Reflections on Kids and Food

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There are so many challenges when raising kids and so many joys too of course! For me, one of the greatest challenges has been trying to raise healthy eaters in a culture that relentlessly combats that at every turn. For a long time I thought it was an impossible task. I was constantly trying to get my kids to eat real food, yet at daycare, school, and friend’s houses they were fed the crap that our culture calls “kids food” – hotdogs, macaroni and cheese from a box, some weird processed substance that was once some part of a chicken, breaded and fried and dubbed “chicken fingers.” Their young palates were assaulted with the addicting combination of sugar, salt and fat that the food industry spends tons of R&D dollars on to reach the perfect “bliss point.”

Part of the problem too was my own knowledge about eating and nutrition, and when my kids were young I didn’t place the importance I do now on eating only (or at least 99%) whole food. Although even if I did, I believe the challenges would have been much the same. Pleading at meals to try a new flavor and finish the vegetables. Hearing the pleas of “all the other kids get junk food in their lunch bag.” At least they are able to recognize it as junk food. Maybe this is the first step. Just instilling that knowledge of real food vs food-like substance and planting little seeds and leading by example and talking about the food and flavor industry, and the effect of all that on our bodies and planet. They don’t have to look past their classroom or neighborhood to see the obesity epidemic happening.

My kids don’t eat the way I wish they did. They eat way too much sugar, salt, and fat and shun healthy choices too often. But I’m not without hope. In the last year I have really cut way back on the processed food I buy. I do still buy them processed snacks but I choose relatively healthy ones with fewer ingredients and no artificial colors or flavors. For school lunch my son gets one of these store bought snacks plus a baggie of homemade trail mix with nuts, dried fruit and dark chocolate chips. He seems happy with this and I’m happy with the compromise. Recently I gave in to pleas to try the cool ranch dorito taco from Taco Bell. His response, much to my surprise and delight, was that it isn’t nearly as good as it looked and he didn’t even finish it. Just this weekend I allowed another rare crossing of the line and bought them a pizza hut pizza and breadsticks. My younger son, “this really isn’t very good, and the breadsticks taste like cardboard.” This is the best Mother’s Day gift he could have given me! To know that his palate is learning to appreciate real food over processed junk gives me great hope.

Even though my kids are 19 and 15 I think it’s too soon to know whether or not I raised healthy eaters. I certainly didn’t eat healthy at that age, or for many years to follow. The proof will be in how they eat when they are grown and out on their own, and if they have kids, whether they will face these same struggles with them.

Happy Mother’s Day!

The Numbers Don’t Lie

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As I’ve written before on this blog, there are many reasons why suddenly in my middle age I’ve decided that eating animals is completely unnatural to me and is no longer something I’m willing to do. If I had to really analyze my main reason it would probably be compassion for the furry four-leggers, but there is no doubt that health is pretty much a tie for the number one reason I’ve made this major lifestyle change.

My health is more important to me than anything else, even my family. Selfish? I don’t think so, because if I don’t have my health then I can’t be there for my kids or anyone else, and without it I can’t give my all to anything else that I do. There are so many things that can happen to our health that are outside of our control. We can lose it in a split second in an accident, or we can get a horrible disease despite spending our lives doing all the right things to remain healthy.

I don’t spend time worrying and wondering about what the future holds to possibly undo all my efforts to stay healthy. I’ve chosen to live by controlling what I can and doing my best to let go of everything else. In my opinion, and confirmed by many much more educated on the topic than I am, I firmly believe that we are what we eat and we can do so much for our well being by controlling what we put in our bodies.

Despite maintaining a normal weight my whole life, and eating better than average for most of it too, one area I’ve had a little trouble with is cholesterol. My worst numbers were back in 2004 when I had a total cholesterol of 212 and an LDL at 133! Optimal LDL is under 100, and total under 200. My quick to suggest medication Doctor (aren’t they all?) started talking to me about medication, and how my numbers would only get worse as I got older and medication would eventually be inevitable. Well, I’m not one for medication, and I’ll do what I can to avoid it, so over the coming years I tried to eat better and exercise more. I cut out trans-fats pretty religiously, and ate less saturated fat and more plants. The following year my LDL dropped to 117, total to 210. A few years later LDL was 107, total was 192, my best results so far and I was pretty pleased to be going in the right direction. Unfortunately, the very next year (2010) my LDL went back up to 121 and total to 213. I mean these aren’t frightening numbers by any stretch, and the Doctor was not really pushing meds to strongly at all, but I definitely felt that for as well as I was eating I should have better numbers.

