For those of you who have committed to going vegan with me for the week (Monday, February 7th – Sunday, February 13th) I thought I’d give you a few tips to make you’re week a little easier and perhaps a little healthier. Remember, just because you’re giving up chicken and ice cream doesn’t guarantee you’ll be eating healthier.
Here are a few tips that will help you make “good” vegan food choices throughout the week.
– Avoid, gaining weight by making sure to load up on veggies and not extra starches. Replacing meat with extra starches may lead to weight gain.
– Read the ingredient list on food packages. Processed vegan foods often contain a lot of ingredients. Remember you want to choose foods with a short list of ingredients (So Delicious coconut ice cream is delish, but loooong ingredient list).
– Research foods that are high in calcium (dark leafy greens, tofu, figs, and white beans) and include them in your diet daily.
– Make sure you consume enough protein and healthy fats to stay satiated and to eat a balanced diet.
– Arm yourself with vegan recipes. A few of my favorites:
- Apple-Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Summer Berry Pancakes
- Easy Roasted Garlic Tomato Basil Sauce (just don’t top it with cheese)
- Sweet Potato with pomegranate seeds in light coconut milk
– Planning ahead is essential.
- Scan a menu before going to an event or on a dinner date.
- Carry vegan friendly snacks.
- Try out a vegan restaurant. My NYC picks are Candle Cafe, Blossom and Gobo.
What other tips do you have for planning a week of vegan eats?
* I am not a registered dietitian. For more specific information for your specific dietary needs please consult a Registered Dietitian.
Sara (Miles and Manhattan) says
Have you been to Gobo? I keep threatening to go (it’s around the corner…and four years later i’ve never gone) but haven’t been!
xoxo
s
Jess says
Wait… where the heck do you live? Are we neighbors?
Cameo says
Great tips! I am going to have to try those restaurants fo sho.
Jodie says
Planning for sure and have a meal plan for a week mapped out.
Kim says
Thank you for the tips! I am to eat better and healthier. Trying to go vegan for atleast three days a week after watching the oprah show last week. Thanks again!
The Candid RD says
Ut oh Jess, you must change the spelling of dietitian!! It’s with a T, not a C….. ๐ So many people do that because a) spell check doesn’t catch it, and b) pediatrician is spelled with a c so it makes sense to spell dietitian with one too.
Anyway, going vegan is just not something I would ever want to do, even for a week, I won’t lie. I did a vegan store tour at work not too long ago and it took me SO LONG to find enough vegan products to include in my tour. It was a lot of work!!! But, good for you for giving it a go, I commend you for that!
Jess says
Done! Thanks for telling me!
Angela says
Those Summer Berry Pancakes look SO delicious! And speaking of So Delicious, I LOVE that ice cream! If you want a short ingredient list, try their chocolate flavor. It tastes just like frozen chocolate mousse! Vegan or not, I always have a container in the freezer for when I want to treat myself to something extra yummy: Organic coconut milk, organic agave syrup, chickory root extract, cocoa, carob bean & guar gum and natural flavors.
Jess says
Thanks for the tip!
Lauren Slayton says
Ha, read the comments and thought you spelled dietitan correctly. I think your tips were good, many unhealthy vegans I see in my office. I love the market plate at Candle 79. If you have questions in the course of the week, email me.
Lauren Slayton says
I just spelled dietitian wrong, this dietitian has had no coffee
Beth says
Great tips! I shared this post with my co-workers in prepartions for our Vegan Week in a couple of weeks. I think Meal Planning is going to play a huge part in my success ๐
Jess says
Thanks for passing on the info!
Robin says
I must admit, I 100% planned to do this and I still am going to. But I had to get off my chest the fact that my parents left the country yesterday so my mom mailed me a Valentine’s Day package this week, including her amazing chocolate fudge … obviously not vegan. I don’t want to give it away to someone, not eat it, or freeze it (I don’t think it would survive well, especially since it spent shipment time unrefrigerated). I’m going to share it with friends but I will still eat it. Here’s to being vegan minus the fudge for a week!
Haha, thanks for listening ๐
Jess says
You are entitled to eat your mom’s fudge. What kind of daughter would you be if you didn’t? ๐