Pea Mail: Vegan to Go
I get a lot of email. True, most messages are from the UK National Lottery with my millions of pounds in winnings or Zakabi Soyoba with a remarkable business opportunity. What can I say? I’m a lucky woman.
Once in awhile, I get a really great question from a reader that I think everyone might benefit from having the answer to, or that I can at least make a convincing case that I have a halfway intelligent answer to. Today was one of those days.
Hi mama pea! I'm transitioning from vegetarian to vegan, and am reallllly struggling with things to order. Maybe you could do a post on veganism? I always struggle with what lunch to pack for work, what to order at restaurants, etc. I have been feeling so great now that I've been eating a vegan diet, i'm just starting to get bummed out when I can't figure out what to eat. Thanks for the help! Lisa in Philadelphia
Great question, right? So while this post may not contain your usual dose of potty jokes, it will contain some useful information for those of you transitioning to veganism or simply wanting to know what options are out there if you wish to have an animal-free meal on the go.
I’ll start by saying that MOST restaurants can be made vegan friendly, yet as a health conscious individual I’ve resigned myself to the fact that eating out isn’t always the best choice. Still, I’ve found with some creative planning, it IS possible to be a healthy vegan on the go.
Breakfast
There are actually a lot of good vegan breakfast choices to either pick up or take with you on the go. Smoothies and green juices travel easily, as do Baked Oatmeal Squares, Anytime Cookies and Vegan Energy Bars.
If you feel like shelling out your hard earned dollars to a corporate establishment, you can always hit up Starbucks for their Perfect Oatmeal or Jamba Juice for an All Fruit Smoothie. If, like me, you want to balance your protein with your carbs, you can plan ahead by bringing a scoop of your favorite vegan protein powder to mix into your oatmeal or smoothie.
Okay, so maybe put it in a little baggie, and if you get pulled over and searched, just tell them you are shooting an episode of The Hills.
If you do soy, Jamba Juice and Starbucks both offer their own soy protein powder to mix into their beverages as well. Even in a pinch, a fruit cup and a soy latte really isn’t too shabby of a breakfast. You may just want to carry your own fruit so you don’t wind up paying $3 for an apple.
When at your standard sit-down restaurant, you can order whole wheat toast or bagels with nut butter and or jam, oatmeal (if cooked in water) or cold cereal (ask if soy milk is available),
Lunch and Dinner
I’m obviously home for lunch most days, but Pea Daddy usually packs his or eats out. And by “packs his,” I mean that I begrudgingly pack it, with a little love note on the napkin that says, “Get up a half an hour earlier and pack your own lunch.” Generally, I’ll just box up some of our dinner leftovers for him to heat up in the office microwave, be it a bean burger, spaghetti or a burrito. Other times, I’ll make him a sandwich or wrap like PB & J, hummus and veggies, Tofutti and jam, tempeh bacon and apples or felafel. He also likes to take the frozen Bean and Veggie Burritos and the Pad Thai Noodle boxes from Trader Joe’s.
Restaurant offerings are usually the same for lunch and dinner, so I’m lumping them together here by the type of cuisine:
Sandwich Shop/Deli: Look for veggie choices without the cheese on whole grain bread. Skip the mayo and ask for spreads like guacamole or avocado, or hummus. Pile on the veggies like lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, spinach, shredded carrots, pickles, peppers, and sprouts for extra protein. Mustards, vinaigrettes and oil are all vegan friendly condiments. The Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich (without cheese) from Panera is a good choice and at Subway, their Italian, Hearty Italian and Sourdough are strictly vegan, or if you are like me, you aren’t going to have a conniption over a little honey in your Wheat.
Mexican: Beans, salsa, guacamole and sauteed veggies are your friend. If you are at a traditional restaurant, ask if their torillas and chips are made with lard, and skip the refried beans and ask for whole pinto beans or black beans. If their tortillas are lard-free, go for veggie fajitas without the sour cream and cheese, but with extra guacamole and salsa or a similarly dressed veggie burrito. If the tortillas are made with animal renderings, you might skip them and ask for a salad or bed of lettuce topped with beans, sauteed veggies, salsa and guacamole. A Vegetarian Burrito or Salad from Chipotle (without sour cream or cheese and with extra guac) is one of my favorites.
