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Disclaimer: Our posts are wordy for a reason (unlike normal powerpoint presentations) so our journey can be accessible to a wider audience for them to follow, learn from, and hopefully, listen to.

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Veganism: A Solution for Mankind

What’s the issue?

In summary, animal-product consumption increases animal exploitation, significant health issues, and a deteriorating environment globally.

Animal cruelty has been an issue for a long time, and the truth is that animals shouldn’t suffer from birth to death, but that’s the life a lot of them have to live when born into factory farms.

According to PETA, on today’s American farms, 99 percent of which are considered “factory farms,” animals are crammed by the thousands into filthy, windowless sheds and stuffed into wire cages, metal crates, and other torturous devices. These animals will never raise their families, root around in the soil, build nests, or do anything natural and vital to them. 

Besides, steroid hormone implants are used in animals for growth in food-production, which one way or the other affect not only animals but humans as well. Our bodies are important, so we need to make sure that what we are eating the correct nutrients in the best way we can. Health is another significant issue we are trying to solve, and the food with eat is the main factor of our well being.

In addition, the environment gets affected by our production, consumption, and habits. According to Global Citizen, not only pollution affects our environment but raising livestock costs a lot of energy. It takes a long time to raise animals because they consume a lot of food that was cultivated on land that could have been put to other use; meat products need to be shipped and refrigerated; and meat takes a long time to process from slaughterhouse to kitchen table.

Who does it affect? 

Animals, the people who consume animal products, and the environment.

What’s our solution?

Our solution to our issue is veganism. The vegan diet is a very popular diet that is plant-based -- excluding all types of animal products such as dairy, eggs, honey, and meat. 

Why this solution?

A vegan diet is beneficial in many ways, whether that is to avoid exploitation and cruelty of animals, lessen the environmental effects of meat and dairy manufacturing, or aid the body in blood sugar control, weight loss, and many other health benefits. 

Veganism combats world hunger by utilizing all natural resources available. A lot of the food that's grown in the world isn't being eaten by humans.

Plus, all the deforestation, overfishing and pollution caused by meat and fish industries limits the overall capacity of the Earth to produce food.

On the other hand, when it comes to the environment, veganism conserves water. It takes 100 to 200 times more water to raise a pound of beef than it does to raise a pound of plant foods. 

It also reduces energy consumption because plant-based proteins can be raised with 8 times less energy costs than meat-based protein.

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Introduction to Us!

(Gricelda) - Left

My name is Gricelda Torres and I am a second-year rhetoric and writing major at the University of Texas at Austin. 

I chose to follow a vegan diet for all reasons including the negative effects on environment, our bodies, and animals, but the main reason would be the animals. There were many instances in my life where I knew what was happening to animals was wrong, but I looked the other way because I thought going vegan would be “too hard” for me because my culture’s diet is meat-based and I am a college student. 

My game plan for these next few days are to make as many new recipes as I can and to try and eat three times a day. I feel as if the more recipes I try, the more of a chance I am giving this diet.

What I plan to get out of this diet for the duration of 10 days is less bloating, clearer skin, more energy, faster metabolism, and essentially, a greater understanding of what I am putting in my body. 

(Laura) - Right

My name is Laura Rivas, and I am a fourth-year journalism major at the University of Texas at Austin.

I chose to follow a vegan diet not only because of all the environmental issues and health concerns but also because I have always been curious about how people do these kind of changes in their lives. For some, it is easy to switch their eating habits in a day, while others struggle to do it at all. I absolutely love meat, and I have never been thought differently. However, after watching Food Inc and many food documentaries, I realized that I didn’t really know what I was eating. I had some knowledge before about animal cruelty and pollution coming from the food industry but never truly understood how bad it was. So, I asked myself, should I start changing the way I consume food?

My game plan for these next few days is to experiment as much as I can with different ingredients and, of course, different recipes. I am not the best in the kitchen, but I am ready to try new things and new flavors too.

What I plan to get out of this diet for 10 days is to have a better vision of the world and how small changes can contribute to a more significant cause. I would also like to see if veganism is something that I can achieve for longer than 10 days without thinking about previous food habits.

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(Laura Rivas) 4/24/2020: Day 1

Breakfast: Quaker Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal

- I have to admit I was scared when I woke up about this whole vegan diet. I didn’t have the groceries necessary to start my day, and I wasn’t sure what to eat. However, I discovered that many of the things I usually eat are safe for me to eat now, like oatmeal.

