Well I'm stuffed again today! I tried the veggie burger... I wasn't very impressed. It tasted too much like the fake grilled seasoning and just wasn't very good. I did eat half of it though. I probably won't be eating the other patty I have though. Maybe I should try another flavor or brand.
I also went to visit the nutritionist today! It was just a basic information first visit, which I have to kind of say I didn't really learn anything new. He did, however, point me to a great website I've started using to track my meals and my nutrition intake! Here's my personal log...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/CsMom2010
So I won't put my daily meals here unless they're something special. I did have a great "salad" with dinner tonight! I sautéed some portabello mushrooms with fresh spinach and olive oil, salt & pepper and mmmm mmmm mmm it was DELISH!!! I ate the whole pan for myself lol! And I was able to get 67 grams of protein in today!
I did have a craving for meat this afternoon. After my appointment it was lunch time, and I was driving past sonic. I was VERY tempted to go in for a big juicy cheeseburger with some tots and sweet tea! Moments like these make me doubt I'll be able to make it a month. Plus after talking to the nutritionist I realize I was eating way too much meat, but making good selections at which kinds of meat to eat. I ate leaner meats and stayed away from the high fat content meats, I just ate way too much of them. I'm not going to lie, it's only 2 days in and I'm already looking forward to March first lol. But I am proud that I have been able to incorporate new things into my diet already, and have found great places to get fresh local produce for cheap. I've also found a place that will supply us with grass fed meat for a low price as well, so I look forward to using them in the future. I love living in a big city where these types of things are available!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Day 1... I'm STUFFED!
Well day one went well!!! I got a very LARGE crate of veggies from a local farmer for very cheap. I'm currently researching recipes & things to DO with all those veggies so please, if you have anything for radishes or turnips, send them my way lol! I'm going to cook off some collard greens tonight to freeze, and then try to figure out what the other green leafy veggie is that was stuffed in there with them. I also got a bunch of carrots, broccoli (that is absolutely divine!!!), romaine, spinach, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and cilantro (which is great because I was going to make some more salsa. I think that covers everything! It was fantastic and I look forward to getting more of the same veggies in two weeks.
I kept track of my food today, but I think the totals are a little off. Mostly because I didn't exactly measure out everything to the T... so I am not to worried about the nutrients that are lacking, or the things that are over the top. Here's what I ate, followed by my totals for the day.
Breakfast:
I kept track of my food today, but I think the totals are a little off. Mostly because I didn't exactly measure out everything to the T... so I am not to worried about the nutrients that are lacking, or the things that are over the top. Here's what I ate, followed by my totals for the day.
Breakfast:
- a bowl full of frosted flakes with fat free milk.
- a large mug of coffee with sugar and fat free creamer
Lunch:
- About 10-12 reduced fat crackers with sharp white cheese slices and mustard (yum!!)
- one Morningstar farms mini corn "dog" (Caulen gobbled up the other three I made!)
- a Yoplait light yogurt cup
Dinner:
- Gorton's garlic and herb fish (1 piece)
- Cooked brown rice (about a cup)
- steamed broccoli (about 1/2 a cup)
Snacks:
- 1 red apple
- about 1/2 a cup of trail mix (almonds, peanuts, raisins, cashews, and chocolate pieces)
Drinks:
- vitamin waters, iced tea, and plain water. (These weren't included in my logs)
Calories Consumed: 1467 (Recommendations are based off of a 2000 cal per day diet)
Fat: 51.3g (Rec: 65g)
Saturated Fat: 22.4 grams (Rec: 20g)
Carbs: 199.6g (Rec: 300g)
Fiber: 10.6g (Rec: 25g)
Protein: 55.4g (Rec: 50g)
Cholesterol: 116mg (Rec: 300g)
Sodium: 1912mg (Rec: 2400mg)
Sugar: 76.2g (this is largely because of my breakfast lol!)
Calorie BreakdownL 15% protein, 54% carbs, 31% fat.
Generally, I think I did pretty good for my first day. The big thing I'm looking at is my protein intake, because THAT is what people give me the most grief about. I've heard a number of times "You need meat to meet proper protein levels in your diet." Obviously, that's not the case. I met the recommended daily intake of protein after lunch I believe. However, being pregnant, I have read that it's recommended I increase my protein intake to 60-70 grams a day. Being only 5 grams off doesn't worry me, especially when I'm sure my tracker isn't completely accurate.
