Sowmya's Falafel Dinner

 Hello Everyone!

This week I made a Middle Eastern meal for myself and a few friends that I had over for dinner. I made a large platter of Falafel, Warm Whole Wheat Pita pockets, Romaine lettuce, Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini, Red Bell Peppers, Onions and Chopped up spring onions.

I also made a really simple hummus with Sesame Seeds, Garlic, Chickpeas, Olive oil, Salt/Pepper and Hot sauce to go with the Falafel.

Everyone sat around the platter and filled their pita pockets with whatever they wanted and topped it off with hummus. It was a delicious and simple feast to prepare even though it may seem like there are so many components to this meal.

I highly recommend making this meal! If you do not want to make the Falafel from scratch, there are great Falafel mixes that are available at Wegmans/Tops. They are really quick, easy and inexpensive. One thing to keep in mind is to have fun with the colors of the vegetables that you pick. I wanted several colors represented on the platter to make it look more visually tempting especially since I had over a few of my friends who weren't necessarily vegetarian. Not only was this meal easy to prepare but I only spent $12 for this meal and severed more than 8 servings! Everyone enjoyed it!

Sowmya

Sowmya's Meatless Meal

I was in Vermont this past week and had an amazing time! Every restaurant in Vermont had excellent vegetarian, vegan and even gluten-free options. It was really nice to go through a menu and not be stuck with just one item that I could have just because that was the only meatless option they offered.
The picture above is of a Roasted  Tofu and Vegetable Sandwich with pickled cucumbers that I had. It is honestly the best sandwich I have ever had in my life. It was also so filling that I took home the other half of the sandwich. I'm planning to recreate this recipe in the coming weeks and hope to share it with all of you! Wish me luck!

- Sowmya

Week 3 Brad

Brad      

Week 3                                                                      

3/24/14

I have to start off by saying that’s this assignment to go meatless every Monday has definitely had somewhat of an impact on me as I came to see during spring break.  I was away for spring break and because of that I did quite a bit of eating out at different restaurants.  What I noticed was that I still tried to use my better judgment to eat less meat if the option was there.  For example, at family owned Mexican restaurant I was at I ordered tacos, and instead of getting beef with a lot of vegetables and just got my tacos filled with a slew of different things that were non-meat based including beans, rice, corn, salsa and sour cream.  The tacos were great however most places I ate at did not offer such great options; most places have entrees that include meat in some type of way.  When I did have the opportunity to cook on spring break, I ate what everyone else was eating and meat being the main part of the dish was the norm.

            This Monday though I did well and was successful as apposed to last week.  I started my day off with my usually dish of eggs to which I have recently been adding “paper pepper” and chili powder to add some kick after our class spent learning about spices.  After my workout as well as for lunch I made a huge shake that consisting of milk, strawberry protein powder, and cup and a half of frozen strawberries.  For a mid-afternoon snack I went with some chai tea that I found in my house as well as some mixed nuts, and celery stuffed with peanut butter.  For dinner I had some veggie burgers that I threw on the grill and melted some American cheese on top of.  With the burgers I microwaved a bag of frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots to which I spiced up with the chili powder again.  Overall today was a lot easier, much more satisfying, and filling than the first couple weeks.

Week 3 Robert

Robert 

This week for my meatless Monday on 3/24/14 I did not do as well as I had done the previous week. Being the first day after break I was not prepared at all for the day. Luckily before I got out of bed I saw Sowmya’s email and remembered that it was indeed Monday and that I had to do my best to not have meat. So for breakfast I just had a couple scrambled eggs and some toast with jelly on it. I didn’t have time to make any lunch or snacks for my class so I did not have any snacks today. This made it very hard to get through the day with little to no energy at all. For lunch when I got home from class I just had some humus and an egg sandwich, because they were both quick and easy to have. I wanted to make sure that I had time to get to the gym and shower and go to Wegmans before my next class.

