What I Ate Wednesday

Hello!! Welcome back to another ‘What I Ate Wednesday’! Hope you guys are having a fun 2017 so far.

Since I tend to get a lot of questions with these posts, I have to share a little info first: As you probably know, I eat a plant based whole foods vegan diet and have been for almost 3 years. It makes me feel my best and works for me. Living vegan is a choice you have to make every single day. The hardest part is the learning process; the food tastes absolutely amazing! It?s getting acclimated to the lifestyle that takes months, just like anything else

I avoid processed foods as much as possible and minimize oils (at least when cooking at home) while being mindful about my fat intake; I don?t keep track of specifics and definitely don?t count calories?but count colors instead, keeping it simple, and incorporating variety each day. No one day is the same, but is always super yummy. 

Rather than stress about specific numbers, I prefer to listen to my body. This intuitive way of eating works best for me but you may prefer to monitor your food intake a different way ? that?s okay ? there?s no right or wrong way to do it, we?re all trying to find our own path, right? 🙂 the less restrictive and less stressful, the better, in my opinion. Not saying it?s acceptable to eat vegan cupcakes all day long (I wish!!) but this is supposed to be a sustainable lifestyle for the long-term.

I?ll promote plant based eating all day long, but if you want to incorporate more plant foods into your life without going 100% vegan ? I think that?s amazing too.

Focus on lots of greens, lots of fresh veggies, lots of fruit and whole food carbs (brown rice, oats, sweet potatoes, beans, quinoa etc). The carbs in a banana are completely different than the carbs in french fries.

Any kind of effort like choosing non-dairy milk over cow?s milk and occasionally choosing a veggie burger over a beef burger is amazing and makes a difference. Just wanted to throw that out there!

So here is ‘What I Ate’:

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BREAKFAST:

First things first… lemon water before anything else! I always make sure to drink 24 ounces (3 cups) of filtered water with 1/2 lemon. I use this mason jar all day every day because its huge and lets me measure. Water helps to rehydrate the body after a long night?s rest when we get dehydrated. It starts the day off on a healthy note, and SO great for our skin too.

Then I had a couple cups of coffee (as shown in the first picture above!) with my favorite dairy-free creamer ? the Silk Almond Vanilla Flavored Creamer (check out my superfood coffee elixir recipe too!). I went through emails and worked on my Vegan Tofu Ricotta Lasagna post, then about 30 minutes later made this stovetop oatmeal with warmed berries. Can’t get enough oatmeal lately! I cooked it on the stovetop this time instead of in the microwave and the oats were super creamy and delish. I also warmed mixed berries in a pan and poured them over the oatmeal, along with a sprinkle of chia seeds + a spoonful of my fave almond butter. YUM!

SNACK:

After working for a few hours, I took Taz on a walk, then snacked on this juicy pear. So good.

LUNCH:

Lunch was my usual leafy green salad/glow bowl with mixed greens, quinoa, tempeh, celery, a scoop of Farmhouse Culture jalape?o kraut and spoonful of kale pesto hummus from Hope Foods, along with balsamic vinegar. Loved this combo!

ANOTHER SNACK:

While out running errands (and before the gym!), I snacked on another one of these fruit squeeze packs from Shine Organics. Love these!

DINNER:

After the gym, I made another green salad with mixed greens, tomato, avocado, raisins, pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and my new fave Salad Girl dressings that I shared in my Whole Foods Grocery Haul. So fresh and yummy!

Then I had this bowl of leftover vegan mac and cheese because it’s the BEST recipe ever, and a mason jar full of water with a splash of cranberry juice.

Of course I had to finish the night with something sweet… I tested a new recipe for date bars with a chocolate layer that looked similar to the one pictured below (didn’t have an actual picture of it tho). Eeek!! Can’t wait to share these babies.

Hope you enjoyed this ‘What I Ate’! It sure was a good day of eats.

Did you make anything yummy this week?! Leave me a comment!

Also, if you?re ever wanting to look at past ?What I Ate? posts, they?re archived under the ?What I Ate? category.

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I love seeing your creations! Let me know how you liked my recipes in the comments below or snap a pic on instagram with the hashtag #theglowingfridge! I love scrolling through your creations. You can also tag  me in your pics on Facebook.

Love you guys, muah!