The truth is I was not eating all that well. I ate way (WAY!) too much cheese, and although I didn’t eat meat very often when I did it was almost always beef because that’s what I could buy from a local farm, and I’ve never been much for chicken. This year’s results, after a year and few months of eating nothing but plants, my total cholesterol is 181 and my LDL is 93! My Doctor was practically giddy and told me I should write a book! That gave me a good laugh and I told him there was no shortage of books on the subject, problem is not enough people follow what they say.

Obviously cholesterol numbers aren’t the only measure of a person’s health, but for me they’ve been “that one thing” I’ve been trying to effect and haven’t been able to until now. We’ll see what future blood tests bring, but so far this is the biggest change I’ve seen and I’m thrilled!

Chia Seed Pudding

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So yeah, Chia seeds, the very same ones of Chia Pet fame are actually a highly nutritious “super food.” One tablespoon contains 2,282mg of Omega 3 fatty acids, 5g of fiber, 3g protein, plus 6% of the daily calcium requirement and 4% daily value of iron. Go chia seeds!
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They’re easy to add to any diet because they really don’t taste like much. I discovered these awhile ago, but haven’t gotten very creative with them until recently. I’ve mostly been sprinkling them on toast with nut butter and fruit (or jam/honey) for breakfast.

Another cool property these little guys have is they expand and create a gel like substance when mixed with liquid. Chia Fresca is actually a traditional thing in Mexico and South America. They can also be used as an egg substitute. (1 T chia per 1/4 c water).

I’ve been looking for a substitute for the mid-morning snack I’ve been eating for years, which is yogurt. Soy, coconut, and regular yogurt just has way too much sugar. Plus a lot of the non-dairy yogurts have carrageenan which is something I’ve decided I don’t want to ingest. So, after reading about chia seeds and searching for recipes ideas I’ve come up with this yummy chia seed pudding recipe. First a warning. If you do not like “lumpy” things, such as tapioca or rice pudding, or oatmeal, then this is not for you. However, if you want to add this highly nutritious food to your diet, you might want to try to expand your palate and give this pudding a try.

Chia Seed Pudding

1/4 cup almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
2 cups milk (soy, almond or coconut)
2 tablespoons sugar, or other sweetener (or more if you want a sweet pudding – try brown sugar too)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pretty heavy sprinkle of cinnamon
1/3 cup chia seeds

1. Put almond butter into a medium sized bowl or measuring cup (at least 4 cup size so you can whisk without making a mess)
2. Add a little bit of the milk (1/3 cup or so) and start to whisk in the nut butter, continue to add milk gradually and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk everything together.
4. Let sit in refrigerator for several hours, preferably overnight, but stir a few times in the first hour.
5. Eat and enjoy!

This version is not very sweet and more of a snack than dessert. My hubby found it too plain for his taste and added a spoonful of brown sugar to his serving.

I would also suggest adding some berries before eating. Or, for a really yummy treat, substitute 1/4 cup of your favorite liqueur for some of the milk in the recipe. I’ve made this with coconut milk and amaretto liqueur and it was delicious!

One Year In

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It’s been about 13 months since making the decision to give up eating all animal products. Basically, going vegan, although probably some vegans would take issue with me using that label since I still eat honey and haven’t given up leather shoes, coats, etc. Granted, I probably will not buy any new leather except shoes, since at this point it is nearly impossible to find a decent selection of stylish and good quality shoes that are animal free. Whatever the label, it has been an adventure. The short conclusion is I love it! I love eating this way for a whole bunch of reasons and I’ve never felt better! And I don’t see myself changing my eating habits going forward. This is right for me and I feel completely “at home.” That said, it is not without its challenges. Here are what I’ve found to be some of the pros and cons of eating an all plant based diet. I’m going to list the cons first because I want to end on a positive note, because this is just that – positive.

