Three weeks into eating plant-based, I’m finally starting to feel like this way of eating is becoming second nature. This week included Disney Springs meals, a new puppy, continued improvements in recovery and running pace, and even fewer challenges than I expected.
Life Lately
We have a new puppy!
Petey came to us from a local breeder last weekend, joining our other dog, Maisey, as part of our family. We love him so much, but there have definitely been some adjustments.
Our busy schedule remains, but I’ve been hesitant to stay out too long. So instead of dropping our daughter at rehearsal and sticking around to grab dinner nearby, we’ve been heading home for a bit to eat a quick dinner. This has required some extra planning, but I’m loving the extra time with our new little boy.
We also celebrated Mother’s Day on Sunday, opting not to go to the beach as originally planned so we wouldn’t leave the puppy for too long. Instead, we went to an Asian restaurant in Disney Springs, which I’ll describe in the next section.
What I Ate
For Mother’s Day, we had a late lunch at Morimoto Asia followed by ice cream at Salt & Straw.
I’m finding that most Asian restaurants have something I can eat other than salad, and this was no different.
I ordered the Stir-Fried Tofu Medley, which consisted of vegetables and tofu in a delicious sauce. I ate all of the tofu and about half of the vegetables before I was full.
I enjoyed the meal so much that I opted to take the leftovers home and added my own tofu for lunch the next day.
Salt & Straw is a specialty ice cream shop that offers unique monthly flavors along with an assortment of vegan flavors as well. I love stopping there anytime we’re at Disney Springs.
One of the monthly flavors for May is a favorite of mine, but unfortunately it’s not vegan. I chose a strawberry coconut sherbet instead, which I enjoyed, though admittedly not quite as much as the other flavor. I’m looking forward to trying more of their vegan offerings in the future.
Other than our Mother’s Day outing, I’ve been focused on simple go-to meals at home.
Breakfast is usually oatmeal with fruit and walnuts or a protein pancake with fruit. Lunch and dinner favorites right now are roasted vegetables with a black bean burger or crispy tofu with broccoli and brown rice topped with teriyaki sauce.
What’s Working
After the initial two weeks of finding my way with this new way of eating, I’m starting to feel like I’m finally getting the hang of things.
I’m finding foods I enjoy and keeping staples like fresh fruit, vegetables, tofu, and beans in the house so I can easily prepare meals.
It’s not often that my whole family is home for dinner, but when we are, I prepare a meal we can all eat while swapping out animal products for something plant-based for myself. For example, I’ll make pasta with meat sauce for my family but top my own pasta with vegan pesto and tofu.
My energy and recovery continue to improve, and my sleep has been great, even with a new puppy in the house.
I’m also noticing that my running pace is improving without me really trying to go faster. Nothing monumental, but I’m definitely running a bit quicker.
What’s Been Challenging
I’ll be honest here, I didn’t find many challenges this week.
I feel like I’ve gotten into a groove with preparing foods I enjoy at home as well as finding plant-based meals when we eat at restaurants and order takeout.
I have encountered a few menus that don’t clearly specify whether items that might be vegan actually are.
This isn’t a problem when I’m physically at a restaurant because I can simply ask, but it becomes more challenging when ordering takeout.
For example, my daughter really loves a local ramen restaurant, but it’s unclear whether any of their options are vegan-friendly. I’ve been avoiding ordering from there because of this, but I may stop in next week while I’m in the area to ask.
I’m aware that eating this way was my choice, and I’m working hard not to impact my family, who are all very much committed to continuing to eat animal-based foods.
What Surprised Me
You would think having fewer menu options might cause some frustration, but I’m actually finding that it’s making my life easier.
I don’t spend too much time deciding what I want because there are typically only a few options available to me.
At Morimoto Asia, for example, there were three entrée options I could choose from. Two were vegetable-based and one included tofu, so I chose the tofu option.
The decision took about ten seconds while the rest of my family continued looking over the menu.
There’s actually something kind of freeing about that simplicity.
Biggest Takeaways
I’m focusing more on foods I enjoy than what I might be missing out on. Instead of focusing on not being able to eat one of my favorite ice cream flavors, I used it as an opportunity to try something new and simply enjoy time with my family.
The more vegetables I include, the better I seem to feel. Many of the resources I’ve found encourage vegans to eat whole foods and plenty of fruits and vegetables to ensure adequate nutrition.
Because of that, I’ve added a vegan protein shake blended with fruit, spinach, flax seeds, and frozen cauliflower. Smoothies and shakes make it easy to get in more nutrients than I could reasonably eat in one sitting, and it’s become the perfect post-run snack.
Looking Ahead
I’ll be home more for meals next week as my daughter’s rehearsal schedule is beginning to calm down a bit.
I may try some new foods or recipes to continue expanding my list of easy go-to meals.
We’re also planning to try a new Indian restaurant over the weekend, and I’m looking forward to exploring some new foods and flavors.