living veg girl: You eat grass now?

Uhh no ...

Before going vegan I was already hooked on food and not always in a good way. It seems like I spent a lot of time thinking about my relationship to food and being stressed out about it because I felt like I had very little control over my appetite. I grew up being a secret eater so, it was no wonder. As an adult I could go a week or two feeling good about my choices because most of the time I would go for vegetarian choices - but as I think a lot of people know, even vegans and vegetarians can have unhealthy eating habits. My sweet tooth for chocolate lead me to indulge my craving on a regular basis, undoing any kind of good choices I had been making. And then, once again, guilt and food remorse would put me back on track, however temporarily.

Going vegan has lead me to a whole new way of seeing how food figures in my life. I've thought for a long time that food should be appreciated and not obsessed over. Now, I think I am finally living it.

But, what do vegans eat anyway? The short answer: everything. Even the question is dang near the first result on google search LOL

There really isn't a damn thing that can't be made vegan in some way. Many companies have meatless chicken strips, burgers, salami, turkey, even fish sticks. There are substitutes for dairy milk, eggs, sour cream, cream cheese, sliced and block cheeses, yogurts, etc. And then of course you've got legumes, countless fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts and grains.

Of course going vegan isn't for everyone, but I don't think anyone should count out the idea completely. Meatless Mondays are becoming more popular than ever. Baby steps are nothing to be ashamed of!

What stands out the most to me since switching to a vegan diet is allllllll the food I can eat, as opposed to the foods I can't eat. Leaving meat behind was the easy part. Dodging the slings and arrows of hidden ingredients is a whole other issue. Milk derivatives alone is a list so long I'll give it it's own post! I read every label for any product I already don't know, and if an ingredient looks suspect I google it right there in the store. Digressing aside, the variety of foods, flavors and colors in a vegan diet are limited only by your imagination. Grab a vegan cookbook or two and dive in. Experiment and enjoy.

Another thing I discovered is leftovers! Leftovers are amazing and I really I don't know how I overlooked them for so long! I've found out fast that they often make for a really good meals the next day.

A few of my latest throw-togethers...

Left over garlic rice, mushrooms and sugar snap peas steamed in a bit of veg broth, with Gardein 7-grain Crispy Tenders