            For dinner however I believe I had made my best meal yet! I made stuffed green bell peppers. They were delicious, and super easy to make! All I did was pit the core and get the seeds out, fill them with water and microwave them for a couple minutes. Well this was going on I was preheating the oven and making some brown rice. I also was cracking some sunflower seeds as well. I then combined the seeds some diced pepper and vodka sauce to the rice. Let that simmer for a little while and then filled the peppers with the stuffing mixture half way and put some Colby jack cheese in it then filled it to the top. Placed it in the oven and once they looked done put more mozzarella cheese on top and browned the cheese. They were delightful; however it was not very filling. I also had a spinach salad on the side but as I sit in class I am still starving. Next week I will need to better prepare myself for the day and I will have a much better Monday.

Week 3 Andrea

Andrea

Meatless Mondays Week 3 

3/24/14

            To begin, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my third Meatless Monday. Before I get into this week’s meals however, during spring break I did dine out more than usual due to the extra time I had, and because of some of the activities I participated in. I believe most, if not all places I ate at, had plant-based options. However, I didn’t always choose those plant-based sources. I worked at the home and garden show, Plantasia for most of the week and the one day I chose to eat lunch there, I got a roast beef sandwich. The show was so busy, I needed something quick and relatively easy to eat on the fly, while still working. The other days I packed fruits and vegetables, and either cottage cheese or yogurt. I also ate out at Chipotle one night with my mom and I saw the tofu option that Cass tried in a previous week, however, I decided against trying it at that time. I will definitely be ordering it in the future, though.

            As for today’s assignment, I had a really successful meatless day. I began my morning with orange juice, and oatmeal with a spoonful of peanut butter, a teaspoon of flaxseeds, a splash of unsweetened almond milk, and half of a sliced banana on top. For lunch, I cooked a spicy chipotle black bean burger on the stove top and topped it off with some spring mix and salsa. On the side, I had some hummus that I made on Sunday, and ate it with two pieces of whole wheat pita and some baby carrots. The hummus was the same recipe that we made the previous week in class, minus the tahini because I couldn’t find any in Wegman’s. I saw tahini butter in the organic section, but didn’t think that was the same thing. It was still delicious without it! For a little sweetness, I had a low-fat frozen fudge pop afterwards. Before heading to school, I packed an apple to help stave off hunger before I was able to head home for a later dinner. I was able to have a homemade dinner by preparing some of the ingredients the night before and finishing it off when I got home tonight. I decided to make the quinoa tabbouleh that we also had the week before spring break in class. I loved it so much, I needed to try it on my own. I went shopping for ingredients Sunday and then chopped the cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley and mint and stored them separately in the fridge so I could throw everything together quickly the next day. It all came together really well, pretty close to how I remember it tasting in class! I rounded out the night with a cup of Ghirardelli hot chocolate made with unsweetened almond milk.

            Buying the ingredients for the tabbouleh and hummus wouldn’t have been very expensive, except for the quinoa I bought at Wegman’s. I got about a cup in the organic bulk section and it was almost five dollars. I even asked an associate and he said that was the only place in the store to find the quinoa. In the future, I’d hopefully like to find cheaper quinoa at a different store. Since I live at home, both my parents tried the hummus and quinoa tabbouleh and they both enjoyed it! My dad was a little reluctant to try the hummus, he’s not as adventurous of an eater as I am, but he seems to be coming around.