Lunch: Quinoa, veggies and sliced fried potatoes

- I usually eat this way, but one of the ingredients is always some type of protein like chicken, pork, or meat. Now that I am avoiding those animal products, I am a little more conscious and aware of what is entering my body. It was honestly delicious, although a bit of dry for me. I added a small portion of ketchup to the potatoes to add the flavor that was missing from the lack of meat.

Snacks: Chips and guacamole

- I talked to my friend Riley, who follows as close as she can a plant-based diet, and she confirmed the fact that avocados are vegan. I heard some mixed views before about avocado being vegan, so I was a little worried because I love avocados.

Dinner: Milk and cereal

- I was exhausted from all the things I had to do today, so I played it safe and straightforward. I didn’t want to make a complicated and long meal, so I decided to read the labels of the things that were easy to make, like cereal. I ate a bowl of fruit loops with almond milk. I stopped using regular dairy a long time ago because it doesn’t sit as well with me, and it goes bad in the fridge fast.

Notes: I realized that many of the things I consumed are more environmentally friendly than I thought. Being vegan requires someone always to read the labels to avoid purchasing something not included in their diet. I also learned that there are many plant-based replacements for the products that naturally contain animal products, but many of them can get really expensive.

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(Gricelda Torres) 4/24/2020: Day 1

Breakfast: Banana porridge

- I enjoyed this healthy breakfast, though I wish I would have added sweeter toppings. I swapped the dark chocolate in this meal for granola (without honey of course), which still was sweet, but it wasn’t enough to balance out the bitterness of the natural cocoa powder in the porridge! Will definitely add sweeter fruit and toppings next time.

Lunch: Buddha bowl

- I really liked this bowl. Though it was my first time eating cherry tomatoes and they weren’t my favorite haha. It was also my first time trying these vegan chicken tenders which were quite tasty and satisfied my usual chicken cravings in salads! Everything else, especially the avocado lime dressing (which I know could have been thinner), was delicious! And I finally nailed cooking quinoa!

Snacks: Nutrition power squares and dark chocolate!

- Eating the power squares made me realize how much I have to pay attention to labels. I had to triple check to make sure I wasn’t eating something that wasn’t part of my vegan diet.

Dinner: Bean burrito

- My favorite Tex-Mex place is Chuy’s! Under these circumstances, we can only door-dash so my meal was messier and of course I ate it at home and not in person like this picture shows. I didn’t take a picture of my meal but just to clarify, mine did not have any cheese at all and the refried beans did not have any lard in them! Also, the dressing I chose for the top of my burrito was a green salsa. This last picture is a representation of how my meal looked but again, without the dairy products. I was a little worried to try a meal from Chuy’s without chicken since their Chuychanga and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom enchiladas are my absolute favorite as well as their creamy jalapeño ranch sauce, but honestly, it wasn’t bad! However, I was a little frustrated their menu on door-dash did not have vegetarian or vegan options. The closest I had to vegan was literally a guac appetizer.

Notes: I was a little overwhelmed today because although I bought all these vegan ingredients and had all these recipes, I struggled to make meals. None of the meals I had today were the original meals I had in mind that I wanted to make. Some ingredients threw me off and I was very indecisive because I was afraid of being let down and working so hard to cook everything for it to taste bad. But oh well, how else will I learn?

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(Laura Rivas) 4/25/2020: Day 2

Breakfast: Oatmeal Banana Pancakes

- I’ve done this simple meal multiple times but I usually add eggs to the batter for flavor and of course consistency. However, being vegan completely removes animal products, so I needed to stay away from them. When I was cooking my pancakes, they are started to fall apart. I had to make them really thick instead of thin (which I usually do), and then it worked fine. I paired my pancakes with organic maple syrup and a little bit of cheese.

Lunch: Spicy vegan pasta with sausage

- I was looking for vegan recipes to do with the beyond sausage I bought at Whole Foods last time, and I found the most mouth-watering pasta recipe. It was definitely a process to make because it took me around more than an hour to try to figure everything out. However, I couldn’t be any happier with the result. It was truly delicious! The sausage tasted just like sausage and I liked the fact that I used ingredients that I don't usually use. I am definitely including this meal into my regular diet. It had the taste, consistency, and all animal-free products. I even did a cashew cream which I never thought I would have made.

