This month I’m celebrating a decade of being meat-free. I went vegetarian in September of 2005. Two years later, I went vegan.
In those early days of vegetarianism, I remember how every meal was a decision. I was used to my habits, making the things I always made, grabbing for my usual snacks. When I decided to stop eating meat, I had to create new habits.
Over the course of 10 years, of course, my habits have continued to change and evolve. Every meal is vegan, but I go through phases where there’s more salads, more soups, heartier meals, more indulgent meals…
Depending on the season and how busy I am or am not, my everyday meals get tweaked.
Often non-vegans will tell me they don’t have “time” to go vegan. Since they aren’t in the habit of making vegetarian meals, I think they imagine that every meal takes a significant amount of work and planning.
The truth is, most days I look in the refrigerator, see what’s there, and pull something together on the fly.
In many ways, my meals aren’t so different than the things I ate before I was vegetarian. There are more vegetables in them, sure, and no meat, obviously, but many of the cornerstones are the same: tacos, pizzas, salads, sandwiches, stir-fries, curries…
(For 10 vegan meals you already know how to make <– check out this post.)
In reality it doesn’t take more time to make tacos with beans or a cheeseless pizza with bell peppers and mushrooms. Often it takes even less time, because vegetables don’t have to cook as long.
(My propane tank on the grill seems to last forever now, because even though we grill a ton, vegetable skewers, veggie burgers, and garlic bread just don’t take that long to cook.)
What vegans eat
For people who are curious about what vegans eat or think that a vegan meal requires extensive time in the kitchen, here are pictures from one day in my normal life.
Obviously, I don’t eat these things everyday. My meals change from day to day. However, this breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack are pretty typical.
Breakfast: Tofu Scramble & Toast
I’m usually not hungry first thing in the morning, and so I’ll just have coffee with cashew milk. After an hour or two, I’ll make something savory and hearty to start the day.
This day I made a quick tofu scramble with toast. On the weekends I go all out with more vegetables or make breakfast burritos. However, since this was a weekday, I just used onions, garlic, curly kale, tofu, and spices.
(An even easier morning meal in the same vein is eggy tofu and toast.)
Lunch: Pineapple Fried Rice
A few hours later, lunch was vegetable fried rice with pineapple.
I pulled out some vegetables – carrots, onions, garlic, and bell pepper. I sautéed them in a little oil, and then added a bag of frozen rice that I’d let thaw a little on the counter while I cooked.
(Trader Joe’s sells them in 3 packs, and they’re really handy to keep in the freezer for a fast lunch or dinner. I also freeze my own homemade rice.)
I added fresh pineapple, cilantro, peanuts, tamari, sriracha, and limes for squeezing on top.
(For a full recipe, check out this fried rice or noodle stir-fry.)
Snack: Hummus with Carrots & Celery
By the late afternoon, I always like a snack.
This day I pulled out some leftover homemade hummus from the refrigerator and quickly sliced one carrot & one celery stalk for dipping. I sprinkled the hummus with a pinch of sumac.
Dinner: Lentils with Greens and Baked Fries
For dinner, I made lentils with caramelized onions, sautéed collard greens & kale, and baked fries. This is one of our standard meals that I’ve been making for years.
Everything is ready in about 30 minutes, and I usually make enough for leftovers.
So that’s a normal day in this vegan’s life. This is the first time I’ve ever done a post like this. Let me know if it’s something you’d like to see more often.
For more everyday vegan meals, check out these posts from the “What Vegans Eat” series: October, November, December, and January.
Debra Maslov
Thank you Cadry for sharing your meals on an average day. Very interesting, & everything looked delicious!
Cadry
Thanks, Debra! I’m glad to hear it.
Jenn
Love this post! It irks me when people tell me that don’t have time or it’s too much work. That makes no sense to me. Meat is generally kept in the freezer, which then has to thaw, and then has to be prepped and then has to be cooked for generally a good amount of time until it’s even safe to consume. Yes, dry beans take awhile (unless you have an Instant Pot), but canned beans are always an option or making huge batches and freezing for later. Veggies can be eaten raw or blanched for a minute or two…even roasting usually only takes 20 minutes. The only thing that takes less time, might the processed food you pop into the microwave….but omni or veg….no one should be eating that stuff on a regular basis anyway. That tofu scramble looks de-lish by the way!
