At the end of January, I shared the unexpected twist in my fitness journey of adopting a plant-based way of eating. When that post was written, we were only two weeks into this new adventure and I’d promised to share more of the story in the future.
And, there’s no better time than now to do just that. In Fitness Journey: Month 7, An Unexpected Twist, I gave an account of how The Husband and I had come to the decision to go plant-based. While some people might come to such a decision over a long period of time, for us it was more of a spur of the moment thing. You might say that it began without a lot of forethought. Although, we did delay the start by one day so that we could enjoy one last “hurrah” at an already planned dinner with our kids.
It was quite an interesting discussion we had while eating corned beef sandwiches at our favorite deli. Our daughter had made a similar decision a few years ago when she opted to forgo eating animal protein with the exception of fish and eggs (no dairy, she’s allergic). She has since reversed on not eating chicken and red meat but she has been helpful with offering opinions on plant-based dairy options. The young woman our son recently started seeing has been vegan for several years so she had some insights as well.
The Husband and I had initially committed to two weeks and we stuck with it nearly 100% of the time for about four. Our one “indulgence” happened when we attended a birthday celebration for a good friend at their home on day 19. We didn’t tell the host about our recent change and decided instead to make do with whatever was on the menu. Speaking of menus, here’s a little rundown of some of what we ate for dinner each of those nights.
Day 1 – spaghetti with lentil bolognese & mixed veggies (made by son and his girlfriend)
Day 2 – tacos made with seasoned Gardein crumbles, vegetarian refried beans, avocado, diced tomato, corn tortillas
Day 3 – mushroom risotto and steamed veggies (used this recipe)
Day 4 – baked yam (not so good)
Day 5 – butternut squash chili (adapted from this recipe using Beyond Beef instead of ground turkey) topped with vegan shredded cheese and sour cream along with homemade cornbread
Day 6 – Habit veggie burger with mushrooms and avocado (brought my own slice of vegan cheese)
Day 7 – leftover chili and cornbread with a green salad
Day 8 – roasted eggplant and zucchini on bowtie pasta (I followed this recipe)
Day 9 – vegan pot pie with mashed potatoes using temphe
Day 10 – frozen vegan pizza (meh) and salad
Day 11 – crispy tofu and brussel sprouts. For breakfast, we sought out a vegan bakery in our area and brought home a few donuts, a fritter, and a couple of scones.
Day 12 – mixed veggies with tofu and vegetable chow mein at our favorite local Chinese restaurant
Day 13 – butternut squash soup (it’s a super easy recipe), spaghetti with Gardein meatballs
Day 14 – vegan meatloaf (loosely based on this recipe however I also added some leftover black beans and shredded carrots) with mashed potatoes
We made it through two weeks and it seemed as though we’d gotten into a rhythm. There’d been no mention of stopping but we hadn’t yet discussed it so I woke up the next morning uncertain of what to plan for dinner that night. The Husband had left for an appointment by the time I got up so texted him in the late morning to ask if he’d “broken” vegan at breakfast. He feigned offense at such a question but eventually said that he had not. The Husband told me that he was willing to keep with it for another two weeks. Game on!
Day 15 – leftover soup and vegan meatloaf
Day 16 – a mix of frozen items from Trader Joe’s; potstickers, spring rolls, mandarin orange morsels, stir-fry veggies, and rice. The potstickers and spring rolls were good enough to try again but not the rest.
Days 17 and 18 – no notes about what we had (oops)
Day 19 – birthday dinner at friends’ home
Day 20 – risotto (recipe repeat) and tomato soup (recipe shared on IG by Lesley Wolman)
Day 21 – tacos made with Beyond Beef
Days 22 and 23 – no notes
Day 24 – veggie burgers (dinner made by The Husband)
Day 25 – spaghetti, vegan meatballs, steamed veggies
Day 26 – Chinese restaurant; orange tofu, chow mein, mixed veggies
Day 27 – we attended a celebration of life and brought with a brown bag dinner of PB&J sandwiches, carrots and hummus, and fruit
Day 28 – seafood restaurant with friends; salad with grilled corn, heirloom tomato, avocado, pepita, crunchy tortillas, chickpeas, and a dusting of queso fresco
It’s my hope that in providing the list of our dinners I might dispel any assumptions that plant-based meals are boring, difficult to prepare, or limited if dining away from home. I found none of that to be true and in those four weeks, I enjoyed the challenge of finding recipes to try. As noted, several were good enough to have been repeated. I stopped noting the specifics of our dinners at this point because it wouldn’t really serve any purpose.