Cons:
1. It’s a lot of darn work compared to a Standard American Diet (S.A.D. – no coincidence with that acronym). I really like to cook, but boy do I spend a lot more time doing it now. Just one example can get this point across. Ricotta cheese. Before if I was making lasagne or whatever, I’d open a tub and be done. Now I have to get the food processor out and blend tofu, miso, tahini, nutritional yeast and seasonings. But the result! Yum! So much more flavorful and healthy than ricotta cheese.
2. For the most part, forget take out. Used to do take out every Friday. Now there are 1 or 2 mediocre choices locally and the only really good choice is a 15 minute drive to the health food store. Although they have a most awesome 100% vegan buffet that is always worth the trip.
3. Dining out in general is more limited. Some restaurants offer absolutely nothing. Indian, Thai, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean can always be relied upon. We have a total of 2 of those locally. The downside of living in a beautiful but rural place.
4. Traveling – see 2. and 3.
5. Family. It’s hard to share meals with family when both parents and in-laws don’t consider it a meal unless a hunk of dead animal flesh is involved. But it can and has been done with really minimal challenges. And the kids have decided not to eat all veggie based so I still unfortunately buy dairy products for them, and meat if we go out or get takeout.

Pros:
1. Living in sync with my values. I no longer have to wonder if my food was ethically raised and had a pain free and natural existence and was ethical slaughtered (oxymoron)! And I’m doing more for the planet by not eating animal products than I would be by driving a hybrid car.
2. I no longer have to wonder if there is fecal matter in my food. Well, that said, there can be traces of manure on vegetables, but really, it’s not the same as having actual shit mixed in to your ground meat, or eating chicken that’s been dipped in bleach to kill the bacteria.
3. I have more energy and just generally feel lighter, cleaner, and better. I feel like I eat to live not the other way around, and everything I ingest serves a good and healthful purpose in my body.
4. It is delicious! I’ve discovered so many new grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, spices, and condiments that are completely unheard of in the S.A.D. and have had so much fun learning how to cook with them and trying new recipes.
5. Nothing is lacking. For me the biggie is cheese. I never thought I could give up cheese, and I can’t. But there are so many yummy ways to approximate the taste of cheese that completely satisfy with none of the saturated fat. I can even feel like I’m eating a true hamburger with Gardein burgers.

In about a month I have my annual physical and blood work, so I will hopefully have one more thing to add to the list of pros – lower cholesterol!

Breakfast: New Twists on Old Favorites

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If we heard it once we’ve heard it a thousand times that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Studies have shown that eating breakfast helps with weight loss since you end up eating less throughout the day.  This is not something I’ve ever had trouble with.  I’m often thinking about what I’ll have for breakfast before I go to bed, and cannot imagine starting my day without a good, healthy meal and a cup of tea.  My goal at breakfast is to balance carbs (preferably from whole grains) and protein, to include some fruit, and to limit or avoid simple carbs and sugar.

I used to love breakfast cereal, but as I’ve become more informed about good nutrition, there are very few that meet the bill on the low sugar, high fiber requirement.  I also prefer to keep it to ones with a few simple ingredients which I can pronounce and recognize as food.  The few that meet the bill are: Ezekiel, Kashi GoLean, Uncle Sam’s, Post Shredded Wheat and Bran, Bear Naked or Bob’s Red Mill granola (a bit high in the sugar department, but I don’t use much), and muesli (some of these are not vegan, and the same with many granolas, so I’ve learned to read the ingredients closely).

If I’m having cereal I usually mix 2 or 3 kinds from the above, add some chopped nuts, usually walnuts, some dried fruit, including cut up dates, prunes, or apricots, and even a bit of candied ginger, or maybe a mix of dried and fresh fruit such as banana, pear or berries, and plain soy milk.

Another breakfast favorite of mine is hot cereal: oats (regular or steel cut), oat bran, or bulgar.  For some reason hot cereal is one of those foods that fills me up right away but an hour later I’m starving and feel like my blood sugar is low.  But one thing that makes a huge difference in this and keeps me full much longer is if I add a tablespoon or so of nut butter, usually peanut or almond, after it’s cooked.  Just that and a tablespoon (at most) of molasses and maybe just a little bit of dried fruit and nuts and I’m all set.

Toast is another favorite, but definitely needs the right toppings to be a complete and healthy meal.  My all time favorite is rye toast with nut butter, banana, chia seeds, and a few (vegan, dark) chocolate chips or I shave a little bit of dark chocolate on top.  On the opposite side of the taste spectrum, I like toast with avocado (just mashed on there) sprinkled with a little salt, pepper and hot sauce, or if they’re available a slice of good tomato.

And for a totally outside the box breakfast, at least in the west, I have miso soup and brown rice or quinoa flavored with some Bragg’s and peanuts.

