helped our family a lot in the beginning of this food journey. What's for dinner at your house?"​

After posting that picture, I thought about our family's vegan journey. When I started cooking vegan meals 3 years ago, we ate a lot of vegan prepacked items, faux meats and cheese.  It really helped us transition as a family because I didn't know much about vegan cooking and the faux meat and cheeses made for quick go-to meals.

I may have given up on a vegan lifestyle without being able to rely on the processed faux products.

Even though I have no plans in the near future to eliminate vegan meat (mainly Field Roast sausage) and vegan cheese from our diet; I will say we no longer buy seitan, Gardein products, or Amy's prepackaged meals.  It's not because I dislike these products, but mainly because I feel so much more confident in the kitchen.  I find myself making vegetable stir-fry, spaghetti with TVP & black bean tacos as filling, simple and inexpensive meals. 

In the beginning, vegan cooking can be intimidating.  Sometimes it's hard not to see meat as the center of a meal and faux meat can help make the transition easier.

If you're fairly new to a vegan lifestyle, don't beat yourself up about eating a lot of processed foods. As you research, learn and grow, that will decrease and you will love eating more whole foods.

Thanks for reading!