Tuesday, June 1, 2010
ANALYSIS OF DIET AND TIPS
I started out eating ALL CARBS. This is only natural when starting a diet with no meat...most people turn right to carbs. After I got over the initial pizza and pasta hump, it was easier and easier to stay a vegetarian. My number one tip is to read the fine print and don't be afraid to ask for help. At restaurants, don't be afraid to ask the waitress for vegetarian options. And make sure you look in unexpected areas of the menu. There are tons of veggies out there who love talking about their resoning behind their decision. Talk to them. They want to talk to you!!
FIRST MONTH AND TIPS
MONDAY 4/12
oatmeal
bagel
pasta and stir fried broccoli and onions
What a carbilicious first "real" day! These are all things that I am happy to eat anyway - so not a big deal. My family also eats this meal for dinner, so the lack of meat was a non-issue. Hope it continues to be a non-issue...I feel like my dad is starting to get cranky.
TUES 4/13
honey bunches of oats
peanut butter sandwich and yogurt
white pizza
My first eating out experience. My friend and I needed to grab a quick bite, so we went to a pizza place and got it to go. HOWEVER, this pizza place is not like all the others. It has ridiculous types of pizza. My friend got chicken finger pizza (which of course, on normal circumstances, I would have loved to try). But I was content with my piece.
WED 4/14
oatmeal
pasta primavera left overs
egg plant parm sandwich
HARD DAY! Although my lunch was delicious, I was so hungry by dinner. It was the night of my concert, so my grandma and auntn came over to eat dinner and then see the concert. Ugh...dinner. My dad thoght it would be fast and easy to get deli sandwiches...at my favorite deli. I went with im and got the only veg. thing they had...eggplant parm. For some reason, I was more hungry than normal (not enough protein???), and the sandwich wasn't that good. At least theh concert was a success. Hope I won't be as hungry tomorrow.
THURS 4/15
granola with peanut putter and yogurt
bagel with cream cheese
chinese food: soy chicken and veggies
Chinese food is so compatable with vegetarians! They have a whole veggie section on the menu. Everyone in my family liked my soy chicken better than regular chicken. It was very filling, and I definitly got a great source of protein and iron (which are hard to consume on this type of diet). I will def. try to find soy meat supplements...they are delicious! Who needs meat?!
FRI 4/16
cereal and bread with peanut butter
cheese sandwich
pizza
My mood and energy went up and down all day. BAD. I would be wide awake one second, and crash a few minutes later. This is probably because all I ate were carbs--> instant energy, eventual crash. I need to have more of a balance, it's just hard in a family that consumes so many carbs because that's all my brothers eat.
SAT 4/17
bagel
veggie wrap
pasta
Veggie wrap was provided at a college tour - it was surprisingly good. I was full and satisfied. even though the carb count was bad, its getting better.
SUN 4/18
english muffin
pizza
omlet with whole grain pancakes
The dinner is from ihop and was delcious. I cannot believe the amount of pizza I have consumed - it needs to stop. Omlets are a good source of prtein though. My hunger was under control, but I was very tired by the end of theh day - having more carb crashes.
MON 4/19
cereal
bagel with cream cheese
salad with soy protein "chicken" and grains
I need to be more creative with my lunches...which is hard because I can barely function in the morning to make it. But my dinner was delicious--> lots of nutrients and protein. I was very full and satisfied afterwards. And the soy "chicken" was really good. My brother, the pickest eater in the universe, ate 4 whole pieces!
TUES 4/20
oatmeal
peanut butter sandwich
bagel and omlet
Peanut butter filled me up. I ran 3 miles, so the bagel felt food to eat after. My dinner was very filling and delicious. But the food was pretty boring--> so many bagels and pizza.
WED 4/21
oatmeal
bagel
eggplant parm and spagetti squash
Bagel...bleh. Dinner was good. My dad refused to eat it, and keeps telling me that my diet is silly. He doesn't understand. The spagetti squash was too crunch, but it was ok. Hopefully next time we can cook it the right amount of time.
THURS 4/22
cereal
eggplant parm sandwich
pizza
Too many carbs! Hard to eat in a family that lives soley on pizza. I met with my mentor, and she gave me so many good ideas: spinach = iron, tempeh = iron/protein, etc. She also gave me cookbooks and a veggie magazine. She's the best!
