National Vegetarian Week 2013 - my photo food diary.

If you're thinking - what do vegetarians / vegans eat? then wonder no more...

I thought the best way to tell you might be to show you - so for this NVW2013 I have documented my breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Giving up meat, fish & their derivatives can seem quite daunting when you've eaten it for years - but let me reassure you that it'll be the most liberating thing you've ever done food-wise!

It makes you think about food differently and actually enables you to be far more creative, because you're breaking a routine of relying upon one main ingredient to be the star of any dish.

There's a cornucopia of grains, vegetables, herbs, spices and fruits out there to experiment with and you'll discover pretty soon that they're actually the stars of the show - because they are where incredible flavour and texture sensations come from.

So I hope that this diary gives you a little food for thought. I love my grub, as you'll see - oh and guess what, I leave out the eggs and dairy products as well ;) #whatveganseat

Chantal xx

MONDAY 20.05.13

The only thing that gets me out of bed on a Monday is the thought of a delicious breakfast - so I always plan something yummy the night before, have it ready to go and it seems to do the trick!

french toast made with sultana & seed granarybread dipped in vanilla almond & banana mix, dusted with cinnamon & served with rhubarb compote, maple syrup & a little soya 'cream' - hello Monday!

homemade asparagus & spinach soup with soya 'cream' and pumpkin seed rye toast & sunflower margarine

 

Tesco's nut cutlet with a mega mixed crunchy salad & rapeseed oil dressing, warm new potato & chive salad with vegan mayo & cooked beetroot

 

TUESDAY 21.05.13

You'll notice rhubarb will be a recurring theme over the next few days - we have tons of it in our garden at the moment and the freezer is already full! Asparagus is also in season so it makes a couple of appearances.

porridge made with almond milk, topped with chopped almonds, homemade roast vanilla rhubarb compote, agave syrup & soya 'cream'

posh beans on toast! Heinz 5 bean baked bean mix with added sauteed onions and BBQ sauce - topped with dry fried mushrooms in black pepper, crispy onion pieces & homemade vegan 'parmesan' (which includes nutritional yeast flakes) - served on pumpkin seed rye bread

homemade pea and asparagus risotto with white wine, wild garlic, fresh herbs (parsley, mint and basil), lemon and black pepper

WEDNESDAY 22.05.13

Marmite is a great source of B vitamins and the evening's warm chickpea salad was a new recipe I tried - it was a revelation - it was delicious!

rye and granary toast with sunflower margarine and marmite, with a homemade smoothie on the side made from mango, kiwi, apple, soya yoghurt, soya milk and a dash of agave syrup

packed lunch - sandwich made on seeded granary bread with sunflower margarine, Suma savoury pate & crunchy mixed salad

warm salad of chickpeas, kale & spring greens (as well as onions, garlic, carrots and celery) with an olive oil, lemon & chilli tahini dressing

THURSDAY 23.05.13

For some reason I went all mediterranean today! Greek for lunch and Italian for dinner. 

a bowl of mixed Nature's Path cereal with chocolate milk - its quite addictive - and quick!

 

homemade tomato keftides & tzatziki (made using soya yoghurt), new potatoes in vegan mayo with paprika & a crunchy mixed salad on the side

putanesca-style pasta (mix of wholemeal + gluten-free fusilli) with sauteed mediteranean-style vegetables (onions, garlic, courgette, peppers, artichokes & olives) in a tomato & basil sauce with a hint of chilli for some heat

FRIDAY 24.05.13

The weekend is here and a busy day in the garden demands a warm breakfast! Tofu & veggie minceare great meat alternatives, they absorb other flavours well, are low calorie, high in protein and keep you feeling full!

'bravas'-style scrambled tofu (with onions, peppers and paprika) served with mini potato rostis & baked mushrooms (and some sneaky tomato ketchup in the middle...)

some homemade chilli non carne with a raw slaw, vegan sour 'cream' & some home-fried nachos

chilli salt crispy tofu with vegetable & rice noodle chop suey & sesame griddled pack choi on the side

SATURDAY 25.05.13

A luscious breakfast is a must on a Saturday morning and something as simple as a dip & some fresh veggies makes a great refreshing lunch - at home or on the go. Oh and Saturday night has to got to be a curry night...

toasted crumpets topped with soya yoghurt & mixed berries (first strawberries of the year, blueberries & cranberries) lightly warmed with some mixed spice & agave syrup

traditional hummus with lucky dip mixed fresh veg bowl & toasted pitta bread slices

Thai coconut vegetable curry with pomegranate fragrant sticky rice & thai spiced crackers on the side

SUNDAY 26.05.13

I realise that food follows a bit of a traditional theme in my house - I love Sunday brunch and love a Sunday roast (yes vegans love a roast too - we just don't use an animal as the centre piece!)

a very tasty vegan Lincolnshire 'sausage' patty in a toasted granary bun topped with fried mushrooms & wilted spinach

homemade puff pastry pie filled with savoury vegan mince & mushrooms served with classic roasties, crispy roast roots (carrots & parsnips) & steamed greens - tenderstem brocolli, asparagus & sugarsnap peas - all smothered in veggie gravy after this photo was taken!

and for pud...

homemade rhubarb crumble of course! (NB I didn't eat all of this portion!) made from rhubarb pulled that day & a vegan crumble topping, served with lashings of soya vanilla custard

And there you have it - a week in the food life of a vegan! If you looked at this without knowing - would it even cross your mind that it included no meat, fish, eggs or dairy products?

And as you can see I don't exactly scrimp on portions either! AND I havent added in any of the snacks that I ate inbetween meals (although they do just tend to be fruit and nuts - I also like the odd biscuit and bag of crisps!). The amazing fact is, that, if you love your food (and let's face it - who doesn't?) you can eat more if you opt for vegan choices - because a large proportion of unecessary, unhealthy calories come from the fats in animal products.

In just the first two months of being vegan eating meals in portion sizes like this - I lost 6kgs. This has to be the greatest diet in the world and for me, now, it's by far the most natural, compassionate - and delicious!

If you've been inspired by anything that you've seen or read here and would like some more information, help and support then please feel free to contact me at any time.

Here's to NVW2013 being NVY(year)2014.

Chantal xx

@vegsoup4thesoul wow you eat really healthily, your menu looks delicious! Thanks for RT too :)
— North Devon Vegans (@NorthDevonVegan) August 13, 2013

@vegsoup4thesoul Your Vegan dishes look healthy and delicious.
— Sonia Sullivan (@BottleBlondellg) August 13, 2013