They say habits will stick if you repeat behavior for 21 days...it's only about 13 days and it can be tough! This week included a couple of common obstacles that can be a downfall for some -- travel & business meetings. Both of these could have hampered our lunch choices but luckily we were prepared!
Breakfast doesn't always have to be the common western choices. Other countries have foods that we would consider lunch or dinner items. For example, my daughter loves the Gardein Chicken Patties. She heats them in the microwave for a breakfast on the go. Other days we stuck with the staples such as smoothies, cereal and waffles. One morning, I made a pan of tofu scramble which took the same amount time the oatmeal typically takes! TIP - Premix your seasonings, marinades and keep in a jar in the fridge so all you need to do is unwrap your tofu and toss with the marinade before heating in the pan.
Lunches varied this week. I made a large pot of Lentil Soup and a large pot of Split Pea Soup in the beginning of the week which was packed for lunch for kids a couple of days. One day over pasta, another with rice. Other days I heated a quick can of beans and packed with raw carrots & cooked broccoli. Snax included Fig Bars and pretzels. A business lunch was in the middle of the week and I did my research. A location local to all parties included many vegan options along with non-vegan choices for all in attendance. Saturday lunch was on the go due to sports so a quick stop at Costco for an Acai Bowl and drive-thru at White Castle Veggie & Impossible Sliders (gross) for the kids - not a common occurrence but you gotta do what you gotta do. Sunday lunch was spent in NYC where the vegan choices are as common as non-vegan choices. We ate at Hudson Eats which is a small mall with a large food court . Every vendor had an option - burritos, pizza, soups, salads, etc. If only my area had this!!!
Dinners - I'll go through each day for some more details:
Monday - this was the day I made 2 pots of soup so I cooked up some Naan for dipping and served with the Split Pea; the Naan took only a minute to mix & grill but allowed 1 hour for rise time
Tuesday - We enjoyed the Lentil Soup with some tortilla chips and salsa
Wednesday - Sports night! Sauce-only pizza and Chipotle (their Sofritas is amazing!!)
Thursday - Saute'd some garlic and oil, threw in a can of sweet peas and a little veggie broth (from frozen stash made a couple of weeks ago) and tossed it all with spaghetti
Friday - Easy casserole using Gardein crumble, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes and seasonings. All saute'd in a casserole dish (pictured above!) then topped with Trader Joe's Mozz and baked for 20 minutes. Air fried some sweet potato wedges for 15 mins!!!
Saturday - I had purchased some garlic/spinach pasta through a fundraiser a couple of weeks ago yet I know they are available in stores. I simply cooked the pasta and tossed it with some Earth Balance butter and nutritional yeast. Served with some edamame (organic from Costco in the frozen section). There wasn't enough pasta to feed us all so I oven baked some potatoes.
Sunday - Curried chickpeas are simply drained from the can, tossed with some curry powder, garlic powder and hot sauce and heated. Meanwhile, saute'd some carrots, celery and onions. Then threw in riced cauliflower (also a Costco frozen item) and added a little Better than Bouillon with some water and some fresh thyme (I happened to have in the fridge but not necessary).
Excited for another week!!!
If you see any recipes on here you want to try, let me know!! Learn how to make it in your kitchen! Contact me @thevisitingvegan@gmail.com
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