WEEK #1 AS A VEGETARIAN

I did it.  I went meat-free for my first week in who knows how long.  It was actually easier than I thought it would be.  A couple of nights we had a couple of meat options for the kids.  Meatballs in pasta, and fish last night.  I was tempted but resisted.  Over the coming weeks, we will continue to reduce the amount of meats our kids eat.  They don’t eat much as it is, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.

So close to it being a vegan week for me.  I had a little bit of cheese on my mashed potatoes, and some chocolate treats throughout the week 🙂

My energy levels over the last 9 months have been pretty high.  With the switch in my diet over the last week, I still had the same amount of energy.  I was able to stick to my normal exercise routines of 5:30 am exercises, runs, and hot yoga.

The biggest challenge was getting the kids to try something new.  I think they did pretty well.  They pretty much tried everything.  Some things they liked a  lot (kale chips and the homemade bean and veggie burgers for sure), while others, not so much.

What made it work?  Well…the cook.  My wife Tiffany. Since she is not in a full-time job anymore, she had extra time to plan and prepare these new dishes.  We (when I say we, I mean my Tiffany, haha) used http://www.ohsheglows.com for a lot of the recipes.

Ideas, encouragement, and support from friends on Facebook also helped a ton.  Thanks, everyone.  You know who you are.

Similar to how others have inspired me, I want to pay it forward by inspiring others.

Here is what I ate for my week…

My breakfasts, lunches, and snacks are usually the same throughout the week.

Pre Breakfast Snack at 5:30 am

• Banana
• A glass of water with lemon and cayenne pepper

Breakfast at 7:00 am

• Toast with almond butter
• Vega One smoothie made with…
  • Almond milk
  • Vega One powder
  • Frozen blueberries and bananas
  • Flaxseed
  • Chia seeds
  • Hemp hearts
  • Dates
  • Ice

Lunch at 12:00pm

• Avocado – with lemon juice and a little bit of seasoned salt
• Toast with almond butter
• Protein smoothie made with…
  • Almond milk
  • Organic help protein
  • Frozen superfruit blend – Blackberries, pomegranates, cherries bananas
  • Frozen mango
  • Flaxseed
  • Chia seeds
  • Hemp hearts
  • Dates
  • Mulberries
  • Ice
• Cherry tomatoes

Snacks throughout the day

• Oatmeal with…
  • Frozen blueberries
  • Hemp hearts
  • Cinnamon
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Granola
  • Flaxseed
• Almonds
• Apples, oranges, pears
• Lara bars
• Green tea
• Lots of water with Vitamin C powder

Some new things I tried this week for Dinners & Snacks…

Chickpea curry with tofu cubes, spinach, vegan samosas, and veggies.

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Homemade bean and vegetable burgers topped with avocado.  Homemade kale chips, sweet potato fries, and beets for the sides.

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Homemade chocolate pudding with chia seeds (Recipe)

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Maple Baked Lentils with Sweet Potato (Recipe)

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Lentil walnut loaf, with swiss chard with garlic, mashed potatoes, and veggies. (Recipe)

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Spiced Red Lentil, Tomato, and Kale Soup (Recipe)

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Homemade Kale Chips

(always a favorite in our house)

• Wash Kale
• Preheat oven to 310 degrees
• Break kale in to smaller pieces
• Toss in a bowl with some olive oil and seasoned salt
• Place on baking sheet and bake for about 11 minutes.  Could be slightly longer, depending on your oven.
• Grate some fresh parmesan cheese over top.  Or, a vegan alternative, sprinkle some nutritional yeast over the kale.  Tastes just like parmesan.

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Homemade Twix Bars (Recipe)