My White Husband Didn't Convert Me to A Vegan Diet....

........& 6 tips to get your spouse to eat plant-based meals.

You wouldn't believe how many acquaintances and family members (the ones I don't know well) say I became a vegan because of Eric. Wait, so Black folks can't be vegan? Oh ok.  *Sigh*

Anywho, I love Eric to death. He's an amazing husband and father, but he didn't influence my decision to become a vegan. In fact, he wanted to know if I would still make him steak or chicken once I made the decision to become one.  lol

I asked him to share some tips to help women interested in getting their spouse to embrace plant-based eating on my YouTube channel.

6 Tips From the Video: 

(1) Pre-packaged vegan food is helpful for transitioning to a plant-based diet. I wrote a post about that here

(2) Be gentle and don't force the food

(3) Don't tell what's in the food lol Wait until your spouse tries it

(4) Take it one step at a time-Eat one plant-based meal a week

(5) Ask your spouse to keep an open mind. Don't expect the food to taste like its conventional counterpart

(6) Replace foods

Thanks for watching and reading! I will see you on Saturday with a new smoothie recipe. 

Come to the Grocery Store With Me #2

A few days ago, I went to grocery store with the KIDS, NO grocery list and a camera. Umm, yeah.  I was about that life!

I just tried to stick to items that we buy often-onions, garlic, beans, fresh fruit, rice, bagels, seasonings, cashews & walnuts (for raw vegan desserts), avocados, green leafy vegetables, tofu, tempeh, and a couple of bags of frozen vegetables.

Even though the kids distracted me a bit and Jason (my oldest) wanted to leave on more than one occasion, it wasn't too bad. I spent $150 on this grocery trip.

Here's the recipe for the homemade ice cream I mention in the video.

Processed Vegan Foods Are Helpful. Here's Why...

From my Instagram last night:

Caption under pic "I made portobello lasagna tonight using spaghetti sauce, vegan sausage, spinach, basil, oregano, vegan cream cheese, garlic, and onion. I haven't made this since last year and usually add Daiya "mozzarella" but it wasn't necessary this time. Our taste buds are changing again and we use less vegan cheese than before. Faux meats and cheeses definitely helped our family a lot in the beginning of this food journey. What's for dinner at your house?"​

After posting that picture, I thought about our family's vegan journey. When I started cooking vegan meals 3 years ago, we ate a lot of vegan prepacked items, faux meats and cheese.  It really helped us transition as a family because I didn't know much about vegan cooking and the faux meat and cheeses made for quick go-to meals.

I may have given up on a vegan lifestyle without being able to rely on the processed faux products.

Even though I have no plans in the near future to eliminate vegan meat (mainly Field Roast sausage) and vegan cheese from our diet; I will say we no longer buy seitan, Gardein products, or Amy's prepackaged meals.  It's not because I dislike these products, but mainly because I feel so much more confident in the kitchen.  I find myself making vegetable stir-fry, spaghetti with TVP & black bean tacos as filling, simple and inexpensive meals. 

In the beginning, vegan cooking can be intimidating.  Sometimes it's hard not to see meat as the center of a meal and faux meat can help make the transition easier.

If you're fairly new to a vegan lifestyle, don't beat yourself up about eating a lot of processed foods. As you research, learn and grow, that will decrease and you will love eating more whole foods.

Thanks for reading!

Be Gentle with Yourself-Healthy Eating Journey

I was inspired to record a short vlog about buying Oreos again, after going about a month without eating them. 

I'm really learning not be so hard on myself and to love and embrace my healthy food journey.  Food shouldn't be associated with stress or pain and I'm learning to be gentle with myself.  

I saw this picture on That ARThletic Girl's Tumblr that was right on time!   I hope this video & picture inspires you to be more gentle in your own food journey. Baby steps are okay!

Instead of saying "no more junk food" say "I'm going to eat more leafy greens, drink fresh juice and blend smoothies."