Snacks: Almonds and Oreos

- Guess what people? Oreos are vegan! I am a big snacker and to me, this was great news. I am not always eating Oreos on a daily basis but since I had to remove all my regular snacks that usually contain some type of milk, I feel confident and happy that I can have the real flavor of Oreos. I also ate some almonds after breakfast because I was getting hungry but I wasn't ready for my lunch just yet.

Dinner: More pasta?

- I did not make dinner today because I ate lunch pretty late and I wasn’t that hungry. So, I decided to snack some more pasta (not that much tbh) late at night before going to bed.

Notes: I feel really proud of the things I am learning from this experience. There’s so much you can do with products that do not contain any dairy. However, not every meal is going to be the most delicious meal. I feel like people need to just get use to the different products they can consume.

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(Gricelda Torres) 4/25/2020: Day 2

Breakfast: Banana Protein Pancakes

- I made banana pancakes and ate them like tacos with my toppings! I enjoyed these pancakes a lot because not only did they taste good, but I was able to get a variety of different nutrients all in one meal. Definitely will make again!

Lunch: Quinoa & Veggies

- I loved this meal (btw, only cooked one potato and didn’t use the guac). It was so simple yet so tasty. Though, what this meal did make me realize was how time consuming being vegan is. Took 20 minutes to prepare and bake the potatoes, which yeah doesn’t seem so bad, but I was just bothered because I had already spent 40 minutes making breakfast and I knew I was going to take another hour to cook dinner. And these meals are only for one person, which makes them even less desirable to make. I usually don’t start cooking until I get hungry because I know I can whip up something really quick. But with vegan meals, sometimes I have to prepare a lot (like mix seasonings or make sauces or dressings in addition to making the actual meal) and I get frustrated because I get even hungrier and then sometimes the food doesn’t come out the way I like! That’s my struggle right now honestly.

Dinner: Spaghetti... + oranges

- Speaking of food not coming out the way I like... I literally made spaghetti without meat or cheese. Usually my favorite meal to prepare is spaghetti with chick peas and zucchini + mixed cheese! The meatless part didn’t bother me but the fact that I didn’t have zucchini or cheese to save my spaghetti sucked. I also made vegan Parmesan (which honestly lacked flavor and I could barely taste it in the spaghetti) and vegan garlic bread (which didn’t bake properly and was less toast than I wanted). It was a fail so I literally ate an orange for dinner. On the bright side, that was the best orange I have ever eaten so it makes up for the bad dinner... sort of.

Notes: Today was easier than yesterday but the dinner threw me off. However, I know being new to something doesn’t mean you’ll be good at it right away. It’s a learning process.

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(Laura Rivas) 4/26/2020: Day 3

Breakfast: Almond Butter Toasts

- In the mornings, sometimes I don’t feel as hungry as I should, and all I want to eat is something light. I decided to go with almond butter toasts paired with orange juice. I utilized this amazing multigrain bread by slow dough that I was trying for the first time, and I liked it a lot.

Lunch: Vegan Burrito Bowl

- I have to admit that I felt a little discouraged today about making lunch. I didn’t want to eat the same, and I didn’t know what to make. I went online. I searched for easy vegan recipes and found this bowl that it was relatively easy and fast to make. I feel like it is really time-consuming to make vegan recipes when you are not used to eating this way.

Snacks: Kiwi and Chocolate Cookies and Cream ice cream

- I had some kiwi for my morning snack because I got hungry fast and didn’t want to eat lunch just yet. Then, late today before dinner, I ate ice cream. I forgot to take a picture of it, but the pint was from “So delicious,” and this specific one is made with cashew milk. I have to say that I liked it a lot to be vegan ice cream. The flavor was just the same.

Dinner: Veggie Eggrolls

- My stomach has been hurting a lot today; it all started after lunch. I don’t know if it is something related to diet change or something else. I just feel like I am honestly quite gassy and heavy. I decided to eat something small and tried these frozen veggie rolls. Genuinely, I did not enjoy them. I didn’t have the sauce they usually use at restaurants and instead replaced it with soy sauce. I tried veggie rolls before, but I don’t think these were the best. They weren’t bad tho, but I didn’t enjoy them as much.

