Time for a new challenge! Who else has resolved to eat less meat or become a vegetarian in the new year? I can top that! I have put myself namely a 30-day vegan challenge. Here you can find out how it went for me.
You probably know it too: When you don't know what to cook, you grab a piece of meat, a side dish and a salad. That's the quickest way. But I'm putting an end to it. I'm not eating meat or animal products for 30 days. Why?
Well, because I'm curious to see if I can get through this and how it feels to give up meat.
Vegan nutrition is supposed to bring many advantages. There is often talk of healthier, fitter and simply better. But how does it really feel to eat no more animal products? You can read about it here :)
Delicious: Vegan oatmeal patties
30 days vegan: My preparations
But you can't do it without a plan. After all, the refrigerator has to be cleaned out. And it should also be refilled. Because I really don't want to go on a diet.
Although you can supposedly even lose weight relatively well with a vegan diet. But I pay attention to eat enough because I am athletic. Since you need power :)
That's why I'm getting some information. A whole lot. Finally, I would like to know how it went to others with their vegan experience.
After countless blog posts and the odd book, I feel motivated and ready to start the 30 days vegan experiment.
Full of enthusiasm, I begin to distribute food that I no longer need to friends and acquaintances. A few times the eyes are turned over at my intention. My parents I tell about it times better nothing 😁 But they also do not know that you have a Pulled Pork Burger can prepare vegan.
I don't think I will miss anything. But let's see.
What disappears from my refrigerator
- Meat products of all kinds (sausage, pâtés, steaks, etc. - but I don't have any of these at home anyway, because I haven't eaten meat for a long time)
- Milk and eggs (yes, even my beloved cheese has to give way for now)
- Fish
What's left over, you ask? Much more than you would expect. Especially healthy things like vegetables, fruit, sprouts and the like. If you ban dairy products and meat from your fridge, you're already eating healthier because you're replacing them with vegetables.
The 9 biggest myths about vegan nutrition
John, who has lived vegan for 10 years, knows this too. "A balanced plant-based diet counteracts high blood pressure, is low in fat and low in calories," he tells me. It is really exciting what happens in our bodies when we no longer eat meat.
In addition, the high fiber content keeps you full for a long time. Sounds great, doesn't it? But there's more. Plants are full of natural antioxidants and thus keep us healthy.
And what's very exciting for me personally is that you become more open to new foods. I have never eaten alfalfa sprouts or mushroom spread before. By the way, both taste very tasty :)
What I don't see too strictly, however, is bread. Yes, there is bread that is vegan. I have to be honest about that: I remain faithful to my wholemeal bread from the bakery. Also honey lands 1x on my bread. Sorry. I just could not do without.
Step by step
Switching from a meat-based diet to vegan overnight is certainly anything but easy. Therefore, I start already at the beginning of December to eat no more meat. My beloved cheese, however, I remain true to the whole of December. Also the one or other egg is still on my menu.
Then one day when there were rolls at work, I didn't even think for a second about reaching for the ham. It doesn't interest me at all. And I absolutely don't miss the taste. Man is and remains simply a creature of habit. :)
My start: 30 days vegan
So. There I stand now. In front of my fridge and think about what I should eat in the next few days.
The first breakfasts without milk, meat and eggs
On day 1 and 2, avocados are on the menu in the morning. With lots of fresh vegetables: peppers, cucumber, radishes and margarine. I don't eat tomatoes - they just taste boring in winter.
The third day I get up early. Vegan pancakes. Yummy. The downside: It takes quite a long time and actually I would still like to lie in the warm bed now.
Recipe for vegan pancakes:
- 1 ripe banana
- 3 tablespoons flour
- A good shot of oat milk
- A little Cinnamon*
Preparation:
Mash the banana with a fork
Oat drink, flour and CinnamonAdd to the mixture *. Mix well with a mixer or whisk.
Off with it in the pan. Done :)
Replace milk: This is what oat drink, almond drink and co. taste like
The next few days I keep myself afloat with muesli. Sometimes mixed with oat milk, then with soy and almond milk, then an attempt with coconut milk. But how does it all actually taste?
My favorite: oat drink!
Oat drink you can imagine like "normal" milk after you have eaten a cereal and oatmeal and Co are a little in the milk. Slightly nutty and super delicious! By the way especially with Cocoa powder* mixed a highlight! And in pancakes. And simply everywhere :)
The best chocolate cupcake ever (vegan)
Surprisingly, there are big differences in taste. Depending on the brand, oat drink sometimes tastes more intense, sometimes very watery.
Almond, coconut and soy
Soy is at the very back of the list for me. I just can not make friends with the taste. Soy yogurt also falls through for me. The aftertaste is strange. Fortunately, there are alternatives.