First Green Thanksgiving

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Traditionally Thanksgiving food is supposed to copy what the pilgrims and indians ate at that first harvest back in the 1600′s.  I’m no historian and I’m not sure how much evidence is out there for what they actually ate, but I can guarantee it was nothing that resembled the turkey on the table today.  A few years ago when I was still eating turkey at Thanksgiving, I happened to look at the ingredients in a Butterball turkey.  I guess what made me do this is the same mistrust in the food supply that is a large reason why I no longer eat meat.  Of course what I should have found on the label was just “turkey.”  But in addition to turkey there is also “up to 8%” of a solution of basically flavor additives.  So, if the pilgrims and indians did eat turkey it was probably some poor skinny, gamey thing with a normal proportion of breast to leg meat, not the freakish franken-turkey of today, bred to have way more breast meat than is natural and then injected with the flavor industry’s finest concoction of turkey flavor juice.

So given my view on the quality of the meat in the market today, I had absolutely no nostalgia for turkey this year during my first vegan Thanksgiving.  We were visiting family so turkey was there, but it was not tempting.  Our main course was this recipe from No Meat Athlete.  It was very hardy and satisfying.  I also made some mashed potatoes and cauliflower, which is basically my mashed potatoes and celeriac recipe except with cauliflower instead of celeriac.  I also made Dr. Weil’s eggplant-walnut spread to have as an appetizer.  And thanks to my wonderful family our day was not limited to just these 3 things.  My mom made vegan versions of several delicious sides and desserts including stuffing, a sweet potato and apple bake, apple pie, poppy seed strudel and a green bean and walnut stir fry, and my sister made 2 versions of her creamed corn, 1 for us using soy milk.  Talk about things to be thankful for!

It couldn’t have been a better day with great food and being together with family!

Vacationing Vegan

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This is our first summer as vegans so it follows we’re experiencing our first time vacationing while vegan.  I’m sure the success or failure, ease or frustration depends a lot on where one vacations.   I doubt that Disney or any other amusement park type place has much to choose from.  But I do believe if we seek (and are patient and flexible), we find.  I’m not very patient, but I’m getting a little better, and being vegan is helping me along in my development of that virtue.

We vacation mostly in the northeast, and we have an RV so we carry our home on our back like a snail.  This is really almost cheating when talking of the challenge of vacationing as a vegans because we come packed with all the essential tools and ingredients to prepare our own meals.  But, we don’t spend the entire time sitting at the campsite in the RV, so inevitably we are out exploring the area and often need to find food.

The key to successful vegan travel is preparation, but sometimes I’m lazy and just go.  That’s what happened on a recent trip to Maine and as we were crossing Vermont we were getting hungry.  In the past on this same route we always stopped for pizza near Woodstock.  That was out now and we were resigned to something unhealthy and unsatisfying from a convenience store when we passed the Woodstock Farmers’ Market.  This is actually an indoor market that’s more a grocery store than farm stand.  They had several fresh salads and sandwiches as options and loads of local produce, even fresh figs, which I’ve only found once in my grocery store at home.  And, the most important part when towing a 30′ trailer, there was a large empty parking lot on the property right next to the market.  I wish this lovely store was not 2 hours from my home so I could shop there regularly.

While in Maine and walking around the quaint little harbor villages the options almost entirely center around seafood and ice-cream.  In years past we would have feasted on lobster rolls and clam chowder.  We passed many restaurants and stands that had nothing to offer a vegan, but in Boothbay Harbor we found a little cafe that offered two vegan sandwiches (hummus and veggie and Thai veggie).  Also found a restaurant that supposedly had lots of vegetarian options.  A review of the menu listed a vegetable risotto, but one of the ingredients was chicken stock.  There were a few items we probably could have made due with.

We went online to research local eateries and came across a touristy type seafood restaurant that to our surprise listed a few delicious sounding vegan items, a quinoa burger and a hummus appetizer that along with a salad would make a great meal.  We were thrilled and set out to go there for dinner.  Unfortunately when we were seated and opened the menu the items we saw online were nowhere to be found.  We asked the server and she said the online menu was outdated.  They were accommodating and we were able to have a pretty good meal by leaving the cheese off our entrees.