Week 3 Becca

Rebecca

Okay so, the third meatless Monday was semi-successful.  I actually had a really busy day, and I worried that my meal planning was going to be a bust.  I had to wake up for a doctor’s appointment very early in the morning.  Since I normally have blood work done, it is required that I fast. This meant no breakfast for me.  The appointment took forever, and by the time I got home it was 11:30. I have to leave for class at noon. I had just enough time to let my dog out and snack on a few handfuls of peanut butter pretzel bites before I was off again. Even though I hadn’t consumed meat, I was beginning to worry about how the day was going. I knew I could have chosen a fruit or something a bit healthier to snack on that would have been equally as quick. I got out of class around three and my boyfriend suggested that we grab lunch.  I wasn’t opposed since I had a really long day and didn’t much feel like preparing a meal.  After reading some people’s blog posts, I suggested that we go to Chipotle. He loves Chipotle and never turns down an opportunity to eat there. At Chipotle, I had a Tofu burrito with white rice, black beans, pico de gallo, cheese, and lettuce. It was super delicious. I think that I am actually going to choose Tofu over their meat options from now on.  It was quite spicy, and I enjoyed the way it was prepared. I didn’t miss the meat at all.  I normally eat dinner early, but I was pretty full after eating a decent sized portion of my burrito. At around eight, I was on the hunt for food again. I had seen a recipe in “Cooking Light” magazine that I wanted to try, so I went to Wegman’s and quickly gathered the ingredients for dinner.  The meal was really cheap. It only cost six dollars and was enough to feed both me and my boyfriend. We even had leftovers. I prepared kale and cannellini bean pasta with olive oil, lemon juice, and minced garlic. We topped our pasta with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese for extra flavor. I am normally pretty experimental in cooking new recipes, but I do not always like the way they taste in the end.  This dish, however, was phenomenal. I plan to incorporate it into my list of “usual suspects”. I will definitely prepare it again.  So, the day had a slow start, but in the end, I’d say I did pretty good.

This week was quite different than our week off. I went to Puerto Rico for Spring Break, and thus ate out literally every meal. Eating in Puerto Rico was somewhat of a challenge for me.  Puerto Rican cuisine is very different from what I am accustomed to eating.  While fruits are abundant, vegetables were hard to come by on my trip (I ordered a salad and the restaurant didn’t have dressing- can you imagine? I couldn’t eat it).  I noticed that they love everything fried: fried cheese, fried plantain, fried pork, fried chicken, fried beef, fried mashed potatoes, anything fried you can think of. Because most of it was fried, half the time it is unidentifiable until you bite into it. I can’t even tell you what types of mystery meats I may have consumed down there! All I knew was that I was hungry and that I needed to eat. If I hadn’t eaten meat, I probably wouldn’t have eaten at all.  Sometime Puerto Ricans will serve their fried delicacies with rice and beans (which I think people expect). Other than fried foods, Puerto Ricans eat a lot of Spanish cuisine. (The Spaniards governed the island for over 400 years before the United States took control) I had amazing seafood paella when I was there.  But still, this dish would not have made the cut for our Meatless Monday challenge.  I did think about going meatless when I was away. I was thankful that we were granted a week off—I definitely would not have been successful over Spring Break. I can tell you that I was thankful to return home to familiar meal options. 

Week 3 Quentin

 Quentin

Meatless Monday Week 3

3/25/14

            Over the break I went home and was able to eat better because my mom is the one that gets the groceries.  I always eat heartier meals when I go home and don’t need to worry about what I’m going to make for dinner.  I really didn’t think about going meatless on any of the days but I ended up seeing that there are some days where I go meatless anyway.  I ate out one night with my girlfriend at a local restaurant in my hometown and got Haddock with a baked potato and applesauce, which is not meatless, but going out is something that is a rarity for me. I also tried out some new meals and made a soup that had no meats in it because I was trying new recipes for this week, which did not go as planned at all.

This weeks Meatless Monday did not go as smoothly as the previous two weeks. I had some issues on Monday that made it hard to even get time to prepare a meal.  I didn’t leave home until Monday morning to get to class at 2 pm.  I had a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios for breakfast but that was the last time I had eaten for awhile.  When I was driving back to Buffalo, I got a flat tire that had shredded only a half-mile from the Niagara Falls exit. So I did get the spare on and make it to class but I hadn’t had any time to eat until around 5 o’clock because of the drive, tire, and classes.  So I was pretty hungry by then and also didn’t have much in the house because I had just gotten back and hadn’t gone shopping at all.  I ended up eating Spaghetti and I had tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese on top of it.  And throughout the night I snacked on clementine oranges that I had brought from home.  So there isn’t much to tell about my food this week even though I could write a whole story about my Monday.  In the end I did not break my meatless Monday streak but at the same time I really didn’t eat that much on Monday either.  