Thai/Asian: I find Asian cuisine to be one of the most vegan friendly due to the abundance of veggie stir fries, miso soup and tofu dishes. Just make sure that cream sauces are made with coconut milk and that broths aren’t made with chicken or other non-vegetarian stock.
Italian: Ask for meat-free marinara, a large salad and a side of steamed veggies. Many restaurants offer minestrone soup, as well, and so long as it contains vegetable stock and no cheese, it’s a good option. Bread offerings are usually vegan friendly, so just ask. And you can always order a veggie pizza without the cheese (you’ll miss it a lot less than you might think).
You don’t want to see what I found when I Googled “naked pizza.”
American: A lot of restaurants offer veggie burgers, so just ask to see if they are dairy free. There is almost always the option of a salad, steamed veggies, sides of guacamole, salsa or marinara or a veggie sandwich ordered using the guidelines set out above. Salad bars are also a great choice. I love me some Sweet Tomatoes. If you really are hurting for options, order something safe and small and then supplement your meal with a snack that you’ve packed along.
Snacks
For me, as a mom and a vegan, it is crucial that I don’t leave the house without snacks for myself and the girls.
For the girls (who are not vegan, but vegetarian), I always carry Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, whole wheat crackers with peanut butter, fruit, 100% fruit fruit leathers, string cheese, whole grain cereal and homemade bars or cookies. I also carry a few Ziploc bags in the glove compartment of our car so I can quickly divvy out any snacks we buy along the way. It’s amazing, kids will eat almost anything if you give them their own single serving container of it.
For myself, I carry fruit, Larabars, Primal Strips, nuts, dried fruits, cut up veggies and Chocolate PB Protein Cookies.
Oh yes, Chocolate PB Protein Cookies
Makes 16 cookies (I eat two at a time for a snack)
- 1 c. old fashioned oats
- 1 1/2 bananas, mashed
- 1/4 c. natural peanut butter
- 1 t. baking powder
- 4 scoops (each scoop approx. 21 g.) of protein powder of your choice
- 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 packets of Nu Naturals stevia (or sweetener of your choice)
- 1/2 c. almond milk (you may need less depending on the size of your bananas)
Preheat oven to 350. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until combined.
Scoop batter by heaping tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet, and bake for 9-12 minutes, until cookies are firm.
For 2 cookies: 169 calories, 6 g. fat, 18 g. carbs, 11.2 g. protein
By keeping balanced and filling snacks like these in my purse, I know that even if I’m stuck just ordering a naked salad or some steamed veggies, I can always snack on these after the meal and be satisfied.
I appreciate that great vegan choices are not always available, but if you plan ahead, by scoping out options and packing snacks for supplementation, it really isn’t that difficult and is totally worth it.
Edited to add: please chime in with any additional tips for our family or Lisa. I can use all the help I can get. Please. Send help.
If you’d like more informational posts like these, keep those questions coming.
We’ve now got some errands to run for the day and I’m quickly realizing I need an even bigger purse.
This is one of the best websites for traveling too!! Let’s you know veggie/vegan restaurants! http://www.happycow.net/
Great post!! Very helpful!!!
Agreed! Thanks for the link, Jessica!
I have to admit that I am currently shopping for a slightly larger purse for that very reason…you can only fit a water bottle and X amount of snacks in one bag without it looking like you’re smuggling in an endangered sea turtle.
One more quick and easy thing I would add is that when I have to travel for work, I always keep a bag of unsalted almonds, shredded wheat and dried fruit in my bag (fun mix) and a couple packets of instant oatmeal. That way I know I’m always covered if nothing is available and it doesn’t take up much space.
(I recently was at an airport with one meat-filled option, and I made due by getting a cup of steamed water and making oatmeal with fruit and my almonds. Not gourmet, but saved the day!)
Great to know that Starbucks and JJ have soy protein powder! That is useful information for Detective Lara
I’m sure you know this, but in case you don’t, the pinto beans at Chipotle have bacon in them. Didn’t know until recently.