Cadry
Thanks, Jenn! Yes, I always find the “time” thing perplexing from people who already cook. I know there’s a learning curve, and finding out how to make new things is a process. However, putting different toppings in a sandwich or on a pizza or in a taco, takes the same amount of time. I have also heard the complaint that it takes too long to chop vegetables. But of course, everyone should be eating vegetables. It’s not something that’s just for vegans. So if the complaint is that it takes too long to chop, well, it’s something people should be doing either way. And luckily, there are a lot of bagged chopped vegetables that exist, not to mention food processors. 🙂
Jen
I think those that make the comments about time, usually used a lot of boxed meals. Again, even those take 20-30 minutes to cook but they are just use to ripping open a box so chopping or sauteing of anything is over the top to them. I use to be one of those people so not throwing any stones here, just sayin’ 😉
Nicole @ Vegan Nom Noms
I love this post, cool to see the normal everyday meals someone makes! I also totally agree with being vegan not being so complicated, in the beginning I definitely had to learn some new recipes and techniques, but after that it was easy peasy!
Cadry
Thanks, Nicole! You’re right that there’s a learning curve in the beginning, figuring out how to cook ingredients you hadn’t used before. But like learning anything else, after a while it’s old hat and doesn’t take any more time at all. It’s like the first time you rode a bike versus the 100th time.
Bianca
This looks like a delicious day!! I want that lentils, greens, and baked fries plate!!!
Cadry
Thanks, Bianca! I love that meal too! On especially lazy nights, I sub out the lentils for Gardein chick’n strips instead, and that’s also quite tasty.
Shell
I just mentioned to someone last week that my best friend is vegan and she wondered what you eat. This post is very timely! 🙂 Everything looks delicious…by the way.
Cadry
Ha! That’s funny. The spy I have trailing you is doing an excellent job with recon. 😉
Tracey
More like this please!!
Cadry
Will do! 😀
Samantha
Love posts like this! What a delicious looking day!
Cadry
That’s great to hear, Samantha! Thanks for letting me know.
Rose
This is a great post! I love that you make your blog a resource for new and veteran vegans alike!
Cadry
Thanks, Rose! Side note – I was just going through very old posts of mine from 2010, and there was a comment from you. We’ve been reading each other’s blogs for a very long time now!
Nicole {VeganShowOff.com}
I love this post! And how did I not know you could freeze rice??!! This is life changing info for me! I’m intrigued by the pinch of sumac on the hummus, never tried sumac before!
Cadry
I often will make extra rice just so that I can freeze it. I like to put it in smaller containers, and then I can take out just what I need. It’s great for lunches, because if you pull it out of the freezer in the morning, it should be pretty much thawed by lunchtime (or can easily be microwaved the rest of the way). It also keeps other things in the lunch bag cool.
Sumac is a Middle Eastern spice, and it shows up on hummus pretty regularly in restaurants. It has a lemony flavor that compliments the hummus.
Susan
I’d love to see more posts like this. 🙂
Cadry
Good to know! Will do. 😀
Shauna
This was a great post! I love to cook and vegan food is so delicious, but I tend to always go for something fairly involved or from a cookbook. It’s great to get suggestions from real people like yourself so I can start making meals I don’t really have to think too much about ahead of time (and isn’t earth balance mac & cheese).
Cadry
Great! I’m glad it was useful. I’ll plan on doing more posts like this. 😀
Isabetta
I very much enjoy seeing what other vegans and vegetarians eat.I find I pick up the best tips and tricks.It’s very useful knowing how to make something better,faster or more healthy and often times their so simple I wished I would have thought of it myself.
Cadry
That’s good to know, Isabetta! I’ll plan on doing more posts like this in the future.
Little Vegan Bear
What a great post! I love seeing what other people eat in a day. I’m like you – I go through phases (and I certainly sneak some pretty regular chocolate it) but have a pretty steady set of regular meals as well.
Cadry
Yes, usually David and I have a little something chocolatey after dinner too. It’s a nice way to cap a day!
ButteryMuffyn
For me, that seems like a lot of food for one day (I’ve been vegetarian most of my life and I’m pushing 50). Do you think being vegan makes you hungrier? I’m considering the move for health reasons but I don’t want to have to eat all day!!
Cadry
Hi ButteryMuffyn,
Three meals and a snack seems pretty average to me. Of course, a person’s needs would vary depending upon their activity level and weight. I eat the same amount now that I did before I was vegan. The foods are different now, that’s all.
Anita
Thank you so much for this post. It was just what I have been looking for. I would love and appreciate more tips like this. Being vegan is my heart and bodies desire, I just want to perfect it so I don’t backslide. I want it to be second nature to me so I don’t have to get bored with my simple choices or take forever to decide what is best to eat. Again thank you . ….Anita
Cadry
Thank you so much for the sweet comment, Anita! I’m glad this post was useful for you. I will plan on doing more like this one. I’m sure that with time being vegan will be second nature to you too. If there’s any way I can help, let me know! 🙂
Robyn Hubert
Hi–do you work from home? Or if you work outside home, do you cook ahead and pack your lunches and snacks? I commute and work long hours and I am struggling to make this work. I would love some advice!
