Rachel Difasi (3)

Breakfast-scrambled eggs + tomato garlic and onion on rye toast with avocado;
Orange juice
Snacks- Greek yogurt with Apple slices and celery with almond butter; odawalla banana nut bar
Lunch-power smoothie ( organic granola, flaxseed, mixed fresh fruit, soymilk, wheatgrass shot)
Dinner- homemade  cauliflower crust veggie pizza

            This meatless Monday is by far my favorite yet. I was a little short on time because we were driving back from Florida so the only meal I got to get super crazy with was dinner once I got home. Overall I kept my other meals simple because it was way too hot on the beach to eat anything heavy and honestly I just wasn't that hungry all day. My friends who I stayed with over break took me to this really amazing and insanely fresh juice bar in Miami. So I tried to recreate the smoothie I ordered for lunch because it was packed with super foods and kept me full almost half the day. I'm not positive what was actually in it so I made my attempt at recreating it from memory yesterday. And I have to say it was a great success; I used my nutribullet to make the shake and I highly suggest everyone invest in some kind of juicer or smoothie maker. It's easy to do and most of the time I'm using fresh ingredients so I know I'm drinking something healthy. You can also make extra and save some for later.
     My breakfast was pretty much the usual. I can't live without tomatoes or avocados so I usually make an egg sandwich of sorts with them in the morning. I also bought fresh garlic and onion this week. I've been using some spices my dad gave me but there's just nothing like using fresh ingredients. It's so much more flavorful and I personally prefer the taste over dried spices. I eat monks bread usually in case anyone wanted to try a new brand. Rye is my favorite but the sunflower kind is a solid choice too. I also started substituting butter for avocado, in literally everything. And it's not only a great alternative for butter but you can mix it with just about anything and make a healthy dip or spread.
       I packed my lunch, kept it light and simple, and munched on it throughout the day. I've noticed I've started to eat more frequently but not as much every time I do. So essentially I'm never really filling up and because of  that I have more energy and don't end up in a food coma after stuffing my face once lunchtime rolls around. Dinner was the best part of meatless Monday this week though. I've always talked about making cauliflower crust pizza but never actually tried, so I googled some recipes and had at it. And let me tell you it was the best thing that has ever happened to me. It was also completely devoured by my roommates in less than 3 minutes tops. But if you've thought about trying to make pizza from scratch makeeeeee the crusttttt. It had me mix shredded cheese, spices, and grated cauliflower then mold into a dough. I unfortunately misplaced the exact recipe I used but I'll find it for you guys and post it here later.
      This week I think I spent about the same amount of money if not less. I've started to make extra so I have leftovers and that leaves me with more food I can eat later. I think it really makes me think more about planning my other meals for the day and become more conscious about what I'm putting into my body. I also like how not consuming so many animal products makes me feel, I guess I would say lighter and more awake. Eating meat makes me drowsy sometimes and tired after a meal. Going meatless on Mondays has mainly impacted my own outlook on food but it's definitely opened up my friends to some weird and interesting new dishes. I feel like even just planning out one day a week starts a ripple effect for all the other days of the week to continually eat cleaner and without meat; I  can't say I mind it.

Sandna Kaur (3)

This week meatless Monday, I was very busy and had felt it a little difficult.

After Spring break, many projects and exams were set for the upcoming week.

Throughout Monday, I was attending meetings, readings for my class, and studying for my exam. I spent majority of my time on campus. In the morning, I had some time, so I made toast and scrambled eggs with mushroom, spinach, green peppers, and onions. For lunch, I brought a egg salad sandwich along with an orange, yogurt, and crackers. I believe packing lunch for school has helped me spend less money and be more confident in my choice of meals because I would be deciding what exactly I want to eat.

Dinner is usually the most effected meal. This Monday, my brother had bought turkey subs for everyone for dinner. I told him that I’d just save mine for tomorrow because I was planning on eating my mom’s Indian lentil dish with naan instead.  The lentil dish is one of my favorite vegetarian dishes my mother cooks. Thus, I didn’t mind participating in eating meatless throughout the day. I think because my family members know I am participating in eating meatless for the day, they are supportive by offering to cook vegetarian meals for Mondays in order to make it easier for me to continue participating for the day.