Coconut drinks taste sweet. Since I have drastically reduced my sugar consumption for quite some time, it is too sweet for me.
And almond milk? I think it's just fine. Tastes good in muesli and cocoa. However, it can't top my oat drink.
Eat vegan for lunch
This is much easier for me than in the morning. I love fresh vegetables and even before the 30 Day Vegan Challenge there was always a huge bowl of salad on the table.
Soups have always been vegan for me. For this I use my homemade instant vegetable broth and cream soups I prepare with floury potatoes. That satiates much better anyway.
I have the advantage that we have our own kitchen at work, which is very well equipped. So you can easily cook fresh every day. That makes healthy eating much easier!
I prepare a lot of fry at home. Lentil fritters, Sweet potato fritters, vegetable loaf. Everything works without problems and can be produced in stock. Vegetable pans are also regularly on the menu.
What does tofu actually taste like?
I'll say it right up front: This is my personal opinion. Unfortunately, natural tofu does not taste good to me at all.
Neither fried, nor seasoned, natural or in other forms. I have tried them all. I'm most comfortable with tofu with lots of herbs or hot sauce. Alternatively, however, I have discovered tempeh for me, which I like to sauté with vegetables, season with soy sauce and eat noodles or rice.
Beet falafel
The recipe for the chickpea balls is enough for 2 people.
Ingredients:
- 100 g cooked chickpeas
- 40 g fresh beet
- 25 g breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon oatmeal
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt, pepper
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients except sesame seeds in a blender (I use a food processor). From the mass can now form the falafels.
Form small balls with wet hands and roll in sesame seeds.
Now fry the beet balls in a pan over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Ready. It goes well with a lamb's lettuce with homemade pomegranate dressing.
How it went for me with the 30 days vegan challenge
To list each day individually would go beyond the scope. Therefore here is a short version. If you want more info, feel free to send me an email :)
You should be prepared for eye rolls. John also warned me about this: "Always stay friendly - experience has shown that you can't avoid stupid remarks, so don't forget to wink. Good tip! And just don't tell people you know in advance won't understand.
The first week without meat and co
The first 2-3 days were no problem at all. But then I ran out of recipes. When I knew that there is avocado for breakfast again today, I lost my appetite.
Breakfast was the hardest part of the vegan challenge for me. Thinking about it in the morning when I'm not quite awake yet is no fun.
What helped me? A To Do List :)
My tip: It's best to think about what you're going to eat the next week on Saturday. That way you can get all the ingredients and never be haphazard.
Delicious vegan recipes I ate during the 30 Day Challenge, you can find here. Just click through a bit, there is a lot here that you will like.
The second week without animal products
I'm slowly getting used to it. Shopping is faster and I no longer have to think so much. In the small supermarket next door I hardly find suitable food. So I go to larger markets, here there is a good selection.
But I prepare a lot myself. It is so namely cheaper and tastes very often also better. Make hummus yourself is not witchcraft at all.
I do not get the idea to buy, taste or cook meat.
The third week vegan
Now I've got the hang of it. I work out regularly and feel in great shape. I fill up my protein stores with legumes and other vegetable protein sources.
In the evening I go out and test the vegan restaurant near my apartment. Here I take a picture of the menu. Finally again new inspirations :)
Especially mean was the day I was invited to dinner. We went to a pizzeria. As a vegan, I look through my fingers at conventional pizzas. The smell of ham and crispy cheese is in the air. My mouth is watering. Now don't go weak!
I order a pizza without cheese. It must be rare, the waiter looks at me a little questioningly. I do not care. I remained strong and proud of myself :)
Eat vegan the fourth week
In the meantime, I really feel much better. My afternoon headaches have disappeared. I am fit and full of energy. Is it just a head thing, because you read everywhere that you will feel better? I don't know. But I enjoy the newfound energy. Really amazing.
What I have noticed is that when someone eats meat near me, it often smells very strong to me. I have to make an effort not to eat the face. Except with chicken. There I could still immediately snap.
My conclusion
In my opinion, if you change your diet slowly, you have the best chance of eating healthy. Although I don't eat meat, milk or eggs, I'm never hungry. Fortunately, I have not lost any weight. However, that would have been possible without any problems.
I will pay closer attention to my diet in the future. I no longer feel so tired after lunch. And I get up much easier in the morning.
Completely do without milk is not possible for me, however. For this I love cheese much too much :) What I will continue to replace, however, is "normal" milk. I continue to reach for the oat drink.
And meat? Well, I don't really know yet. In the meantime, I keep my hands off it. If I should eat it again, I pay attention to good quality and a maximum of 1x per week meat.
By the way: Snacking also works without any problems. There are many delicious recipes without milk and egg. Like in the photo. The recipe for these delicious brownies can be found here.
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