Thanks Santa!

Thank you Santa! The gift of working out in style. ❤ Cute gear from Under Armour makes it more fun! ❤

So, a Vegan Walks Into a Steakhouse...

It’s been about 8 months since I made the transition to Vegan and I have been doing pretty good. It has been a much easier lifestyle change than I thought it would be. During this process, I have found the best way for me to maintain control is to prepare and eat my own food so, I often travel with a lunch box or snack bag. If I do eat out, I sometimes find I have to straddle the vegan/vegetarian line. I make it a point to frequent places I know are organic and vegan/vegetarian or, at the very least, I will seek out an establishment that is vegan/vegetarian friendly. Because I am a “stick to what you know” kind of girl, this means when I do eat out, I pretty much eat in the same places most of the time. This weekend was my husband’s birthday and the family was going out to dinner, whatever he wanted. He selected, a steak house.

I worried I may be facing a challenge bigger than Thanksgiving...but, not so much!!! My loving, awesome husband went straight to the restaurant website to check out the menu to make sure there were selections “I” could enjoy. Advance planning is really important, with the internet at our finger tips there are no excuses!

So, a vegan walks into a steak house and what does she select as her "steak?" A giant baked sweet potato, they even sprinkled it with cinnamon! I also had a large salad, corn, steamed broccoli and baby carrots. My meal was yummy and quite filling!

If you are thinking about making the transition to vegan, I would say you need to have an open mind and be willing to be a little bit flexible at times. Though my meal consisted of veggies, it was not totally vegan. I am sure the corn had real butter on it, but I saw no need to have a panic attack.  The point was I stepped out of my comfort zone and I was still successful at sticking to my new lifestyle. We all had a wonderful birthday dinner, my husband enjoyed his steak and I learned, you can actually be vegan and eat anywhere, even at the steakhouse!!!!! Unless, you are a vegan and an animal rights activist then... no not so much. I even enjoyed an amazing desert at a nearby frozen yogurt place, they had nondairy options!

My Sweet potato "steak" Dinner

Desert! Raspberry Pomegranate non dairy frozen "yogurt" topped with fresh pomegranate.

Are you thinking about making a transition to a plant based lifestyle, do you have any concerns about social eating?

Are you a former meat eater that transitioned to a plant based lifestyle? Was the process difficult? How did you handle social situations? 

Chat away in the comments I would love to hear from everyone!

Out with the old, in with the new! (And a recipe too!)

I was not feeling well this weekend so I took a nap and before I knew it, I slept through lunch. When I woke up I was starving! Knowing I had a history of making "bad" food choices when I'm hungry, the first thing I did was prepare a healthy smoothie so I could grab hold of the hunger then make a smart meal choice with a clear mind. I do believe the old habits are officially out of here! 

My smoothie of choice? A banana, almond milk smoothie with a scoop of vegan protein powder.

Because smoothies and juices are part of the secret to my success, I can't keep this yummy healthy treat to myself, the recipe is below.  Its a great snack or meal replacement, I often enjoy one of these for breakfast or as an after workout boost. Give it a try the next time you want a delicious and satisfying treat!  

Banana almond milk smoothie recipe:

1 ripe banana

6oz of unsweetened almond milk

dash of organic cinnamon 

1 teaspoon of organic vanilla extract

1/2 scoop of Plant Fusion (unflavored) plant based protein powder

1 tablespoon agave nectar. 

Ice     

Blend and enjoy! 

What do you do to keep hunger under control? How do you keep from making "bad" food choices? How do you handle cravings? Share your tips with me in the comments below!