This week I realized its best to plan meals out in order to prevent temptation of eating something you are trying to avoid. 

Leeah Williams (3)

During meatless Monday this week I decided to kind switch up the meals I was consuming. Thus far I found myself either feeling hungry, getting cranky or not being fully satisfied with what I ate.  Instead of the usual fruit and yogurt or oatmeal I decided to create a breakfast shake that was delicious and satisfied my hunger until lunch time.  This shake included oats, soymilk, a banana and a touch of maple syrup. This shake had a thick consistency, tasted amazing and is great for on the go. This shake can be enjoyed with a spoon or drank. For lunch I consumed a mozzarella and tomato salad with Italian bread. This meal was made fresh so the taste was exceptional. I must say dinner was the most difficult for me not because of what I ate but because I found myself hungry not too long after lunch. When I returned home I wanted something that I knew that wouldn’t take too long to cook. I made brown rice with black beans, a veggie burger and avocado. The taste of the burger temporarily filled my void of meat for the day. This meal was also something that my roommates enjoyed. Going meatless has been and interesting journey, my friends are very supportive of this lifestyle change and are willing to join me. When I consumed meat this week it was in a chicken salad. I’m not sure if was bad or the fact that I wasn’t craving meat as much I was on the first week. As the weeks go on I am noticing that I am becoming more creative with the things and I cook and preparations are easier. I did not spend more money than usual on food because I basically cooked what was in my apartment. When creating the mozzarella and tomato I googled the name and found a delicious recipe form food.com. This recipe had a 5 star rating and was finished in 15 mins. 

Daniel Colin (3)

Monday I was running late therefore for breakfast I had a yogurt with a banana. Wasn’t much but it kept me running until lunch. By lunch time I was starving!! Stomach was growling and I was craving for a well done steak with shrimp broccoli alfredo! A chocolate molten cake for dessert with a nice cold pink lemonade on the side. But it didn’t happen because it was meatless monday. So therefore for lunch I had a cheese quesadilla with no chicken. Also had a caesar salad with water on the side.  It wasn’t that bad, it was actually fulfilling. I then went to my 6 - 840 pm class. Class ended early; really early. The projector was broken so she gave us back our midterm and let us out right after. Since class was release early I then got back home earlier than usual. Right in the middle of my cousin cooking dinner. So I helped him cook dinner. Which was delicious and probably one of the best meatless monday meals I had.  The meal was tofu with potatoes covered in his special ingredient sauce and mixed vegetables. He also used his juicer and made natural 100% fruit punch.  Dinner affected me the most because it put me right to sleep! Monday was a good day. 

Light Description of the Dinner (in the picture)

To the left at 9o’clock , you have tofu that has been baked and then sauteed in olive oil,tomato paste,garlic and onion sauce. Above at 12 o’clock and also at 3 o’clock , you have a Haitian yam( not the sweet yams or sweet potato Americans are familiar with) patate ( a white flesh sweet potato) and a regular potato. They were boiled in water slightly salted. Then they were served also covered with the same sauce that tofu was sauteed in. The tofu is firm tofu. 

Janice Cochran

Janice Cochran           3/23/15

Monday started with whole wheat toast, soy milk, orange juice & water. Lunch was beans and rice with hummus, yogurt with sliced almonds, and a couple apples for snacks. For dinner, I sautéed onions and garlic, added carrots and celery, and then added cannellini beans and a few slices of Asian-flavored tofu for taste. I served this over new udon noodles I was trying. Also topped it with Greek yogurt, and had orange juice and water to drink.

Dinner was most affected in that this was a somewhat unusual day when I was home for dinner early. This meal was quick to make, skillet on the stovetop, and gave me a meal the next day as well. I spent less money than if I ate out, roughly estimating $3.50, and I used up food that needed to be eaten (onions, carrots, celery).

Most directly, I observed texture--the beans added creaminess, the celery and carrots gave crunch, and the udon noodles were chewy. The Asian tofu gave it some needed flavor because I didn’t add spices or salt. I prefer a thicker noodle, so I hope to try other brands.

My meal didn’t affect anyone else, unfortunately. I prefer to eat with a friend, but that usually happens more on weekends.

One thought was I must now officially be an “adult”, as I seem to want onions and garlic in most everything, and when I was a kid, that’s what “older people” liked. This is an easy, “go-to” meal, as I always keep canned beans on hand.