Great post, MP! I think I will making those cookies soon
Love this post! I’ve been vegan for 7 months now but I still find it hard to go to certain types of restaurants sometimes. Great tips
mama pea, you are amazing and inspiring! if i am ever a mother someday i hope i am as confident and fun as you
i’d love to some day transition into a fully vegan lifestyle but right now i’m not able to as a college student with friends who judge and due to limited options on my meal plan. peer pressure sucks haha. anyways, i love these tips!
Where do I find Primal Strips? I am not strictly vegetarian (still have poultry or fish occasionally), but have not had beef in about 5 years. But I am very active, with 5 sons and a career as a Head Start Teacher, and love easily portable protein!
Love this post! This info will be quite useful as I go back to work this week!
I get them at Whole Foods or my local health food store. They can be tricky to fine, but are usually with the packaged snacks on the chip aisle.
Love this post lady! I have yet to do the Chipotle thing since becoming a vegan (only did it once or twice before) but that pic of you eating the extra guac salad…yummy! Great info for dining out too!
I’m pretty into this cookie recipe I must say! I can’t seem to think of any extra tips to add. I’m really a pack food to go kinda gal.
your hair is so cute…love the burrito bowl photo! this is actually really great because, although i have no plans to go vegetarian or vegan, i do want to eat more meals in that way. this is a great guide for that!
p.s. your KIND bars rocked my face!
Thank you so much! I’ve just started a vegan lifestyle and I really needed this!
Your blog is quickly becoming my favorite. I laugh out loud constantly. Thank you!
Fantastic tips for a new vegan. I’m no longer 100% committed to veganism, but I’d say I’m eating vegan 90% of the time. With that said, being vegan for almost 3 years taught me a lot of things, especially eating out.
What I’ve learned along the way: don’t assume all bread is vegan. You would think that most people wouldn’t put milk or eggs (or egg wash) or butter in bread, but some places do. Sometimes I’d institute a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on bread served in restaurants, but that’s really a person-by-person basis.
In terms of Mexican food, I always assume pinto beans, even whole, have pork in them. I know this isn’t always the case, but it’s just kind of a rule I go by because I’ve run into too many situations where I was told they were vegetarian to bite into a chunk of pork fat. Can you say GRODY? Because I can. Whole black beans and guac and chips/salsa are my go to, generally. Also, if the flour tortillas do in fact contain lard, ask if you can have some corn tortillas instead.
Check ahead! So many restaurants have menus and nutritional information on their website. Also, don’t be afraid to talk to people over the phone and let them know you are coming. Many places, especially local businesses who desperately need the happy customers moreso than Olive Garden, will try their best to work with you.
Yelp reviews! I search for the words “vegan” and “vegetarian” in reviews for places I want to go, might be going, or keep in mind for places that I can take friends that are both omni and veg-friendly.
Larabars and whole fruit are not only a vegan’s best friend, but a healthy eater who wants to feel satiated after eating. Give me those after a bag of pretzels any day.
If you are traveling in an area that doesn’t have great veg options, search for a grocery store nearby. It’s much cheaper, usually, to buy an Amy’s meal or fresh fruit and raw veggies and eat those in your hotel room instead of paying for often times a measly $9 veggie sandwich that is a piece of lettuce, a pathetic looking tomato, and some pickles.
Cold grain salads are always a favorite lunch staple of mine. Cooked quinoa + beans + veg + some type of dressing (olive oil, lemon juice and spices tends to work for me) + container = fantastic cheap, easy, healthy, filling lunch.
Good luck, Lisa!
Yeah, what she said.
You are a wise one, dear Heather. I miss your blog dearly. 
My question is – was PeaDaddy hard to convert to vegetarianism? Not that we are considering it, but my man can’t go 3 hours without literally eating meat, no matter how good a meatless meal may be. Apparently he thinks the world will collapse and he’ll grow a 3rd eye if he doesn’t have meat.
