If you didn’t know, Vegan is eating healthy without consuming any animal products; vegan means no meat, dairy or eggs. You might be thinking “wait, then what can I eat?” which is what went through my head before I started this lifestyle. But you will be surprised how many delicious and healthy things are vegan or can be made vegan! And I’m here to help you out.
1. Breakfast
Eating vegan for breakfast is a little more difficult than lunch or dinner. Since breakfast involves mostly meat, eggs and butter, it’s hard to find a meal that doesn’t include those things. I enjoy Van’s waffles (egg and dairy free but so delicious) and top it with bananas and real maple syrup. I also LOVE peanut butter so I put it on apples or toast for a yummy start to my day. If you prefer cereal, a variety of brands will work; just use vanilla Almond Milk (my favorite) or soymilk!
2. Lunch/Dinner
Pinterest will be your best friend for these meals. There are TONS of different vegan recipes you can find. There are pasta dishes, vegan pizzas, soups, sandwiches and so much more. I would look at different vegan-eater’s boards and pin all my favorite recipes to my own, and use the recipes whenever I wanted! There are many options and you can make a lot of things vegan by just taking out an ingredient or two.
3. Desserts
You can still have chocolate and ice cream! Does that surprise you? It’s not the exact same, but it is very similar. Certain dark chocolate brands are milk-free because its simply cocoa and sugar. Also, many grocery stores sell dairy-free chocolate chips, which can be used for baked goods you were craving (substitute the egg, of course). One of my favorite gluten-free desserts is coconut milk ice cream. It’s very delicious and tastes the same except with a little coconut flavor, which is even better! And there are tons of different flavors you can choose from.
4. Coffee
Don’t you worry; you can still get your favorite Vanilla Latte from Starbucks or an iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts. All you have to do is stay away from anything chocolate (a little obvious) and also caramel. Replace your favorite hot or cold drink with soymilk or almond milk and you’re good to go (almond milk is now provided at Dunkin, yay!)
5. On The Go
During the school year, I am extremely busy and I know a lot of you guys are too. So I don’t always have time to prepare a 30-minute vegan meal. This is where Amy’s Kitchen frozen meals come in. They are at almost every grocery store and have dishes that range from a delicious pad Thai and a black bean enchilada with rice. A great vegan meal when you’re in a hurry!