Joselyn Barahona (3)

This Monday was tricky as I was traveling back to Buffalo from vacation in Cancun. I woke up late as I was still trying to get rest from the plane so breakfast for me started late. I had my first meal at 12:20pm my mom bought me a toasted bagel with cream cheese and a Snapple. My second meal my mom prepared for me she made steamed broccoli, cauliflower, and string beans, a green salad with cucumbers, avocado, and corn topped off with French dressing. After that meal I was doing run-arounds trying to pack my bags and get ready to head to the bus station. For dinner it was harder because my mom has to cook for my brothers and there was no way they was going to pass up meat. So I had to make my own meal. I prepared some pasta using my brother’s recipe. I first boiled the spaghetti once they were soft, I drained out the water. Then while the spaghetti was still in the pot I added two spoons full of butter, two spoons of sour cream, and half a bottle of Ragu tomato sauce. Stir it all together while the heat is on low, I also boiled up a sweet plantain to have on the side.

            Dinner was the most affected because my brothers wanted to eat meat and so I had to prepare my own meal usually my mom would just cook one dish for us all. This Monday did not really affect the rest of the week. In all honesty meatless Monday is not something I look forward too, it’s actually a burden for me. I feel like because all the food around me has meat it’s hard to prepare something without meat.

            The only meal I spent money on was for breakfast. Everything else was made in my house so that was a plus. Usually if I was in school I would’ve have to have spent more money to find a meal without meat. I was able to use the produce and food already in my house which was best. I was glad I was home this Monday and my mom was able to cook lunch for me. 

Jessica Tomasello (3)

o   Meal 1: Oatmeal with nuts and raisins, fruit cup (strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, apples)

o   Meal 2: Protein Shake (whey)

o   Meal 3: Garlic hummus & pretzels

o   Meal 4: Seasoned rice with peppers, grilled asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, house salad

o   This Monday was the most difficult because I was traveling. It’s hard enough to eat healthy, let alone ditch meat. For breakfast, we went to Chic-Filet (yuck), but I did find oatmeal and fruit! I was glad that would hold me over for the drive from Atlanta to Athens. I packed a protein shake and the hummus/pretzel combo that I bought at a gas station. The worst was dinner, because we were at a steak house! So being 100% veggie, including no seafood, was pretty tough.

o   Meatless Mondays didn’t change my eating habits the other days of the week. Again, I am still giving up meat on Fridays because of lent. However, I did realize how much meat is associated with fast food. Every quick meal my friends were going for burgers and chicken.

o   I struggled this week, solely because I wasn’t in my own kitchen or always choosing where we’d stop for food (obviously, or I wouldn’t have been at a steak house).

o   My dinner did cost a bit more than I would have liked, because I had to order all of my vegetables a la carte. It ended up being equal to a steak dinner, which was interesting in itself.

Alice Lam (3)

This week meatless Monday was a bit easier because I had planned out what I was going to eat on Sunday. It was a great thing I did so because I did not have enough time to go food shopping so I was low on food. On Sunday I made peanut butter and jelly sandwich to bring to school. Making my breakfast Sunday night has saved me a lot of time. I’m thinking of making food the night before class so I can wake up later and eat healthier. For lunch I got a spinach caesar salad with eggs, onions, avocado, corn, and mozzarella chess from Edgy Veggie. Lastly for dinner, I made rice with lima beans with lemon pepper sauce and fried eggs.

None of my meals were affected and it did not impact other days of the week for me.  I did have some left over from dinner so I didn’t have to cook dinner on Tuesday. I also did feel healthier while doing the meatless Monday challenge. I spend less then I did on week 2 so that was good. Going meatless Monday is not as hard as I thought it would. 

Kareema Carley (3)

For this meatless Monday I was driving from the city back to Buffalo. My meal choices were not planned or very elaborate. For breakfast I stop at Dunkin Donuts and got a wake up wrap. Which is just eggs and cheese on a tortilla; I also had a granola bar with some OJ. For lunch I had some pasta with vodka sauce. For dinner I had a cheese sandwich. These where all really quick to go meals that I got from the gas station expect for lunch that I got from a restaurant. Lunch was the most affective meal just because it was my only good meal. My meatless Monday did not impact my week because I know I would have still eaten like that just because I was driving all day and had no time or place to cook.  This was the most I spent on meatless Monday because I had to buy all my meals made, that is something that I will not be doing anymore. The people that I drove up with did know I was doing meatless Monday and they thought I was crazy because I am already a picky eater and I took so long for me to pick a meal. I didn’t use any resources this week. This meatless Monday did show me how hard it is to eat health and meatless on the go. I do not know how people do this that travel for a living. 

