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What’s a vegan diet? Here’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner from one ordinary day. Spicy black bean tacos, salad, and polenta!
The feedback on my first What Vegans Eat post was really positive. Many people said they’d like to see more pictures from regular days of eating to get a sense of what’s a vegan diet. I’m going to do one post a month to show normal, everyday vegan meals.
What’s a vegan diet?
A vegan diet is one that doesn’t include any animal products – including meat, dairy, eggs, and honey.
Here are my ordinary vegan meals from one day in October…
Breakfast
Now that the mornings are getting cooler, I’ve been returning to a favorite cold weather breakfast – creamy polenta. The kind I like is organic and finely ground. It has a smooth texture that’s akin to mashed potatoes and cooks in just minutes.
I start by sautéing a minced clove of garlic in extra virgin olive oil or infused Ethiopian oil. Then I add a cup of water and a small part of a bouillon cube until it starts to simmer. I slowly pour in 1/3 cup of polenta and stir until it becomes thick and pulls away from the pan. I add a splash of cashew milk, a spoonful of nutritional yeast, and a pinch of salt.
The whole process takes less than ten minutes, and it’s really filling and warming.
(To see a full recipe and my preferred brand of polenta, check out this creamy polenta recipe.)
Lunch
For lunch, I had a salad with creamy cashew dressing and half of an avocado. On the side, raw sauerkraut and homemade turnip pickles. I made a cup and a half of roasted chickpeas and topped the salad with a handful of them and cracked pepper.
Snack
Before I went on a hike a few hours later, I pulled out the remaining roasted chickpeas from the refrigerator and finished them off for a snack.
Dinner
That night for dinner, David and I made one of our household favorites – spicy black bean tacos.
Some family friends had plucked all of their tomatoes before the first frost, and we were lucky enough to end up with a bunch of them. I made a big batch of salsa and guacamole while David made the black beans for the filling.
On the side, we had some chips for dipping, and of course, lots of hot sauce and jalapeños.
Tracey says
October 21, 2015 at 9:30 amI usually love smoothies in the summer, now I’m loving oats!
Cadry says
October 21, 2015 at 9:36 amYes, the amount of fresh smoothies and juices I enjoy goes way up in the summer!
Shell says
October 21, 2015 at 10:08 amI’ve never refrigerated roasted chick peas before. I’ll have to try that. Do they lose their crunch after being in the fridge?
Cadry says
October 21, 2015 at 10:11 amYes, they do lose their crunch and become drier. They are definitely best fresh, but I still like them cold.
Bianca says
October 21, 2015 at 3:06 pmYum! That polenta sounds so yummy. I should add that to my breakfast rotation. And that salad looks AMAZING!
Cadry says
October 29, 2015 at 3:03 pmSince you already like grits, it seems like it would be a hit with you!
Lisa | The Viet Vegan says
October 22, 2015 at 5:59 pmmmmm that polenta sounds fantastic, I’ll have to try it. Very interesting post =) I love seeing what other vegans eat!
Cadry says
October 29, 2015 at 3:03 pmI’m glad to hear that, Lisa!
Susan says
October 22, 2015 at 6:42 pmYou have so much amazing food! I am not that interesting. Mind if I come and stay with you for a while?? 😉 We can watch Buffy and talk about cats!
Cadry says
October 29, 2015 at 3:02 pmAbsolutely! The next time you’re in my part of the world, it’s a date. 😀
Nicole @ Vegan Nom Noms says
October 23, 2015 at 6:45 amThis has def inspired me to finally try polenta!
Cadry says
October 29, 2015 at 3:09 pmTerrific! Let me know what you think.
Isabetta says
October 23, 2015 at 6:44 pmThis was really helpful to me and everything looks so good.I eat a lot of tacos so that one was especially appreciated.Thanks,Cadry!
Cadry says
October 23, 2015 at 6:49 pmI’m so glad to hear that, Isabetta! I’m a big taco fan too. I have them at least once a week, if not two or three times. 🙂
Caitlin says
October 29, 2015 at 8:12 amI think these posts are great, to give people a sense of what vegans eat. I also find it interesting just because I’m curious, haha. Thanks for doing another!
Cadry says
October 29, 2015 at 3:00 pmTerrific, Caitlin! I’m glad to hear it!