Week 3 Sophia

Sophia

March 24, 2014

            Going meatless was not much of an option during spring break for me.  I ate meatless for a couple of meals, but I wasn’t home so a lot of it was eating out.  One night I ate a variety of tempura fried vegetables, and another night I ate veggie pizza.  However, I was in between cities so many of my meals were on the go.  When I ate out, I thought about my choices a little more than I usually do.  I thought about what was healthy, but some meals were kind of a splurge since I was on vacation.  There also weren’t plant based options everywhere I went.  I couldn’t cook meals for most of it because the majority of my stay was in a hotel.

            This week was good because every week gets a little easier to handle.  It becomes harder to get ideas, but online sites help.  For breakfast I had an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese along with a sliced orange.  I love bagels even though they are high in fat content.  I had this with a cup of coffee.  For lunch I went to Panera because I was running errands.  I had half of an Asian Sesame salad with a cup of Broccoli Cheddar soup.  I got some nutrients in the meal with the greens and the broccoli.  I got hungry at home so I snacked on some wheat crackers with some goat cheese on them.  It was really tasty, and I probably had about ten of them.  For dinner I made a caprese salad with whole grain pasta.  It was whole grain pasta shells with diced tomatoes, cubed fresh mozzarella, olive oil, chopped basil, salt, and pepper.  This was one of my favorite meals of the day.  I wanted to incorporate more vegetables so I roasted some cauliflower in the oven with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.  It was a very satisfying dinner, and it was very easy to prepare.

            I felt like the more Meatless Mondays I try the easier it becomes.  I feel fuller after my meals when they are nutritious.  It just requires a little more effort with finding time to make meals in the kitchen.  I enjoyed my meals and have been coming up with more ideas.

Week 3 Mazie

Mazie

Meatless Monday 3   

For this week’s Meatless Monday I was excited to have lots of nutritious food in my apartment available.  I was luckily freshly stocked up on food by my wonderful mother who also happens to be an avid health nut.  Needless to say my groceries were more exciting and of greater variety than usual.  To start off my day I had some Greek yogurt with almonds and craisins mixed in.  I also had an organic kiwi.  About three hours later I had a whole wheat English muffin with organic peanut butter and an apple.  Later in the day I had a small bowl of tortellini and a salad composed of organic mixed greens, organic carrots, Gouda cheese, avocado, and a vinaigrette dressing.  Finally after my class that ends at nine I had a snack of organic salsa from Wegmans and organic blue corn chips and a couple Clementine’s.  Overall, I really enjoyed all my meals and felt pretty lively all day.  I didn’t have much temptation to eat any meat.  It also was helpful that I was able to be home throughout the day during meal times and able to prepare my own food.  My meal that was most affected was my dinner because I sometimes include some kind of meat in that meal.  I think that going meatless on Monday decreases the meat I eat every other day of the week.  It has a positive effect for the rest of the week because I have learned more ways to eat a balanced diet through this assignment and don’t think of meat as a necessity anymore.  I think that I spent about the same amount of money as usual because I ate so many fruits and veggies.  However, there was more variety in all my meals and better nutritional content than when I have a meat based meal.  This week I don’t think that going meatless affected anyone around me because I ate all my meals on my own.  This week I really tried to use many more fruits and vegetables than usual and to eat a variety.  I also, was thinking about trying to fit in nine fruits and vegetables into my day and I am happy to say I achieved my goal!  Through this experience I have started to think about having a diet that consists of a higher intake of fruits and vegetables and about trying to eat a variety of them as well.