Chelsea Wheeler (3)

Yesterday was one of the best Mondays I had in order to succeed in having meatless meals. I call it a success because I had time to cook in preparation for going to work and needing to bring a meatless meal there. Breakfast started with a bowl of cereal. For lunch I had some red roasted pepper quinoa, and for dinner I ate spinach lasagna rolls. I made the rolls the day before for dinner, and the recipe made so many that I had enough for dinner on Monday. The recipe had spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese all wrapped up in a lasagna roll. It was delicious.

            The quinoa that I ate for lunch was also extremely delicious. It was the first time I cooked quinoa, and it was much easier to cook than I originally thought it would be. The taste of the roasted red pepper was great too and was a delicious way to eat it for lunch. It filled me up, and I bought more to make this next week.

            The meal that was most affected by this Meatless Monday was my lunch. I was not caught up on my lectures from the previous week, so I was home to make lunch. Being home was what made lunch my most affected meal because I had to take the time out of catching up on my work in order to make lunch. This was frustrating to me, but I ended up truly enjoying my meal so in the end I was glad I took the time out to make a great lunch. Dinner however, was the most expensive meal. Spending money on fresh cheeses was not something that I planned to have to put a lot of money towards, but I did, and this was also extremely worth it. My dinner was incredible, and I loved that I had leftovers. This past Monday was the best that I had as I was able to eat well and properly. I hope this next week goes just as well.

Samantha Fields (3)

Breakfast: yogurt and a banana

Lunch: Salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrots, mozzarella cheese

Dinner: veggie burger with American cheese, brown rice, and butternut squash

            This weeks meatless Monday felt good to consciously eat healthy after spring break. I was pretty busy all day so I made my lunch the day before and grabbed my breakfast out of the fridge on the way to my internship. The veggie burger I had for dinner was premade from Trader Joes. It was called a California veggie burger with carrots, onions, soybeans, corn, spinach, string beans, and some other veggies in it. The brown rice and butternut squash my roommate actually made for dinner. She wasn’t trying to do meatless Monday since she ate chicken along with it. It just worked out that she wanted to cook her squash on a Monday. I’m not exactly sure how she made it, but she put cinnamon, and brown sugar on it. It was pretty good, just kind of sweet for dinner food.

            This Monday didn’t change how I ate the rest of the week considering I didn’t actually cook anything so I didn’t have left overs. I’m hoping next week to have time to try out a new recipe.   

Connie Wong (3)

          For the third week of meatless Monday, I did have some minor difficulties deciding what to eat which was weird for me because I had stocked up on food from New York City and brought it back to Buffalo with me so it didn’t seem likely that I would have any difficulties making any meals. Anyways, I started off my day with a peanut butter and nutella sandwich and organic vanilla flavored milk. For lunch, I decided to use what I brought back from NYC and made a Sichuan cuisine called DanDan Noodles which consists of shanghai noodles and a spicy Sichuan sauce. I added some vegetables to my noodles for more variety. After a long day of studying and finally taking my exam at night, I came home feeling exhausted and not wanting to cook. Thankfully, my roommate brought back some tofu from NYC and she made a simple tofu dish that had a delicious soup base and mushrooms, cilantro and minced garlic in it and I made some quick noodles on the side and ate it with the tofu.
         Although I didn’t really cook much on Monday, I still had fun making my meals; especially because I had the chance to make a cuisine that I haven’t had in a long time. Also, I know that the original dandan noodles have meat topped off but I didn’t add any to keep it meatless and simple. For the sauce, I had a bottle of Sichuan sauce already made so you can also purchase that in supermarkets, though it would be better if you make the sauce yourself but some ingredients are hard to find.
        Overall, I was quite satisfied with this week’s meatless Monday even though I didn’t know what to eat but I managed to find something delicious and easy to make. I hope that everyone will be willing to try different cuisines from all the world because it allows us to experience what each culture has to offer. There are many ways to cook this dish so it’s really based on personal preference. In addition, I have included a link below to making the same noodles I did in case anyone was interested in trying it.
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7002-dan-dan-noodles

