Yesterday, I became a vegan.
I passed GO (and vegetarianism), collected my $200 and went straight to VEGAN. I got the bright idea about 2 weeks ago when I stepped on the scale and the numbers didn't agree with me. Add the fact that I couldn't zip up my favorite jeans, I decided that I needed to do something drastic to change my lifestyle.
All of the sumptuous food I've been eating over the past 2 months has finally caught up with me. Not only have I been invited by friends and family to eat out most every night of the week, I've been participating at EVERY Fire in the Triad Competition Dining dinner and I cook fine dining and upscale cuisine for my client at work.
I don't like to use the word DIET, because I feel that it's a four-letter word. I'm going for more of the LIFESTYLE CHANGE route. I need a 'kickstart' or a kick-in-the-pants because I want to be as healthy as possible--I plan on living 'til I'm 100.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is the sponsor for the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart. Every day an email and a message is sent by a celebrity vegan. Monday it was Alicia Silverstone. Today, it was John Salley. I think Natalie Portman and Carrie Underwood are vegans too. I can't wait to get messages from them. That is, if they're not too busy being awesome.
In each email is the day's menu and a reminder about being healthy and making healthful food choices.
Yesterday (the first day), I ate a half a loaf of bread with Earth Balance on it and washed it down with some V-8 Splash. I was invited to a Labor Day cookout in the late afternoon. I hadn't broadcast my new 21-day lifestyle choice, but there was a veggie burger waiting on me. I begrudgingly had to pass up melted Swiss cheese on it, Doritos, cheese puffs, mayonnaise, potato salad (that I made & brought as entrance to the party), macaroni salad and pimiento cheese with water crackers. I loaded up on regular Ruffles potato chips, meat-free baked beans and handfuls of butter & bread pickles. My saving grace: beer--it made me a little less sad that I couldn't eat everything else.
Today's menu via 21-day Kickstart:
I'll keep you updated via Twitter on my progress & tenacity over the next 3 weeks. Until then...
I passed GO (and vegetarianism), collected my $200 and went straight to VEGAN. I got the bright idea about 2 weeks ago when I stepped on the scale and the numbers didn't agree with me. Add the fact that I couldn't zip up my favorite jeans, I decided that I needed to do something drastic to change my lifestyle.
 |
| I need to do more of this, more often. |
All of the sumptuous food I've been eating over the past 2 months has finally caught up with me. Not only have I been invited by friends and family to eat out most every night of the week, I've been participating at EVERY Fire in the Triad Competition Dining dinner and I cook fine dining and upscale cuisine for my client at work.
I don't like to use the word DIET, because I feel that it's a four-letter word. I'm going for more of the LIFESTYLE CHANGE route. I need a 'kickstart' or a kick-in-the-pants because I want to be as healthy as possible--I plan on living 'til I'm 100.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is the sponsor for the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart. Every day an email and a message is sent by a celebrity vegan. Monday it was Alicia Silverstone. Today, it was John Salley. I think Natalie Portman and Carrie Underwood are vegans too. I can't wait to get messages from them. That is, if they're not too busy being awesome.
In each email is the day's menu and a reminder about being healthy and making healthful food choices.
Yesterday (the first day), I ate a half a loaf of bread with Earth Balance on it and washed it down with some V-8 Splash. I was invited to a Labor Day cookout in the late afternoon. I hadn't broadcast my new 21-day lifestyle choice, but there was a veggie burger waiting on me. I begrudgingly had to pass up melted Swiss cheese on it, Doritos, cheese puffs, mayonnaise, potato salad (that I made & brought as entrance to the party), macaroni salad and pimiento cheese with water crackers. I loaded up on regular Ruffles potato chips, meat-free baked beans and handfuls of butter & bread pickles. My saving grace: beer--it made me a little less sad that I couldn't eat everything else.
Today's menu via 21-day Kickstart:
- Breakfast: Cereal, plant milk (your choice), and banana and berries
- Lunch: Hummus and Sundried Tomato Wrap and cup of leftover Curried Tomato Lentil Soup (leftover from yesterday's lunch)
- Snack/Dessert: Ginger Banana Smoothie
- Dinner: Moroccan Bean Stew with Sweet Potatoes with side of Couscous
- Breakfast: Organic Multigrain Flakes, organic unsweetened Silk soy milk, banana and 10 raspberries
- Lunch: Bean burrito, rice, lettuce salad (from Mi Pueblo)
- Snack/Dessert: Wai Lana cassava chips, cherry limeade from Sonic (1/2 price Happy Hour!)
- Dinner: Morningstar Farms Grillers 1/4 Pounder on Arnold Flax 'n' Fiber Sandwich thin with baby carrots and lettuce salad with raspberry vinaigrette
- Dessert: Gala apple slices
I'll keep you updated via Twitter on my progress & tenacity over the next 3 weeks. Until then...
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About Me
- Nikki @ NikSnacks
- Nikki Miller-Ka is a professional food blogger, freelance food writer and food critic based in North Carolina. This East Carolina University and Le Cordon Bleu alum develops recipes and social media strategy for brands. In addition to blogging, she is a culinary tour guide and volunteers at food banks across the region. Formerly, she’s been a judge for the James Beard Foundation, IACP, featured in Southern Living Magazine & New York Magazine, worked as a catering chef, a pastry chef, a butcher, a baker, and a biscuit-maker.
This sounds terrifying to me! I am so proud of you for having the strength to do this. I definitely need to make some changes myself. Keep us updated!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pamela. I was scared beforehand, but not now. Eating cleanly has always been important to me and now that I've broadcast my intention(s) to the world, I have no excuse. You all will keep me accountable :)
ReplyDeleteNikki,
ReplyDeleteGood luck! You're very brave. I would have thought one vegan day a week would be good, so this is amazing.
Actually those recipes sound really good. I love sweet potatoes with beans. My problem would be doing without milk in my coffee. I just don't think those other milks steam well...