He hasn’t had any complaints at all! I find that if I provide one man-happy food at each meal (and I realize how sexist I am being here) he doesn’t miss the meat. He’s not vegan, so I’ll throw organic cheese and sour cream on his burritos and serve them with a side of whole grain chips, salsa and guac. Or with his burgers, I’ll slather on veganiaise, bbq sauce and a slice of cheese, and serve with sweet potato fries. It’s not all salads and veggies all the time. It’s striking that right balance that keeps everyone happy!
I also can’t agree more with Heather’s comment above about bread – I always use milk in baked goods, even breads, because my grandma always did and said it made everything creamier and richer. My bread is definitely not vegan.
Are you a Foodbuzz Healthy Contributor? because you really need to add this to the specialty section of healthbuzz.
For years now I have been working to reduce my consumption of animal products, and posts like this help a lot. I will never become a vegan, however I believe a diet rich in vegetables and fruits and easy on the rest is the best one. I love this post for teaching me about other ways to veganize my life.
I guess I will start with those vegan muffins… PB won’t know what hit him!
Fabulous suggestions! Loved this post. Love the chipotle photo
Their burrito bowls are just so darn tasty…mmmm I don’t think I’ll transition to vegan…but I’ve definitely been eating vegan quite a bit lately. I don’t think I can ever say goodbye to small amounts of organic cheese, organic yogurt, and farmers market eggs 
I have found that eggs actually help my digestion too! But anywho….lovely response to your reader!!
This post was awesome!! great suggestions!
Great question and great post. I have found that researching restaurants online is a lot of help. I have my go to list of places that I know what I can eat at. When I see new places when I am driving around, I will look that one up and see if there are any options to eat. Thanks for the suggestions!
Great post and super helpful.
One of the things I do for lunch is, once a week (usually Sunday) I’ll cook a big pot of rice or quinoa and then each day I throw in beans and whatever veggies I have to take to work. It’s delicious and fast.
I love Chipotle. We got there at least twice a week, I can never get tired of it. Hopefully this post will help me branch out to new places when we go out. I made the mistake once at On The Border, thinking their chips were not made with lard. It was not pretty.
Getting rid of dairy did a lot more for me than getting rid of meat from my diet. I have had allergies for 10 years and as soon as I gave up cheese and milk I’ve been allergy free.
Thanks for the great tips!
awesome set of tips!
perfect.
i too am a fan of the protein in a baggie and extra guac
love the recipe- i’d never thought to actually bake the breakfast cookie, maybe i’ll try adding some baking powder and putting it in the oven tomorrow!
hope you’re having a great day <3
Gosh, you are right, those cookies are like a baked version of your famous Breakfast Cookie! I’ve been making these bad boys for years (only with, gasp, whey protein).
I love this post! This can be applied to not just vegans but anyone who’s looking to eat healthy and how to keep it that way. Snacks on the go are definitely a number 1 tip! For vegans, I would also ask that the veggies be cooked with out butter. I do this myself when eating at restaurants, otherwise sometimes those veggies are swimming in sauce. :/
I learn much from your blog!
I have many challenges due to my jaw problems and also allergies. (no dairy, only soft foods) I’ve learned over time which restaurants will work with me and which ones won’t. I also feel bringing food with me is a must.
get out! i won the great britain lottery too! twins.
great tips! i think that you can usually cater most restaurants to your eating lifestyle. though i am not vegan, you know i am strict BFL and i have managed to make it work. although eating out is not my first choice.
those protein cookies.. on the other hand.. now THOSE are my first choice!
This is a fantastic post full of awesome info. My biggest tip has already been mentioned I think- I scour through online menus before I head to a restaurant if at all possible. It saves time and makes me feel less pressured to order quickly. Plus, I’ll know if I have any questions before I sit down to eat
Awesome tips, Mama Pea. That cookie recipe sounds fantastic.
Hello
What a great post-love how you separated your recommendations by restaurant type (American, etc). Its always good to just ask! Most waiters/waitresses are pretty knowledgeable about whats in the food! And I will remember your kiddos tips for when we have a little one some day down the road 
As an almost vegan this is a very useful post for me. I always find eating out tricky so thanks for the great ideas on what to order.
I really want to go to Chipotle now!