FRI 4/23- SUN 4/25
NFTY weekend. Stayed at a summer camp all weekend, so I had to eat the meals that the camp provided. However, I was signed up vegetarian, so it was fine. The meals were as follows:
veggie lasagna/salad
french toast
pizza
pasta with veggie sause
bagels
OK - so the food wasn't so balanced. But I was with all of my friends and wasn' treally thinking about food. I will get back on track tomorrow. It was easy to be a veg. there - not only was I surrounded by other vegetarians, but all the meals were planned 0 I didn't have to think about it. Hopefully, if this lifestyle is continued, college will be an easy atmosphere to stay a veg.
MON 4/26
oatmeal
salad with cashews and cheese
barrito with beans, rice, corn, guac, cheese, and salsa
So much variety! Mu lunch and dinner were very filling. Coming off of a very tiring nweekend, I was surprisingly awake. I think the protein/iron I got today helped my alertness. Point for me!
TUES 4/27
oatmeal
leftover barrito
tempeh/tofu tacos
The food today was delicious! Not only did it taste good...it was also filling. for dinner, my mom usually makes tacos with turkey meat - so I used tempeh (soy protein) and tofu to mix with the taco seasoning. I liked it better than meat! My brother liked it too - he ate two whole tacos! I'm slowly converting the family!
WED 4/28
oatmeal
tempeh/tofu sandwich
endless soup, salad, and breadsticks from Fridays
My leftover lunch was just as good as my dinner the night before. Dinner tonight was slightly challenging. Fridays, a very meaty restaurant, had maybe 3 things ont he menu with no meat. I was going to get all side dishes as my meal, but then the waitress showed me this endless soup, salad, breadstick combo (I couldn't find it because it waso on the lunch menu and in VERY small pring it said for $2 more it can be a dinner). What a great find! My dinner was delicious! That's my top of the day for all vegetarians dining out: read the small print and look in unexpected places.
THURS 4/29
oatmeal
bagel
pizza
Another carb-filled day...but I ran 3.2 miles! The bagel I had for lunch gave me enough energy to be able to run after an exhausting day. My family and I went out for dinner to a pizza place after my brother's baseball game, so I didn't really have a choice. I only had one piece though and a salad. Of course days like today will happen, but I need to continue to watch my carbs.
FRI 4/30
cereal andbread with peanut butter
cheese sandwich
veggie burger
WHat I thought was going to have been my biggest challenge thus far was actually very easy. I tackled baseball stadium food! Turns out that they have tons of veggie options (salads, knishes, etc.). I got a veggie burger...and so did my mom! WEIRD! Maybe I'm turning her! My veg. burger was really good! And I was full for the rest of the night. And I have now officially conquered baseball food! Point for me!
SAT 5/1
bagel and omlet
magic grill pasta with stirfry veggies
I woke up late, as do most teenagers on the weekends, so I decided to make myself a brunch of a bagel and a cheese omlet. For dinner, I went out with my friends to Magic Grill...so easy to eat there! I put broccoli, onions, peppers, pasta, garlic, and tofu in my bowl. Delicious!
SUN 5/2
bagel and eggs
veggie burder
My brunch was the same as the day before (except my omlet turned out to be more like scrambled eggs). I went to Trader Joes today and got veggie burders with a hint of tomato and mozarella. So good! I fit right in with the family bbq.
MON 5/3
cereal
veggie burder
pasta with tofu and pesto and stir friend broccoli
My lunch and dinner were delicious, but I am starting to have stomach problems. Every day at around 3 my stomach starts to hurt. I am going to the doctor tomorrow, so I will ask her about it. But the quality of food is still great. This is my only complaint.
TUES 5/4
cereal and bread with peanut butter
eggplant/red pepper/goat cheese sandwich
pizza
I treated myself to lunch at Feast Catering. They have so many vegetarian options! My sandwich was absolutly delicious. I also had my physical today - so I asked the doctor about my stomach problems. She said its normal for my body to go thorough changes (and this is a drastic one) and that the stomach ache could be my body adjusting. Tofu is also hard to digest for some people. I will keep watching my body to see if it gets worse.
WED 5/5
granola with yogurt and peanut butter
greek salad
chinese food: tofu stirfry with cashews
Once again, very easy to eat Asian food. My dinner was delicious and very filling. My stomach didn't hurt me today - so that's good news. I had good variety in my diet today - and I feel good about it.
THURS 5/6
cereal
bagel
stuffed pizza
Lots of carbs - but that's what you get when you travel to Chicago! The carbs were a necessary part of this vacation - and the stuffed pizza was beyond delicious!