Notes: Today, I’ve craved a lot of my regular meals, especially hot dogs and chicken wings. It has been a rough day for me. I didn’t hate what I ate today at all except for the veggie rolls that I didn’t quite like. However, I don’t know if my stomach hurting also has anything to do with the way I feel today, but oh well, tomorrow is a brand new day!

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(Gricelda Torres) 4/26/2020: Day 3

Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

- I made apple cinnamon oatmeal which was good, but again, I needed more sweetener. I promise you all, I do not have a sweet tooth! However, there were not any natural sweetners in the ingredients I used so it all tasted like oats and seeds and protein - similar to the banana porridge. The toppings helped, but the banana and dark chocolate barely helped add sweetness to the oatmeal. The recipe called for maple syrup for sweetness and I put a table spoon, but apparently I needed more because I could not taste it all! Still, lovely recipe. Just needs some alterations!

Lunch: Chickpea Sandwhich

- Y’all... I found a chickpea falafel filling late last night on YouTube and fell in love. Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to meat alternatives like tofu and soy patties or anything, but they aren’t as easy to obtain and even if a store had them, you aren’t guaranteed to enjoy every brand. I love tofu but as of now, I’m choosing to stay away because I don’t want to depend on it (because like I said, it’s not always attainable. For ex., my favorite tofu is from Trader Joe’s which is where I usually shop at in Austin but it’s like a 40 min drive from where I live in Houston). Initially, the filling was supposed to be for a breakfast burrito but the flour tortillas I had contained non-vegan ingredients, so I just added this filling to my sandwhich, along with hummus, avocado, spinach and cucumber. It was so good!

Dinner: Chickpea Tacos

- I loved the filling so much I used it again to make tacos. It honestly reminds me of chorizo con huevo even though the ingredients are nowhere near the same. I paired the filling with corn tortillas, avocado, salsa and quinoa and beans.

Notes: Although my meals were still time consuming, I am not too bothered by it. Yeah I wish I could eat at the same time as my family (because sometimes I take an hour and I am not going to force them to wait) but that’s okay. It’s great experimentation and I like trying new recipes because even when some suck, others give me hope that I can genuinely enjoy being vegan and abandon my old diet. In terms of my body, I feel my thinnest in the morning and afternoon and bloated by the evening, but that’s okay because I know that’s my body adjusting to the high-in-fiber diet since it was literally an overnight change.

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(Laura Rivas) 4/27/2020: Day 4

Breakfast: Scramble Eggs with Spinach and Cheese

- Today was definitely a better day than yesterday. I decided to make some scrambled eggs with spinach and cheese. I did not follow any recipe this time. I just made my usual breakfast with replacement animal-free products, and it was delicious! I had already tried the JUST scrambled mix, so I knew it was going to taste good regardless.

Lunch: Meatless Gluten-Free Pizza

- I tried this frozen pizza from Daiya called “Meatless Meat Lover’s,” and I have to say that it was pretty good. It was an easy and delicious lunch that I would recommend for those lazy days.

Snacks: N/A

- I honestly didn’t have any snacks today. I might grab some scoops of the chocolate cookies n’ cream ice cream sitting in the fridge later today.

Dinner: Hopdoddys’s Impossible Burger

- I am a big Hopdoddy fan, but of course, I have always eaten from the regular burger menu. My boyfriend wanted to order something to eat, so we ended eating burgers. I have to say that it was delicious! Entirely vegan and the meat tasted just like meat. I had to order a gluten-free bun because I wasn’t sure about the regular that I believe it includes eggs. On average days, I would just ask the people at the restaurant, but due to quarantine, it was impossible. It destroyed like you can see in the picture, perhaps is due to the lack of dairy?Anyways, it was yummy!

Notes: Today was a better day living a vegan life. My body is genuinely adjusting to all the food changes. However, I felt happier and more confident in the small little changes! I guess it is about retraining your body and mind.

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(Gricelda Torres) 4/27/2020: Day 4

Breakfast: Banana Pancakes

- I had left over pancakes from the batch I made a few days ago and they were really good. If anything I feel like they tasted a little better. I added toppings and drank my new favorite non-dairy milk: Coconut! This meal was one of the first meals I have had where I didn’t really need to prepare anything because it was already made. It took me 10 minutes to assemble my pancakes, which I was very happy about because I had afternoon meetings and was on a time crunch!