We had a more pleasant surprise when we went down to Freeport, and after planning ahead by buying tabouli, hummus, and bagel chips for lunch, they had a veggie dog on the menu at a little sidewalk hotdog stand.  I’m sure our salad and hummus was a healthier and tastier option but it thrilled me to see a vegan hotdog at such an unexpected location.  I wish more restaurants offered choices for those of us who don’t eat animal products.  They are sadly few and far between, but more sadly it’s a result of demand and I’m sure the reason that good looking quinoa burger is no longer on the menu is because it rarely if ever got ordered.

I do think this will change and a plant based diet will eventually be more mainstream but I believe it’s still a long way off.  In the meantime, we early adopters will have to continue to plan ahead and bring our own food or be creative with the options on restaurant menus.

Dry Salad Dressing Mix

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I like bringing salad for lunch to work but I dislike transporting dressing.  Seems like no matter what I do it makes a mess.  The whole bottle is too big and cumbersome.  Putting it in a tupperware container is bound to result in leaks, and nasty, oily mess in the lunchbox.

So, after giving this some thought I decided to try an experiment.  What if I skipped all the wet ingredients?  I got to thinking that the salad itself is kind of wet to begin with and if I made a mix of dry ingredients and tossed it in it should kind of coat all the veggies and hopefully provide enough good flavor to not need dressing.

Here’s the recipe for the mix I tried and it worked great.  In fact, I would even consider traveling with a little container of this for those situations where eating out is a challenge.  I’m thinking back to my Red Lobster meal of baked potato and broccoli.  That could definitely have benefited from a little spice.

The Mix – adjust quantities based on the size of the salad

pinch of salt
few dashes of black pepper
Tablespoon or two of nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon of dried basil
few dashes of onion powder

That’s the core mix.  I’m thinking also of including or alternating some of the following:

dried dill
toasted sesame seeds
sunflower seeds
chia seeds (potential embarrassing black seeds in teeth issues with these)
ground flax seeds (same concern as above)

Farfalle with Sesame Cabbage (and reminiscing on my visit to Vermont)

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On my birthday, back in April, Mr. Green Foodie and I took the day off work and spent a beautiful early spring day in Manchester, Vermont.  In Vermont, mid-April is still early spring, at least usually.  Vermont is one of my favorite places.  Here is one reason why.  Here’s another.  Not to mention that the entire state is breathtakingly beautiful, and is exactly the kind of place that offers everything I value and enjoy in life.  Lots of green space and opportunity for outdoor activities being a couple examples.

We had lunch at Ponce Bistro (pictured above), a wonderful little restaurant which offers several vegan options, and more that are easily “veganized” by leaving off the cheese.  After lunch we visited my favorite bookstore, The Northshire Bookstore, where I bought my first 2 vegan cookbooks.

I bought Vegan Family Meals by Ann Gentry and Quick-fix Vegan by Robin Robertson.  I like Ann Gentry’s book a lot, but it’s definitely for the more “committed” cook.  Many would call me a committed cook, but I call myself a lazy cook.  I have made and enjoyed quite a few recipes from the book, but a few look too high maintenance and involve ingredients I can’t easily get my hands on.  Mental note, think twice about buying a book by someone from southern California.  We just don’t have the same access to diverse ingredients here. We have what’s called a “specialty aisle” and it’s often not that special.

Robin Robertson’s Quick-fix Vegan has become my go-to cookbook.  The sub-title is ‘healthy, homestyle meals in 30 minutes or less’ and that couldn’t be more true.  Every recipe I’ve made so far has been very easy, quick, and delicious.  She includes tips for substituting ingredients and offers ideas on how to vary many of the recipes.

I’ve been meaning to write a post about my wonderful birthday outing and these 2 great cookbooks since, well, April.  But the recipe that inspired me to sit down and finally write was on page 80, Farfalle with Sesame Cabbage.  There are so many reasons this recipe blew me away.  First of all, I like cabbage (I’m Czech after all), but I don’t really expect anyone else, especially my picky kids, to get too excited about it.  When I made the recipe I actually set some plain pasta aside expecting neither of them to eat the cabbage.  Eldest son had a plate full, then went back and had an even bigger plate full!  Youngest son ate a normal plate full and actually said it was “good.”  The only words from his mouth that are more rare are, “do you have any chores I could do?”  To me this dish is comfort food at its best.  A wonderful cross between eastern european halushki and a bit of asian flavor from the sesame and soy sauce.