FRI 5/7
cheese, broccoli, and onion omlet
veggie sandwich
tofu dinner
Luckally, my cousins (who's wedding we are going to in Chicago) are HUGE vegetarians - who inspired me. So, their wedding tomorrow will be all veg. and their prenup. dinner had veg. options. My huge breakfast made me not so hungry for lunch, but I ate anyway. Dinner was gross though, unfortunatly. The hotel, I assume, does not coiok tofu often - it was plain on top of fauce and tasted like raw tofu.
SAT 5/8
flat top grill stirfry
chicago pizza/pasta/dessert
Wedding day! Lunch was great - we went to a place just like Magic Grill - only so much better! They had so many veggie mix-ins. I mixed in veggie tempeh. The wedding food was amazing, as was the wedding. I will be full for weeks! So nice to be surrounded by vegetarian environmental lovers.
SUN 5/9
big brunch - french toast, bagel, pound cake, fruit
pizza
The brunch was provided by the wedding hosts and it was delicious and all vegetarian. Dinner -that was a different story. I had to find veg. airport food. ALl of the veggie wraps were only served as "breakfast wraps" which stopped being made by 10AM. The only thing with no meat in it in the terminal was a Wolfgang Puck pesto and 4 cheese pizza. It was delicious, but not nutricious. Oh well, it was an airport, can't really expect much.
MON 5/10
oatmeal
cheese/pesto sandwich
falafel sandwich/corn/veggies
My lunch was delicious, but my dinner was better! Falafel is very healthy and has tons of nutrients. I felt great today, still loving the vegetarianism. Coming off of a weekend filled with environmental lovers, I am still inspired. Good food day - lots of energy.
TUES 5/11
oatmeal
salad with nuts
Tinga veggie barrito
The salad I made myself for lunch was delicious. I was also plesently surprised by the vegetarian options at Tinga. There is a whole veggie section. I got a California buritto, which was really good and very filling. Good to know that Mexican food is a good veg. option. Also, today is my ONE MONTH anniversary. I'm just going to continue though. I'll write down what I eat too. This experience has not proven to be too difficult - and I love feeling like I am making a difference.
oatmeal
bagel
pasta and stir fried broccoli and onions
What a carbilicious first "real" day! These are all things that I am happy to eat anyway - so not a big deal. My family also eats this meal for dinner, so the lack of meat was a non-issue. Hope it continues to be a non-issue...I feel like my dad is starting to get cranky.
TUES 4/13
honey bunches of oats
peanut butter sandwich and yogurt
white pizza
My first eating out experience. My friend and I needed to grab a quick bite, so we went to a pizza place and got it to go. HOWEVER, this pizza place is not like all the others. It has ridiculous types of pizza. My friend got chicken finger pizza (which of course, on normal circumstances, I would have loved to try). But I was content with my piece.
WED 4/14
oatmeal
pasta primavera left overs
egg plant parm sandwich
HARD DAY! Although my lunch was delicious, I was so hungry by dinner. It was the night of my concert, so my grandma and auntn came over to eat dinner and then see the concert. Ugh...dinner. My dad thoght it would be fast and easy to get deli sandwiches...at my favorite deli. I went with im and got the only veg. thing they had...eggplant parm. For some reason, I was more hungry than normal (not enough protein???), and the sandwich wasn't that good. At least theh concert was a success. Hope I won't be as hungry tomorrow.
THURS 4/15
granola with peanut putter and yogurt
bagel with cream cheese
chinese food: soy chicken and veggies
Chinese food is so compatable with vegetarians! They have a whole veggie section on the menu. Everyone in my family liked my soy chicken better than regular chicken. It was very filling, and I definitly got a great source of protein and iron (which are hard to consume on this type of diet). I will def. try to find soy meat supplements...they are delicious! Who needs meat?!
FRI 4/16
cereal and bread with peanut butter
cheese sandwich
pizza
My mood and energy went up and down all day. BAD. I would be wide awake one second, and crash a few minutes later. This is probably because all I ate were carbs--> instant energy, eventual crash. I need to have more of a balance, it's just hard in a family that consumes so many carbs because that's all my brothers eat.
SAT 4/17
bagel
veggie wrap
pasta
Veggie wrap was provided at a college tour - it was surprisingly good. I was full and satisfied. even though the carb count was bad, its getting better.
SUN 4/18
english muffin
pizza
omlet with whole grain pancakes
The dinner is from ihop and was delcious. I cannot believe the amount of pizza I have consumed - it needs to stop. Omlets are a good source of prtein though. My hunger was under control, but I was very tired by the end of theh day - having more carb crashes.
