Healthy lifestyle, vegan

[Floris]

I've had a sensitive stummy when I try to figure out what I can eat in a way that's better. Making it all less fun.

But some days I am really healthy with what I eat, quite an improvement. Other days I realise how bad I am at telling myself no. I really have to pick this up again - not having someone here as a partner telling me no, makes it mentally a lot harder than I thought it would be.

I try to snack less, but stress and depression make it a mental struggle. Life's tough like that, and unfair. Why isn't it like : you are super stressed, you really want to eat a carrot and drink water.. instead.

 

[Joan]

Portion sizes are a struggle too, I have enough food for three meals, but no, I eat too much of it that it barely goes for two meals!

Having to log the food though is helping with that, who knew that one little Roses chocolate was 50 calories!

 

[Floris]

Portion sizes are a struggle too, I have enough food for three meals, but no, I eat too much of it that it barely goes for two meals!

Having to log the food though is helping with that, who knew that one little Roses chocolate was 50 calories!

Maybe I should gamify it, set a challenge of $5 a day for food, and go get it, and try to have left overs for a midnight snack.
So I get cheaper food, save up money, portion things better, and reward with bits of leftover.

 

[Joan]

As long as you don't fall into the processed food trap buying cheaper foods.

I try to challenge myself to, once a month, make something new. The last few months it's been from veg that has been grown at my mother's, so a courgette loaf and beetroot brownies, apples are starting to fall so going to make apple cake or scones. I cut and freeze it, so that I can have one portion a day.

 

[Floris]

I've been getting less and less processed food over the years, thankfully there are a lot of local farmers here,

 

[Joan]

I'm hosting a vegan Christmas dinner for a few friends in December, this is my current dinner plan:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/vegan-christmas-wreath
https://www.skinnytaste.com/roasted-brussels-sprouts-and-butternut-squash/
https://veganhuggs.com/vegan-sourdough-bread-stuffing/ - Not sure about this onehttp://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/vegetable-toad-hole?xid=NL_DAILY052215ToadInTheHole but with vegan yorkshire pudding: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/vegan-yorkshire-puddings
https://shortgirltallorder.com/vegan-caramelized-onion-mashed-potatoes
Plus vegan gravy, and roast potatoes.

Oreo cheesecake for dessert.

Edit: Paxo is vegan, not going to make stuffing!

 

[Joan]

Well that didn't happen!

I now only get meat from the butcher, so it's better quality and local, but since it's more expensive I buy less, and have more veggie days.

I want to get away from processed veggie foods though.

 

[Floris]

Update:

Every month I make the effort to have a vegan meal. I have to admin: They generally disappoint. I don't mind vegetarian or at least a normal meal but being aware of what I eat and portion the bit of meat I get. I am more conscious about what I buy.

But vegan is tough. It's almost like it's all just utter bullshit and not worth the change. Sorry if that's offensive. What I do like vegan wise I try to continue using, but it's a very short list. It's almost comparable to when someone hits you in the face 50 times and says: this is how you lose weight. And you go: getting hit in the face doesn't feel like a natural thing that helps with losing weight. And vegan meals are like that. It doesn't feel like it's the right thing. But it is a journey and I Have to find what works, what doesn't work. What things mean, and how it can benefit me. Even little steps help I am confident of that and I Just have to get ove myself.

 

[Joan]

I think it depends on what you make, I've enjoyed some vegan curries and risotto, and I would make those more, but most places seem to think that vegans need burgers or sausages.

 

[Floris]

Fair point.

 

[Joan]

This is my, go through the cookbooks reminder, to find some new veggie/vegan meals.

 

[Floris]

Had a vegan burger the other day and it was just a really nice sandwich. They should have sold it as 'some vegan sandwich', instead of 'burger'. taste was pretty good. a shit burger though.. too light, too dry, haha. but as a sandwich it was good.

 

[Joan]

I decided that this weekend I'm going to make a sweet potato saag aloo, got loads of sweet potatoes to use up and I've never made my own saag aloo but I have spinach to use up too.

 

[Nix]

We had, bacon, avocado, cheese, tomato and mayo burgers last night.
Tonight is prob quiche and Tomorrow is pizza agin as Abbs has a friend coming to sit in the garden with her for dinner and her birthday presents.

 

[Floris]

Those both actually sounds really nice. MAYBE, .. i will give it a try.

 

[Joan]

Saag aloo keeps getting pushed back, it'll be next week probably now. I want to try and get rid of the processed food in the freezer first. I'll probably still buy some things for convivence but I'm going to try and keep it to a minimum. New veg box arrived this morning, going to use up the older veg today with a carrot and swede mash.

Need to have a soup making day too, sweet potato and Jerusalem artichoke, and maybe sweet potato and carrot too.

 

[Floris]

I have no clue what part of this was vegan or not, but it's my attempt.. I guess.

I made rice with a curry sauce, and it was pretty good. Defn. didn't please my appetite.

 

[Joan]

I had the vegan vegatsu curry from Wagamama's on Sunday, and it was lovely! Not just because I hadn't cooked and I was sat out in the sunshine with friends, but the food was great too, I would definitely have it again. Never had Wagamama before, but it's somewhere I would eat at again.

I'm still on the try to empty the freezer plan, it is going down, and I've not ordered a veg box this week to use more of it up, there's loads of food in the freezer so missing one week isn't going to leave me with nothing.

 

[Floris]

I am surprised how much vegetarian food I had this month. That said, nothing close to vegan. I had more dairy than usual.

 

[Joan]

My freezer keeps getting more and more in it, bought some veggie sausages to try. But the tubs of food is going down. I am cooking more now though, cooking from scratch often too (well not gravy, bisto is too convenient!)

 

[Floris]

My freezer keeps getting more and more in it, bought some veggie sausages to try. But the tubs of food is going down. I am cooking more now though, cooking from scratch often too (well not gravy, bisto is too convenient!)

I have 2 freezers, and both don't work now. fml.
I need a handyman in my life. lol.

 

[Nix]

I have 2 freezers, and both don't work now. fml.
I need a handyman in my life. lol.

Booo that sucks

 

[Floris]

haven't had anything vegan for days, .. i will try to do better again with next round of groceries.

 

[Joan]

I'm mostly building up more dishes that I enjoy, with the aim of not having to buy a lot of extra ingredients once I know enough dishes that I like and will happily have often. The veg box is helping with that currently, but I don't plan on keeping that long term, it's just making me work on using different foods, I know what's coming each week so I can plan what else I will need to make things.

This week I know there's an aubergine, and I have some sweet potatoes, so I've looked up a curry recipe to do.

https://www.vibrantplate.com/eggplant-sweet-potato-curry-vegan-gluten-free/#