Cadry
Hi, Robyn!
Currently I do work from home, but there have been times while I’ve been vegan that I’ve worked outside the home too. During those periods, I would often make enough for four at dinner, so that David and I could each take leftovers the next day. It doesn’t take that much extra time to chop a whole onion instead of a half or two carrots instead of one, and that way everything was sorted for the next day.
There’s also something to be said for convenience products like frozen rice, tubs of hummus, baked tofu, chopped vegetables, bagged spinach, seitan bacon, tortillas, and bread. Frozen rice like they sell at Trader Joe’s is a great add-on to fill out a meal, and you can either thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or microwave it. Frozen vegan ravioli is also a good quick option that you can boil while you shower, and then add a few dollops of jarred pasta sauce.
Or if you plan ahead, you can cook a big batch of rice at the beginning of the week, break it into separate portions, and then pull out what you need. I also like making a huge kale salad at the beginning of the week, because kale doesn’t get wilty. And this baked tofu is one of our favorites for making ahead of time and then eating throughout the week in sandwiches, wraps, on salads, in stir-fries, or on its own: http://cadryskitchen.com/2013/09/04/back-in-thyme-baked-tofu-kale-chip-bowls-with-tahini-dressing/
When I had extra long commutes, I’d often bring a little cooler and pack it with packaged hummus, crackers, fruit, tofu, and trail mix. That way I’d always have healthy snacks at the ready.
I like having tortillas around too, because it’s easy to stuff them with bagged spinach, sliced peppers, and a slathering of hummus, baked tofu, or browned seitan bacon. If you’re more of a bread fan, sandwiches work too. My husband has been known to make PB&J for work if he’s in a hurry.
I haven’t had them in a long time, but I used to keep Trader Joe’s organic lentil soup in the house. I could just bring a can of it to work along with a box of crackers, and lunch was ready whenever. David has a mini fridge at work, and he keeps several containers of coconut milk yogurt in them as an easy but filling snack.
This post is a couple years old now, but here are some more easy bagged lunch ideas: http://cadryskitchen.com/2013/02/22/easy-vegan-packed-lunch-ideas/
Thanks for the great question, Robyn! I hope this helps!
deborah wilson
Looks really good I still eat chicken fish turkey no red meat my husband is a big Meat eater he will never change but I love vegetables and do meat free nights for my self I always wonder about the arsnicl in rice do u worry about that thanks Debra
Cadry
Hi, Deborah!
Thanks for stopping by!
That is a great question about the arsenic in rice. Over the years I’ve made a lot of changes in my diet to try get as much bang for my buck as I can nutritionally speaking. I stopped drinking soda, nixed all animal products, high fructose corn syrup, and trans fats, added more water, fruits, and vegetables, and focused on whole grains instead of refined as much as possible. I think it’s good to make changes where we can in a way that’s beneficial to ourselves, the animals, and the earth, but I’m also not willing to make myself crazy in an attempt to reach “perfection.” At the end of the day, I’m vegan out of compassion for animals, not because I want to attain some kind of nutritional purity. At this point, I don’t worry about the arsenic in rice; although, I did swap out rice milk for cashew milk instead since rice drink comes with a higher risk.
Here’s an interesting article from Consumer Reports about arsenic in rice and ways to minimize your exposure: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/01/how-much-arsenic-is-in-your-rice/index.htm
Sheridan
Great post! As I’ve been adapting to my new teaching schedule, I’ve had less and less time to dedicate to food prep and seeing posts like this remind me that it doesn’t take much time at all to prepare a healthy, hearty, whole-foods based meal. The convenience foods have been great for sure, but I’d like to get back to the basics. 🙂
Gloria Winkler
This information has been very helpful. I’m new to veganism and would appreciate more info such as this. Also, my son is interested in changing his eating habits (diabetic) but reluctant to try new vegetables. Can you help us with this?
Keep this blog coming as I’m sure we will definitely benefit.
Cadry
Hi, Gloria! I’m glad this information has been helpful. I’ve been blogging for 9 years, and so there should be lots topics for you to cover on these pages. I recommend starting with the Being Vegan category of my blog. Happy reading and best of luck to you and your son!
Nancy
Hi Cadry! So helpful!! Always wanted to try Vegan.. maybe i will now.. you make it look ez!!! Thanks.. Nancy
Cadry
I’m glad to hear it, Nancy! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!