Lunch: “Chicken” & Veggies

- Although my veggies are frozen and I made a batch of quinoa a few days ago, I wouldn’t say this meal was any less time consuming because of the potatoes. Still, at least I knew I was going to enjoy the meal! I love quinoa... and something about potatoes and ketchup is so simple yet so good!

Snack: Pretzal Crisps w/ Avocado

- Even when I was not vegan, I always had a habit of snacking while I am cooking. While I was making my dinner, I ate avocado and pretzal crisps. It was so good because the crisps were salted and had black pepper. Oh, and although this isn’t considered a snack, mid-day I had a craving for a glass of coconut milk. It’s so creamy and light with just a bit of sweetness; I love!

Dinner: Cauliflower Buffalo Bites w/ Fries

- Okay, this one... this one had a lot of potential. It did not taste as good as I hoped. But I didn’t lose ALL hope on this meal. I love cauliflower and I know if I found the right recipe and the right method of baking the cauliflower it would have come out better. My recipe asked that I cook the cauliflower with the batter for 20 minutes, but after 10 minutes they were burning and I was confused because I don’t think the middle was as baked as it should have been. And when I dipped the cauliflower with the batter (after baking for 15 min) in the buffalo sauce, I felt as if the flavor sort of dissipated through the baking and again, the oven was burning the bites. It wasn’t good, but that’s okay. At least I tried!

Also, I tried vegan cheese for the first time! Honestly, I was scared to try it (I heard it tastes like cardboard but my sister-in-law bought it for me so I wanted to experiment) but it smelled like cheese. Of course it didn’t exactly taste like cheese but it had a familiar taste — which I still can’t put my finger on — that didn’t taste like cardboard. I put it on my fries, and although the “cheese” didn’t melt like I hoped, it still tasted good with the potatoes!

Dessert: Snickerdoodle Cookies

- I don’t normally eat dessert, but after that cauliflower buffalo bite fiasco, I was determined to successfully follow a vegan recipe. This recipe was so simple and I honestly didn’t have high expectations for it; I also thought, though, how bad could I mess this up? To my surprise, they were so good! My brother and sister-in-law even ate a few because they tasted great. I only ate one today just to taste a fresh baked one, but best believe I will be snacking on these for the next few days!

Notes: I realized veganism comes with a lot of left overs. I mean, sure does a regular diet, but I feel like vegans tend to make big batches of meals and then somehow incorporate them into different recipes. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just something I picked up on because I find myself wanting to use the quinoa I made a few days ago for everything and I already have plans to incorporate that chickpea falafel filling in another recipe tomorrow. I also noticed how gassy and bloated I am. I expected going vegan to help my digestive system, but I know it’s just part of the adjustment. I feel low on energy and sleepier than usual. I take vitamins to ensure I’m incorporating as many nutrients in my diet as well as adding small things like chia/flax/hemp seed mixes in my recipes for nutrients. But again, I’m only human and if I miss a few nutrients a day that’s perfectly normal. I just need to make sure for the most part, everything I need I am consuming. I was also a little sad because I didn’t get to eat with my brother and my sister-in-law for lunch and dinner. I literally start cooking before them (for dinner, my sister-in-law literally took a 20-minute break and although I started before her, she and my brother managed to cook AND eat AND finish before I could even get my food on the plate). I’m trying my best to time manage but it’s just really hard.

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(Laura Rivas) 4/28/2020: Day 5

Breakfast: Cereal with Almond Milk

- Today it was a lazy day. I woke up late and straight to class (zoom to be exact). However, I didn’t feel like eating much and didn’t have much either, so I went with something easy and safe. Honestly, I would have eaten the same on a typical day. For some reason, breakfast is always hard, I am never that hungry, and I always want something light.

Lunch: Spicy Pasta with Sausage leftovers

- I have so many leftovers in my fridge that I cannot let to waste. I ate some more of the fantastic pasta I made a few days ago, and it was still tasty! It was again a quick, easy, and earlier lunch because I got hungrier fast after eating cereal. I just got it on the microwave and done. I was so hungry that I did not take a picture of it, but you guys have seen it!

Snacks: Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP

- These are some of my favorite popcorn brands. The sweet and salty kettle corn is just one of a kind. I just love the mix of sweet and salty. Although this is not the first time I have consumed this brand of popcorn, I didn’t know they were gluten-free and entirely vegan.