Week 3 Kara

Kara

Meatless Monday #3

3-24-14

Since we had spring break last week, I most definitely thought about going meatless since I feel like it is a daily routine now. However, since I was home, my family likes to go out a lot or pick up food from Wegmans. We usually buy those $6 meals (where you pick a main entrée and then two sides of either vegetables or grains). There’s not many plant based proteins to choose from, and the only thing that isn’t meat is either fish or lasagna. I must say it was a lot harder to stay meatless at home just because it is my parent’s decisions of what to eat for dinner rather than having myself prepare everything.  On that note, I did not cook any meals besides my breakfasts, which are usually quick. I did go meatless one day, although it wasn’t too healthy of decisions because I didn’t hit all of the macronutrients. I figured it was okay to splurge a little since it was spring break and I wasn’t in my usual environment.

This morning I ate a quick bowl of cereal of wheat flakes and flaxseeds with almond milk and an apple on the side. For a snack I had a little handful of low sodium almonds along with a few bites of cottage cheese. Since I was on the go again, I had a peanut butter protein bar for lunch (peanut butter is my weakness) along with a banana. For dinner, I cooked up a frozen veggie burger from Wegmans put inside two pieces of wheat toast with organic spinach leaves, mustard, and cooked red pepper. The rest of the red pepper I ate on the side raw. Then, I cut up Brussels sprouts and roasted them in the oven with canola oil drizzled over with garlic and pepper sprinkled on top. My after dinner snack I ate my usual Greek yogurt- this time it was pomegranate flavored.

I think I spent the same amount of money for my meals today. I buy a lot of products in bulk so I can use them sporadically throughout the week. My roommate actually wanted to try one of my veggie burgers so she got to taste one for the first time. The dinner was fairly quick and painless, and very nutritious! I feel that these meatless Mondays get easier and easier.

Week 3 Tim

This Meatless Monday followed spring break, which was an off-week from going meatless.  I was on vacation for the last week so I didn't even remember that it was Meatless Monday this past Monday.  I dined out a lot of times this past week and sometimes even a couple times a day since I was at the beach a lot and there were a lot of convenient food places around.  I was able to access plant sources at some of the restaurants I ate at such as carrots and green beans and I also had sushi a few times.  However, I was able to cook a few meals over break, which were fairly healthy but overall, because I was on vacation I took a break from eating healthy every meal and treated myself. 

            On Monday I got back into the swing of things and prepared for this week.  For breakfast, I had an omelet with cheese and a fruit smoothie.  Then for lunch I made rice and added a stir-fry mix that I bought this weekend at Wegmans.  It was really tasty and also inexpensive plus it was really easy to make.  I wasn't always big on stir-fry but I decided to try a different mix and I liked it.  Then I snacked on some trail mix later on when I got hungry again and had the rest of the stir-fry for dinner.  I think that I have finally got the hang of Meatless Mondays now that I've learned to plan ahead and eat healthy snacks between meals when I'm hungry. 

            I've learned that eating healthy and going meatless does not have to be expensive.  There are still a lot of things that I've seen at the grocery store that I'm looking forward to trying.  I've also realized that it is not very difficult to find inexpensive, healthy, meatless meals.  I also like looking online for new recipes on youtube because it lists all the ingredients and how to make the meal which is really helpful.  I think I'm improving on my Meatless Mondays every week.

Week 3 Cass

          For Meatless Monday this week, I ate the usual stuff for breakfast and lunch. For breakfast I had a bowl of yogurt with strawberries, blackberries, and granola added in as well as a piece of toast with peanut butter and almonds. Before lunch I ate a cliff bar for a snack. At lunch time I ate eggs mixed with some onions and cheese on wheat bread. During the afternoon I ate some almonds and an orange for a snack. For dinner I made a quesadilla. I had wheat tortilla shells and added some cheese, peppers, onions, and tomatoes then cooked it on the stove top and ate it with some sour cream. I tried using more vegetables than cheese on the inside. It was very quick and easy to make since I was in a rush on Monday night to do work.