Embracing plant-based cooking changed the dynamics of dinner preparation in our household. Previously, our dinners at home primarily consisted of grilled chicken, salmon, or red meat along with steamed/baked/grilled veggies and either potatoes or rice most of which had been prepared by The Husband. It was an arrangement that I thoroughly enjoyed. However, with the switch to plant-based meals, I’ve been doing most of the cooking which, of course, The Husband had been delighted about.
Four weeks was the end of the road for The Husband. He’d had some blood work scheduled for the next morning and then treated himself to a Breakfast Jack before heading off for his poker game that day. But as for me, after putting so much time and effort into being plant-based, I didn’t want to stop just yet. I’ve kept with it about 90% of the time and since I’m still doing most of the cooking of our dinners, the chef’s choice prevails. My morning yogurt has been switched to a non-dairy one and I’ve been using soy milk in recipes. However, I still opt for real cheese as a garnish on my chili and pasta dishes.
Mostly, it comes down to the choices we make when not eating at home. The Husband is very supportive of my desire to be primarily plant-based so restaurants are considered based on vegan options when possible. I’m willing to adapt when there aren’t any which surprisingly was what we found quite a bit while we were in Florida. Sometimes you have to be “creative” and make a meal from the side dish offerings.
In those first weeks, I was surprised by the amount of digestive disruption I experienced. Even though my previous food choices were fiber-focused and I typically guzzle water like a fish, it still took about three weeks for my intestines to get used to the additional fiber. I finally got around to finding a multi-vitamin with B-12 so I’ve got that covered now. It feels like my body has finally gotten used to the added fiber and the reduction in protein. Overall, I like the plant-based way of eating a lot more than I expected I would.
Let’s Wrap This Up
Now, onto the Fine-Whatever link-up. My featured blogger from the last week’s link-up is Carol, who you’ll find sharing ideas and information for active Baby Boomers on her blog The Scribbling Boomer.
When I’d started out 2022 with a missive about old dogs learning new tricks, I had no idea that switching to plant-based was in the cards. What change(s) have you made in your life that caught you by surprise?
Stay well and let’s keep in touch! Subscribe, tweet, follow, friend, pin … all options are available. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Note: This is an unsponsored post; however, some or all of the links to clothing items are associated with an affiliate program where I earned a few cents for each click.
Photos: MMPerez
24 Comments
Rena,
Thanks for sharing your plant based diet journey! I try to stick with mostly plant based eating plus no sugar and no gluten. I do eat chicken breast and fish. I don’t cook so I’m grateful my hubby and I are always on the same page!
Congratulations on making it two months. My diet is always the result of my blood tests which means no carbs (vegan is out the window) and no sugar (not that hard). I was half vegetarian and that was hard to give up. Now, I’m basically KETO. My biggest thing, however, was my “Dry January and February” which now has turned into a way of life, with small allowances.
I agree that there is always a problem when eating away from home. It seems that my usual fair is salads and soups and that gets old.
Take care, I always enjoy what you have to say. Terri
First off, I adore those embroidered jeans. Fabulous!
Dan & I have been plant-based since last August. I won’t return to the typical American diet. I don’t miss it. Like you, when invited to eat at someone’s house, as we did on Thanksgiving, we ate what was prepared, including turkey. (We were meeting our in-laws for the first time and didn’t want to insult their cooking even accidentally.) One offs aren’t going to cause harm. And we are lucky that here in Asheville, most restaurants have vegan options. Dan has taken to making different vegan stews, which he makes up as he goes along. I call it vegan concoction. LOL! It’s always so tasty though.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
I am very impressed. I do eat lots of vegetarian but not sure I could go vegan.
Well done, I have to admit you are braver than me, I am certainly not at the point of turning plant based yet as I follow Keto. However the list of foods you have eaten do still look tasty, I think that is what would put me off – the fact meals could potentially be bland. You are looking fab though and you are glowing with a big grin! Thank you for hosting! Sim x
Thanks for sharing about your journey. My teen went plant-based for a while. In the end she realized she wasn’t eating healthy at all. Turns out you have to like and eat veggies on this diet! Ha!
Good for you continuing on! We’re trying to eat less meat but not 100% plant based. It’s really helpful to see the meals that you ate. Giving me lots of dinner ideas!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Such a healthy diet Rena. I often cut out meat for a week but that’s about s far as I go. I have loads of allergies so my diet is already very restricted. Have a lovely week xx
We eat vegan during lent so I love seeing some extra ideas for meals. I eat a lot of salads with beans during this time and I know my tummy will act a little funny for a week or two. I made a chickpea salad today that was really yummy.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Rena, you’re doing great! My link #33 is Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie (easily made vegan by making the mashed potato topping with vegan butter, cheese, and milk). Even my biggest carnivore friends like my main dishes made with lentils. Thank you for hosting.