MON 4/19
cereal
bagel with cream cheese
salad with soy protein "chicken" and grains
I need to be more creative with my lunches...which is hard because I can barely function in the morning to make it. But my dinner was delicious--> lots of nutrients and protein. I was very full and satisfied afterwards. And the soy "chicken" was really good. My brother, the pickest eater in the universe, ate 4 whole pieces!
TUES 4/20
oatmeal
peanut butter sandwich
bagel and omlet
Peanut butter filled me up. I ran 3 miles, so the bagel felt food to eat after. My dinner was very filling and delicious. But the food was pretty boring--> so many bagels and pizza.
WED 4/21
oatmeal
bagel
eggplant parm and spagetti squash
Bagel...bleh. Dinner was good. My dad refused to eat it, and keeps telling me that my diet is silly. He doesn't understand. The spagetti squash was too crunch, but it was ok. Hopefully next time we can cook it the right amount of time.
THURS 4/22
cereal
eggplant parm sandwich
pizza
Too many carbs! Hard to eat in a family that lives soley on pizza. I met with my mentor, and she gave me so many good ideas: spinach = iron, tempeh = iron/protein, etc. She also gave me cookbooks and a veggie magazine. She's the best!
FRI 4/23- SUN 4/25
NFTY weekend. Stayed at a summer camp all weekend, so I had to eat the meals that the camp provided. However, I was signed up vegetarian, so it was fine. The meals were as follows:
veggie lasagna/salad
french toast
pizza
pasta with veggie sause
bagels
OK - so the food wasn't so balanced. But I was with all of my friends and wasn' treally thinking about food. I will get back on track tomorrow. It was easy to be a veg. there - not only was I surrounded by other vegetarians, but all the meals were planned 0 I didn't have to think about it. Hopefully, if this lifestyle is continued, college will be an easy atmosphere to stay a veg.
MON 4/26
oatmeal
salad with cashews and cheese
barrito with beans, rice, corn, guac, cheese, and salsa
So much variety! Mu lunch and dinner were very filling. Coming off of a very tiring nweekend, I was surprisingly awake. I think the protein/iron I got today helped my alertness. Point for me!
TUES 4/27
oatmeal
leftover barrito
tempeh/tofu tacos
The food today was delicious! Not only did it taste good...it was also filling. for dinner, my mom usually makes tacos with turkey meat - so I used tempeh (soy protein) and tofu to mix with the taco seasoning. I liked it better than meat! My brother liked it too - he ate two whole tacos! I'm slowly converting the family!
WED 4/28
oatmeal
tempeh/tofu sandwich
endless soup, salad, and breadsticks from Fridays
My leftover lunch was just as good as my dinner the night before. Dinner tonight was slightly challenging. Fridays, a very meaty restaurant, had maybe 3 things ont he menu with no meat. I was going to get all side dishes as my meal, but then the waitress showed me this endless soup, salad, breadstick combo (I couldn't find it because it waso on the lunch menu and in VERY small pring it said for $2 more it can be a dinner). What a great find! My dinner was delicious! That's my top of the day for all vegetarians dining out: read the small print and look in unexpected places.
THURS 4/29
oatmeal
bagel
pizza
Another carb-filled day...but I ran 3.2 miles! The bagel I had for lunch gave me enough energy to be able to run after an exhausting day. My family and I went out for dinner to a pizza place after my brother's baseball game, so I didn't really have a choice. I only had one piece though and a salad. Of course days like today will happen, but I need to continue to watch my carbs.
FRI 4/30
cereal andbread with peanut butter
cheese sandwich
veggie burger
WHat I thought was going to have been my biggest challenge thus far was actually very easy. I tackled baseball stadium food! Turns out that they have tons of veggie options (salads, knishes, etc.). I got a veggie burger...and so did my mom! WEIRD! Maybe I'm turning her! My veg. burger was really good! And I was full for the rest of the night. And I have now officially conquered baseball food! Point for me!
SAT 5/1
bagel and omlet
magic grill pasta with stirfry veggies
I woke up late, as do most teenagers on the weekends, so I decided to make myself a brunch of a bagel and a cheese omlet. For dinner, I went out with my friends to Magic Grill...so easy to eat there! I put broccoli, onions, peppers, pasta, garlic, and tofu in my bowl. Delicious!
SUN 5/2
bagel and eggs
veggie burder
My brunch was the same as the day before (except my omlet turned out to be more like scrambled eggs). I went to Trader Joes today and got veggie burders with a hint of tomato and mozarella. So good! I fit right in with the family bbq.
