This is my go to guide for eating out and still keeping to my vegan diet! There are plenty of places is our area that offer vegan selections or can make vegan accommodations. I'm pretty sure that there are more places than what is on this list. It's pretty hard to keep up with more places that are
accommodating to the needs of vegans!
FYI...my husband and I have already checked out Kyoto and Fujiyama for vegan sushi (amaaaaazing!), Classic Slice for pizza (soy cheese please!), EE Sane for some awesome Thai food, and of course I had to feed my sweet tooth and
check out Babe's Ice Cream in Bay View for their vegan selections!
Sushi, hand down, is always good! Fujiyama and Kyoto offer vegan sushi under the "vegetarian" section of the menu.
I absolutely LOVE Classic Slice Pizza because they have several vegan pizzas to choose from. The Mediterranean
is our favorite and the soy stix are out of this world!
EE Sane has never been a disappointment when we have gone! They are knowledgeable on vegan selections and can substitute the meat for tofu.
Oh, Babe's Ice Cream...thank goodness for you! Who doesn't love to grab an ice cream cone every once in awhile? The best part is that not only do they offer vegan
ice cream; they also offer vegan ice cream sandwiches, and vegan ice cream cakes. Ok, time to lift your dropped jaw from the floor and wipe that drool off of your face!
If you know of any other restaurants that offer vegan options please do share! I will also update if I find more on
my own as well.
 We've all had it where we have been in a quick bind for dinner and need to cook something up pronto! Or maybe we just really don't feel like cooking but we still want something that looks and tastes great on the table! I have a no-fail vegan dinner...spaghetti with Italian "sausage"! This even cooks up in less than 30 minutes!
The other night I had to fix this up because our plans had suddenly changed. Thankfully, I already had all of the ingredients for a spaghetti dinner! Ok, I used jarred
sauce but I couldn't help to add my own touch to it! I started up a pot of water for the noodles, put it on high heat, and I covered it to bring it to a boil faster. Then, I chopped up about 1/2 cup of white onion and two links of the Italian Tofurky sausages.
 Next, I heated a large saucepan over medium heat and I added about 1 tbs. of olive oil. Once the olive oil was heated I added in the onions and
tofurky. I sautéed the ingredients until the onions were tender. Then I grated in 2 cloves of garlic; sautéing until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Next, I poured in the sauce.
 You can use any sauce but make sure it's vegan! I used Trader Joe's tomato basil marinara. After adding the sauce, I turned the heat down to low and
I left the sauce uncovered to thicken up while it simmers. If you like your sauce on the thinner side then just cover slightly leaving a small space for some evaporation.
Once the water was boiling, I added the noodles. These noodles are one of my favorite spaghetti noodles because they're made with veggies! I just happened to have some on hand so this is what I used. Any kind will do though. While the noodles cooked, I tended to the sauce.  I tested the sauce to check for saltiness because when adding sausages to a jarred spaghetti sauce they have a tendency to be on the saltier side. I learned that a nice trick to fix a sauce that is too
salty is...olive oil! Yep, olive oil seems to do the trick and it
helps to add a nice flavor. I added in the olive oil until the sauce tasted just right!
 Next up was adding a flavor that somewhat resembled parmesan cheese. Drum roll please...nutritional yeast! It's rich in vitamin B-12 and it tastes like parmesan cheese. I just added a few sprinkles to my liking and I also ground in some fresh black pepper. Once the noodles were done I strained them, turned off the sauce, essembled the spaghetti, and sprinkled a light dusting of nutritional yeast on top. This was all done in 30 minutes and it was quick, easy, and delicious!
So, as most of you know my husband and I moved into our brand new house that we built on April 30 and this big event was followed by my major knee surgery on May 6. We were without a fridge and a stove for several days (we did have a mini fridge with some items in it) because they were backed up for delivery and we had to get creative and think outside of the box for our meals. So it came down to vegan fast-food, microwave convenience food, and a lot of salads!
These were the fast-food places I went to:
McDonald's: I had a side salad with the balsamic vinaigrette dressing and unsweetened iced tea when I went here.