The recipe:
12 oz farfalle or other bite sized pasta  (I used a full lb.)
1 T neutral vegetable oil
1 10 oz. bag shredded cabbage (or 4 cups packed)
2 carrots, shredded
5 scallions, minced  (I didn’t have so just skipped.  Think it would be awesome with fried/caramelized onions)
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 1, 2 would have been fine)
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
2 T soy sauce
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (don’t use those plastic lemons, just don’t!)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 cup hot pasta water
salt and pepper
2 T toasted sesame seeds (I practically burned them and it was still good)
3 T chopped parsley (I forgot this.  I ALWAYS forget the parsley.  Sometimes I even chop it and still forget to put it on the food.  It’s a mental block of some sort, obviously).

Cook the farfalle until just tender.  While pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the cabbage and carrots.  Cover and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook 3 minutes longer. [I cooked the cabbage and carrots much longer than 7 minutes, but I didn't cover it so maybe the end result was the same.  Anyway I wanted it to be pretty soft and tender so I cooked it until the desired texture].
Combine the tahini, soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, and pasta water in a bowl. Whisk to blend.  Add the sauce to the cabbage mixture, tossing to coat.  Drain the pasta and combine the pasta with the cabbage mixture.  Season with salt and pepper and serve sprinkled with sesame seeds and parsley.

Enjoy!

Traveling Vegan

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I had my first business trip last week since adopting a vegan diet.  I was pretty nervous about it for a couple of reasons.  First of all, I was wondering what the heck I’d be eating all week, and second I didn’t want to be high maintenance every time we ate out.

My concerns were somewhat valid, but it also wasn’t that bad.  I was traveling to a medium/large town in the midwest.  I’m sure this makes some difference in the choices available to me.  Even before being vegan I often had trouble finding items that were highly appealing because of the over-emphasis on meat on most menus.  Now it was significantly  more difficult and for most meals I just felt like I was making due, and not really getting full enjoyment or nutritional value from my food.

Breakfast at the hotel was adequate, but got old quickly.  For a vegan there was instant oatmeal, and most days they actually had plain so I didn’t have to load up on extra sugar. There was also bread and bagels (just white of course) and peanut butter, but it was the lame processed kind of PB, not the natural 100% peanut kind.  There was a surprisingly good selection of fresh fruit every day including strawberries, blueberries, oranges, apples, mixed fruit cup, and most days, bananas.  Not too bad a spread but eating the same 2 things 5 days in a row did get old.

Lunch most days was in our company cafeteria which offered disappointingly few options for a vegan.  I was left to the salad bar every day because there was not a single warm vegan entree to choose from.  Luckily the salad bar was a decent spread with a variety of greens to choose from, plus chickpeas, black beans, peas, and sunflower seeds to add some substance and protein.  A couple of the days they also had an all veg soup, and towards the end of the week when I was really getting tired of cold salad every day I added a side of sweet potato fries.

One day we went to Red Lobster for lunch which offered nothing.  I remember reading a post on another blog about dining out while vegan and implemented the ideas I found there.  Basically, be creative with the menu.  I ordered onion rings from the appetizer menu and a baked potato and broccoli from the “sides.”  It was actually a decent and fairly satisfying lunch.  The broccoli was surprisingly fresh and good, and it would take a lot to ruin a baked potato, so that was fine of course.  Probably should have avoided the greasy onion rings.  It’s so easy to overestimate how much we need to fill us up.  The potato and broccoli would have done it.

Dinner turned out to be ok most nights. Went to Flat Top Grill one night, which I believe is a chain, where you make your own stir fry.  Lots of vegan options there including tempeh, tofu, and another soy based protein that is surprisingly similar to chicken.  Another night went to a local place that’s known for good options and they had a very good black bean burger.  I didn’t think to ask if they used egg and I hope they didn’t.  It was pretty loose and fell apart easily, so I’m hoping it was egg free. Maybe I’m better off not asking because I don’t know what else I would have ordered.

The highlight of the week was having dinner with my friend and fellow vegan and blogger, at Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan. She was kind enough to have me over for a home-cooked vegan meal of Philly cheese “steaks”.  Yummy and easy to make, although I’ll never cut up my veggies as beautifully as she does. :-)

I hope there will come a day when vegan options will become more available, but at least I know I can get by without having to sacrifice too much.  But nothing beats coming home to a nice home-cooked meal, and a cupboard full of good ingredients!