In addition to the protein intake, I often get told to watch my Vitamin B12. This is less of a worry for me, because B12 is known to stay in your body for a very long time and is released when needed. I think I read somewhere that it takes 15-20 years for a person to go completely B12 deficient. But, regardless, my prenatal vitamin provides me with 50% of my recommended daily allowance of B12, and my morning cereal is fortified with 35% of the recommended daily allowance of B12 as well. I'm sure that the yogurt and cheese I ate today also contained enough B12 for me to meet my 100% daily allowance of B12.
Overall, today was easy! I didn't expect the "hard parts" to come until much later on, though. One set back I did encounter today was the thought of preparing my collard greens tonight. I plan on using chicken broth to prepare them, but I think I'll prepare them and freeze them for later on, if I can find a decent recipe. I'm not a huge fan of vegetable broth.... so I'm unsure about using any vegan recipes that I've found that suggest using it. Other than that, it was a great first day!
Generally, I think I did pretty good for my first day. The big thing I'm looking at is my protein intake, because THAT is what people give me the most grief about. I've heard a number of times "You need meat to meet proper protein levels in your diet." Obviously, that's not the case. I met the recommended daily intake of protein after lunch I believe. However, being pregnant, I have read that it's recommended I increase my protein intake to 60-70 grams a day. Being only 5 grams off doesn't worry me, especially when I'm sure my tracker isn't completely accurate.
In addition to the protein intake, I often get told to watch my Vitamin B12. This is less of a worry for me, because B12 is known to stay in your body for a very long time and is released when needed. I think I read somewhere that it takes 15-20 years for a person to go completely B12 deficient. But, regardless, my prenatal vitamin provides me with 50% of my recommended daily allowance of B12, and my morning cereal is fortified with 35% of the recommended daily allowance of B12 as well. I'm sure that the yogurt and cheese I ate today also contained enough B12 for me to meet my 100% daily allowance of B12.
Overall, today was easy! I didn't expect the "hard parts" to come until much later on, though. One set back I did encounter today was the thought of preparing my collard greens tonight. I plan on using chicken broth to prepare them, but I think I'll prepare them and freeze them for later on, if I can find a decent recipe. I'm not a huge fan of vegetable broth.... so I'm unsure about using any vegan recipes that I've found that suggest using it. Other than that, it was a great first day!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
First shopping trip!
Well I had my first meat-free shopping trip! Really, technically, I'm not a vegetarian or vegan, because I'm still eating fish, eggs, and dairy. So I'll continue to just call it "meat-free." It is much easier to say vegetarian/vegan, but that's not true to those who really are.
Anyway, I'm happy to say I spent about the same amount of money that I did last week! I was about $20 more this week then last week, but that's not much in my book. And this is the grocery total, not just the food total. I did buy a lot of cleaning supplies this week, since we're going to be moving soon & I will have to clean house. Plus, it was time to buy Dan's razors, and they're pretty pricy! Additionally, this week I didn't buy too much produce, because I will be purchasing my produce locally this week! A friend is heading out tomorrow to a local farmer and is going to pick me up a large box of greens & whatever else is in season, then I'll incorporate them into the meals that I have planned this week.
To compare the vegetarian meat substitutes to the real deals... I have my receipts ready from both shopping trips! Last week, I bought a pound of lean ground beef at $3.61 for about a pound (I think it was 1.16 pounds or so). This week, instead, I bought a 12 oz pack of MorningStar Farms Meal Starters Griller crumbles at $3.18. So, it was roughly the same price, or at least not that big of a difference in my book. Last week, I bought chicken nuggets at $3.49, and this week I bought a box of Chik'n nuggets at $3.18. Now, this is a bigger difference, based on quantity. The chicken nuggets came in a large bag, where as the chik'n nuggets came in a smaller box. I also got a bag of chik'n strips at $3.18, a box of corn "hot dogs" at $3.18, and a small, 2 patty box of MorningStar ready to grill "burgers" for $3.18 as well. I have really nothing to compare these purchases to because I didn't purchase anything similar last week, and I forgot to check out the prices of the meat items that they would compare to. But, I think they're all very reasonable prices. Additionally, I found $.75 off coupons in the refrigerator and took three, so that was nice :)
As for meal plans... I'm not as prepared this week as I would have liked to be. To be honest, I was freaking out a little bit that I won't be able to make it an entire month! But I sat down and looked at what we ate last week and decided to do something similar, but just leave out the meat or make small changes. So, this is what I have planned for this week:
Breakfasts: Generally I just have a bowl of cereal, some fruit, and a Carnation breakfast essentials milk chocolate shake. So I'm just going to stick with that!