MON 5/3
cereal
veggie burder
pasta with tofu and pesto and stir friend broccoli
My lunch and dinner were delicious, but I am starting to have stomach problems. Every day at around 3 my stomach starts to hurt. I am going to the doctor tomorrow, so I will ask her about it. But the quality of food is still great. This is my only complaint.
TUES 5/4
cereal and bread with peanut butter
eggplant/red pepper/goat cheese sandwich
pizza
I treated myself to lunch at Feast Catering. They have so many vegetarian options! My sandwich was absolutly delicious. I also had my physical today - so I asked the doctor about my stomach problems. She said its normal for my body to go thorough changes (and this is a drastic one) and that the stomach ache could be my body adjusting. Tofu is also hard to digest for some people. I will keep watching my body to see if it gets worse.
WED 5/5
granola with yogurt and peanut butter
greek salad
chinese food: tofu stirfry with cashews
Once again, very easy to eat Asian food. My dinner was delicious and very filling. My stomach didn't hurt me today - so that's good news. I had good variety in my diet today - and I feel good about it.
THURS 5/6
cereal
bagel
stuffed pizza
Lots of carbs - but that's what you get when you travel to Chicago! The carbs were a necessary part of this vacation - and the stuffed pizza was beyond delicious!
FRI 5/7
cheese, broccoli, and onion omlet
veggie sandwich
tofu dinner
Luckally, my cousins (who's wedding we are going to in Chicago) are HUGE vegetarians - who inspired me. So, their wedding tomorrow will be all veg. and their prenup. dinner had veg. options. My huge breakfast made me not so hungry for lunch, but I ate anyway. Dinner was gross though, unfortunatly. The hotel, I assume, does not coiok tofu often - it was plain on top of fauce and tasted like raw tofu.
SAT 5/8
flat top grill stirfry
chicago pizza/pasta/dessert
Wedding day! Lunch was great - we went to a place just like Magic Grill - only so much better! They had so many veggie mix-ins. I mixed in veggie tempeh. The wedding food was amazing, as was the wedding. I will be full for weeks! So nice to be surrounded by vegetarian environmental lovers.
SUN 5/9
big brunch - french toast, bagel, pound cake, fruit
pizza
The brunch was provided by the wedding hosts and it was delicious and all vegetarian. Dinner -that was a different story. I had to find veg. airport food. ALl of the veggie wraps were only served as "breakfast wraps" which stopped being made by 10AM. The only thing with no meat in it in the terminal was a Wolfgang Puck pesto and 4 cheese pizza. It was delicious, but not nutricious. Oh well, it was an airport, can't really expect much.
MON 5/10
oatmeal
cheese/pesto sandwich
falafel sandwich/corn/veggies
My lunch was delicious, but my dinner was better! Falafel is very healthy and has tons of nutrients. I felt great today, still loving the vegetarianism. Coming off of a weekend filled with environmental lovers, I am still inspired. Good food day - lots of energy.
TUES 5/11
oatmeal
salad with nuts
Tinga veggie barrito
The salad I made myself for lunch was delicious. I was also plesently surprised by the vegetarian options at Tinga. There is a whole veggie section. I got a California buritto, which was really good and very filling. Good to know that Mexican food is a good veg. option. Also, today is my ONE MONTH anniversary. I'm just going to continue though. I'll write down what I eat too. This experience has not proven to be too difficult - and I love feeling like I am making a difference.
Day 1: The Unexpected Begining
SUNDAY 4/11
I woke up just like any other morning, except I was at my grandmother's house. It is the weekend of my cousin's wedding shower, so my mom and I went up to NY. I had home-made banana bread for breakfast. Lunch, after we said "surprise", was all vegetarian - because my cousin is a very active veg. Eggplant parm, pasta primavera, two types of salads, bread, pene votka, and chocolate mousse cake. There was no room for dinner. Tonight, after returning home to New Jersey, I realize that today can be day one of my veg. journey. With the inspirational words from my cousin )who knows that this is my project), I am ready to begin.
I woke up just like any other morning, except I was at my grandmother's house. It is the weekend of my cousin's wedding shower, so my mom and I went up to NY. I had home-made banana bread for breakfast. Lunch, after we said "surprise", was all vegetarian - because my cousin is a very active veg. Eggplant parm, pasta primavera, two types of salads, bread, pene votka, and chocolate mousse cake. There was no room for dinner. Tonight, after returning home to New Jersey, I realize that today can be day one of my veg. journey. With the inspirational words from my cousin )who knows that this is my project), I am ready to begin.
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