In my previous post about how my husband and I came to the plant based lifestyle, I wrote about our plan to first give up beef, pork and lamb (four-legged animals) for 30-days, then give up poultry (two-legged) for the next 30-days and so on until we were entirely plant based.
We ended up skipping phases 2 through 4 after watching the impactful documentaries I mentioned in that post and doing our own research. We decided that the only way to find out if the plant based/vegan lifestyle was for us was to jump in and try it!
Once that decision was made, we went to work on transitioning to a plant based lifestyle. We had to figure out how to shop, cook and eat out in a new way.
Stocking the Pantry, Fridge and Freezer
Since we were plant based newbies, I chose dishes that were already familiar to me, uncomplicated and didn’t require lots of ingredients.
We went to a health food grocery store in Truckee, where we were staying in our RV, and bought enough plant based foods to get us through several days. I bought Kite Hill vegan raviolis and tortellini, pre-made vegan pesto sauce, tomato sauce, Beyond Meat Burgers, Gardein plant based meatballs, dry pastas, beans for making chili and Upton’s vegan chorizo for tacos and burritos, and vegan cheeses – sliced and shredded. I also bought lots of vegetables and fruit, something we did before we became plant based.
Once we arrived home a couple days later, I went through our pantry, fridge and freezer, gathered up all the dairy and meat products and gave them away to family.
Since we were only home for four days before getting on the road again (going to annual doctor’s appointments), I went to work right away on stocking up for our next RV trip.
This is an overview what I packed in the RV:
Canned Beans: mostly garbanzo, kidney and black but I also bought adzuki, navy and pinto.
Dry Beans: all types of lentils. They are easy to cook so no need to buy them canned unless you want to.
Grains: rice (brown, white, basmati), pasta, quinoa, oatmeal, barley
Breads: bagels, sourdough, whole wheat bread, tortillas, pita
Nuts: lots of nuts! Almost all of them unsalted and raw with a few exceptions like pistachios and almonds
Fats: avocado oil, olive oil, Miyokos vegan butter, peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, hummus
Frozen: veggie burgers, spinach, fruit for smoothies, peas, frozen plant based treats like popsicles, vegan ice cream
Dried fruits: dates, prunes, raisins, cherries, apricots, blueberries
Other: nutritional yeast, lots of spices and dried herbs, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, balsamic, soy sauce, salsa, vegan chocolate
Cookbooks: I ordered a few cookbooks before we left on our RV trip. I bought How Not to Diet Cookbook, How Not to Die Cookbook and America’s Test Kitchen’s Vegan for Everybody. I also asked my stepdaughter Tori for meal ideas (she’s vegan) and spent lots of time browsing Instagram and websites for recipes.
Processed vegan foods: I don’t love eating lots of any kind of processed foods but I did rely on them initially to get me through the phase of familiarizing myself. As I became more comfortable cooking plant based, I made my own dishes and bought fewer prepared/processed foods.
Dining Out
I want to start by saying that we rarely dine out or even do take out. I prefer to make our meals. Aside from that, we are retired and on a fixed income and want to stay that way. Dining out can really add up if you’re not careful. We do eat restaurant food on occasion, usually when visiting Tori and her boyfriend in Portland.
Portland is plant based paradise! There are so many vegan options, it’s head spinning. We’ve had fantastic pizza in Portland as well as middle-eastern food.
But our very favorite vegan meal was at Blossoming Lotus. If you find yourself in Portland, go! Even if you’re not vegan. The flavors, presentation and creativity are phenomenal.
In other parts of the country, vegan options aren’t as plentiful. If you dine out in a restaurant that doesn’t have vegan selections, a green salad dressed with lemon wedges and/or balsamic vinegar, french fries fried in vegetable oil and pasta with tomato sauce and veggies are decent choices. You’ll have to ask your server for dairy-free and meat-free options.
Six Months Later
This coming Thursday marks six months of eating plant based. Neither Bill nor I feel like we’re missing out by eliminating dairy and meats from our diets. It’s just the opposite! Eating plant based has opened up a whole new world of food enjoyment for us. We love all the new-to-us flavors and textures plant based eating has to offer.
I have come a long way in my cooking skills and have graduated to coming up with a few of my own dishes. There is still so much to learn about plant based cooking. I am looking forward to growing my skills this year. I plan on learning to make my own veggies burgers, plant based yogurts, ice cream and even ribs (yes, there is such a thing!). Cooking was once such a drag for me. Now it’s exciting!
In my next post about our plant based lifestyle, I will discuss the benefits we have experienced these last six months, a couple things we have to watch out for, my favorite cookbooks and a recipe or two.