Lunches: Generally I usually have left overs from the nights before, or a sandwich. So, I got some organic strawberry jam, HFCS free bread, and Peter Pan Peanut butter! Yummm for PB & Js :) I also plan on having a few boiled eggs ready, and purchased crab sticks and yogurts to satisfy my sweet tooth ;) I will probably throw in a few salads with the chik'n strips, and I also got a few lean cuisines that are meat free as well.
Dinners: This was the hard part. Generally our dinners consist of a meat, starch and veggie. I wanted to make sure I got a good mix of carbs, but not TOO many carbs. Also, I haven't incorporated in the veggies that we will be getting tomorrow from the local stash, so I may add a few different things throughout the week. So this is what I came up with!
- Fish, rice & greens
- Veggie Chili (made with the "meat" crumbles)
- Spaghetti, garlic bread & salad
- Shrimp fajitas
- Quiche with asparagus & onions
- Veggie burgers (I also bought big portabella mushrooms to grill up to put on top... yummy!)
- A pasta bake with the "meat" crumbles, whole wheat rotini pasta, pasta sauce, cheese, and zucchini squash. I don't normally eat zucchini squash, so that will be an interesting one for me!
So that's my plan for the first week! Caulen doesn't know it, but some days he'll be going meat free too ;) The corn "dogs" and chik'n nuggets are for him ;) But I'm sure I'll keep his staple hot dogs ready just in case he's not a fan.
Anyway, I'm happy to say I spent about the same amount of money that I did last week! I was about $20 more this week then last week, but that's not much in my book. And this is the grocery total, not just the food total. I did buy a lot of cleaning supplies this week, since we're going to be moving soon & I will have to clean house. Plus, it was time to buy Dan's razors, and they're pretty pricy! Additionally, this week I didn't buy too much produce, because I will be purchasing my produce locally this week! A friend is heading out tomorrow to a local farmer and is going to pick me up a large box of greens & whatever else is in season, then I'll incorporate them into the meals that I have planned this week.
To compare the vegetarian meat substitutes to the real deals... I have my receipts ready from both shopping trips! Last week, I bought a pound of lean ground beef at $3.61 for about a pound (I think it was 1.16 pounds or so). This week, instead, I bought a 12 oz pack of MorningStar Farms Meal Starters Griller crumbles at $3.18. So, it was roughly the same price, or at least not that big of a difference in my book. Last week, I bought chicken nuggets at $3.49, and this week I bought a box of Chik'n nuggets at $3.18. Now, this is a bigger difference, based on quantity. The chicken nuggets came in a large bag, where as the chik'n nuggets came in a smaller box. I also got a bag of chik'n strips at $3.18, a box of corn "hot dogs" at $3.18, and a small, 2 patty box of MorningStar ready to grill "burgers" for $3.18 as well. I have really nothing to compare these purchases to because I didn't purchase anything similar last week, and I forgot to check out the prices of the meat items that they would compare to. But, I think they're all very reasonable prices. Additionally, I found $.75 off coupons in the refrigerator and took three, so that was nice :)
As for meal plans... I'm not as prepared this week as I would have liked to be. To be honest, I was freaking out a little bit that I won't be able to make it an entire month! But I sat down and looked at what we ate last week and decided to do something similar, but just leave out the meat or make small changes. So, this is what I have planned for this week:
Breakfasts: Generally I just have a bowl of cereal, some fruit, and a Carnation breakfast essentials milk chocolate shake. So I'm just going to stick with that!
Lunches: Generally I usually have left overs from the nights before, or a sandwich. So, I got some organic strawberry jam, HFCS free bread, and Peter Pan Peanut butter! Yummm for PB & Js :) I also plan on having a few boiled eggs ready, and purchased crab sticks and yogurts to satisfy my sweet tooth ;) I will probably throw in a few salads with the chik'n strips, and I also got a few lean cuisines that are meat free as well.
Dinners: This was the hard part. Generally our dinners consist of a meat, starch and veggie. I wanted to make sure I got a good mix of carbs, but not TOO many carbs. Also, I haven't incorporated in the veggies that we will be getting tomorrow from the local stash, so I may add a few different things throughout the week. So this is what I came up with!
