We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
This morning I looked in the mirror fed up. My skin is bloody awful, a third of my (very long) hair is roots and my nails have remained unpainted for god knows how long. I’ve tried about three different skin products since quarantine and so far nothing has helped.
After listening to Melissa Wood on The Blonde Files podcast yesterday, I decided on a whim that I was going to go plant-based. Before fully thinking this through I shared it on my instagram story (with no make up on and half dressed in blue polka dot pjs). The next thing I knew, multiple people had seen it and reached out to me. There was no turning back. I’ve never eaten red meat, but cutting out eggs, fish and chicken was going to be a challenge. I also have a weird obsession with greek yogurts and always use a dash of milk in my cup of tea/coffee, but Instead of focusing on everything that I couldn’t eat – I decided to put a mini grocery list together of everything that I could:
Fruit: Bananas, Grapes, Apples, Melon
Vegetables: Green-beans, snap-peas, carrots, spinach, iceberg lettuce, arugula, mixed greens, peppers, avocado, zucchini, tomatoes, white onion, kale, mushrooms, sweet potato, potatoes, celery, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, peas,
Dairy-Free: DF Yogurts, DF cheese, Almond milk, Almond butter Random Items Dates, coconut water, whole grain bread, Quinoa, Oats, nuts, HU chocolate, From the ground up cheddar snacks, Mustache munchies snacks, Larabars, Simple Mills Chocolate Chip Cookies (Most of these were taken from Melissa Wood recommended snacks which can be found here) .
If you’re thinking of going plant-based there is a ton of helpful information online. My main question was the difference between a Vegan diet VS a Plant-based diet. Here’s what I found:
Veganism is a philosophy deeply devoted to animal rights, and being a vegan is a lifestyle choice that involves diets, politics and ethics. Vegans eliminate animal products from all aspects of their lives. When it comes to being “plant-based” a person who follows this diet may not necessarily be a vegan if they wear or use products derived from animals. On the flip side Oreos and French Frys are in essence considered VEGAN but not considered to be plant-based as neither product resembles that of their original plant form. So here was my full day of trying a plant based diet:
Breakfast:
- 40g Bran cereal
- 1 cup of Strawberries
- 1/2 cup of almond milk
Thoughts: Honestly after this meal I thought that I was still hungry. I was missing my usual yogurt/frozen parfait. Instead of caving into cravings I drank a large glass of water until my brain recognized I was full.
Lunch:
- 2 slices of whole wheat avocado toast squeezed with lemon and topped with pink Himalayan Sea Salt
- Side salad with arugula, cucumber, tomato
- Snap peas and carrots (not pictured)
Thoughts: This lunch was delicious and filling. It feels nice to be able to add bread back into my diet without guilt. It also kept me full into the afternoon.
Afternoon Snack:
- From The Ground Up Cheddar Cauliflower Crackers
Thoughts: It felt strange diverting from my usual fruit/yogurt/cheese-stick for a snack. These tasted just like Cheese-it’s. Plus if Melissa Wood can eat them and look as amazing as she does-so can I!
Dinner:
- 100g sweet potato topped with 1/4 cup vegetarian beans
- 1/2 cup BBQ cauliflower
- 1/2 grilled lemon zucchini
- 1 cup French cut green beans
Thoughts: Honestly I think I can get used to this. After breakfast this morning I was convinced that I would quit before dinner but it’s amazing how full I have been throughout the day. Strangely I feel less restricted already.