Dinner: Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

- Earlier this year, I went with my friends to this vegan restaurant called “The Beer Plant.” When we went, I tried the buffalo cauliflower wings for the first time, and they were so delicious that I kept going. I don’t know a lot of vegan places, but this one is a good one for sure. I felt like eating out something well made. I was going to make some vegan toasts, but the bread went bad, so I decided to go with plan B (ordering to go).

Notes: I’ve been enjoying this new journey, but honestly, I’ve been craving so many non-vegan foods that I am used to. Don’t get me wrong I feel like I’ve liked a lot of vegan recipes that I made, but I kind of miss certain things, especially my go-to foods. Oh well, let's see what tomorrow brings!

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(Gricelda Torres) 4/28/2020: Day 5

Breakfast: Pineapple Protein Smoothie

- I was not very hungry this morning, so I made a protein smoothie. It was so good! Such a simple mixture of frozen pineapple, frozen banana, my seed mix, protein powder and coconut milk. Because my fruits were frozen, it made more of an ice cream than a smoothie but I’m not complaining! I paired it with my favorite trail mix.

Lunch: Chickpea Wrap

- My sister-in-law surprised me with vegan flour tortillas (because she saw how bummed out I was because the tortillas we already had included milk). I used my chickpea falafel filling and spinach, hummus, chickpeas and cheese to make a wrap. I’m honestly not a huge fan of wraps because they’re usually cold. I made sure to toast this one & I actually liked it!

Snack: Chips & Guac

- I snacked on chips and guac because I knew I was going to eat later than usual due to meetings!

Dinner: Potatoes & Veggies

- I was excited about this meal because although I have eaten potatoes and veggies for lunch before, my sister-in-law actually made the potatoes on the pan with onions (whereas I cook the potatoes in the oven) for us all to enjoy. She and my brother paired the potatoes with broccoli and chicken and I just substituted the chicken for quinoa. I was happy to finally eat dinner with my siblings! And the potatoes were so good, I will definitely try remaking them the way she did!

Dessert: Watermelon & Tajin

- Since I have gone vegan, my siblings and I have been snacking on fruit a lot because it’s a part of my diet now and there’s an abundance of fruit in the house. They ate oranges and watermelon, and I ate watermelon! Such a refreshing treat.

Notes: Although my meals were pretty good today, something happened that actually frustrated me and I didn’t understand why. I started my period today, and I honestly assumed it was going to be an easier period because better diets can contribute to lighter periods and less painful ones. My diet before veganism wasn’t super healthy, but it was way more healthier than what other teenagers eat, which is why these past few months my periods have lasted two or three days (and not 6 days like it has for the past 5 years of my life). I’ve also NEVER had cramps and the only pain I had was in my lower back, which was just mild and felt more like soreness. Well, going vegan definitely delayed my period by 5 extra days, but when I started, it hit me like a brick. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, so I don’t understand why I was feeling so bad because I’ve never had cramps before. I assumed out of all the months I’ve gone through this, the one time I go vegan should not be the month I endure the most pain. I turned to medication, but Advil and Tylenol isn’t vegan so I couldn’t even take that. However, I did take a turmeric supplement, which I honestly don’t know if it worked or not because the pain comes and goes. This was a pretty interesting incident.

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(Laura Rivas) 4/29/2020: Day 6

Breakfast: Arepa with Scramble Eggs and Avocado

- Today I decided to include one of my favorite meals to this new vegan menu. Arepas are a type of food made of ground maize dough, and you can fill them with everything. In Venezuela, a lot of Arepas fillings have some kind of meat or dairy. However, I decided to do JUST eggs and add tomatoes to it. It was delicious and sort of felt like home. I also added a side of avocado just for more flavor.

Lunch: Vegan Vegetable Lasagna

- I bought several delicious frozen meals from Whole Foods last time I went. I was quite skeptical at first (I am not going to lie), but I have tried Amy’s food before, and it's incredible. I added extra cheese because it looked weird, but when I started eating it, it was pretty good.

Snacks: Chips and Guacamole

- This has been my favorite snack for sure! I had obviously eaten chips and guac before but never actually made it. It's effortless and tasty! Especially because I feel some vegan meals can lack flavor if not prepared properly. Vegetables tend to be somewhat dry sometimes. However, everything depends on how you make it and what ingredients do you use.