            During break I did not think about Meatless Monday; to be honest I was glad I didn’t have to worry on Monday about cooking a special meal. I was home with my family and my parents cook one giant meal for all of us so having to worry about special meatless requirements would have been a pain. I ate out a few times over break and anywhere I went I was able to order meatless dishes if I wanted to. Most places will have a variety of salads or vegetables for a side dish. I did not cook myself over break besides maybe some lunches.

             My most affected meal was as usual dinner. Lunch could have included turkey but I don’t always add it to my eggs. So far no, going meatless has not affected how I ate today or how I will eat tomorrow. I spent more money on this shopping trip just because I literally had no food because of spring break so I had to buy way more fruits and vegetables compared to a normal trip. Going meatless did not affect anyone else because I only cook for myself. I got the idea for a quesadilla from the email that was sent out a few weeks ago. I have made them before but never really take the time to prepare it with all those vegetables. 

Week 3 Ally

Ally

Meatless Monday #3

            For this Monday, I chose to aim for completely vegan to challenge myself a little bit more. I spent the same if not less money, and again, no one was affected by my choices to eat this way. I actually felt pretty awesome and had one of the best workouts ever at the end of the night!

            For breakfast, I had my usual rice cakes with peanut butter and coffee (which I drank without cream to keep the dairy away!). I made sure I ate breakfast today and it really made a difference, it was just difficult to fight the fact that I really have no appetite at 5 AM. Throughout the day I ate 4 clementines. Literally, 4! I’m obsessed with them ever since having them in class. On Sunday this week I also made the hummus that we made together in south lake – it was a big hit with my boyfriend and we both devoured it. I ate some of that with pita and carrots on my lunch break with some quinoa that I made up with just some sauted veggies and tomato sauce in a whole wheat wrap – usually I would add cheese to this but again, skipped the dairy. I had a granny smith apple around 4 PM for a snack and a handful of raw, unsalted cashews. For dinner, my boyfriend and I made a dish from the Meatless cookbook again. It was a very simple brown rice and black beans (a complete protein) dish with onions, jalapeno, sweet peppers, and various other spices topped with some fresh avocado and tomato. We ate it just out of the bowl but also scooped some of it onto some tortilla corn chips. It was delicious!

            It’s really getting easier for me to cut dairy out. Since I already don’t eat meat I’m that much closer to being vegan, aside from the aspects of clothing and other things that negate my being a vegan. I’ve given up dairy in the past, but recently I’ve fallen back in love with my true love, mozzarella cheese, so it’s kind of hard to get rid of it again! However, one day can’t kill me and maybe it will slowly become a habit again. 

Week 3 IIana

Ilana

Meatless Monday week 3 (3/24/14)

            This week for meatless Monday, I ate pineapple for breakfast.  In between breakfast and lunch I decided I needed a little bit of protein to get me going on the first day back to classes so I ate a chocolate brownie Cliff bar. For lunch I decided to be creative. I made some pesto tortellini from Trader Joe’s. Then I cooked some kale in olive oil and water. I combined the pesto tortellini and kale into one dish. The kale added a nice crunch to the pesto tortellini. Since I buy the pesto tortellini often, I plan to make kale from now on when I make pesto tortellini. For an afternoon snack, I ate hummus and pita chips. For dinner, I went to Chipotle. I tried the Sofritas, the tofu protein option. I ate a burrito with Sofritas, brown rice, lettuce, cheese, and salsa. It was very delicious and a great substitute for the chicken or steak that I usually would get. I was nervous in the beginning about trying the Sofritas because I do not love spices, but I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did.

            I’ve noticed that every Monday night I have been getting migraines. I’m unsure if it is or isn’t related to Meatless Mondays. I originally planned on cooking dinner this week but once I developed the migraine, I chose the easier route of picking up Chipotle.  Last week, I enjoyed having a break from Meatless Monday. I went out for dinner every night because during break I prefer to relax instead of spending time cooking. Some meals that I ate contained plants but were not plant-based unless it was a salad.  Over break, I discussed the concept of Meatless Mondays with my friends and family back home. Overall, they were very supportive and thought that going meatless on Mondays is a great idea although only a few of them were willing to try it. 