There is also a vegan version of the dandan noodles:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/02/vegan-dan-dan-noodles-recipe.html

Karen Kummer (3)

My third Meatless Monday was successful.  For breakfast, I had two hardboiled eggs and a sliced banana with peanut butter.  Monday was a really busy day for me so I didn’t get a chance to eat lunch.  Around lunchtime, I had a small bag of chips and a granola bar.  For dinner, I had leftover macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and corn bread.  I drank milk, water, and tea throughout the day.

            Dinner was the meal that was most affected because my family ate ground beef with noodles which looked really delicious.  I was tempted, but I stuck with my leftover macaroni and cheese.  My Meatless Monday probably won’t affect my meals the rest of the week.  I didn’t use any additional resources this week.  I also did not spend any more or less money than usual because I just ate what was at home. 

            Overall, this week was alright.  Since I didn’t have time to eat a full lunch, I was snacking until dinner.  Monday snuck up on me so I didn’t have time to plan or even think about what I would eat.  Next week, I’ll probably plan things out better so I can actually have a full lunch.

Lucas Federici (3)

For the third week of meatless Mondays it was a little hard to adjust back to not eating meat after not having to do it for spring break. I almost had a chicken sandwich but remembered right before I made it.So instead I had a veggie sandwich with:

lettuce, tomato, sweet peppers, cucumbers and with light mayo and salt and pepper.

My next meal was before work so I made leftovers and that consisted of spaghetti and alfredo sauce and a strawberry greek yogurt. The picture below is after I ate half of it.

Then at work I only had a small bowl of greens and beans soup, in that is spinach, collard greens and garbanzo beans. When im at work I usually make a turkey wrap or something along those lines because I work at a pizza place and cant eat that and chicken wings anymore.

This week was a little harder just because we had a week off and then getting back into it

was not as fun but it was easier to do than I thought. It is nice having a bunch of left overs so I can pick and choose what I want and make a good and acceptable meatless meal out of what is there.

Stephanie Iannacchino (3)

 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 took a first aid course this weekend and they had subway catering for lunch, I took one veggie sub and one with turkey. Monday I had to work early in the morning, so I started the day with my usual breakfast, and packed fruits and vegetables, protein shake and greek yogurt. For dinner I made a cranberry apple quinoa salad!! It was delicious! I never thought to put fruit in my quinoa before.. this is something I will do in the future forsure! The quinoa I bought at Wegman’s. I got about a cup in the organic bulk section and it was almost five dollars. In the future, I’d hopefully like to find cheaper quinoa at a different store. I made the salad for my whole family to try, they all enjoyed it ! 

Megan Record (3)

Megan Record

UBE 496

Meatless Monday

Week 3

1) Meals

a.       Breakfast: Eggs sunny side up with kale, spinach, and bruschetta and grapefruit

b.      Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich with carrots, celery, cucumbers, and pretzels

c.       Snack: Quest bar

d.      Dinner: Minestrone Soup with zucchini, squash, green beans, spinach, black beans, onion, tomato, and lentils

e.       Snack: Greek Yogurt with chocolate chips

2)     Lunch this week was affected the most meal for me. With coming back from spring break I had not gone to the grocery store till after lunchtime. I made whatever I had left over from the prior week and it did not fill me up for as long as I would have liked. I felt like a kid again eating peanut butter and jelly.

3)     Going meatless this Monday was actually helpful since I was able to make a big pot of soup that I can eat either for lunch or dinner for the rest of the week. This helps a lot with saving time for meal preparation through out the week since I am also going out of town Wednesday. 

4)     Going meatless this Monday affected my mom back at home while on spring break. Over break I explained the project to her and she was very surprised on the connection of our food choice and the affect they can have on the environment. She said that she was going to start trying to go meatless on Mondays both for her health as well as for the environment.

5)     I again used a recipe on Pinterest as my resource. I have been planning on trying to make it but have never made it a priority so this project has been helpful encouragement to try new things and make time for it as well!

