vegan living

Lately, I've been getting a lot of questions about my vegan lifestyle. All of the questions have been so great that they've even made me think! I'm super impressed by everybody's inquisitive minds. I know that there are a lot more of you out there who are wondering if a vegan diet would be good for you, you just may not know where to begin! I can help with that... hopefully. Here are some of the most-asked questions and concerns and my answers:


1. "I'm worried about getting enough protein, how can I make sure that this doesn't happen?"
This is the question that I get asked the most and I can definitely see why! Making sure that you're getting all of your nutrients is of the utmost importance. Nuts are an excellent source of protein. I keep a bag of raw almonds in my bag to snack on wherever I go. Learning how to make your own peanut butter, cashew butter, almond butter, etc. will help you out because you'll get all of the protein without all of the added sugar, salt, and preservatives. (Here's an old DIY to help you out!) In addition to eating a lot of nuts, raw veggies are also very heavy in protein. We all know about spinach but broccoli, white corn, Brussels sprouts and surprisingly, raw garlic are all great sources of protein.


2. "What is a good meat substitute?"
This is different for everybody. I don't use a lot of meat substitutes because I try to eat as un-processed as I can. I can say, however, that I like seitan the best and Upton's brand is excellent. (If you're gluten-free, don't try seitan because it's pure gluten.) Tempeh is good for making things like chili because of it's crumbly texture. Tofu is obviously the easiest to find, however, there is a lot of controversy surrounding soy-based products. Some say that they can actually be bad for you. My advice to you would be to try a little bit of everything to find out what tastes best to you and which protein your body reacts to most favorably.


3. "How has it impacted your health?"
Going vegan has done WONDERFUL things for my health, which is why I do it. (Not for animal rights.) I used to have problems with not getting good sleep, feeling fatigued all day long, having a very abnormal and painful menstrual cycle, and having my hair fall out. Going vegan helped with all of that, and pretty quickly. I have more energy during the day and people are always complimenting me on how nice by skin looks! (Which is an added bonus.)


4. "Any books I should get or blogs I should follow?"
I swear by The Rabbit Food Cookbook. It's full of simple, healthy vegan recipes and even some vegan alternatives to your favorite comfort foods. My favorite recipe from the book is the Vegan Shepherd's Pie. My entire non-vegan family loved it! In addition to that, I'm addicted to this blog. So many good recipes and ideas!

5. "Wait. One more. What about eating out?"

Eating out will be a tough one but if you're not picky, it shouldn't be too difficult. If you don't live in an area where there would be vegetarian/vegan restaurants, try to find a good Chinese or Indian restaurant, as these are more likely to have vegan-friendly dishes. "Americana," Italian, and bar-type restaurants will be the worst for your new diet but there will always be at least one option for you. You can't be afraid to make a special request of ask the waiter if he would suggest any vegan options. For example, my family loves the Italian chain restaurant Bertucci's. I order the Tuscan Roasted vegetable appetizer with a small side of pasta and some marinara sauce. Mix in the vegetables and, voila! Instant pasta primavera. Don't be afraid to get creative like that.

Hopefully these little tips helped!

xo,
e.m.