Fazoli's: All of there noodles are vegan! I ordered their fettuccini and topped it off with their marinara sauce and steamed broccoli. If you get the breadsticks make sure to order them without the garlic butter on top.
Culver's: I ordered the garden fresca salad without cheese and with the raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
Kyoto: Vegetarian sushi and veggie tempura.
Fujiama: Any of their vegetarian sushi and veggie tempura.
Convenience Foods:
Trader Joe's veggie wrap sandwich (it's pre-made and in the refrigerated section)
Trader Joe's Japanese fried rice (made on the stove-top)
Trader Joe's Quinoa and Veggie mixture (microwave)
Trader Joe's Kimchi Fried Rice (microwave)
Trader Joe's Vegan Veggie Burgers (you're supposed to cook these on the stove but I microwaved ours until our stove came).
Amy's microwavable meals. Their not all vegan but there are a lot of vegan options. I had a Thai curry dish and veggies with brown rice. Both were satisfying.
Van's Blueberry Waffles: These are absolutely amazing! I topped mine off with maple syrup and earth balance butter (yes, it's vegan!).
Other foods that I had on hand were nuts, peanut butter, vegan bread, cereal, vegan granola bars, and fruits. It was actually a lot easier to find convenient vegan foods than I thought! I used Google search and PETA to help me out with some of my vegan fast-food choices.
So, if you're in a crunch or need something to eat on the go, there are always vegan options available! You may have to
do a little research, download a vegan eating out app, and be a little creative but you will always be able to find something available! I hope this helps!
 This is the Trader Joe's Japanese Fried Rice. This stuff is so good!!! I serve this on top of a bed of kale that is steamed in
a mushroom broth.
 There's nothing quite like a hearty breakfast that helps you to start your day out right! We all could use a little jump start in the morning and a powerful breakfast like this is sure to do the trick! I'm not the biggest lover of oatmeal because it can be very bland...until now! I've been playing around with healthy add-ins and toppings for my oatmeal. It's all about having the right combination of ingredients! The part that I love about oatmeal is that it's so versatile and I can change up the ingredients depending on my cravings or needs. It's fast and super easy to make! Here's my favorite combo below.
Ingredients 1/2 cup whole grain oatmeal (I used Trader Joe's)
1 cup water
1/4 of nuts, divided (I used raw almonds & roasted unsalted pistachio meats)
1-2 tbs. of raisins or dried cranberries
1-2 tbs. of pure maple syrup
splash of almond or soy milk (optional) How TO: Cook the oatmeal as directed on the package but during the last 30 seconds of cooking toss in half of the nuts and continue to cook until the oatmeal is done. Top off with the remaining nuts, sprinkle with raisins or cranberries, drizzle with desired amount of maple syrup, and add a splash of almond or soy milk if desired. Viola! A hearty breakfast is served!
Variations:
Play around with the recipe to adjust to your liking!
* Nuts- you can use any kind of nuts that you like! Try some walnuts for some added omega-3, some pecans for added sweetness, or some sunflower seeds to get some vitamin E.
* Maple Syrup- You could even do agave nectar if you like or you can always opt for the vegan sugar for a more traditional oatmeal.
* Spices- Sometimes when I add in pecans I'll throw in a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg.
* Need more fiber or looking for some extra omega-3? Add in some flax seed! Be careful though because adding too much can really ruin the flavor. Add a little at a time to be on the safe side!
* Fruits- You're not just limited to raisins and dried cranberries! Sometimes I'll chop up an apple and add it to the oatmeal for the entire cooking process. It turns out lovely! Add your dash of cinnamon and some pecans and be prepared to be amazed!
I came across an article this morning that addressed the issue on how most forms of vitamin B-12 are bound the toxic molecule cyanide. It's most commonly known as cyanocobalamin. It is the cheapest form of vitamin B-12.
Cyanide is a well-known toxin, although they say it's only a small amount consumed by our bodies, who wants to consume poison every day? Sometimes we think we are helping ourselves when in all reality we could be doing more harm than good. Our bodies have to first break down the cyanide molecule in our liver before absorbing this form of vitamin B-12 which results in our bodies expending more energy to digest this substance.