Adrienne
Following this with interest.
Your blog has inspired some mega changes in my life. Thank you!
Hi Mary, I am so happy to hear that! You are most welcome and happy new year!
I have been vegetarian for more than 40 years and fully plant based for almost 5. Most people think eating plant based is restrictive but I always say the exact same thing you did, that it opens up a whole new world of foods and I am convinced I eat a wider variety now. I became vegetarian in 1980 when there were no faux meat products on the market and I relied on beans and legumes. I made a lot of soups and casseroles and nut loaves. I still prefer them and rarely eat veggie meats. I think they are helpful for transitioning to eating less or no meat. It took me a long time to commit to being 100% plant based even though I began experimenting with vegan recipes 10 years before I finally did. I thought I would miss cheese, but I really don’t. I love that you are inspiring many to make better choices for themselves and the planet. And I look forward to more of your posts on minimalizing. Also timely in this era of consumerism.
Hi Violet, Wow! Forty years. That is inspiring! When my stepdaughter announced she was vegan a little over 4 years ago, I would feel almost sorry for her, thinking about her life without eating cheese and burgers and fish and butter. I used to think it must be terribly dull and bland and a life without the pleasures of eating good food. Boy, was I completely wrong on all accounts!
My husband is the one who pointed out how exciting it is to eat all these new foods with unique flavors and textures. It’s true! And I find myself cooking different, new-to-me cuisines like Moroccan and more Asian dishes.
I bet it’s strange for you to see all the plant based products that are out there now and becoming somewhat mainstream.
I am ready to stop relying on store bought meats this year. I have already subbed out frozen “ground beef” for TVP and I don’t notice a different in flavor or texture. It’s so much cheaper and easier to use.
I want to try a nut loaf too. I have been eyeing some recipes.
I thought I would miss cheese too but I don’t. I buy vegan cheeses – parmesan, sliced cheddar, mozzarella for vegan pizzas. But I would be fine without them too. I am surprised by how good some cheeses are (a lot are really bad too!). Thank you for your comment. I enjoyed reading it! Adrienne
Very interested to learn more from you. And to prepare more plant based meals in my home this year. xo
Hi Juliet, Happy New Year!
I am so glad to hear you want to make more plant based meals. Hopefully the recipes I post later this week and some more cookbook recommendations will help you a bit!
So inspiring. I love cooking and always used that as my reason for not going plant-based. You just proved to me that really was just an excuse.
Hi Vanessa, Happy New Year!
While there is a learning curve in switching from cooking your usual way vs. plant based, it’s really more about making adjustments and buying a few things that you wouldn’t normally. I have taken some go-to recipes that involve meat and simply replaced the meat with something else. I have two or three recipes I will posting later this week that do just that. So you’re cooking a recipe you know so well, you could do it in your sleep – but just changing an ingredient or two. For me, this built up my plant based cooking confidence and took the complicated and intimidating parts right out of the equation!
Congrats Adrienne on going vegan! It is a lot easier when you aren’t working full time and have the time to devote to it. Your grocery list sounds a lot like mine. We do eat salmon probably more than any other meat. I have a lot of Mexican recipes that are vegan and the soy chorizo isn’t bad! I had no idea America’s Test Kitchen had a vegan cookbook, will definitely be trying that one out. If the Vegan Pinto Bean Beet Burger isn’t in there, there is a ATK YouTube video on how to make them and I also found the recipe online. They are probably my favorite vegan burger and it makes 8 burgers and I usually freeze half of them. I have tried the sriracha mayo sauce with it which is very good as well. I serve them on a Brioche bun…yum!!
It is much easier to eat PB when you’re not working or committed to taking care of kids or other family members. I love to make Mexican food vegan – we had delicious tacos last night using soy curls. Have you had soy curls before?
I will look for the pinto burger. I do want to find a recipe for burgers that I can freeze and take with us on our RV trips. We usually stock up on Dr. Praegers at Costco when they have them in stock but I am kind of tired of them. And I know I can do better – both in taste and ingredients. I will look the video up today. Thank you!
Question – can you taste the beets in the pinto burger? Bill cannot stand beets but I love them. If he tastes them, he won’t eat the burger. He’s not a fussy eater but he draws the line at beets and Brussel sprouts.
Tony & I can’t taste them…there are so many other flavors you don’t notice. I do not cook them on medium high heat because they start to burn (I try to use less oil than the recipe calls for and use a nonstick pan) Definitely cook them the full 5 minutes on each side. Tony does not like beets either unless they are very small chopped up in a salad. He is not a fussy eater either but does not like sweet potatoes or yams. Especially at Thanksgiving!