- Fish, rice & greens
- Veggie Chili (made with the "meat" crumbles)
- Spaghetti, garlic bread & salad
- Shrimp fajitas
- Quiche with asparagus & onions
- Veggie burgers (I also bought big portabella mushrooms to grill up to put on top... yummy!)
- A pasta bake with the "meat" crumbles, whole wheat rotini pasta, pasta sauce, cheese, and zucchini squash. I don't normally eat zucchini squash, so that will be an interesting one for me!
So that's my plan for the first week! Caulen doesn't know it, but some days he'll be going meat free too ;) The corn "dogs" and chik'n nuggets are for him ;) But I'm sure I'll keep his staple hot dogs ready just in case he's not a fan.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Why meat free?
During my meat-free month, I'd not only like to tell you what I eat and how, but why. Vegetarian living is something I've flirted with for a long time. I'll be honest... I eat way too much processed & fast food. I loves me some McDonalds!! The sight of a Big Mac makes me drool... and when they put them in wraps it made it easier to eat them when I was driving! But, I can feel the negative effects of eating these foods. Whenever I eat meat (even at home) I eat way more that I really should. Where I would normally stop, I continue to eat until I feel like I will burst. And afterwards I don't feel fueled and refreshed, but instead I feel worn out and tired. And I feel the effects continually for a day or two on the "other end" if you're catching my drift.
Now, granted, I know that meat isn't the number one culprit. Overeating in general is. And eating processed food crap is pretty high up there as well. I'm a sucker for a "quick fix." If I can just unwrap it and eat it, it's my best friend! And sugar and salty sweetness are my weaknesses! I'd rather unwrap a candy bar then peal a banana. Actually, as I'm typing this out, I'm thinking "wow how lame is that?!"
I began to worry about my diet when I started watching Jamie Oliver's Food revolution about two years ago. Seeing what those kids in that West Virginia middle school ate made me feel sick for them... but then I realized that's the way I eat too! So I tried to change my diet... instead of buying pre-made lasagna, I even once made my own noodles from scratch! I thought I was on a roll!
Then Caulen was born. And we moved. And once again, I found myself in the pre-made food rut. Hormel meats and Pillsbury biscuits filled my refrigerator. There were many days that I didn't even look at a vegetable, much less eat one. And fruits? Forgetaboutit! The only things I can say were good about my diet is that I A- rarely, if ever, drank soda, and B- steered away from anything that noticeably contained high-fructose corn syrup (most notably, I checked the labels for bread, peanut butter and jelly). Even when my exercise increased, and I was on Weight Watchers and losing weight, I was still eating pretty much pure crap.
Then Caulen started growing up and eating meals with us. At every feeding I would think "I shouldn't feed this to my kid" or "I always said he wouldn't eat [food] but I'm just too tired to make something else" or worst "I don't know what else to make." I started worrying about his weight, and if he would grow into being one of those "obese kids" you hear about on the news every day. He's a big kid already (90+% for weight and height) and the doctors are very clear about this at every well-baby visit. And a quick look at my family history wasn't very pleasing on the health front either... three of the four of my grandparents all had some form of cancer at one point in time, and my father is diabetic.
Diabetes in the family is what worried me the most. After I found out I was pregnant for a second time, I began to research gestational diabetes again. I was lucky enough to not have it with Caulen, but after some research I found that my risks have increased since then. After this, I started looking into changing things for us for the better.
A friend of mine had posted on FB that he was watching Forks over Knives, and I googled it to find out it was a documentary on living a plant-based, whole food lifestyle and the health benefits it can bring. At first glance, the documentary was very compelling. It follows a few individuals with various health problems, including high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, and breast cancer. All these individuals began a plant-based, whole food diet and in a few, short weeks were able to stop taking their medicines and change their health forecast completely. The science presented was exactly what I was experiencing... when I ate meat, I ate much more of it than I should have. And I had to eat bigger portions of meat to feel full than I would if I had chosen a salad instead. For 10 minutes after watching the movie I wanted to completely stop eating meat and dairy all together.
But then logic kicked in, and I began searching for holes and alternative studies. For starters, it worried me that they NEVER covered fish in FOK. And the information presented on dairy was minimal. I was eventually lead to this website: http://rawfoodsos.com/2011/09/22/forks-over-knives-is-the-science-legit-a-review-and-critique/ But let me be blatantly honest here... I have no idea what ANY of this means LOL!!! All these studies and numbers from either side make my head spin. I don't know nearly enough about nutrition and diet as I should. I know our bodies are "well oiled machines" that need to be fueled appropriately, but I don't know what the best way to do that is!