Week 2 IIana

Ilana

Meatless Monday week 2 (3/10/14)

            This week’s meatless Monday began with a rice cake with Nutella for breakfast. In between breakfast and lunch, I ate a cliff bar. For lunch, I ate pesto tortellini from Trader Joe’s. They were easy to make, delicious, and inexpensive. The tortellini surprisingly held me over until dinner. For dinner, I decided to make a recipe that I found online. Some of the ingredients I substituted for other ingredients that I prefer. First, I boiled quinoa and then I added kale and some crushed garlic into the pot. While the quinoa and kale were cooking, I mixed lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, and fresh mozzarella cheese in a separate bowl. When the quinoa and kale were done, I mixed the two mixtures together. The meal was delicious and I had plenty of extra ingredients to make more another day. Trader Joe’s was a great place to shop because their food’s quality is amazing and usually comes with a recipe on the packaging. For dessert I ate a granny smith apple. This Meatless Monday was great!

            The most affective meal this week was dinner. I felt beyond full and proud of myself for experimenting with new foods in my kitchen. Meatless Monday did not impact the rest of my week. I spent a total of fourteen dollars at Trader Joe’s on a larger amount of food. I have left overs and extra ingredients that I can use later this week. When it comes to purchasing food, I definitely spend more money on an average day than on Meatless Monday. The recipe that I used for my dinner came from a Buzzfeed article but was originally from the website food52. I plan on using one of these two websites to find more ideas on what to make for dinner of Meatless Mondays. I am eager to experiment more with quinoa and kale in future weeks.

Week 2 Tim

Tim 

Meatless Monday Week 2

         This Monday I made sure not to forget that it was our second Meatless Monday since I almost forgot last week. This week I planned ahead instead of scrapping something together.  I decided to try the corn quesadillas that Sowmya recommended in her email to the class.  I went to Wegmans on Sunday and bought the ingredients.  The quesadillas were really easy to make because the instructions were short and simple, also there was not a huge amount of ingredients.  I decided to substitute a frozen vegetable stir-fry mix in place of the can of beans since it was cheaper.  The quesadillas were delicious and did not take a lot of time to make and prepare so I made them for dinner.  For lunch, I ate a frozen cheese pizza that I cooked in the oven.  I also bought this at Wegmans because I saw it when I was in the frozen aisle looking for a vegetable stir-fry mix for the quesadillas.  It was another easy meal to make and was already prepared.  For breakfast, I had my usual bowl of cereal, eggs and a fruit smoothie.
            My meal that was most effected was my lunch.  Usually for lunch I'll make chicken or rice with pasta but I obviously couldn't do that on Monday so I impulsively bought the frozen pizza when I saw it.  I didn't feel as great as I normally do when I make a clean, healthy meal but the pizza did keep me full until dinner.  Going meatless on Monday doesn't really have an impact on the rest of my week.  However, it has opened up my mind and options to all different types of food since every Monday I need to find a substitute for meat.  As a result of this, I've been looking online at some recipes for future weeks and finding some cool meals that I might want to try on my own not just because I have to go meatless.  I think this project is definitely broadening my perspective on different types of foods and opening me up to whole new options.             

Week 2 Kara

Kara 

Meatless Monday #2

3-10-14

I woke up semi early since I had a test in the early afternoon which made me rush my breakfast. However, I made a quick and easy bowl of apple cinnamon oatmeal cooked with almond milk (with extra cinnamon on top) with sliced bananas mixed in with it. Since I was on the go, for lunch I ate a “Think Thin” protein bar which is nice since it is high in protein, packed with calcium, and doesn’t have high sugar, fat, or artificial flavors. Along with that I sliced up an organic apple to eat as well. I love eating protein bars when I’m on the go because they’re efficient and still provide the nutrient that’s packed in a typical meal. For a snack, I ate pretzels with red pepper hummus along with a serving of mixed nuts consisting of pistachios, almonds, walnuts, and peanuts. As for dinner, I cooked up fresh broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and green peppers in a pan and then added five egg whites to make it a mixture. On the side, I added brown rice with minced garlic and black pepper (something casual and boring). Last but not least, I ate a Wegman’s Greek strawberry yogurt mixed with semi-sweet chocolate chips which I ate after dinner as my dessert. I ALWAYS crave chocolate after dinner and thought it would be nice to switch it up and just add it to yogurt instead of eating it by itself.