6)     The soup instantly filled me up but I was hunger again later in the night due to staying up late to get homework and studying done. I believe I spent around the same amount of money at the store this week as normal.

7)     I realized this week that either preparing meals that are meatless or meals with meat are typically the same amount of time. You still need to set aside time to go shopping and to cook.

Rachel Difasi (2)

For my second meatless Monday I had the following meals;

Breakfast: pumpkin flax granola with mixed fruit and soy milk

Lunch:kale sushi roll from wegmans and a side of seaweed salad

Snacks: banana, cottage cheese w/ pineapple

Dinner: black bean and cheese enchiladas!

I had a lot of fun with this week and tried to get as creative as possible with each of my meals. I love trying new dishes especially ones with ingredients that seem strange and foreign to other people. Without a doubt every time I ventured into the kitchen to whip something together at least one of my roommates was there intently watching and asking a million questions. It's cool to get such a response from the people around me, and to also be the one to introduce them to these foods. Dinner was again the most challenging; I have never made enchiladas and to say I made a mess while doing it is an understatement. The recipe I used required me to sautee some ingredients while boiling others, using a blender, and then baking. It was a bit difficult but when I tasted the finished product it was well worth it! It's fun getting creative with my meals and planning ahead of time makes it even easier. I definitely will try to continue to do meatless Monday in the future, and hopefully I can get my friends to join in with me next week.
I used the following link as a guidline for my dish if any of you want to check it out and possibly recreate it, http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/black-bean-cheese-enchiladas/ Overall what I enjoyed most about doing this challenge is learning how to cook things in different ways. I usually try to stick with simple and quick recipes but since I planned ahead and made the time to cook a meal that took longer to prepare I got to explore new ways of cooking the foods I eat. I feel like this project is giving me lots of new skills to utilize in the future and its makes me excited to be able to take that forward, creating tastey new dishes I would have probably never thought to cook before.  

Leeah Williams (2)

This Monday was a little challenging for me, it wasn't the fact that I couldn't have meat in my diet but I was super exhausted from prepping for multiple exams this week. For breakfast my meal consisted of one medium sized bananas, strawberry fage yogurt and a cup of green tea. I consumed this this meal right before I left the house and it actually kept me full until lunch time. I didn't find myself consuming full meals until dinner because I was in the library almost all day. While in the library I ate a pecan banana whole grain muffin with bottle of water. It was delicious! At around 5 o clock I came home to grab something to eat and prepared for the gym. I made myself a veggie burger sandwich with cheese, avocado, tomatoes, onions and jalapeño peppers. This meal was perfect just because it wasn't too heavy and after an hour I was fully fueled for my workout. After my work out I came home, showered and did a little more work. Soon after it was time to prepare dinner for my friends and I. I made rice with black beans, teriyaki asparagus and mushrooms. I was happy that this meal was quick, easy and something that we all enjoyed. Overall there wasn't a period during my day that I felt uncomfortable and did not want to complete meatless Monday. I learned from last week that I should try and think about what I wanted to eat in advance so it wasn't hard for me to about what I wanted. I was happy that the people around me were supportive of the movement that I was apart which made it easy for me to accomplish my goals.  I spent less money than I usually would if I consumed meat products because majority of the things I ate were from my house.

 

Sandna Kaur (2)

On my second meatless Monday, I had faced some difficulties. I had to go to campus earlier that day than I usually do on my Mondays. This gave me less time to plan my meals out. I started my day with an cheese omelet, toast, and glass of milk for breakfast. When I entered north campus’s student union, there was an event that was advertising for UB summer.

            At this event, Representatives told information about UB’s opportunities during the summer, gave cool prizes, and offered food. Fortunately, I remembered I was not eating any meat that day, so I refused the hotdog and gotten the cotton candy. For lunch, I had packed a peanut butter and nutella sandwich, apple, yogurt, and granola bar. 

            Dinner was the most affected meal of the day. This past Monday, my family was enjoying pasta with crispy chicken.  That night, I was about to serve myself a plate but realized I vowed to eat meatless on Mondays. So for dinner, I had steamed vegetables and a salad with croutons, carrots, feta cheese, and Greek dressing. As I finished my dinner, I saved some pasta and chicken to enjoy the following day.