This post was SO SO helpful. I’ve had similar thoughts that your emailer had. You make it sound easy to go vegan! My only trouble is baking…I’ve tried Earth Balance in my goodies/cookies, but they just don’t taste quite right.
That recipe you put up today looks like no-bake-cookies. I’m buying protein powder on the way home and can’t wait to make these tonight!
My husband and I haven’t been eating vegan very long and so sometimes we get uncomfortable asking a lot of questions of our waiter when they are busy or when we are eating with other people. So we’ve made a habit of calling the manager ahead of time during off-peak hours to ask questions about the menu (like is their rice cooked in veggie stock or would they be willing to make something off the menu for us). Servers often really don’t know the answers to questions like that. One server suggested chicken to me the other day after I told her I don’t eat animal products–yeah I’m serious. So just knowing what we will order makes it a lot easier on us and the server.
The little clementines are great traveling fruit, too, because you can peel them without a knife and they don’t bruise easy like apples. Unsalted whole almonds have always been my go-to on-the-go protein, even before eating vegan. When I didn’t work from home, I always kept them in my desk drawer and now I keep a little baggie in my purse and my laptop bag.
Love the informational posts. You may have written on it before, but I’d love to hear your reasons for not raising the girls vegan.
I could definitely write a whole post on why the girls and Pea Daddy aren’t vegan, but it mostly has to do with the fact that they enjoy their ice cream and cheese sparingly, and almost always from organic sources. They’ve been vegetarian for just a little over a year, and I find that when left to make their own choices about dairy, it is so infrequent that I can’t really complain. I may touch on this again in the future, though, so thanks for the idea! And I love your restaurant tips, especially regarding the rice.
I really haven’t had a problem with finding vegan options anywhere. I mean, if worst comes to worst you can order a salad with oil and vinegar without any cheese or meat. Even fries can be vegan if fried in the right oil!
What I usually do at a place where they don’t have great options is say “make me a big salad with all the veggies and fruit you use in other things.” It works every time.
I want to make those cookies tonight!! Thanks so much for the recipe!!
do you eat the same meals as your family?
Yup, generally speaking. I omit the dairy from my servings, and I don’t eat a lot of refined flours, so I’ll swap sprouted grains for burger buns or spiralized zucchini for pasta, but for the most part, we all eat the same thing or some close variation thereof.
Just wanted to add some great websites to get recepies from–Not that yours arnt’ great MP–still waiting for that cookbook
I just think the more resources a person has, the better they do at being a vegan. More knowledge is power
http://fatfreevegan.com/
http://www.vegsource.com/food/
http://vegweb.com/
http://www.veganchef.com/
http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-recipes.asp
Agreed! Thanks for the links, Shauna.
So I don’t have any suggestions. However, I must say that your ability to insert celebrity media humor into your blogs is simply amazing. Perez Hilton better watch out honey. <3
Mama Pea,
Have you noticed a change in your skin since you became a vegan? (Maybe you’ve always had beautiful skin…is it more beautiful now?)
Oh Katy, you flatterer you. I’ve never had “problem skin” per se, but that’s not to say others haven’t experienced skin improvements!
Excellent post! I must admit, I gave up on veganism a few years ago when it became too difficult as a student relying on college campus eats. This post has got me thinking maybe I should give it another go…
I NEED that tofu shirt.
I want the shirt too!!!
I’ve pulled that protein powder in the purse trick before! very swank
Great post, Mama Pea! I’ve definitely learned a lot over the past 10 months about how to be a happy vegan… it’s so much easier than I ever thought it would be!
Seeing the pix of your girls made me wonder… would you ever consider doing a post about your daughters being a vegetarian? I’m curious how you manage this… if they asked for meat, would you buy it for them? Or if they are at a friend’s house, do you tell them that you expect them to eat vegetarian? I assume you’re going to tell me that they simply followed your lead and are vegetarian out of empathy for the animals, etc, but I’m curious how you explain your choices vs. other people’s choices. And how do you explain the fact that it’s “ok” for them to eat dairy, but that you don’t?