What really affected me the most was my dinner once again. The only reason I say this is because my other meals were either already prepared, on the go, or were made in five minutes (my oatmeal). My dinner required a lot of prepping time cutting the vegetables, boiling the rice, and not to mention separating the egg and yolk to make them egg whites, it is such a pain!

This meatless Monday did not have any negative impact on me, but more positive. Having a test anytime throughout the day gets me anxious and I’d rather take time to study rather than preparing food all day. So, going meatless today actually benefited me since eggs do not take long to cook and all my other snacks/ meals were nutritious and quick to eat.

This week, I think I spent the same amount of money that I usually do on my weekly groceries. Only a few products were organic, and eggs, yogurt, and pretzels are pretty cheap if you get them in bulk sizes (which I sometimes do).

I don’t think this meatless Monday really affected anyone around me since I ate by myself all day. Like I said, I ate my oatmeal in a rush and had an apple and protein bar for lunch, which I ate while on the bus to south. For dinner, all my roommates were either at a meeting or in the library so I cooked everything by myself. Honestly, I didn’t use very many kitchen supplies except to cook the eggs and vegetables. I did have a little extra peppers leftover, so I saved them for another day of this week for a snack.

All in all, going meatless isn’t an inconvenience to me whatsoever. It kind of gives me a break preparing meat everyday, which can kind of get tedious after a while. I enjoy eating fruits and vegetables and eating those throughout the day gives me more of a satisfied feeling along with more energy. Even this being the second week, I can already tell this will get easier along the way since these actions become more of a ritual.

Week 2 Andrea

Andrea

Meatless Mondays Week 2 3/10/14

            This second week of Meatless Mondays began a little differently than the previous week. My schedule was cleared until the late afternoon so this gave me more time to devote to improving my Meatless Monday; I was hoping to be able to actually prepare at least one meal this time.

I was able to meet a friend out for breakfast, so it wasn’t my typical breakfast made at home. I had a small glass of orange juice and three lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberries and blueberry sauce on top. Also, with the extra time able to spend at home before going to school, lunch wasn’t such a rushed affair. I was able to pick up some ingredients that I didn’t have on Sunday, so that I could make the quick black bean soup that Sowmya sent the recipe for. I made the soup with most of the ingredients listed in the recipe, with a few exceptions. Instead of frozen red onion, I used fresh that I already had in my fridge, minced garlic from a jar, and I didn’t have any cumin, so I just substituted some crushed black pepper. It turned out to be delicious! The soup was really flavorful and filling and I felt accomplished that I had actually consumed a real, cooked meal in the middle of a weekday. All in all, my prep and cook time took about a half an hour – definitely doable if you can set aside a little bit of time during your day.

For a snack, I cut up an Empire apple and a stalk of celery and dipped both in some peanut butter (I rarely go a day without sneaking in some peanut butter). Being at school during dinner, I would have brought some of the leftover black bean soup, but I don’t have time to heat it up in a microwave in between my classes. I needed to pack something ahead of time that didn’t require any fuss. I brought a low sugar, mint chocolate protein bar, and a banana and clementine fruit salad. These are things I am able to easily eat during class that don’t disrupt note taking or other class activities. After I got home around 8:45 p.m., I grabbed a handful of lightly salted cashews that I already had in my pantry, and that rounded out my day. I’m proud that I was able to cook a meal for this second week, and hopefully I can keep it up for next week.