Vegan Lunches

Since Daddykins has decided to go vegan, I have been digging through my brain back to my college days, and unpacking some old favorites.  Now, I have never been one for tuna fish (ew, even when I ate meat as a kid), but Daddykins loves it, so I thought why not substitute a bean?  I didn't want it mushy, so I went with chick peas, because they don't mush unless you really really puree them.  

Better Than Tuna :) 

1/2 can of chickpeas 
1 stalk celery 
small bit of onion (if desired) 
Vegan mayo 
Salt, pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning to taste 

Throw chickpeas, celery and onion in food processor  run until your preferred consistency, add in desired amount of mayo and spices!  Easy peasy!  

I eat mine on toast to give it more texture, and Daddykins says 'it really does taste like tuna... for the most part.' So I got approval for one vegan meal that isn't full of processed/prepackaged foods.  And it is relatively inexpensive, just like real tuna.  

Goin' Vegan!

Well, it has happened... the household is going vegan!  Gasp!  I honestly thought this day would never come (Daddykins loves his animal products), but I am super excited because I get to cook just one time per meal and I can eat all the old foods I love (tofu, tempeh, seitan) that I have foregone because of Daddykin's preferences!  It is going to be amazing!

Some major changes or areas of concern:


Finding Omega-3s....

• We found some at our local co-op that were made from flax seed oil, but the expensive      price ($10 for not even a month's supply) will have us searching for a better price online 

Ensuring enough B-vitamins... 

• We are not huge cereal eaters/energy drink consumers, and without any animal products, we opted for a vegan B-vitamin supplement that has good levels of all B-vitamins, especially 3, 6 and 12, so that we do not become deficient.

The debate on honey...

• Daddykins has decided that honey is ok, and so we will continue to use it.  I have not told him of white sugar yet, but will inform him soon enough. 

Finding real, vegan food, on $80 a week....

• Our food budget is set at $80 per week 
• Since the change, we have needed to add a number of things to our pantry (tofu, miso, new vitamins etc) and these things, while typically not a weekly charge, are adding up quickly 
• We are still not much into the processed foods, and this will remove us even further from it... although it is going to be VERY strange not to buy cheese every week!

Vegan-ism and Running...

• There are many many many amazingly good runners who live off a plant based diet and compete in ultra-running, and Daddykins is convinced this is the right dietary choice for him, but he has concerns about deficiencies/malnutrition, so he is continue to research the diet for himself.  (I assured him he would be fine as long as he ate protein and a wide variety of fruits/veggies)