A Full Day Of Eating Vegan With Recipes + Grocery List
School has started back for me. No more relaxed days and time to play in the kitchen. It’s back to a stringent routine. I’m going to show you what a full day of eating vegan looks like, complete with recipes and a printable grocery list, to show you how easy and delicious it is to be vegan.
Breakfast
The most important meal of the day. My breakfast typically consists of a smoothie that I can drink while I’m getting ready or driving to school. Smoothies are great options because they are easy and extremely healthy. I usually put all the ingredients in the blender the night before so I don’t have to mess with it in the morning. Then all I have to do is just add the liquid and blend.
Banana, Blueberry, Spinach Smoothie
Quick, easy and healthy breakfast to drink at home or take on the run.
- 2 Bananas (frozen is best)
- 1/2 cup Frozen Blueberries
- 1 cup Spinach
- 1/2 cup Plant Milk or water
- 3-4 ice cubes (if the bananas are not frozen)
Put all the ingredients in the blender and mix until smooth.
You can add whatever fruit and vegetables you like.
In addition to the above ingredients, I typically add in cilantro, knob of ginger, 1 TB chia seeds and barley grass juice powder + I use water to blend.
Morning Snack
I don’t eat all this during the summer, but when school starts…look out! I’m starving! I keep this snack easy. Something I can walk around and eat at the same time, and it usually is fruit…a banana, clementine orange, apple etc. Something just to tide me over until lunch.
Lunch
Usually I’ll take leftovers for lunch and bulk it up with cabbage. However, another go to when I have no leftovers, is my mock tuna sandwich. Instead of tuna, I use chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans). You mash the beans up with a fork (I use a pastry cutter because it’s quicker) and then you make it as you would tunafish, except with vegan mayonnaise. Pile it on some bread with lettuce and tomato and voila! Don’t want the bread? No problem. Use a base of cabbage or lettuce and make it a salad. Spread it on crackers and add a side of fruit. Sky’s the limit!
Mock Tuna Salad Sandwich
You won't miss the tuna (or all the mercury) in this delicious no tuna salad!
- 1 16 oz can garbanzo beans drained
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 1/4 tsp all purpose seasoning
- 1/4 tsp celery salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 TB sweet relish
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 TB vegan mayonnaise
- 1/4 tsp curry powder (optional)
Mash the chickpeas with a fork or pastry cutter. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir well. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Pile high on a sandwich, salad or eat with crackers.
Afternoon Snack
For this, I will usually have more fruit (that I already have cut up) or some vegetables and hummus. I keep it pretty simple. I’m just trying to keep my energy level up until I go home.
Dinner
I try to keep dinners pretty easy the first few weeks of school because I’m exhausted. This vegan pasta ala vodka is fast, delicious and there’s always leftovers, so it makes a great lunch too.
Now you can either pop the cashews into a bowl of water to soak all day while you’re gone, or you can boil them for 10 minutes as you’re getting dinner ready. Your choice. I typically boil them.
While the cashews are boiling, you can cook the pasta and drain it.
Once the cashews are done, drain them and add them to the blender. Add the broth, 1/2 the can of tomatoes, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Scraping down the sides as necessary. **Don’t forget to take the vent cap off to allow heat to escape.
In a pan, add a little olive oil (you can omit the oil and just use broth to saute) and heat. Add the shallot and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Then add the blender mixture as well as the other ingredients and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the pasta in and mix. Dinner is ready! Add a salad or vegan garlic bread (spread bread with vegan butter, sprinkle some garlic salt and pepper and broil until brown), if you’d like, or just eat the pasta by itself.
Pasta ala Vodka
Creamy, rich pasta dish that you won't even know is vegan!
- 1/2 cup cashews soaked
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 28 ounce can crushed tomato
- 2 TB nutritional yeast
- 1 shallot
- 2-3 bulbs garlic
- 1/4 cup vodka (optional)
- 2 TB tomato paste
- 1 tsp oregano
- 3/4 tsp salt
Soak cashews 5-6 hours or boil in water 10 minutes, drain
Cook pasta according to directions
Add cashews, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast and 1/2 the crushed tomatoes to a blender and blend until smooth
In a pan (or can use same pot you used to cook pasta) over medium high heat, saute shallot and garlic
Add in vodka, remaining tomatoes, cashew mixture and remaining ingredients and cook on medium low for about 5 minutes. Can omit vodka and replace with broth (if necessary)
Add drained pasta and basil to pan and mix
Serve immediately
Dessert or before bed snack
Maybe you’re craving some ice cream while you’re watching your Netflix series. No worries! I’ve got you covered. Get your blender back out. Add frozen bananas and whatever else you’d like in it…a scoop of peanut butter, vegan chocolate chips, strawberries…whatever you fancy, and blend it up. You may need to add a splash of plant based milk to get it mixing. I promise you won’t miss the real deal, nor will you have the inflammation that goes with dairy. Make sure you wash your blender as soon as your done making the nice cream (that’s what it’s called). It will make your life so much easier.
So there you go. A full day of eating vegan and the grocery list is below. It was no harder than what you’re used to, but it’s healthier, better for the environment and no animals were harmed in the making of any of it.