Don't worry!!!! There is a form of vitamin B-12 that doesn't contain cyanide and it is known as methylcobalamin. It is the most reduced form of vitamin B-12 that is easily absorbed and retained by our bodies.
Make sure to check your B-12 supplement and your multi-vitamin as well!
Check out the article here.
 Sometimes, we just don't have time for breakfast! So, what are some good
vegan options to grab and go? Well, I'm a juicer and I typically juice about 4-5 days out of the week. I juice in the afternoon when I have the most time. I make enough juice for both my husband and I to have a glass right away and then I pour the remaining juice into two separate canning jars for the morning.
We just have a basic Hamilton Beach wide-mouth juicer. We wanted to start out with something like this to see
if we would like juicing and if we were going to stick with it. Start small, go big. If we keep up with juicing then I would love to get a Breville...they are the KING of juicers and offer multiple speeds, produce less waste, and more juice! I'll do a post on what I typically juice later.
So, in the morning when I'm running late (almost every day) I grab my juice and a handful of raw almonds, and I run out the door! It's enough to hold me over until my mid-morning snack or lunch but keep in mind that I typically drink a 16 oz. juice.
I usually always have a juice in the morning because I feel like it gives me that extra kick in the morning to get going for the day! If I have a few extra minutes, I'll pop a bagel in the toaster while I'm finishing up my make-up and by the time I'm done, so is the bagel. I just spread a bit of vegan cream cheese on one side, put the slices together and eat it like a sandwich on my way to work. Another option would be spreading some peanut butter on a piece of vegan bread and then folding it up and go!
You should feel satisfied with the juice & nuts combo and the juice & peanut butter bread combo. The bagel alone can fill you up but maybe grab a fruit (like an apple or banana) for a more well-balanced meal. I always like to do some type of protein in the morning because I feel like it keeps me fuller longer.
Please share if you have any other quick & on the go breakfast ideas!
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This recipe gets 5 stars from me! This salad is packed full of so many vitamins and nutrients, it's healthy, and it tastes AMAZING! This recipe is from Heather Nicholds at Healthy Eating Starts Here. Like I've mentioned before, this woman is amazing! The only processed food in this recipe is the oil and it's optional! This is the pure definition of eating whole foods! My husband really loves this dish too!
It does have a bit of prep work but believe me; it is totally worth your time! If you're not too quick on chopping veggies then I would recommend chopping some of the
vegetables first (like the onion, green beans, and red pepper) first.
Things I Did Differently:
I really didn't do much because the recipe is perfect just as it is. I used a orange bell pepper because that was what I had on hand. I'm sure you could even use a yellow bell
pepper too. I'm not really crazy about green bell peppers but heck, I'm sure you could use that instead as well.
I had a ginormous red onion on hand so I only used half of it and was perfect!
I didn't have the sacha inchi oil so I just used olive oil.
Lastly, I added just a pinch of salt on top to bring the flavors out but it's not a necessity; it just adds a bit more
flavor.
Overall Thoughts:
I LOVE this dish and I will definitely be making this one again! Thank you Heather for your AMAZING recipe!
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This recipe only gets 3 stars because these looked a lot better than they tasted! I found this recipe on Pinterest. Both my husband and I were really disappointed in this recipe. These boasted no added sugar, no flour, no dairy, no eggs, no butter, and no oil. I was really excited when I first saw this recipe and I loved how it used a banana to bind all of the ingredients together. However, these were extremely lacking in taste and it reminded me of chewing on cardboard. I just
couldn't get over the texture. The recipe does have
potential.
Things I Did Differently
There were only a two changes that I did to this recipe and I believe one of these affected the overall taste. However, this doesn't change the texture issue. The recipe called for one packet of Truvia. I do not use ANY fake sweeteners; natural or not. For me it's a personal issue. I don't believe it to be natural if a sugar doesn't contain sugar. Also, I can't stand the after-taste it leaves in my mouth. The recipe does state that you can use a sweetener of your choice but it doesn't state what options you could use and how much. I opted to us Agave nectar instead of the Truvia. I ended up drizzling this on top of the granola bars. However, I believe that not using the Truvia affected the taste.
