Because of our new take on our vegan diet (soy, tree nut, wheat free, along with, of course, being completely animal product free), some may say, well what do you eat?
I don’t blame people for thinking that there’s not much left to choose from, but I’m here to say loud and clear for all to hear, the options are endless. Really.
Besides the literally dozens and dozens of varieties of grains (other than wheat, kamut, and spelt) and legumes, there are hundreds of plants (fruits and veggies) to choose from, as well as seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, chia, hemp to name some our favorite) and almonds. Endless combinations of these provide a great variety, that even I don’t get bored of, which if you know me, I crave variety (J, my hubby, on the other hand could eat the same 5 foods for the rest of his life).
It’s funny, because a lot of people eat essentially the same foods every day, without switching things up, and the foods they eat are largely based on some staple animal products. Milk, cheddar cheese, chicken, ground beef, eggs accompanied with white flour products or rice and maybe a veggie or fruit or two and you’ve got yourself the main staples of what a lot of Americans are eating. Where’s the variety in that?
Besides just good ol‘ veggies, fruits, grains, and legumes, there are new products coming out all the time that prove just how versital (and yummy) a vegan diet can be.
A few new vegan products that I’ve heard about that I think are exciting:
Soy-free Earth Balance Buttery Spread
Various flavored Almond Butters by Naturally Nutty which include: Honey Roasted Cinnamon, Chocolate Peanut Butter Toffee, Vanilla Almond Butter, and Chocolate Cherry Peanut Butter, can you say give me a spoon, please?
Coconut yogurt by SO Delicious. I’m especially excited about this product because my kids used to love to eat soy yogurt but now that soy is out of the picture this is a great alternative.
On a different note, I was thinking about how I love to make quick sweet snacks/desserts to satisfy my sweet tooth. Here are a few desserts that take less than a minute to put together:
My TOP 10 Quick Sweet Treats
1. Dried figs or dates. Figs are sweet, almost a little vanillay with great texture. Not to mention high in fiber, and contains the most concentrated source of calcium of all plant foods. And there are several varieties of dates. Pit the date and eat plain or put an almond or pecan inside for little almond/pecan pie flavor.
2. Frozen red grapes. Just wash, put on a cookie sheet, and freeze. When frozen, put in a big freezer bag.
3. Cut up banana slices w/ a fresh squeezed lemon and a tsp. or two of agave nectar.
4. Rice cakes (I like Lundberg Farm brand) or long light rye crackers (I like the WASA brand) topped with 1/2 banana (smash down with a fork) and sprinkled with a smidgen of cinnamon.
5. Frozen berries. Any kind.
6. Leftover pancakes or waffles topped with some apple butter.
7. Apple or pear slices. These taste so much better when sliced because they are funner to eat.
8. Left over mashed sweet potatoes with a splash of rice milk, maple syrup, and cinnamon on top. Virtually fat free, but so decadent and sweet….yum.
9. Left over Brown Rice (short-grain is especially good for this) with a little non-dairy milk, sprinkle of raisins and cinnamon, and a splash of liquid sweetener (agave or maple syrup).
10. Handful of vegan carob or chocolate chips and sweetened cranberries.
As you can see none of the above take much time to put together, are easy, and rather inexpensive, healthy and tasty treats. So no need to shell out the dough for fancy schmanzy “healthy” desserts and snacks. It’s easier than you think to eat healthful treats, and tastes delciously satisfying to boot.