Sorry for all of the questions I’m not trying to interrogate you, it’s just that as someone who one day hopes to raise vegetarian/vegan children, I struggle with these issues and I would love to hear more about your experiences! I’m extremely concerned about how to raise my future children in a way that is aligned with my values while not pushing my beliefs on them, unnecessarily. Thanks, Sarah!
No problem, Val. I’ll try to do a post on this soon, and if not, I’ll email you directly. I know exactly where you are coming from.
Thank you so much for posting this for me! SO SO HELPFUL! You’re the best mama pea!
Love,
Lisa in Philly
Kinda unrelated, but I made your lemon and rosemary roasted chickpeas for dinner tonight and I almost died they were so DELICIOUS!
Great post! Last summer we went on vacation with my sister and her husband. Breakfast and lunch were usually in the condo,but we went to dinner each night together. My son and I are vegan. My husband, sister, and brother-in-law eat anything. I always packed snacks. I also took a small container filled with Earth Balance so I could order baked potatoes and steamed broccoli. One steak house gave kids carrots and celery. Even though I had taken my son a PB and J that night the waiter kept bringing him veggie sticks. I think he got a kick out of how much a kid actually enjoyed eating fresh veggies! It also didn’t hurt the waiter’s tip any either. BTW I have eaten an embarrassing amount of the zucchini muffins. Love them!
I too live in the Philly area, I think Lisa is lucky to live in such a city because there are billions of vegan restaurants in the area.
Thank you very much for this. I recently went vegetarian and realized how hard it can be to find a good vegetarian option with protein at some places. I’m going to print this and take it with me in my purse…along with my snacks
Those are some awesome tips! Thank you Mama Pea
Even though I’m not vegan, I eat a lot of the same snacks you do.
My best tip is to make a large-batch recipe on Sunday night and pre-portion your lunches into Ziploc containers for lunch throughout the week! This is also great for dinners too, I just don’t always eat dinner at home.
At restaurants I’m a huge fan of ordering off the “meat menu” and then politely saying, “I’ll have the Southwestern Chicken Salad minus the chicken.” Stuff like that. Most people get the hint. I also assume a fair amount of risk when going out to dinner…you are not making it yourself and therefore can not be 100% sure what’s in it. So just be careful when ordering.
Also, you can’t go wrong with raw nuts and fruit and veggies for snacks. I do the same thing with fruits and veggies as I do with lunch, spending an hour or so on Sunday night chopping up my veggies and putting them into containers for each day of the week.
For breakfast I go between toast and cereal with Almond Breeze almond milk. Soy and coconut milk yogurt are good too, but can get expensive. I’d make more smoothies if I had more time. They are a great way to use up spinach!
In addition to Mama Pea’s blog, I like veganyumyum.com and icantbelieveitsnotdead.com for great recipe ideas!!!
Make that icantbelieveitsnotdead.blogspot.com
Sorry for the typo!
great info mama pea and the mail you get is nicer than mine…just had a rude one come in tonite. why must people do this.
anyway, you got sun warrior! that’s great..i was wondering if you were still on the nutribiotic or what you decided to do. now i see it!
And the protein oat banana PB cookies. That’s pretty much what I do for my no bake PB protein bars (I re-posted them again today ironically) except I use the freezer not my oven to set them up. It’s 95F here so dont fire that bad boy up ever..ha!
These are all great options! I’m not even vegetarian…but I’m always trying to work towards adding more vegetarian options in my life
One of the most difficult things for me is when I’m invited over to someone’s house and they cook a meal for me. I am not strictly vegetarian, but I prefer mostly veggie meals. I’ll eat meat maybe once or twice a week and usually only if I’m craving it. I do not eat cheese at all, because I’m lactose-intolerant. But there has been more than one occasion where I’ve been invited to a dinner at someone’s house and they serve some sort of huge beef/cheese casserole and then a tiny side of green beans or something. Usually cooked with bacon. (Ugh, bacon! blech!)
I usually try to head it off by asking first what they are making and then telling them that I don’t eat red meat, cheese, etc. But that usually results in them rescinding the invitation or at the very least acting extremely put out that I don’t eat like a “typical red-blooded American.”
