Posted by Tim Vidra / Friday, January 7, 2011
12 Day Vegan Challenge: Day and Meals 5-7
Well this diet is a lot easier when you are sitting at home and can plan your meals. On the road, not so much. I had a revelation for fast food (FF) companies who advertise on the interstate. Put a little star burst on your roadside advertisements that say *Vegetarian Options Available*. I am going down the road so hungry but sign after sign of the normal FF companies was awfully tiring to see.
Breakfast over the course of 3 days consisted of Starbucks venti black coffee, fruit, and plain oatmeal. Lunches, as suspected were brought in and not vegan friendly. In preparation for that I traveled to Lowes Foods and picked up a garden salad and grape leaves stuffed with rice. One food find for my salad was a dressing called La Martinique true French vinaigrette and man this stuff was good.
Dinner Tuesday night we headed to Firebird's and I was jonesing for some beef. Luckily, Mary talked me through it on the way over and I regained my senses. After telling the server I was vegan and getting a couple of snide co-worker comments the server came back and said the chef would prepare a vegetable kebab with a spicy black bean salsa on a tortilla. ** Photo taken with my droid
A simple plate but the marinade for the vegetables and the spice in the black beans was really good! I came to the conclusion most restaurants know vegans are out there and they are also prepared when and if they happen to come into a place where the menu is loaded with meat of all types.
Overall I am hanging in there but I must say I am struggling especially on the road. You cannot just stop and eat - you have to plan and ask, which means lots of raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts. I have learned you have to be creative (the dressing) in changing the flavors of these so that you are not just eating a salad.
I am now counting down the days 5 to go. Off to Ellwood Thompson's for the vegan friendly hot bar as they are way more creative than I feel right now.
E.A.T. local E.A.T. well E.A.T. your veggies (for 5 more days)
Advice Awareness Cook Cooking EAT Recommends Education Food and Related Products Fruit and Vegetable Vegan Vegetable vegetables
I think he just called me snide! I didn't have room for any of Tim's veggies because I was too full of delicious salmon but the salsa I tried was great. The attention we got from the staff was interesting after youinquired about vegan options.
ReplyDeleteSo proud that you were able to hang in there! It IS hard to eat salad day after day and find a creative way to change it up.
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