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    California Getaway Part Two: Vegan Traveling Tips & What I Ate

    Nov 27, 2015 • Uncategorized, Wellness & Lifestyle, What I Ate

    After the Part One post of my recent southern California trip to Laguna Beach, I’m sure you can tell how much I love the lifestyle out there! Who wouldn’t?! Sorry this post is late by the way – Thanksgiving festivities got in the way of me posting last week 🙂
     
    As far as the food, I honestly thought it would be easier eating vegan out there than here in Chicago… ended up being about the same though. Maybe it would be easier in the L.A. area more so than Orange County because they probably have more vegan restaurants in general? I had to customize my own meals most of the time – which was totally fine! It could be the places we went to eat and there were a few vegan spots I wanted to try that we didn’t get to.
     
    I just figured California was geared more towards fresh plant based foods but lots of the restaurants didn’t even offer non-dairy milk alternatives.. which still surprises me but at the same time, it doesn’t surprise me. Most restaurants had vegetarian options that could be made vegan without the cheese. Overall, traveling and sticking to a vegan lifestyle is always interesting, no matter where you go!
     
    I’m sharing my Top 5 Vegan Traveling Tips – they really help! As long as you’re prepared – it’s much easier and totally doable. Here’s a few snacks I love (in picture below:) That’s It Fruit Bars, SquareBars, YumButter Organic Superfood NutButters. 
    .
    Vegan Traveling Snacks
     

    Top 5 Vegan Traveling Tips:

    1. Research Places to Eat Before You Leave.

      Use Yelp and HappyCow to find restaurants and vegan friendly places in the area of your destination. If there aren’t any places nearby, don’t worry! Most restaurants are happy to prepare something for you. Choose vegetables that you see from any dish on the menu and pair it with brown rice, pasta or quinoa along with a plant protein like a veggie burger, black beans, garbanzo beans, tofu, lentils or even avocado. Get creative! All you have to do is ask, which I know can be intimidating at first, but after a while it’s no biggie at all. I promise. There are so many allergies and dietary restrictions nowadays that chefs are accustomed to creating special meals for special diets. 

    2. Bring your own food and snacks. 

      Don’t rely on airport or plane food! I ALWAYS bring snacks along because you never know. My must-haves are snack bars, fresh fruit such as apples and oranges, trail mix or granola, the travel-friendly YumButter superfood nut butters, plant based protein powders, small bags of chia seeds, hemp hearts and gogi berries (they’re easy to sprinkle on anything). I also bring my own little packets of oatmeal for an easy breakfast or snack. A couple bars of dark chocolate never hurt either 😉

    3. Find a local grocery store and stock up on essentials. 

      I make sure to pick up lemons for my morning lemon water, baby carrots, hummus, crackers, extra fruit and veggies to snack on, raw & cold-pressed juices, premade veggie salads etc.

    4. Stay hydrated. 

      It’s easy to get dehydrated while traveling because it can throw off your routine and how much water you may normally drink. I love my Brita water bottle from this post to make sure your drinking filtered water. Plus, it light and super easy to travel with!

    5. Exercise As Often As You Can! 

      Inevitably, eating out means lots of excess oils and salt etc. (unless you ask for otherwise) so make sure to get active and sweat. I don’t normally cook with oil at all so I didn’t feel that great after getting back home but we walked a lot and I exercised in the hotel room with my mom which really helped! We also had quite a few drinks 😉 so a good workout while traveling is essential to feel your best.

    Vegan Traveling Snacks 

    What I Ate:

    All of the restaurants were accommodating and while I didn’t take pictures of all my meals due to bad lighting, I tried to take as many as I could! 

    Breakfast:

    I made sure to drink lots of lemon water every morning before eating anything. We went grocery shopping when we first got there and picked up lemons Usually we kept it easy with fresh fruit and wheat bagels from the local grocery store because we had a small kitchen at the hotel. We ate out for breakfast once and I made up my own order of a veggie burger with red potatoes, mushrooms, spinach and bell peppers. At the airport on the way back to Chicago, I ordered a yummy cup of oatmeal with berries, raisins, dried cherries and nuts. Airport food is a hit or miss but I was pleasantly surprised with a healthy vegan option.
     

    Lunch:

    This was always the easiest meal of the day. Salads are a perfectly yummy and obvious choice. I ordered lots of kale salads like the one below which I made up! The chef added extra veggies for me –  it was delicious and definitely filling. With dino kale, green beans, cucumber, dates, yellow tomatoes and almonds plus a light lemon dressing, it was perfect and I kinda want to recreate this for you guys. YUM. You can always ask for fresh lemon and red wine vinegar on the side instead (and olive oil, if you wish) of the dressing that comes with the salad. We ordered guacamole as well – the perfect appetizer to please anyone! The pictures are from The Deck if you’re wondering where we were. Amazing ocean views, great food, yummy drinks and nice people. 
     
    California Kale Salad
     
    California Vegan Food
     
    The Deck - Laguna Beach
     
    We also had a girl’s lunch before the wedding at an adorable lunch spot (with vegan options!!) called GG’s Bistro. They had my new favorite drink – a Cucumber Margarita. For an appetizer we ordered spicy olives and for lunch I ate the Vegan Pita with saut?ed eggplant, carrots, zucchini, bell peppers and tomato drizzled with balsamic dressing. I didn’t eat the yogurt sauce (not vegan) but the pita was so good! That Cucumber Margarita though.. 
     