Both sides were interesting, and presented a lot of great information. I was still interested in going vegetarian, but completely plant-based didn't seem like it was for me. And cutting out fish? That would be impossible! Cutting out meat seemed hard, especially when I started to think about everything I make that contains chicken broth or cream of chicken soup. But I know myself.... I can't just make small changes, because I fail more often when I do. Cutting back on meat wouldn't work. Cutting out fast food was something I've tried before, but failed. So I decided to try meat-free for one month and see how it went. What better way to prove or disprove the science then by doing it on my own?
So, that's what I'll do. Do I think that I'll still be completely vegetarian at the end of the month? Probably not. But do I think that I will feel much better by the end of February? Absolutely. I think that this month will allow me to look more closely at what and how I'm eating and make more educated changes where needed. I have an appointment with a dietician tomorrow (thanks to my OB for setting me up!), so I will be getting more information to share with you all. And come February first, I will post daily how I feel, what I'm eating, and my nutritional intake information. I look forward to sharing this journey with you all!
Now, granted, I know that meat isn't the number one culprit. Overeating in general is. And eating processed food crap is pretty high up there as well. I'm a sucker for a "quick fix." If I can just unwrap it and eat it, it's my best friend! And sugar and salty sweetness are my weaknesses! I'd rather unwrap a candy bar then peal a banana. Actually, as I'm typing this out, I'm thinking "wow how lame is that?!"
I began to worry about my diet when I started watching Jamie Oliver's Food revolution about two years ago. Seeing what those kids in that West Virginia middle school ate made me feel sick for them... but then I realized that's the way I eat too! So I tried to change my diet... instead of buying pre-made lasagna, I even once made my own noodles from scratch! I thought I was on a roll!
Then Caulen was born. And we moved. And once again, I found myself in the pre-made food rut. Hormel meats and Pillsbury biscuits filled my refrigerator. There were many days that I didn't even look at a vegetable, much less eat one. And fruits? Forgetaboutit! The only things I can say were good about my diet is that I A- rarely, if ever, drank soda, and B- steered away from anything that noticeably contained high-fructose corn syrup (most notably, I checked the labels for bread, peanut butter and jelly). Even when my exercise increased, and I was on Weight Watchers and losing weight, I was still eating pretty much pure crap.
Then Caulen started growing up and eating meals with us. At every feeding I would think "I shouldn't feed this to my kid" or "I always said he wouldn't eat [food] but I'm just too tired to make something else" or worst "I don't know what else to make." I started worrying about his weight, and if he would grow into being one of those "obese kids" you hear about on the news every day. He's a big kid already (90+% for weight and height) and the doctors are very clear about this at every well-baby visit. And a quick look at my family history wasn't very pleasing on the health front either... three of the four of my grandparents all had some form of cancer at one point in time, and my father is diabetic.
Diabetes in the family is what worried me the most. After I found out I was pregnant for a second time, I began to research gestational diabetes again. I was lucky enough to not have it with Caulen, but after some research I found that my risks have increased since then. After this, I started looking into changing things for us for the better.
A friend of mine had posted on FB that he was watching Forks over Knives, and I googled it to find out it was a documentary on living a plant-based, whole food lifestyle and the health benefits it can bring. At first glance, the documentary was very compelling. It follows a few individuals with various health problems, including high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, and breast cancer. All these individuals began a plant-based, whole food diet and in a few, short weeks were able to stop taking their medicines and change their health forecast completely. The science presented was exactly what I was experiencing... when I ate meat, I ate much more of it than I should have. And I had to eat bigger portions of meat to feel full than I would if I had chosen a salad instead. For 10 minutes after watching the movie I wanted to completely stop eating meat and dairy all together.
But then logic kicked in, and I began searching for holes and alternative studies. For starters, it worried me that they NEVER covered fish in FOK. And the information presented on dairy was minimal. I was eventually lead to this website: http://rawfoodsos.com/2011/09/22/forks-over-knives-is-the-science-legit-a-review-and-critique/ But let me be blatantly honest here... I have no idea what ANY of this means LOL!!! All these studies and numbers from either side make my head spin. I don't know nearly enough about nutrition and diet as I should. I know our bodies are "well oiled machines" that need to be fueled appropriately, but I don't know what the best way to do that is!