The second change I did was using sweetened coconut flakes. I used these because I knew I was using Truvia
and I figured that by using this along with the Agave nectar that it would help to make up for this.
Also, the recipe doesn't state what the thickness should be when pressing down the mixture on the cookie sheet. I eyed it up from the pictures and I guessed a 1/8". Even in
doing so, I had to bake these a lot longer than the time that was listed. I baked mine for an extra 15 minutes and I think they still could have gone for a couple more minutes. The recipe stated that one batch makes 8 bars and I had more than that. That being said, the thickness should have
been greater but then in doing so then the required baking time should be a lot longer.
Overall Thoughts
I understand the whole concept of "no added sugar" but I don't think it should be omitted if it makes the recipe really lack in flavor. To me, it's not worth it and I would gladly take the bit of extra sugar for a tasty treat.
I'm not sure if I would make this recipe again or not because it needs a lot of adjustments. If I were to just add
some sugar; it's not going to solve the texture issue. If the texture doesn't bother you and you want to opt for not adding Truvia then I would suggest the following:
* I would add the chocolate chips into the batter itself because I think this would makeup for the lack of flavor.
* After pressing the mixture down and shaping it I would brush it with a light coating of Agave nectar.
I think in doing these simple steps that it could liven up the recipe a bit!
 This soup really packs a punch of flavor! It's super easy to make and it doesn't take that much time! I love lentils because their filling, and they are high in fiber & protein. A quarter cup of lentils alone are packed with 11 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber! This soup is perfect as a meal by itself or it would be a great pairing in a small bowl served with a large salad or a sandwich. However you serve it, it's sure to warm you up on chilly weather days!
ingredients 1 tbs. olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" thick coins
3 celery stalks, chopped (I like to slice mine down the middle and then chop)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated (I like to grate mine)
1 tsp. ginger root, grated (1/4" thick & about the size of a quarter)
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 cups red lentils (I used Bob's Red Mill)
8 cups water how to Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat until shimmery (about 30 seconds). Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté until the onion is tender (about 5 minutes). Add in the minced garlic or grate the garlic into the pot. Grate the ginger into the pot and sauté for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Turn heat to a medium/low and add the turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper, and the lentils and sauté for 5 minutes (this helps the lentils to really grab onto the flavor of all the spices). Add the eight cups of
water. Turn heat to high. Once the soup starts to boil, cover, turn heat down to low, and let simmer for 25-30 minutes. Taste the soup and add a bit more salt, pepper, turmeric or cumin if desired.
I like my soups a little bit on the thicker side. To thicken the soup a bit, I remove the cover and I let the soup simmer
for another 10 minutes. This soup has a tendency to thicken up a little bit more over time so keep that in mind.
This soup usually lasts my husband and me about 1 week. I typically serve this as a meal by itself or with a salad on the first night I make it, and then we take the rest of the leftovers to work for our lunches.
 I love bagels! They are one of my favorite go to things for breakfast because it's simple, fast, satisfying, and down right good!
I've heard that some brands of the Thomas bagels are vegan and I know those are readily available at most grocery stores. Otherwise, my favorite go to bagel are the sesame ones from Trader Joe's. I love the density of their bagels because they don't smash easily and they keep me full for awhile! I change this recipe up a bit depending on what I'm feeling. Sometimes I may add fresh chopped scallions or chives instead of the dill, and I may drizzle just a bit of olive oil...one of my guilty pleasures!
Ingredients: 2 tbs. vegan cream cheese ( I love the Tofutti brand)
1 bagel, sliced and toasted to your desire
3-4 slices of tomato, cut in half (I usually do off the vine or roma)
1 tsp. or so of dill (can be fresh or dried)
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste How To Simply spread 1 tbs. of vegan cream cheese on each bagel slice. Top it off with the tomato slices. Sprinkle with dill and give it a crack of fresh pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt to taste. Tada! Breakfast is served!
**Variations**
Instead of the dill try:
1 scallion, chopped
A tiny bunch of fresh chives, chopped
1 tsp. or so of dried chives
For a little extra indulgence:
Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil
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