Eating out at restaurants

Going out to eat has been one of the most complicated experiences as a vegan.  There is cheese on everything and you have to ask what oils the place cooks with.  I went to Applebee's the other day and they did not have a single vegan menu item.  Almost everything had meat in it and I was so frustrated.  I had to specifically ask for vegetable fajitas and even when I got them there were only red bell peppers and onions.  I sort of felt like I had wasted my money and I will probably not go back there.
So far, the only place I have been able to eat out at that I truly like is Qdoba.  I usually get the rice, black beans and fajita style veggies with some salsa and guacamole.  It is fantastic and it is not that terrible for you!  Mexican food is pretty easy too, you can just get vegetable fajitas (I obviously eat these a lot) and they are very filling.  There are a few vegan friendly restaurants in East Lansing, MI.  Woody's Oasis is a great mediterranean restaurant that has delicious hummus and a variety of vegan dishes.
The bonus side to this is that it has been easier to stay within my budget because it is harder to eat out!
I have also created a Squidoo page to start bookmarking all of my recipes!

I hope everyone has a happy vegan week :)

My FAVORITE vegan meal

This week has been a long learning experience for me.  I knew being vegan was going to be hard, but I have found myself eating almost the same exact thing every day.  I felt like I needed to take my favorite meal when I was a non-vegan and alter it to make it vegan.

Lemon Vegetable Couscous

  

Ingredients:

• 1 box of whole grain (wheat) couscous (I bought the roasted garlic and olive oil kind to add flavor!)
• 1/2 red, yellow and green bell peppers, chopped
• 1/4 cup white onions, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette
• About 2 tablespoons of cilantro

Directions:

1. Cook the couscous using the directions the box gives you
2. In a pan, put the olive oil and garlic on medium heat, then add the onion for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the peppers, lemon juice and balsamic vinaigrette and cook until the vegetables soften.
4. I usually add small amounts of salt, lemon pepper, cayenne pepper and pinch of garlic salt to spice it up.
5. Mix it up and top it with the cilantro.

This entire meal takes a total of 10-15 minutes to make, its a quick clean up and you can make it so many different ways!  Plus, it fills you up so you will have plenty of left overs for the next day.

I have been trying to run outside more because of this beautiful Michigan weather. I understand that running is not for everyone so there is nothing wrong with doing some online workouts in the privacy of your humble abodes!  Blogilates by Cassey Ho is like my new bible.  Her mini workouts are awesome and you can do them at home.

Have a fabulous vegan week :)

The new favorites

My first day of being completely vegan went surprisingly well! I did not miss any of the meat or dairy.  My second day, not so well.  My roommates got cheese pizza and it smelled amazing and looked like something I wanted to eat.. So I did.  I now realize that becoming vegan is going to be a work in progress, especially for someone who is a total meat and dairy lover.  It is now my sixth day and I am feeling healthier and more energized!


My new favorite foods= brown rice, couscous, rice milk, hummus and a lot of vegetables and fruits
I have not ever been a huge fan of milk unless it is on my cereal or a splash in my coffee (which I gave up too because I realized tea with caffeine is so much better for you!).  I remember as a kid not ever wanting to try rice or soy milk because my thought process was that if I had to have milk I would rather have the "good stuff".  FALSE.  This rice milk is delicious and it is healthier than regular milk!
It is rough trying to balance this diet when I am always out and about, so it helps to keep some nuts or veggies in a bag with me in case I get hungry while I'm not home.

For people that absolutely love hamburgers, try a Boca burger for a change.  I spruced it up with grilled onions, tomatoes and grilled green peppers with some dijon mustard.  It did not even taste too much different and it looks like a burger, too:

Starting healthy happy herbivore ways

Hello blog world!  My name is Katie and I am a senior at Michigan State University studying advertising and public relations.  Throughout this blog I will provide healthy eating and living habits, vegan recipes and fitness tips that everyone can use.

People tell me that I am THAT person who can eat whatever I want and still never gain weight.  However, I try to work out at least five days a week and try to watch what I eat to maintain a fit and happy lifestyle.  Since I am in college, I am guilty of my favorite food being pepperoni pizza.  I also like fried food and put cheese on just about anything.  I must give credit to my sister who has been vegetarian for many years now (and on and off vegan), she was the inspiration for this.  I am definitely happy and somewhat healthy, but becoming a herbivore is going to be a challenge.  You are more than welcome to join the challenge with me or just read along and watch me struggle, it is up to you!

Enjoy :)