When I go to someone’s house, I generally offer to bring a salad or a side dish, and that way there is something that I can eat. But then of course I pack a snack to eat in the car on the way home. Most of my friends know that I’m vegan, so they usually let me know what they are serving beforehand. I’m always as gracious as possible, though!
How do I address these issues? What do you do when invited to have dinner at someone else’s house?
Do I have to use protein powder in the cookies? I don’t use it, so is there something I can use in it’s place? I would love to make them – they sound awesome!
You could sub whole wheat pastry flour. I think 4 scoops of protein powder would be equivalent to a little over a cup of flour. Or you could add another half cup of oats and half cup of flour. I don’t think you can really screw them up, so give ‘er a go!
Thanks so much for this information. We aren’t vegetarian (yet?), but I am trying to reduce our use of animal products. I also am in desperate need of portable snack ideas, so that info was helpful!
How did you figure out what protein powder to use? I stood in front of way too many choices the other day and ended up leaving with nothing!
I also would love information on how you transitioned the kids to be vegetarian. When my son was 5, he said he wanted to be vegetarian. I was all for it (and I probably would have joined him!), but he changed his mind when he found out he couldn’t have ham. (Of all things?!) I feel like if I had a better plan at the time, then he might have at least tried it longer.
The girls were never big meat fans, and they are so young, I didn’t really have any resistance. My policy now is that if the girls are offered meat at a friend or relative’s house, I let them try it if they would like to, but I always make sure they know what it is by saying something like, “You can try it if you want, but I want you to understand that that ham is actually pig.” Maybe that’s wrong, but at least they aren’t disassociating what’s on their plate from what it really is, and I’m not just flatly saying, “No, you can’t have that.”
Great info! We’re not vegan, but we have food allergies, so I’m very familiar with the stress of eating outside of the house. The only thing I’d add to your advice is to check restaurant menus in advance. More and more have ingredient lists posted. If in doubt, call the restaruant. I’m much less stressed if I know in advance that I can get a gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, peanut free, corn free, pork free, canteloupe free meal for my son. Yes, that is an odd list. By the way, I love your blog. Kid approved, dairy free and egg free recipes get us half way there!
i’m realizing more and more that eating healthfully (for me) is ALL about the planning. woof.
thanks for posting the nutritional info — going to make these asap!
Umm, is it so bad that i’m about to go google search “naked pizza”?? hahah, let’s hope it isn’t too… scandalous??
I’m also bookmarking this post for those oatmeal cookies! They sound diiivine and so easy. I’m excited
A fellow Philly gal, I want to let Lisa know that there are tons of vegan-friendly establishments in the city – it barely requires any effort to be a faithful vegan. The best choices for dining out would be various ethnic restaurants, especially middle-eastern and asian varieties. There are 2 Whole Foods, 1 Trader Joe’s and Essene Market within the city limits, so groceries and convenience foods should be relatively easy to find. For lunch, I usually pack my own, made up of dinner leftovers, but Chipotle is a good choice, as well as Wawa – they have one pathetic pre-made salad, but tons of fruit and Clif Bars. I also rely heavily on bars from the Clif family – Luna, Clif, Clif C bars are mostly vegan – read the ingredients to be sure, and Larabars are vegan, but a little high calorie-wise.
Lisa, if you click on my name and visit my blog, you can email me through my profile and I will be more than happy to help you find places in your specific neighborhood or closeby.
Best wishes and good luck!
Natalie
i know this is an older post, but I just read the cookie recipe and SO making these this week!! they look so delicious and well balanced…I love carrying snacks in my bag ALWAYS just in case!!
Pure Bars (organic, vegan, thepurebar.com) is also a great snack choice. I also like NuGo bars (also make a great gluten-free line), True North nut clusters,(non-junky and available at CVS), Jocalat bars (a chocolatey/organic LARABAR line), Earthbound Farms Organic little plastic containers of baby carrots and dressing, nut butter squeeze packets, and, most of all, PROBAR (www.theprobar.com)! At first, I was put off by the high calories (360-400), but these are meal “REPLACEMENTS,” not supplements. They’re all oats, fruits, nuts, seeds, and power just about everything. The new saying in my family when we’re stuck in the car/in a tricky out-of-the-house situation is “PROBAR to the rescue!” (Corny, but true). Hope that helps — great tips, everyone.