    Cucumber Margarita
     
    California Vegan Food
    Cucumber Margarita

    California Vegan Eats

    Dinner:

    Looking back at my pictures, I didn’t snap any shots of dinner, unfortunately 🙁 🙁 The first night we ate at Tortilla Republic which was delicious! I drank jalape?o margaritas and ate the Vegetarian Enchiladas made vegan without the cream sauce and cheese. The next night we ate at Watermarc where I had a roasted beet salad and a plate of saut?ed vegetables with red potatoes and mushrooms.

    We had the wedding the next night! With the many food allergies of people attending the wedding, they offered plenty of vegan options including veggie sushi rolls, black rice, plenty of green veggies & potatoes and even vegan chocolate desserts, plus lots of champagne for me! For our last night, we went to Nirvana Grille and ended the night at the newly opened SpyBar (which I HIGHLY recommend!) At Nirvana Grille, I loved the Passion Margaritas and the Nirvana Vegetable Plate (no cheese or butter).

    Overall, our time in Laguna was more than amazing. I can’t wait to go back for a longer stay!!! 
     
    Morning Mimosa’s at The Deck with my momma!
    Mimosa's at The Deck in Laguna Beach
     
    What are your favorite travel tips?! Share them below!
     
     

    You Might Like These too:

    • California Getaway: Part OneCalifornia Getaway: Part One
    • My TOP 5 Bikini Body TipsMy TOP 5 Bikini Body Tips
    • What I’ve Been Eating LatelyWhat I’ve Been Eating Lately
    • New Year Detox and Wellness TipsNew Year Detox and Wellness Tips
    • What I Ate WednesdayWhat I Ate Wednesday
    • What I’ve Been Eating Lately And… I’m Writing A Book!What I’ve Been Eating Lately And… I’m Writing A Book!
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    SHANNON Leparski

    SHANNON Leparski

    Hi! I'm Shannon, a Certified Hormone Specialist and plant based blogger living in Chicago. I help women heal their bodies bodies from the inside out and balance their hormones naturally through a plant based diet and lifestyle. Let me guide you through it, so you can glow from within and feel the best you've ever felt!

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    SHANNON LEPARSKI / IHP
    yes, being a mama will always be my #1 priority bu yes, being a mama will always be my #1 priority but in that I’ve sort of lost myself.

It’s my own doing too so don’t feel bad for me 😂 because it truly never felt right to leave my girl. We are very attached. Am I crazy? Yes, probably. But I’m okay with that. I realized my baby will be FINE if I go get a professional haircut or a pampering pedicure. Idk what changed but I think it’s the fact that I’m noticing more wrinkles and my hair could use a transformation. It’s greasy, heavy and lacking life. So I’m getting a haircut this week 💇‍♀️ I’m changing to a customized hair care system AND I’m scheduling a hydra facial because my skin desperately needs hydration. My skin, hair and nervous system need some serious self care haha.

Mamas, it may not feel right just yet to prioritize you but the time will come. Just follow your intuition 🖤🖤🖤 you deserve it.

#hairlove #selfcare #mamablogger #momlife
    bottomless king coffee please 🖤 #tiredmama wh bottomless king coffee please 🖤 #tiredmama 

what are you guys up to today?! I’m installing our new shower filter that I can’t wait to share about, running errands, cleaning, thinking about dinner, the usual Sunday things 💗💗💗
    HANDLE NAME CHANGE!! I’ve been wanting to do th HANDLE NAME CHANGE!!

I’ve been wanting to do this for a while as a fresh start with all the changes to my “brand” in the last year. It feels right to just use my name 😀 (fun fact: I haven’t taken my hubbys last name yet because of business paperwork that I’m too lazy to figure out 😅 name changes are complicated) 

@theglowingfridge started out of my love for the plant based lifestyle but so much has changed in the last 9 years and I’ve been itching to update. Nothing else will change and my blog will still remain as is, if you still use my recipes and such. Love you all and thank you for supporting me through all these changes 🤍🤍🤍

#namechange #handlechange #branding
    what I eat for gut health, happy hormones, healthy what I eat for gut health, happy hormones, healthy skin & hair, and to be a patient mama 🖤

When my blood sugar is on a nasty rollercoaster, I’m not the best mama that I know I should be for my girl. I’m more irritable and short. So I prioritize protein, healthy fats and carbs at each meal. This helps me feel balanced and provides energy to play and chase after her all day! I need all the fuel I can get.

- breakfast tacos with pastured eggs
- collagen king coffee ☁️ 
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- my homemade tahini maple cookies (I have a reel with the recipe!!) but I’m truly addicted 🍪 
- always sipping on @gerolsteiner_usa 💧

#whatieatinaday #happyhormones #hormonebalance #bloodsugarbalance #guthealth #hairhealth
    I don’t get ready everyday… But when I do I f I don’t get ready everyday…

But when I do I feel better, duh! And more confident. More productive. Happier in general. Of course I have super lazy days but I try to get myself together because I’m more likely to leave the house, you know mamas? I hate when people ask “why do you get ready if you’re home all day”.. 

I’m sharing different content like this because I feel like it and don’t want to be stuck in a box 😀

#grwm #sahm #selfcare
    I mean if you drink it everyday… It should be o I mean if you drink it everyday…

It should be organic, mold-free, tested for mycotoxins and taste delicious, etc. King coffee goes a step further with a therapeutic dose of reishi spores, the most powerful and potent part of reishi mushroom! Most other companies use the lucidum part of reishi, in case you’re wondering 👑

Want more info? DM me “king” and I’ll send you the deets 🤍🤍🤍

#kingcoffee #reishicoffee #reishi #healthycoffee #organic

    Shannon is a health enthusiast and plant based nutrition advocate, living in Chicago. She studied Health and Fitness at Purdue University and loves everything about the plant based vegan lifestyle, especially creating colorful, nourishing, happy hormone recipes in her kitchen. Read More…

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