Dinner: Vegan TACOS

- My boyfriend and I made vegan tacos for dinner. I forgot to take pictures of it because I was so hungry that I completely forgot. It was delicious tho. I utilized corn tortillas, beans, corn, guacamole, tomatoes, and cheese. The only thing that I can say is that I definitely missed the sour cream I usually add and the real flavor of the cheese. The vegan mozzarella it's not bad, but I would like its taste to be a little stronger.

Notes: Today was a lot better than previous days, to be honest. I am still missing some other foods, and I am not necessarily referring to chicken or beef, its more like some small things. For example, when it comes to cheese, tuna, butter, eggs (when it comes to mixes and batters), and little things like that.

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(Gricelda Torres) 4/29/2020: Day 6

Breakfast: No breakfast.

Lunch: Chickpea Sandwhich

- I ate a Chickpea Sandwhich today for “brunch.” It was okay but I honestly wasn’t that hungry.

Dinner: Vegan Biryani

- This rice recipe was actually fun to make. It tasted really good but I overcooked it just by a little. I think it would have tasted better if I had a creamy sauce with it but I didn’t have any vegan Greek yogurt on hand. Still was impressed by how the flavor turned out.

Notes: My appetite was not too big today so I didn’t eat or snack as much. The food was good though, and I was especially happy that the biryani recipe came out good. Though the recipe did make a lot of rice... so I guess I’ll add it to the 28272 other leftovers I have.

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(Laura Rivas) 4/30/2020: Day 7

Breakfast: Pitaya Smoothie with Protein & Scrambled Eggs

- Great way to start the day with one of my the cutest drink I know how to make! I’ve done the pink aloha smoothie several times, and its delicious and healthy at the same time. This time I forgot to add bananas and the milk I use with it, its almond milk, so it does not include any type of dairy. I also ate some scrambled eggs with the beyond sausage to complement.

Lunch: Quinoa, Corn, Veggies and Beyond Beef

- From all of the vegan things that I have eaten, the beyond beef did not pass. I honestly didn’t like it at all. It kind of smelled like dog food in the beginning, and after all of the condiments and ingredients, I still didn’t like it. I think the flavor is just too strong, and it's not similar to beef at all. I could eat it, but I kind of prefer not to. I paired it with some leftover I had in the fridge I needed to use before they would get bad.

Snacks: None

- I ate breakfast and lunch pretty late, so I didn’t have any time (or hunger) for snacks.

Dinner: HOTDOGS

- Eating hot dogs was my favorite moment of the day. I’ve been craving hot dogs for so long, and I was finally able to eat them because I went to the store to get the vegan sausages for hot dogs. I honestly liked them a lot, and I can see myself buying them in the future, especially because sausages are the worst part of the animals we eat. I utilized JUST mayo, ketchup, and corn. For a hot dog fan, this was pretty pleasant to eat.

Notes: I really enjoyed all my meals today. I found them pretty delicious, except for the beyond beef that I won't definitely buy again. I might try using the beef leftovers as hamburger patties and combined them with different things (that might hide the strong flavor). Overall, we are closer to the end of our project, and I am excited to share what I learned from this experience.

[vegan-gl]

(Gricelda Torres) 4/30/2020: Day 7

Breakfast: Avocado Toast

- I had a very late breakfast at 12 due to meetings. I ate avocado toast and some left over rice from yesterday’s dinner!

Lunch: Banana Oat Protein Cookies

- I actually intended to eat these cookies for breakfast, and although I did make the batch in the morning before my meeting, I didn’t have time to bake them so I let the mixture sit in the bowl for an hour (which worked out perfectly because the recipe recommended we let the rolled oats soak up some of the banana). I baked them for “lunch” which was also later around 2 and ate two of them with coconut milk. They were so good! Such a simple mixture of bananas, oats, raisins and protein powder.

Dinner: Cucumber & Avocado Sushi

- I had vegan sushi for dinner, which to my surprise, was pretty good. I did prefer the avocado one over the cucumber one just because I felt like there was more flavor!

Notes: All the food I ate today was so delicious. This was one of the first days on this vegan diet where I actually enjoyed every meal and didn’t struggle to make anything. My stomach still gets pretty bloated and I’m still gassy, but I’ve honestly gotten used to it now and know there’s really nothing I can do about it. It’s okay though!