I haven’t had soy curls before, where did you buy them?
Thank you for the tips about the burgers. I might make them and not tell Bill about the beets. I don’t usually like to do that but if he can’t taste them, why not? They are so healthy for us.
Soy curls are not easy to find in stores so I buy them online. I like Butlers – you can find them on amazon. I also bought some called Soy Jock but I haven’t tried them yet. They are dehydrated so you soak them in water for 10 minutes – no longer that than – drain and the treat like chicken strips. You can season them after they’re drained or right in the fry pan. I have made fajitas with them, chicken noodle soup, and stir fry. I cook them in the air fryer when making tacos.
Also ATK Black Bean burgers are good too! They do have egg but I am sure you could substitute.
Thank you for the recommendation! I will look that one up. It is hard to find a veggie burger that you can bake rather than pan fry. I am trying to cut down on oils. I will check that one out and see if it fits the bill! Happy New Year, to you, Tony and family!
The Black Bean Burgers do use a little oil, but it isn’t too bad. Also on a non-stick pan. Happy New Year to you, Bill and family as well! 🙂
Hi Linda, I just thought of something – I could put the in the air fryer! I only need a tiny bit of oil that way.
I picked up the ATK Vegan Cookbook at the library today. I want to test it out a little before I buy. I already found a tofu stir fry that sounds really good. I did see that both veggie burgers I mentioned are in there. 🙂
Great idea to check it out first before buying. The lasagne recipe is terrific. I made it for Christmas dinner one year when Tori was visiting – a couple years before I went PB- and I loved it. There is also a chickpea salad with arugula that’s delicious.
If you don’t mind, please write more about how you actually stick to the switch and what you think enables you to stay on track. Though I’ve been vegetarian for at least 25 years and though I totally understand the health and environmental importance of going vegan, I find it tough to stick to the vegan/whole foods thing. It’s all the typical reasons – it being hard to give up cheese, social settings, temptations in restaurants, old cravings, etc. Maybe because I’ve always eaten plenty of produce and healthy foods and have been vegetarian for so long, I don’t have your same experience of being struck by the newness of vegan options. Thank you!
I had to ask my husband about this one. We both think we stick with the plan so well for a few reasons.
Mainly, we have conditioned ourselves to abstain from meat and dairy because we gave up alcohol almost 2 years ago. Alcohol, as you would expect, is an “either you drink or you don’t drink” thing and if you become flexible with your abstention, before you know it, you’re back to drinking every day. I experienced this a couple of times with drinking on previous attempts at curbing my alcohol consumption.
As far as living 100% plant based, being flexible with it wouldn’t cause the same scary issues that alcohol would for us (that said, I know that cheese can be addictive). We have become very committed to our lifestyle changes and I do believe that can be akin to building a muscle. We’re using that muscle to stick to our plant based lifestyle – and now it’s become ingrained. Currently, we are using that muscle to do a month long shopping freeze on everything non essential.
So may I suggest a challenge? I LOVE challenges and every big change I have made began with a 30-day challenge. If you want to try that, find a time frame that works for you (1 week? 30 days?) and just focus on PB for that period of time. If you find yourself in a social setting or dining out and you’re tempted, tell yourself you’re only passing on it for one month. Try hard to not think beyond your time period.
When you get through your challenge successfully, you will feel proud of yourself and you’ll have begun building that muscle. Reassess if a PB lifestyle is for you, and if it is, go for the next 30 days or whatever time frame you choose, and so on. One thing about cheese for me – meat products too – the more time that passes from the last time I ate real cheese, the better the vegan stuff tastes to me. I have sort of forgotten what real cheese tastes like. I also don’t feel like I have to have any cheese in my life except on pizza and even that may change someday.
Belated thanks for taking the time to share. I never thought about the connection between giving up one addiction (alcohol) and giving up animal-based foods. That’s very interesting, and it’s wise of you to apply lessons from one to the other. I will consider a challenge! It will need to start with purging my kitchen of non-vegan foods. I’ve learned that willpower alone isn’t enough, and if it’s in my home, I’ll eat it.
It’s so true. I have been feeling anxious lately and find myself wanting to eat things that aren’t great for me. Thankfully, the worst thing I could find was unsalted tortilla chips and some guacamole. Sometimes I overdo it on dried fruit and nuts. So nothing terrible.
However, I did have dairy free Ben and Jerry’s in the house right after new years – 3 pints! It was starting to become a problem for both of us – not sleeping great after eating it, feeling sluggish – so I tossed the last one that was 3/4 full. I hate to waste food but it was just too much sugar. Lesson learned!