Week three and  we’re still vegans!. We kept the breakfasts the same for the most part. I had smoothies everyday, and Sara mixed in some cereal. We ate out a bit more, both together for dinner and individually for lunch. I noted our different meals below to give you some ideas.

After putting this post together I realized that we both planned for and ate a lot of mexican food. It was awesome.

See Week Four >

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Protein is one of those things that vegans need to make sure they are getting enough of. The general consensus seems to be 0.75 grams of protein kilogram of body weight per day. I pulled a more specific chart off the USDA website and have included it below along with the calculations for determining your recommended daily allowance (RDA).

One thing that has worried me since going vegan has been my soy intake. There are many studies showing a potential link form high soy consumption in men to increased occurrences of prostate cancer and hormonal changes such as increased estrogen levels. You can read up here.

With whey protein powder completely off the table and my concerns with soy, I began researching for alternatives. The most widely available vegan protein powders are made from Rice, Hemp, Pea, Vegetables or a combination of those. I read reviews on Amazon and decided to start with Pea.

My first container of Now Foods Pea Protein arrived and it is fantastic. One scoop packs a whopping 28g of whole protein. And it dissolves very quickly. You need to understand that this is not a milkshake flavored protein powder. It is not sweet or flavored, it’s the real deal. Mix with fruits and vegetables in your favorite smoothie and you are set. Below are the nutritional facts, click to zoom.

I did pretty much immediately order 2 more containers, but I will move on and try Rice and Hemp powders. Look back for updates.

Calculate your Recommended Daily Allowance of Protein

Use these equations to calculate your general RDA of protein. This method does not take into account other factors such as health, height or physical activity.

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x gm/kg/day (see below) = protein gm per day

Source USDA Dietary Reference Intakes
View DRI PDF

I like it so much that I have started to call in “Lucky Peas & Money Greens”…in my head of course. You will notice that it is a staple of our meal plan throughout the first 30 days. That’s because (besides its incredible taste) it is so easy to make, can be made in bulk ahead of time and is easily adaptable to your flavor palate.

Black-eyed Peas & Collard Greens
Lucky Peas & Money Greens

Ingredients
2 15 oz. Cans of Black-eyed Peas
1 Small Yellow Onion Diced
2-3 Cloves of Garlic Minced
1 Cup of Tomato Sauce
1/2 lb of Collard Greens
1 Tablespoon of Hot Sauce (I use Cholula b/c there is nothing better)
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
1 Cup of Water

Optional Ingredients
Dash of Liquid Smoke
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1/2 Jalapeño Minced (cook with the onions)
Swap the Black-eyed Peas for Pinto Beans
Swap Kale, Cabbage or other greens for Collard Greens

Directions
Prepare your greens by removing any tough stems then chopping or shredding the leaves into 1/2 inch pieces, or chiffonade if using a larger leaf green. We like our greens soft and not too firm, so we steam them in a pot with water and a steaming basket for 15 mins while we dice and sauté the onion. Alternatively you can start the onion in a 4-quart pot with your olive oil adding the garlic when the onions start to become translucent. Then add your greens with 1/2 a Cup of Water, close the pot and let steam for 10+ mins.

Watch and stir periodically. Taste your greens and when they are to the firmness of your liking then add your 2 Cans of Black-eyed Peas which have been drained and washed. Add the 1 Cup of Tomato Sauce, remaining 1/2 Cup of Water, 1 Tablespoon fo Cholula, 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt and any other optional ingredients. Mix everything well and let it cook for 5-8 minutes. From here forward you are pretty much just adding heat and letting all of the flavors jive, so keep your temperature in check and don’t scald anything on the bottom.

Now the fun part. Pull out your potato masher and mash about 1/3 of the Black-eyed Peas in the pot. This will thicken everything up and make for fine eat’n. Don’t have a potato masher? Good for you. I have found that a heavy glass cup or jar pressed slowly throughout the pot works even better, but don’t be stupid and use something fragile.

Stir it up , taste, salt if needed and serve hot.

The possible modifications to this dish are endless. Once you’ve had it you’ll quickly make it your own. If you like things spicy I highly recommend the Jalapeño and maybe some black pepper. If you add the liquid smoke, which I sometimes do, be sure to go easy. A little bit of that goes a long way.

Vegan Chad’s Eat Some Greens Smoothie
Makes approximately 24 oz of smoothie

Here is the meal plan for our second week. We repeated several meals from week one that we liked. In the case of the Chickpea Cutlets we wanted to share that meal with the rest of the family–they loved it.

For dinner on Day 7 we decided to sample Mellow Mushroom’s vegan menu. After a little research online we discovered that many locations offer a either a soy based vegan cheese or Daiya products. We called ahead and ours did. We are planning to try and work in a vegan pizza recipe one night soon.

See Week Three >

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The other restaurant we tried was a mexican restaurant.  Mexican is one of my favorite foods but a lot of restaurants use animal products to cook their beans and rice.  They often have a vegetarian section on their menu but it can be deceptive.  I called ahead and they assured me there were no animal products in the beans.  It was yummy but we found ourselves being a little over paranoid.  I think it is just going to take some getting used to and figuring out what best to order.  One benefit to not eating out so much though is that we have saved quite a bit of money by cooking more at home.

Check out the Week Two Meal Plan for more details.

The sandwich is simple and paired with their Tuscan Pantry soup it was easy vegan at its best.

Ingredients
2-4 Tomato slices, depending on size
1/2 Acodado sliced
1 Bunch of Sprouts, of your liking (I prefer alfalfa)
2 Slices of Bread
Rosemary Vegan Mayonaise (recipe follows)

Directions
Spread the rosemary vegan mayo on both slices of bread. Start with a juicy layer of tomatos followed by the avocado slices. Then add your bunch of sprouts. Slice on a diagonal and you are good to go.

I have had this several times both with and without the sprouts and usually with regular Vegenaise. Try the Rosemary Vegan Mayo at least once though.

Rosemary Vegan Mayonaise
A simple diversion from plain vegan mayo. Start with just enough for a couple of sandwiches to see if you like it. Mix 3 tablespoons of Vegenaise–or any vegan mayo–with 1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped dried rosemary. Stick it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight and it is ready.

The original meal at World Peace Cafe in Atlanta, GA

Here is the meal plan for our first week. It leans heavily toward comfort food and omnivore meal replacements. We designed it this way to help us ease into a new lifestyle. The smoothies are the secret. We encourage you to cram as many greens into them as you can stand.

No one wants a shock to their system. Our approach is gradual realistic steps toward a mostly plant based vegan diet.

See Week Two >

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The Ultimate Vegan Baking Cheat Sheet

I’m not a big breakfast eater and so today I just ate an orange.  I have been running errands today and decided to stop at Subway for lunch. I really like there veggie patty and was excited about that.  Right before I went in to the store I double checked to see if the veggie patty was vegan. It’s not.  I was a little disappointed but opted for a veggie filled sandwich.  This was probably the healthier option anyway.

I made a vinegar based slaw this morning that we are going to eat for dinner along with homemade baked beans and vegan sloppy joes made from lentils.  We have tried this recipe before and love it, so we are adding the beans and slaw this time around for a more complete meal.  So far I am not feeling any hunger pains nor am I craving any type of animal product. Let’s hope this continues.  I haven’t made it to the gym yet but am hoping to get there at least once this week.