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.
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteYour Meatless Mondays have seemed to be extremely successful. I would kill for what you eat each Monday and the time you are able to put into making each one of your meals.I know that you said the only meal you went crazy with was dinner, but all of your meals seemed amazing to me. Even the eggs that you made for breakfast had to have been amazing. I never thought about putting avocado in my eggs before but it is now something that I am really excited to try. I was mostly obsessed with your dinner. It looks so amazing, and had to have tasted even better than it looks. How long did it take to make? I am always crunched for time on Mondays which makes it harder for me to cook, and if this pizza didn't take very long, I am more than willing to try it! I hope the rest of your Meatless Mondays continue to go just as well as this one did, and I can't wait to try what you ate this past Monday this next Monday as long as I have the time to do so.
Chelsea Wheeler
Rachel, that sounds like a very yummy meatless monday!! I find myself eating the same thing every week but you have really shared some great ideas! I will have to try some of them this week. The pizza looks amazing, I remember you saying you were going to try it - im glad you found a recipe! Looking forward to what you make next week!
ReplyDeleteStephanie
It seems like you always take a lot of time into planning your meatless Monday meals. I've always wanted to try cauliflower crust pizza, yours looks really good.I think it's interesting that you tried to recreate a smoothie you had while on vacation and that you still thought of meatless meals while on vacation.
ReplyDelete-Samantha
http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/2012/09/healthy-pizza-with-a-cauliflower-crust/
ReplyDeletehttp://detoxinista.com/2014/02/vegan-cauliflower-pizza-crust/
http://www.yummly.com/recipes/cauliflower-pizza-crust
Hey guys I'm glad you liked my meals! here's some links to various cauliflower crust recipes. I couldn't find the exact one I used but the first link is pretty close to what I did. Overall it honestly probably took me 2 hours only because I had no idea what I was doing and I chopped up all fresh ingredients. It was a really fun social experience as well, people started to accumulate in my kitchen and then it became a group project. I would definitely do this again and it can be quick if you prep everything before hand it might take 45minutes -1 hour tops.