            This week I realized benefits of planning the meals for the day to stay on track of eating meatless on Monday.  Additionally, I need to look for vegetarian meals to enjoy for Monday’s dinner.  Hopefully, I will be more prepared next Monday. 

Alice Lam (2)

My second week for meatless Monday was a bit easier. Breaskfeast I ate a pear and some raisins in class.  For lunch I ordered salad from Putnams. My edgy mix salad contains mushroom, egg, corn, onion, avocado, and mozzarella.  For dinner I helped my roommate cooked some bowtie noodles. In the bowtie noodles it contains red and yellow peppers, mushroom, basil leaves, almonds, and lots of parmesan cheese.
            Overall, none of my meals were affected. I planned out my meals on Sunday so I knew what I was eating ahead of time. Meal planning is a great way to help give you more time, makes cooking easier because you know what your cooking, and save money. Now that I have left over bowtie noodles, I don’t have to cook on today and I am not eating meat.
            Like I mentioned before, I do feel healthier. I did spend more money this week to make dinner. However, I did have left overs for a couple of days.  Now that I am doing meatless Monday, my friends are asking me about my progress.  So far my experience for meatless Monday has been going great.

Jessica Tomasello (2)

Jessica Tomasello

3/9/2015

o   Meal 1: 3 Egg Whites, spinach, peppers, mushrooms (omelet), 1 slice Ezekiel toast

o   Meal 2: Plain Greek yogurt w/ cocoa almonds

o   Meal 3: Garlic hummus, ½ pita

o   Meal 4: Kale salad- pears, craisins, sunflower seeds, walnuts, raspberry dressing

o   Meal 5: Yam, grilled tofu, asparagus

o   This week was a bit more difficult because I’m trying to get a little stricter with my diet. As I am able to get back to activity after surgery, I’d like to have more energy and begin leaning out. It’s tough when meat-based meals are the “obvious” for clean meals. They’re also super easy to prep and put in containers for the week.

o   Meatless Mondays didn’t change my eating habits the other days of the week. Again, I am still giving up meat on Fridays because of lent. I’ve been trying to mimic meals from Friday to Monday changing a spice or ingredient to make some of the salads more appealing.

o   I struggled this week, but I was able to pull it together last minute!

o   Like last week, “I live at home, and I just chose from things I already had. Spending was not affected.”

o   Like last week, “Going meatless did not affect others around me. I intern until 2 PM and then work 4-10, so none of my meals were with family or friends.”

o   I did not use any resources, just ideas I’ve used in the past. I also stole the basic idea from our field trip for the pear/kale salad!

Lucas Federici (2)

Week two of meatless Mondays went very well, It started off the same as last week with me only having a protein shake in the morning but as the day went on I ate more. For lunch I made myself grilled cheese with tomato soap. I did not eat anything after that until dinner. Dinner was a little tough because it was my birthday and I really wanted to have a nice steak but I had to change my mind and decided on something else. My mom took me to Bravo in the Galleria mall and there I had a mixed salad with strawberries and blueberries with balsamic vinaigrette. And then for my actual dinner I had spaghetti, (wished I could of had meatballs) but I just had that with a red sauce. Then for dessert I had crème brulee for the first time and it was really good. Then it being my birthday I went out with my friends and consumed a decent amount of beer. Overall I do think that this week was easier to not eat meat than last week and I feel like it is going to get easier and easier the longer it goes because it will become almost like second nature.

 

Cristina Lauria (2)

So yesterday was a pretty busy day for me so I didn’t eat as much as I planned. I woke up around 10am and went straight to class and stayed there until around 2pm. This obviously poses a problem because I didn’t make time for breakfast. Around 4pm, I had a chance to come home and make something. I put together a spinach salad with oregano, sprouts, tomatoes, and broccoli with olive oil and vinegar dressing. As simple as it was, it was probably my most thought-out meal of the day. For dinner, I had pasta and sauce with friends. Overall, I probably didn’t try as hard as I should have yesterday for meatless Monday. It didn’t really affect others because the only meal that I had in front of others was dinner and it wasn’t an out of the ordinary thing to put together pasta and have no meat products along with it.

            However, I decided to look into healthy, vegetable filled meal options for next week so that I’m more prepared and hopefully I will choose to find time to put the effort in making meals that are healthy, meatless, and have lots of plant sources.