I just made those protein cookies (ummmmm without the protein powder, LOL….didn’t have any), but they sure are tasty! Thanks
Great tips! Thanks for sharing. I love hearing others people take on eating out at restaurants.
Just made the cookies the other day and they are great! I used Hemp protein powder and had to bake them for about 15 minutes until they were firm. My 4 year old really likes them even though she protested when I added the “green stuff” to the mix.
I just made the Chocolate PB Protein Cookies a little while ago and they are AMAZING! Thank you for the recipe!
I just made the Chocolate PB Protein Cookies a little while ago and they are AMAZING! Thank you for the recipe!
We’re not vegan or even vegetarian, though I must admit I would love to be! Unfortunately, the man I married requires something “meat” at every meal or he is not very happy. My family are so picky, its really turning into me cooking 3-4 different meals every night for supper. If this trend continues, I think I may just go vegetarian for myself.
Im wondering do you find it hard to be vegan, when others in your home are not? And – can you share a link to the protein mixes you use and the tofu?!
Thanks so much. This is probably my favorite post on your blog.
~Bunny
Hi Bunny, my family is actually quasi-vegan. We don’t buy eggs, cow’s milk or yogurt, but a little cheese for their veggie burgers and a pint of ice cream sneak in occasionally, so it really isn’t that difficult for us. But when they were eating meat still, I WAS cooking three different meals per night, and that was a definitely more challenging. That’s when Pea Daddy offered to go veg. Have you tried making bean burgers or burritos for your guy? They are surprisingly “meaty” and satisfying.
Here’s are links to the different protein powders I use. As for tofu, I just buy the organic kind from Trader Joe’s or our local supermarket.
http://www.vitacost.com/NutriBiotic-Vegan-Rice-Protein-Drink-Vanilla
http://www.vitacost.com/Olympian-Labs-Pea-Protein
http://www.jayrobb.com/cat_proteinRiceAll.asp
http://www.sunwarrior.com/products/sunwarrior-protein
Hope that helps!
The cooking multiple meals is very time consuming and wasteful and and… ughhh… aggravating. But I cant seem to make everyone happy, and I hate hate hate sending kids to bed with no food because they refuse to eat what I make. I’ve been trying that the last few weeks, and I am usually the one who goes to bed crying. I feel like such a bad mom sometimes, kwim?
I HAVE tried to sneak vegan stuff on the man-thing. I made Bocca Burgers once without telling anyone what it was. He had about 2 bites and took the kids to Mcdonalds. LOL. I don’t want to force no meat on them, I really don’t. Im just thinking since I’m cooking a meal for everyone anyway might as well fix myself what i REALLY want, kwim? Growing up with a butcher for a Dad, you can imagine how much I DON’T like meat.
Wow, I didn’t mean to tell ya my life story. LOL! I also swear I’m not normally this whiney. hahaha!!!
Thanks for the links!
I love Starbucks all oatmeal cookies! I wish they had a gluten-free option,.. as far as I know they don’t, even though they used to. I was sure that they were going to bring it back because it was such a hit, but no luck so far. I hope they announce it like crazy if they bring it back, I’d hate to miss it!
-Kenzie
Propane Burners
Could you tell me how much stevia is in 4 packets for this recipe? I have the large container of stevia, not packets.
Also, on a different note, my husband and I have decided to go vegan after trying a lot of your great vegan recipes (before that it just seemed like there would be nothing left to eat!), and we are going to continue giving our 3 children some dairy. I am wondering if you give your girls cow’s milk? If not, have you supplemented the fat in milk with anything? My children are little and the doctor has told me they need the whole milk still for the fat content that helps in brain development. Our kids love soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk….but I am hesitant on totally cutting out cow’s milk because of the fat. Any thoughts/advice?
I know this is an older post, but the protein powder at Starbucks has whey in it as well as soy. I used to work for them. My fav vegan options are the oatmeal and a soy latte. I grab it if it’s an emergency. Otherwise I carry some snacks with me. Cheaper and healthier. Great post.