Your menus look great! Lots of variety and nutrients. Unfortunately I could never get Mr Mutton to try a plant based diet, not in a million years. I’m trying to get more fish into our diets and less red meat. I have a couple of vegan days a week.
I like this double denim outfit and the touches of red with the buttons on the shirt, necklace, and embroidery on the jeans! It’s great you’ve found a routine and a way of making a plant based diet work for you 🙂 Our meals are so often meat and veggies I can’t imagine giving up the meat part, haha! When it’s just me cooking for myself (I have food allergies and intolerances and can’t always eat what the kids and hubby have) then I will sometimes have vegetarian meals but with my low iron despite iron supplements I’m eating a lot of red meat and spinach haha!
Thanks for the link up!
Hope that your week is off to a good start 🙂
Kudos to you for successfully altering your food choices in pursuit of better health. My doctor has been recommending a plant-based diet for years. I’m not near to being a vegan, but I’m now mostly vegetarian. I occasionally have fish or chicken, but mostly vegetable-based foods. When my lab-work came back prior to my last doctor’s check-up, the cholesterol count was way down. (Yippee!!!). Thank you so much for the feature. And thanks for hosting the link-ups.
Carol
http://www.scribblingboomer.com
Kudos on making a change and sticking to it! And, a really big thank you for sharing your menus. It seems, when people post or blog about something like this, they rarely share what they’re actually eating. Interestingly, my husband’s gastroenterologist told him he didn’t eat enough fat and protein. So, we’ve been focusing on increasing that. If I had a chef, I think I could go plant-based. Would you want to move to the Midwest (just kidding…sort of)? Thanks for the link up, Rena!
https://marshainthemiddle.com
This is basically how we eat too, except because Rob can’t have legumes, we do eat some meat (all organic and all that stuff). It’s amazing how the bodies can feel different.
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
I’m so glad you shared your meals! Since I’m not familiar with eating a vegan diet, it’s nice to see some different recipe types. I would love to try some of these in the future!
What a great post Rena. It’s always encouraging to see new recipe ideas. We’re not great meat eaters so lentil bolognese, vegetable cottage pie and chilli are regulars on the menu. Not ready to transition completely, but so good that many of us are being more flexible.
Pamela
http://www.style-yourself-confident.com
Super cute outfit, Rena! You look healthy and happy on your new plant based diet. I think I would struggle giving up milk and cheese, but everything else I could probably switch over to plant based. Thanks for sharing your experience and journey with this new lifestyle!
Shelbee
Hi Rena
Your menu looked delicious! I love veggies and often order plant based, but have a love of seafood . I could really be pescatarian. I alo love cheese! It sounds like you found something that works for you and that is great. With my I Gastroperesis and IBS , i cant eat too much fiber.
Well done I salute you Rena, not sure it’s what I could do, I love meat. Thanks for sharing your wonderful and interesting post. Jacqui x
Well done and thank you for sharing your journey! Your meals sound yum. We are not entirely vegan but are trying to include more plant-based food in our menu.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
thanks for hosting a great party!! I appreciate the time. Hope your week is going well and the rest is awesome!
Rena, congratulations on your journey.👑 What you feed on bears fruit. It is not easy, considering the beliefs we have accumulated and pledged loyalty to our entire lives.
The whole foods plant based diet is a game changer. 🍀 When you Google online, it’s all in bits and pieces, thus majority of us fall prey for fads and never get the awesome wealthy benefits of this change of lifestyle.
This way of life does not get the clout and support it should globally to help us live healthier and happier lives. Big pharma and insurance conspiracies of greed would not want a dent in their big fat checks. .
For me, it is a reality.
Picture this. If you had a parent pass on in their seventies because of a lifestyle disease; whilst the grandparent is very strong in their hundreds, enjoying a whole foods plant based diet – not in any nursing home, takes walks in their walker each day, etc., what lifestyle would you emulate?
Keep up the fight.💪
H Emma
My biggest life change recently is exactly the same as yours, Rena! Although my husband and I have gone full on vegan. The biggest difficulty we have had is finding something to eat whilst driving through France recently lol! They certainly do love their butter and cheese!
Btw, I LOVE that first photo of you. It’s gorgeous!
Big hugs
Suzy xx