Both sides were interesting, and presented a lot of great information. I was still interested in going vegetarian, but completely plant-based didn't seem like it was for me. And cutting out fish? That would be impossible! Cutting out meat seemed hard, especially when I started to think about everything I make that contains chicken broth or cream of chicken soup. But I know myself.... I can't just make small changes, because I fail more often when I do. Cutting back on meat wouldn't work. Cutting out fast food was something I've tried before, but failed. So I decided to try meat-free for one month and see how it went. What better way to prove or disprove the science then by doing it on my own?
So, that's what I'll do. Do I think that I'll still be completely vegetarian at the end of the month? Probably not. But do I think that I will feel much better by the end of February? Absolutely. I think that this month will allow me to look more closely at what and how I'm eating and make more educated changes where needed. I have an appointment with a dietician tomorrow (thanks to my OB for setting me up!), so I will be getting more information to share with you all. And come February first, I will post daily how I feel, what I'm eating, and my nutritional intake information. I look forward to sharing this journey with you all!
Monday, January 23, 2012
The Rules...
I just wanted to quickly post an introduction! I'm really excited to start my meat-free month journey, and look forward to blogging about my journey. I was inspired to take on a more plant-based diet after watching and reading Forks Over Knives. If you have not seen this documentary or read the book, I highly recommend it! It is available on Hulu+. I am also a fan of Supersize me and Jamie Oliver's food revolution, which don't necessarily promote a plant-based diet, but definitely make you think twice about eating highly processed foods or meat products.
Here are the five goals I have come up with for myself during my meat-free month.
#1. Absolutely no red meat, poultry, pork or related animal products (broths or gravies)
#2. Dairy, butter, cheese, eggs and fish are okay, but should be limited. Certain days will be designated as complete "vegan" days, where I will only eat a plant-based, whole foods diet.
#3. I must try new foods, products, and new ways of preparing and cooking foods. For example, I have not had eggplant in a very long time, but know there are many ways it can be used in a vegetarian diet. I have never tried quinoa, and would really like to! I also plan on trying various vegan products, such as egg substitutes, meatless products, and dairy substitutes like almond milk and soy.
#4. I plan on keeping track of my grocery list and money spent. I think there is a misconception that it's more expensive to be vegetarian, vegan, or eat a healthy diet. While convenience foods are cheaper, I believe that I can eat healthier and meat-free without spending too much more than what I normally would.
#5. I plan on keeping track of my foods eaten and the nutritional value of those foods. I think there is a misconception that meat is required in a diet to ensure a person is completely healthy and receiving all the proper nutrients needed in a day. I think it is possible for me to receive the recommended daily values of protein and various other vitamins and nutrients without having to eat meat. Of course, however, because I am pregnant, I will be taking a prenatal vitamin which ensures I do receive the proper nutrition needed to grow a human :) When daily nutritional values are computed and reported, my supplements will be left out of the final total, and you will be seeing just the nutritional values of the foods I've eaten that day.
If you have any questions or input, please feel free to contact me! Thank you!!
Here are the five goals I have come up with for myself during my meat-free month.
#1. Absolutely no red meat, poultry, pork or related animal products (broths or gravies)
#2. Dairy, butter, cheese, eggs and fish are okay, but should be limited. Certain days will be designated as complete "vegan" days, where I will only eat a plant-based, whole foods diet.
#3. I must try new foods, products, and new ways of preparing and cooking foods. For example, I have not had eggplant in a very long time, but know there are many ways it can be used in a vegetarian diet. I have never tried quinoa, and would really like to! I also plan on trying various vegan products, such as egg substitutes, meatless products, and dairy substitutes like almond milk and soy.
#4. I plan on keeping track of my grocery list and money spent. I think there is a misconception that it's more expensive to be vegetarian, vegan, or eat a healthy diet. While convenience foods are cheaper, I believe that I can eat healthier and meat-free without spending too much more than what I normally would.
#5. I plan on keeping track of my foods eaten and the nutritional value of those foods. I think there is a misconception that meat is required in a diet to ensure a person is completely healthy and receiving all the proper nutrients needed in a day. I think it is possible for me to receive the recommended daily values of protein and various other vitamins and nutrients without having to eat meat. Of course, however, because I am pregnant, I will be taking a prenatal vitamin which ensures I do receive the proper nutrition needed to grow a human :) When daily nutritional values are computed and reported, my supplements will be left out of the final total, and you will be seeing just the nutritional values of the foods I've eaten that day.
If you have any questions or input, please feel free to contact me! Thank you!!
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